Undoubtedly, Valve’s Steam Deck has catalyze a remarkable resurgence in the handheld console market. This trend has prompted leading OEMs like Asus, Lenovo, and MSI to unveil their own compelling offerings, including the ROG Ally, Legion GO, and MSI Claw, respectively, further diversifying and invigorating the handheld gaming landscape.
But, all of these above-mention consoles have a major issue, which is their reliance on the Windows operating system.
After being design for large-screen desktops and laptops, Windows also has many other problems like software conflicts, which means that multiple programs and overlays can clash for resources, leading to a less stable gaming experience.
A new startup call as Playtron has now evolve, with a vision of freeing gaming consoles from their reliance on Windows and other operating systems like Valve’s SteamOS.
What is PlaytronOS?
PlaytronOS is an open-source Linux-based gaming operating system by Playtron, that aims to challenge existing systems like SteamOS and Windows for gaming handhelds.
PlaytronOS offers compatibility for both x86 and ARM architectures, which means that PlaytronOS is compatible with both PC processors, Intel, AMD as well as mobile processors, Snapdragon and others.
If we compare to Windows, PlaytronOS is a lightweight operating system that plans to offer a streamline gaming experience when it comes to interface and functionality, without any unnecessary software.
It means is that Playtron is aiming for something similar to Valve’s SteamOS, which is easy to control and operate, even on devices with small screens or non-traditional input methods, prioritizing user-friendly interactions.
What Games are on PlaytronOS?
As of now, PlaytronOS does not offer its own game store, but, it is design to be a cross-vendor and cross-platform gaming OS, supporting game libraries like Steam, Epic Games Launcher, and potentially other launchers, offering users more flexibility in choosing where to purchase and play games.
As for what games are currently playable on PlaytronOS, the company has mention that games like Death Stranding, Dave the Diver, and Baltaro are currently performing comparably to the native Steam Deck during testing.
This operating system is currently in its early alpha phase, so it will get optimize for more games as it matures.
When will PlaytronOS be available for users?
PlaytronOS is expect to be available for users in 2025, with Playtron aiming to have Playtron-native devices shipping worldwide by that time.
As this is the general timeline, the company’s CEO Kirt McMaster has said that Ayaneo plans to ship a native Playtron handheld by the end of 2024.
Company is working hard to achieve these deadlines after recently receiving $10 million in funding from investors like Samsung Next, Polychain, Alumni Ventures, Mysten Labs, and many others.
