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Will Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X Support SteamOS?

By / Tech / September 30, 2025

In this article, we are answering whether you can install SteamOS on the Xbox ROG Ally and Ally, along with the exact download link.

Picture of Xbox ROG Ally
Xbox ROG Ally (Image via Microsoft)

Microsoft is currently accepting preorders for the Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X, which are set to release on October 16. They are powered by Windows 11 Home Edition, and many users are not fans of it. It’s no secret that Windows 11 doesn’t deliver a great handheld experience compared to SteamOS. Therefore, many users want to install SteamOS when they receive the handheld.

The question is: will the Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X support SteamOS? The short answer is no, but you will still be able to install it. In this article, we will explain what level of support you will get from installing SteamOS on the ROG Ally and Ally X, and whether you will get the same experience Steam Deck users do. Read on to learn more.

Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions.

Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X Specs

Here are the specs of the Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X:

SpecificationsXbox ROG AllyXbox ROG Ally X
Display7-inch IPS FHD Display with 120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits brightness7-inch IPS FHD Display with 120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits brightness
CPUAMD Ryzen Z2 A with 4 cores (Zen 4)AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme with 8 cores (Zen 5 and 5c)
GPUAMD RDNA 2-based GPU with 8 compute coresAMD RDNA 3.5-based GPU with 16 compute cores
Memory16GB dual-channel LPDDR5X-640024GB dual-channel LPDDR5X-8000
OSCustom Windows 11 HomeCustom Windows 11 Home
Storage512GB PCIe Gen 4 2280 SSD1TB PCIe Gen 4 2280 SSD
Battery60Wh with 65W charger80Wh with 65W charger

Will You Be Able To Install SteamOS on Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X?

Picture of ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X
ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X (Image via Microsoft)

Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X will be powered by a custom version of Windows 11 Home Edition, which is yet to be officially released for other devices. Microsoft designed it to provide a better experience than the current state of Windows and even SteamOS.

According to Microsoft, this custom version of Windows will boot directly into the Xbox app to provide a better handheld experience and use less RAM and CPU. Therefore, games will have access to more system resources and run better. While the idea of this custom Windows 11 sounds good, many users are still interested in installing SteamOS.

However, Microsoft hasn’t and will probably never officially support SteamOS, but that won’t stop you from installing SteamOS. After all, we have already explained how to install SteamOS on the older ASUS ROG Ally, so the process will not be any different this time. That’s because the old ROG Ally and the new Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X share the same AMD platform.

However, Microsoft hasn’t and will probably never officially support SteamOS, but that won’t stop you from installing it. After all, we have already explained how to install SteamOS on the older ASUS ROG Ally, so the process will not be any different this time. That’s because the old ROG Ally and the new Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X share the same AMD platform.

You can download the SteamOS ISO file from the Steam website directly and install it on the Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X using the same steps we shared for the regular ROG Ally. Therefore, nothing can stop you from installing SteamOS on the Xbox ROG Ally and Ally X.

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