Ars Technica has published benchmark results revealing that SteamOS consistently outperforms Windows 11 in gaming tests on portable hardware. The tests, conducted on the Lenovo Legion Go handheld gaming PC, show that Valve’s Linux-based operating system delivers higher frame rates and smoother gameplay compared to Microsoft’s flagship OS.
The testing included five Windows-native games running on identical hardware configurations. What makes the results particularly surprising is that SteamOS needs to use Proton—a compatibility layer based on Wine—to run these Windows games. Despite this translation overhead, SteamOS still managed to deliver better performance.
“Windows 11 is a big tent operating system designed for a myriad of purposes, while SteamOS is purpose-built to be as lightweight as possible for gaming,” noted one industry observer, highlighting the fundamental difference between the two systems.
The biggest performance advantages for SteamOS were seen in games that leverage Vulkan, a modern graphics API that works particularly well with the Proton/DXVK translation layer used by SteamOS. This combination can sometimes add optimizations not present in native Windows drivers.
Another factor contributing to SteamOS’s superior performance is Steam’s shader pre-caching feature, which reduces stuttering in gameplay. This system compiles shaders ahead of time rather than during gameplay, resulting in a smoother experience compared to Windows.
When Ars Technica updated the Legion Go’s Windows drivers beyond what Lenovo officially provides, Windows performance improved significantly—but SteamOS still maintained an edge in most tests. This suggests that even with optimal Windows configurations, SteamOS’s gaming-focused design provides built-in advantages.
The benchmarks also show how far Linux gaming has come in recent years. Valve’s investment in Proton has dramatically improved compatibility and performance for Windows games running on Linux. This progress challenges the long-held idea that Windows is the only real option for PC gaming.
