The Steam Deck has been a success since it launched. One of its main advantages is its lightweight operating system and the Proton DirectX translation layer, which lets users play Windows games on Linux. However, Playtron, a startup company, aims to take this further with its new gaming OS.

Playtron is a cross-vendor and cross-platform Linux-based OS that supports Steam, Epic Games Launcher, and other game libraries. The start-up has only 18 employees, but it has already developed an alpha program that The Verge has reviewed.

The Linux-based OS developed by Playtron is simple to use and doesn't include any unnecessary software, unlike Windows. Playtron's feature set may not be extremely advanced at present. However, it already supports games like Death Stranding, Dave the Diver, and Baltaro.

Playtron is seeking contracts with OEMs and mobile carriers who want to integrate PlaytronOS into portable devices. As per the company, Ayaneo seems to already be on board, as it plans to launch a native Playtron handheld in late 2024. Additionally, the start-up aims to go beyond handhelds and expand its adaptability to other devices (laptops, PCs, TVs, phones, cars, tablets, etc). The company's first public alpha is expected to be released within the next two months. This release will allow users to provide feedback, which could speed up the development of the new OS.

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