Steam Deck Leak Unveils SteamOS 3 Design and New Big Picture Mode

The latest version of Valve’s Linux operating system, SteamOS 3, has already been revealed by a user on Twitter. These include the same system that will be installed on each Steam Deck console.

As Valve has started shipping dev kits for its Steam Deck console to studios, more is already known about the console’s operating system design. Pavel Djundik, the developer of SteamDB, shared on Twitter some screenshots of the new SteamOS 3 user interface.

The screenshots will likely be familiar to anyone who has followed the evolution of the Steam Deck over the past few months, as they match what we’ve already seen in the official images shared by Valve. Djundik specifies that the images he posted were actually taken on Windows, not on the Steam Deck console. He adds that this version is currently being used on console SDKs sent out by Valve, so the final version might be slightly different.

A redesign of the Big Picture mode is planned

SteamOS 3 screenshots tell us a bit more about its design. At the bottom left is an icon showing the text of the “Steam menu”, which probably works the same as the Windows “Start” button. Also included is the main interface, the user’s Steam library, achievements and play time for a specific game, in this case Deathloop, and storage details for the console itself.

This new operating system for the Steam Deck should eventually replace Steam’s Big Picture mode, the user interface that gives you a console-like (and controller-friendly) experience. We should therefore soon be entitled to a similar presentation on computers by the end of 2021.

Valve expects the Steam Deck to launch later this year, but most people who have booked a Deck may have to wait until Q2 2022 and beyond to receive their consoles due to high demand.