Everyone here at XDA has been excitedly waiting since Valve announced SteamOS 3 will get a beta version for other PC gaming handhelds. The Steam Deck OLED and Steam Deck LCD aren't technically the best handhelds, hardware-wise, but the tight integration of SteamOS makes it a more enjoyable experience than using Windows-based devices.

Every time we review another PC gaming handheld, regardless of how good the hardware is, we end up wishing it didn't have to run Windows 11, and now our wish has been granted. So, with expectations high, what should you play on SteamOS 3 once the beta lets you use it on other handhelds? Well, instead of picking the usual crop of handheld titles, I decided to put a list together of games that run better on SteamOS compared to Windows.

10 Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition

War, war never changes, but apparently the operating system you play on does

Bethesda's Fallout series got a huge boost in popularity after the Amazon TV series came out, and it's well worth revisiting the latest single-player RPG (no, we don't talk about Fallout 76) once SteamOS 3 is available on other handhelds. The post-apocalyptic setting of Boston and its surrounding area provide the backdrop for this installment of the ghoulishly funny series, as once again you're in the shoes of a Vault Dweller who has to leave the (relatively) safe environs of their Vault.

Unlike twitchy shooters, Fallout 4 uses the VATS slow-time combat system, which makes it fantastic to control on handhelds. Plus, unlike when I tried to finish the game on Windows 11, SteamOS hasn't crashed on me once. Time to get your bottlecap-scrounging hands ready and open every container you see for loot, because in Fallout, all trash is someone else's treasure.

9 Hitman World of Assassination

Agent 47 would like a word with your new operating system

The bald Agent 47 is one of the most recognizable characters of recent years, with that barcode tattoo and penchant for perfectly planned assassinations. Don disguises to blend in, cause mayhem, or choose to snipe from afar, the choice is yours, and the multiple ways to complete any assignment are fantastic to experience. Oh, and if you're confused by the name change, maybe that's also Agent 47 in disguise again. When the developers self-published Hitman 3 they decided to include access to the first two titles, and also to rebrand it as World of Assassination (and delist the earlier games) to reduce confusion.

8 DOOM Eternal

RIP TEAR SMASH your way through hordes of demons, because nobody else will

[Heavy metal intensifies] While we wait for DOOM: The Dark Ages to arrive later this year, you've got time to revisit the earlier games in the series. DOOM Eternal is an absolute hoot on the smaller screen of handheld consoles, and is well-optimized enough to get fluid frame rates on the relatively underpowered APUs inside them. What isn't underpowered is DOOM Guy, who gets all manner of weaponry to dispatch the hordes of demons that are escaping from... somewhere?... I always forget what the plot is because the visceral joy of chainsawing through ranks of demonic baddies never fails to get me grinning.

7 Elden Ring

Play it if you haven't already, or play it again with a new character if you have

Ahh, Foul, maidenless Tarnished... come sit and listen. If you've never experienced Elden Ring or any other Soulslike, the first thing you need to know is that you will die. A lot. Probably more than a lot. But that's okay because you come back to life at the last bonfire you rested at, and all you lose are the experience points you haven't already used to upgrade your character.

The Lands Between, as the game takes place, is vast, gorgeous, and very, very dangerous. It's also the place where you get dropped with almost no armor or weaponry, as you come back to life thanks to an ages-old promise. Are you going to become the Elden Lord and fix this sorry state of affairs? We suggest you turn ray tracing off when playing on a PC gaming handheld, and then you'll get a more stable frame rate as you try to roll your way through uncountable monsters and bosses on your quest.

6 God of War

The small screen can't contain the mighty Kratos

Kratos, the former Greek God of War, was trying to have a quiet life away from deities trying to kill him and his family, but well, the pantheon of the gods decided otherwise. At its heart, the refreshed God of War is a father-son bonding story, with the two journeying to scatter the ashes of his second wife. Except there's a wrinkle, the son doesn't know he's partly divine. It's a fantastic story that touches on many monsters and gods from Norse mythology, and you won't want to put it (or your handheld) down once you start.

5 Cyberpunk 2077

Be amazed at how well your time in Night City runs when you're not on Windows anymore

You might be surprised to see this title on this list, because everyone knows Cyberpunk 2077 is the poster child for ray tracing and can be a very hard game to run. Except, when you don't turn ray tracing on, and you're on a lower resolution handheld screen, it's surprisingly fast, certainly playable enough to enjoy your time in Night City. If, indeed, you can enjoy your time in Night City because the city is unforgiving, cold, and full of intrigue and danger.

4 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Ah, Gwent, monsters, witchers, and did we mention Gwent?

Card-based games are perfect for the power limits of PC gaming handhelds, so how about a card-based game that just happens to have a sprawling aRPG built around it? You'll be chasing down perfect strangers shouting "Gwent, Gwent, Gwent!" in no time at all, because you'll want every single collectible card for your deck if you want to stand a chance against the masters.

In-between Gwent matches, there's a mildly inconvenient storyline, including the Wild Hunt coming for the girl you pledged to protect, some dabbling in politics, and some bawdy behavior that we won't deign to illustrate. But once those things are dealt with by one of your two Witcher swords, you'll have plenty of time to go back to harassing the populace to see who has a Gwent deck handy.

3 Counter-Strike 2

No anti-cheat issues here, as VAC works natively through Steam

We love Counter-Strike 2 here at XDA, and it's no real surprise that one of Valve's most popular games runs like a charm on SteamOS. While many multiplayer games use kernel-level anti-cheat solutions, Valve's VAC runs natively through Steam, so you won't have any issues here. What you might want is some peripherals, as the competitive nature of the game means the joysticks on your handheld won't cut it against the hordes of players that have decades of experience.

2 Borderlands 3

Get your looter shooter fix on the small screen with perfect SteamOS compatibility

Borderlands 3 is great when you just want to sit down and tune out from the world, because the dopamine hit from looting every container you see while simultaneously shooting anything that moves is a real rush. Plus, it runs better on SteamOS than on Windows, probably because the Linux-based OS is less overhead for gaming handhelds to deal with. The only question is which of the heroes to choose, because their playstyles vary and you want to pick one that fits how you want to play.

1 Crysis Remastered

The original "can it run..." title is a perfect fit for testing out SteamOS on more devices

The game that spawned the "Can it run..." meme got remastered not long ago, and it's worth playing on your gaming handheld because it just shows how far PC hardware has come since 2009. Even the Raspberry Pi can run Crysis (albeit at low frame rates at 4K), but the lower resolution on PC gaming handhelds will be just fine, and it's glitch free on SteamOS from my retesting.

SteamOS 3 beta is about to show everyone how good Linux gaming can be

Anyone who's picked up a Steam Deck, or tried out Bazzite on their system knows exactly how good gaming on Linux is these days. And when SteamOS 3 beta hits this year, a whole bunch more will see the light. It's really impressive the boost to frame rates you get on the same hardware when you're not dealing with the bloat and overhead of Windows, and I can't wait until SteamOS is viable for desktop use as well.