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Bazzite vs SteamOS: Supported Hardware, NVIDIA Support, Install Media and Which to Choose

By the Softwares Academy editors Updated Checked against official sources on 26 Sep 2026

Short answer: In Bazzite vs SteamOS, SteamOS is Valve’s Arch Linux-based OS. It’s officially supported only on Valve’s own hardware and the Lenovo Legion Go S, with beta support for other AMD handhelds and AMD desktop GPUs. Bazzite is a free, community-built OS based on Fedora Atomic. It runs on a wider range of handhelds and desktops, can dual-boot Windows, and has separate NVIDIA images. On NVIDIA it supports GTX 16 and RTX cards on its modern image and older Pascal and Maxwell cards on a legacy image. Pick SteamOS on a Steam Deck or Legion Go S if you want Valve’s supported setup. Pick Bazzite if your hardware isn’t on Valve’s list, you have an NVIDIA GPU, or you want a full desktop OS.

What SteamOS is

Valve’s SteamOS FAQ describes it as “an Arch Linux-based Linux distribution” in which “all of the base operating system components are open source.” It ships with the Steam client, which is proprietary, and “some proprietary third party drivers.” It boots into Steam’s controller-friendly interface, and you can switch to a KDE Plasma desktop to install other launchers and software.

Games run through Proton, Valve’s compatibility layer. Valve says the “vast majority of the Steam library runs on SteamOS” and that when a game doesn’t run well, “we call it out with our Verified program.”

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What Bazzite is

Bazzite’s own comparison page calls it “a community-driven Linux gaming operating system” based on Fedora Linux with an atomic update system. It’s built by the Universal Blue project and licensed under Apache-2.0 on GitHub. It comes in three flavors:

  • Desktop (bazzite), which boots to KDE Plasma or GNOME.
  • Handheld/HTPC (bazzite-deck), which boots straight into Steam Gaming Mode like SteamOS.
  • Developer (Bazzite-DX).

Bazzite ships frequent updates. The latest stable build when we checked was 44.20260921, published September 21, 2026, with Linux kernel 7.2.4 and Mesa 26.2.2. Bazzite says it started “to resolve some of the issues that plague SteamOS, mainly out of date packages (despite an Arch base) and the lack of a functional package manager.”

Supported hardware

This is the biggest practical difference.

SteamOS (Valve) Bazzite
Officially supported Steam Deck, Steam Machine, Steam Frame, Lenovo Legion Go S (“Powered by SteamOS”) Handhelds in its Handheld Wiki: Steam Deck LCD and OLED, ASUS ROG Ally and Ally X, Lenovo Legion Go and Go S, GPD, OneXPlayer, Ayn, Ayaneo and more; desktops and laptops
Beta or unofficial Lenovo Legion Go, ASUS ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, “Other AMD powered handhelds,” “AMD discrete GPUs” Unlisted handhelds “could work,” but Bazzite doesn’t apply fixes for them automatically
NVIDIA GPUs Not listed by Valve Separate NVIDIA images (see below)
Intel GPUs Not listed by Valve Supported; Intel Arc in Gaming Mode “with minor caveats”

Valve’s help article says SteamOS “can be installed on additional AMD-powered devices beyond those listed above,” but that Steam Support “may have limited ability to troubleshoot” hardware outside the official list. It asks users to report such issues on the SteamOS GitHub. Valve’s main SteamOS page and its help article differ slightly: the main page lists Steam Deck, Steam Machine and Legion Go S, while the help article, updated in September 2026, adds Steam Frame.

Bazzite’s minimum system requirements are UEFI firmware (legacy boot is unsupported), a 2 GHz quad-core x86-64 CPU, 8 GB of RAM, a GPU with Vulkan 1.3 or higher and 50 GB free on an internal SSD, with 120 GB recommended. The disk must use GPT partitioning. For the Gaming Mode images, Bazzite asks for a modern AMD GPU (RX 400 series and up), with Intel Arc and NVIDIA supported with caveats.

NVIDIA support in Bazzite

SteamOS’s official and beta lists name only AMD hardware. Bazzite builds separate images with NVIDIA’s proprietary driver pre-installed. Its FAQ says:

  • -nvidia-open supports “every Nvidia card from the Turing architecture and newer (GTX 16 and all RTX cards).”
  • -nvidia (legacy) supports “Pascal, Maxwell, and Volta architectures (GTX 900, GTX 1000, Nvidia Titan V, GTX 750 (TI) and GTX 745).”
  • Kepler and older (most GTX 700 cards and earlier) are not supported, because NVIDIA’s own drivers no longer support them. Bazzite still installs with the open-source nouveau driver, but says performance lags and the card may be “stuck at its lowest clocks.”

The September 21 stable build ships NVIDIA Open driver 615.71.09 and an LTS driver, 580.178.04. Bazzite says you can’t update these drivers manually; they arrive with system updates.

Two caveats from Bazzite’s docs:

  • In Steam Gaming Mode, NVIDIA is supported “with major caveats compared to AMD hardware,” which Bazzite says is “out of control of Bazzite maintainers.”
  • For external GPUs on handhelds, “Nvidia GPUs are unsupported, though Bazzite provides an experimental -deck-nvidia image.”

