For decades, if you wanted to game, you used Windows. I mean, you could use Linux or macOS, but game support was purely dependent on whether the developer took the time to create a native client for your operating system. And given how people on Linux and macOS were likely not gamers in the first place (given how they were on, you know, Windows), the sales weren't often worth the development time.

But then something clicked. Valve wanted to release a handheld console not too unlike the Switch, but for PC gaming. To do that, they needed an operating system. And while they could have just slapped Windows 11 on it and called it a day, they instead cooked up an operating system based on Arch Linux called SteamOS. And while the tides didn't turn immediately, it has gotten to the point where Microsoft is scared of losing its "best OS for gaming" title.

SteamOS (and Linux as a whole) is taking gaming by storm

Windows is no longer strictly the best OS for gamers

When Valve created SteamOS, it had the same problem that all Linux distros had. No matter how good SteamOS was, it was still at the mercy of people bothering to create a native app separate from the Windows one that ran on Linux. So, Valve decided to take the onus off the developers and instead create Proton, a compatibility layer.

With Proton, Linux distros could run Windows games without the developers needing to lift a finger. It's not perfect; in fact, there's an entire website called ProtonDB where people test out titles and share any grievances they have getting the game to work on their system. However, the cool thing about Proton being open-source was that people could fix the issues they were encountering and improve gaming for everyone.

The obvious benefit of Proton's advancement is that more Steam titles will run more smoothly on the Steam Deck. However, it also meant that desktop operating systems could run Windows games via Proton. People could tap into their Steam library on a Linux distro, and all was good.

And then Linux started winning.

People were used to Proton being a good enough, but not a superior, alternative to Windows. So, when Linux distros running Proton began running games and managing hardware better than Windows (including on Microsoft's own branded console), people began taking note. Linux distros could now let you play your Steam games on a free operating system, and the sheer lack of bloat that Windows comes with meant that your games ran better. And Microsoft was likely very unhappy.

Microsoft is now treating SteamOS like a benchmark, not an inferior product

Windows needs to adapt or be left behind

While Linux began scoring wins over Windows in the gaming department, Microsoft wasn't in the best place to retaliate. The tables began turning around 2025, which was the year Microsoft began pouring a ton of money and effort into integrating Copilot into everything the light touches. There just simply wasn't any room for Microsoft's engineers to improve gaming performance on Windows 11.

Then, around the end of 2025, Microsoft got a harsh wake-up call. While it was very excited about what Copilot could do, Windows users were decidedly not. So, in a bid to regain trust, Microsoft launched what it calls the Windows K2 project.

Windows K2 sounds like it'd be an entirely new OS, but it's actually a huge effort to rework Windows 11 to tackle some of its major problems while also scaling back Copilot integrations where they don't make a lot of sense. Windows K2 includes bringing Copilot out of Notepad and rewriting the Start menu in WinUI 3. However, one of the most interesting initiatives was to treat SteamOS like a benchmark for Windows 11.

Yes, that's right; for decades, Windows was the gold standard for gaming performance. Now, Microsoft is taking notes from SteamOS to get video games working the best they can on Windows. Linux's advancements in 2025 have scared Microsoft into making Windows less like Windows.

Windows K2 is very much in full swing already

It's not a hypothetical initiative that Microsoft may or may not implement

Of course, as is the case with all companies, Windows K2 is easier said than done. Microsoft can wax lyrical about how it plans to improve Windows all it likes, but if it doesn't actually do anything, it's just a load of hot air.

Fortunately, Microsoft is already putting in the time to make Windows K2 a reality. We've already seen the company post a two-month retrospective to show people what it's been working on, alongside an active developer log on how WinUI 3 is going. Windows K2 is not just a cool idea; it's something being implemented right now.

As such, there's a good chance we'll see Microsoft's efforts to match SteamOS's performance very soon. Remember, the company wants to use Windows 11 on its new Xbox console, and if people learn that wiping Windows off it and replacing it with SteamOS is the best course of action, Microsoft may never live it down.

SteamOS does what Windon't

Microsoft still hasn't properly recovered from the age-old mantra of using Edge to download another browser. If it wants people to not have the same approach with its gaming consoles, where people strip out Windows 11 and add SteamOS to it, it needs to reclaim its crown. Fortunately, Windows K2 will likely give the OS the boost it needs, and if it doesn't, I'll know what operating system I'll be gaming on in the near future.