Since the Steam Deck first arrived over three years ago, plenty of other big-name tech brands have introduced their own handheld gaming PCs to compete with Valve’s market leader, including Asus, Lenovo, and more. Now, another company could be joining the fray, with HP – a brand you might know for its OMEN gaming line or printers – reportedly considering developing a handheld with SteamOS.
These new details are courtesy of an interview with SVP and Division President of Gaming Solutions, Josephine Tan, who told XDA Developers, “If I’m buying a handheld, I want a very simple setup. The minute I turn on my handheld, it will remember the last game I played. In the Windows environment, it doesn’t.” This makes a lot of sense, as while some of the Windows 11 picks from our guide to the best handheld consoles might offer top-tier performance, such as the Asus ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go, I’ve spent the better part of the last year complaining about the user interface.
However, when asked whether HP might be interested in developing a handheld with SteamOS, Tan confirmed it would be. This wouldn’t have been possible this time last year, but with Valve revealing that it’s lending out SteamOS and its easy access to all the best Steam Deck games to other brands earlier this year, we’re anticipating a slew of handhelds utilizing the operating system. The first, the Lenovo Legion Go S with Steam OS, is just a couple of months away, with the device now available to pre-order.
These latest developments won’t make for comfortable reading at Microsoft, but it seems the PC juggernaut has plans to combat the rollout of SteamOS. Earlier this month, we reported that the brand behind Xbox is working with another company, potentially Asus, to develop an Xbox-branded handheld and that this device could debut an Xbox-inspired user interface instead of Windows. However, the clock is now ticking, and the longer Microsoft waits to reveal a true competitor to SteamOS, the more likely it is we see future Steam Deck alternatives with Valve’s SteamOS software pre-installed.
Of course, we should point out that Tan didn’t specify that a handheld is in the works, just that the interest is there. Still, we’ll keep an eye out for any updates from HP that might allude to the brand developing a Steam Deck rival.
If you can’t wait around for some new tech, be sure to check out our guides to the best gaming phones and the best gaming tablets while you’re here. Or, if you’d prefer something a little more old-school, see our list of the best retro handhelds.