Valve has enabled NVIDIA GPU drivers in the main SteamOS codebase, allowing certain generations of graphics cards to boot normally. However, there is still a performance gap between these drivers and existing advanced solutions, and further improvements are needed for full support.
Valve software developer Pierre-Loup Griffais indicated that the team is focusing its efforts on this work, with NVIDIA support high on the priority list. Similar to the development of the FEX compatibility layer and Qualcomm drivers, this kind of low-level work requires considerable time to complete.
Griffais stated that after the drivers were merged into the main SteamOS codebase, some NVIDIA GPUs are already functional, but current results do not represent full performance support. The team is still addressing performance gaps in the drivers, with improvements gradually being made.
At present, some Linux distributions can work with NVIDIA drivers, but the Linux gaming environment is generally more mature with AMD GPU compatibility. AMD has provided driver support for the operating system for many years, making it a common choice for many Linux gamers.
NVIDIA graphics cards hold a significant share among Steam users. According to the Steam Hardware Survey cited in the article, their market share reaches 72.88%. For Valve, which aims to expand SteamOS coverage, improving compatibility and performance for these GPUs remains a key priority.
In addition to GPU drivers, anti-cheat compatibility is another challenge SteamOS faces when expanding its game support. Valve has not yet announced a specific timeline for achieving full performance support for NVIDIA drivers, as related optimizations are still ongoing.