Playtron is developing an alternative to Windows and SteamOS

PlaytronOS does not compete with Windows or Linux. Rather, it is a new direction of work that is exclusively related to games. After all, if the system turns out to be successful, many companies that produce game consoles, including, possibly, the Chinese, will want to try it out in their products. Of course, the proposal must be interesting, so it all depends on the startup.

Playtron raised $10 million in seed funding and hired a team of developers who worked on projects such as Box86 (which allows some Windows games built for x86 processors to run on devices with ARM-based chips), ChimeraOS (a GNU/Linux distribution offering user interface similar to SteamOS), and Heroic Games Launcher (offers an alternative to the SteamOS game launcher, making it easier to play non-Steam games on Steam Deck or other PCs – it supports Linux, Windows and macOS).

As you can see, there are already software options that offer exactly what the company is going to implement with its project. But the problem is that all this is the lot of geeks. Playtron is developing a solution that will work without any fine-tuning of the config, etc. – a purely custom solution for a wide range of devices.

What about business?

A license for the OS will cost about $10 US, which automatically makes it much more attractive than Windows. The user interface on the device is simpler than Windows. Control is implemented using the game controller buttons. Plus, Playtron will offer support, develop the community and do everything that is required in such services.

Playtron is currently in talks with a number of device manufacturers and hopes that next year we will see the shipment of several portable devices with PlaytronOS. At least one company may release a device with this software this year.

It seems that the company has already managed to reach an agreement with some organizations. So, in January, AYANEO announced plans to release an inexpensive laptop that will ship with HoloISO, a third-party fork of SteamOS. But the company later scrapped those plans and is shipping the system with Windows instead (though you can download a HoloISO build if you want to install it yourself). Now Playtron reports that AYANEO plans to release a portable computer with PlaytronOS by the end of 2024.

Journalists from The Verge tested the system (it was installed on a Steam Deck) on a number of games, including Death Stranding, Dave the Diver and Baltaro.

It is likely that over time the company will have competitors. For example, the same Microsoft will work to make Windows more convenient for portable devices.

An open alpha version will be released within the next two months.