Playtron wants to be the Linux-based gaming OS on handhelds, laptops, TVs, and in cars. According to the company, PlaytronOS is an improvement over Valve's Linux-based game distro, SteamOS, which is not locked into a single store front. [Playtron calls itself "a lightweight gaming OS optimized for a new generation of powerful portable gaming PCs." The company's website also promises to get better, calling both Windows and SteamOS unsuitable for portable gaming consoles.

Playtron's website is not particularly well written and may help explain why SteamOS is pinned to the "Valveverse" and purports to be compatible only with Steam. Anyway, I'm not sure what the Valveverse is. But it is possible to launch other stores on a handheld: you have to go to the desktop via Big Picture mode to set it up, and then you can often add a launcher to Steam itself.

Epic Games Launcher is off-putting on Steam Deck, so I use the third-party Heroic Launcher instead. I may play more games on Heroic Launcher than I do on Steam Deck these days, but it would be nice if these launchers were more accessible right out of the box on Steam Deck; the same goes for GeForce Now, and maybe someday I had hoped that something like an official app would be offered on Steam Deck, but to no avail.

Playtron's website suggests that's where it will appear; Playtron claims to have succeeded in getting "an all games store" to run on its own OS.

Playtron is also available for download on other handhelds, including Steam Deck, and is "in discussions with OEMs and mobile operators to build and deploy Playtron devices worldwide in the 2025 timeframe," according to founder and CEO Kurt Muller, who previously launched Cyanogen, an Android replacement. Cyanogen, the former Android replacement, is "in discussions with OEMs and mobile operators to build and deploy Playtron devices worldwide in the 2025 timeframe," founder and CEO Kurt McMaster told The Verge. Handheld maker Ayaneo reportedly plans to ship a Playtron-native handheld this year.

The company's site suggests that it hopes to enter both x86 and ARM systems, including automotive, "in the next few years."

However, it seems a bit odd that by supporting Linux games, Playtron is determined to fire on one of the currently more successful Linux gaming projects, SteamOS. Windows is currently the best portable gaming PC with more stronghold and I feel there is more than enough room for two Linux distros.

Steam Deck will likely be available on other gaming handhelds in the future; when announcing the Steam Deck OLED, Valve said it was a mission "very high on our list." This release has been in the works for a while, and maybe it leaves room for other Linux-based game distros to enter the market.

It is a brave goal to create an operating system that is far removed from the big names in gaming and provide equal access to games. However, from what I have seen so far through the website, I cannot say that I have purchased PlaytronOS. Maybe it's the language used or the lack of actual functionality on display (The Verge did a hands-on and reported no problems), but I'd like to see more than this to get a sense of what Playtron is really trying to do. [19] [20] Hopefully, this OS and upcoming handheld devices will materialize into something worth shouting about in a few years. Until then, we'll have to be patient with Steam Deck.