If you switch to or from an NVIDIA card later, Bazzite says you need to rebase to the matching image.

Updates and rollback

SteamOS updates through the Steam interface. Valve’s recovery image offers Repair SteamOS, which reinstalls “while attempting to preserve your games and personal content,” and Re-image Device, a full factory reset.

Bazzite is image-based. Its comparison page says the previous version is always available from the boot menu, handhelds “automatically rollback on the previous version after 3 failed boots,” and “a backlog of the previous 90 days of updates is available.” You can also add Fedora packages that persist across updates. Bazzite says SteamOS lacks “a functional package manager.”

Install media and how each installs

SteamOS, per Valve’s help article:

  1. Download the SteamOS recovery image from Valve.
  2. Write it to a USB drive of at least 8 GB. Valve recommends Rufus on Windows and balenaEtcher on macOS or Linux.
  3. Boot from the USB drive. On non-Deck hardware, Valve says you may need to disable Secure Boot, and gives steps for the Legion Go and ROG Ally.
  4. Choose Wipe Device & Install SteamOS. This erases the device.

Bazzite, per its installation guide:

  1. Pick your hardware, GPU vendor and desktop at download.bazzite.gg. The site builds the image name for you.
  2. Write the ISO to a USB drive of 16 GB or more. Bazzite recommends Fedora Media Writer, and also lists Rufus and Ventoy, noting Ventoy needs extra steps for Secure Boot.
  3. Check the ISO against its published SHA-256 file, which ends in -CHECKSUM. The live ISOs also have a .sig signature file.
  4. Boot the live environment and run the installer. On handhelds, hold Volume Down and press Power to reach the boot menu.

Bazzite supports dual-booting with Windows. Its guide recommends a separate drive where possible. On a shared drive, it says to disable BitLocker and Windows fast startup first, then run ujust regenerate-grub afterwards. Bazzite supports Secure Boot with its own key, but warns Steam Deck owners: “do not enable Secure Boot on your Steam Deck unless you absolutely know what you’re doing.”

Current Bazzite ISOs and their SHA-256 values are on our Bazzite download page.

Bazzite vs SteamOS: which should you choose?

Choose SteamOS if:

  • You have a Steam Deck, Steam Machine or Legion Go S and want the OS Valve supports.
  • You want Valve’s Verified ratings to match your system exactly.
  • You’re fine with the device running mostly Steam, plus a basic desktop.

Choose Bazzite if:

  • Your handheld is on Bazzite’s list but only on Valve’s beta list, such as the ROG Ally or original Legion Go.
  • You have an NVIDIA GPU. Valve doesn’t list NVIDIA at all.
  • You want a full desktop OS as well as Gaming Mode, or dual-boot with Windows.
  • You want 90 days of rollbacks and the option to add system packages.

On a Windows handheld you want to keep on Windows, neither applies. See our Handheld Companion guide instead. Plugin support works on both: Decky Loader installs on SteamOS through its installer and on Bazzite with ujust setup-decky.

What neither one does

  • Neither makes every Windows game work. Both rely on Proton for Windows games. Check Valve’s Verified rating and the game’s own Linux support.
  • Neither comes with full vendor support on unofficial hardware. Valve says Steam Support may have limited ability to help there. Bazzite’s support is its forums, Discord and GitHub issue tracker.
  • Neither keeps your data during a clean install. Both installers can wipe the target drive. Back up first.
  • Bazzite doesn’t support NTFS or exFAT game drives. Its docs say these “can and will eventually lead to DATA CORRUPTION under Linux.”

Questions

Is Bazzite better than SteamOS?

It depends on your hardware. SteamOS is Valve’s supported OS for its own devices and the Legion Go S. Bazzite supports more handhelds, NVIDIA GPUs and desktop use.

Can I install SteamOS on a ROG Ally or Legion Go?

Valve lists both under “Beta SteamOS Support.” Steam Support may have limited ability to help on these devices.

Does SteamOS support NVIDIA GPUs?

Valve’s official and beta lists name only AMD hardware. NVIDIA isn’t mentioned.

Which NVIDIA cards does Bazzite support?

GTX 16 and all RTX cards on the -nvidia-open image. GTX 900, GTX 1000, Titan V, GTX 750 Ti and GTX 745 on the legacy -nvidia image.

Does Bazzite work on the Steam Deck?

Yes. Bazzite lists the Steam Deck LCD and OLED as supported and offers a bazzite-deck image that boots into Gaming Mode.

Can I dual-boot Bazzite and Windows?

Yes. Bazzite supports it and recommends installing on a separate drive where possible.

How big a USB drive do I need?

At least 8 GB for SteamOS, per Valve, and 16 GB or more for Bazzite, per its guide.

Is Bazzite free?

Yes. It’s open source under the Apache-2.0 license.

Can I go back to SteamOS from Bazzite?

Yes, with Valve’s recovery image. Its Re-image option wipes the device and installs stock SteamOS.

Can I roll back a bad Bazzite update?

Yes. Pick the previous version at boot, or roll back to any build from the last 90 days.

Sources

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