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SteamOS VS Pop!_OS

Compare SteamOS VS Pop!_OS and see what are their differences

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LibHunt tracks mentions of software libraries on relevant social networks. Based on that data, you can find the most popular projects and their alternatives. featured
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SteamOS logo SteamOS

We've been hard at work to deliver on our promise of a new kind of living room entertainment environment - one that is accessible, powerful and open. In making SteamOS available to you, we're excited to take the next major step towards that goal.

Pop!_OS logo Pop!_OS

A developer-focused minimalist Linux distro from System 76
  • SteamOS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-18
  • Pop!_OS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-01

SteamOS features and specs

  • Optimized for Gaming
    SteamOS is designed specifically for gaming, providing a streamlined gaming experience with optimizations that can potentially improve game performance.
  • Free and Open Source
    As an open-source operating system, SteamOS allows users to modify and customize their system, fostering a community of developers and users who can contribute improvements.
  • Large Game Library
    SteamOS provides access to the extensive Steam library, enabling users to play thousands of games available on the Steam platform.
  • Living Room Friendly
    Designed to be used with a TV and controllers, SteamOS has a user-friendly interface that is suitable for a living room setup, making it ideal for console-like gaming experiences.
  • Continuous Updates
    SteamOS benefits from continuous updates from Valve, ensuring that users have access to the latest features, security patches, and performance improvements.

Possible disadvantages of SteamOS

  • Limited Non-Gaming Software
    SteamOS is heavily focused on gaming, which means there is a lack of availability of non-gaming applications, making it less suitable for users who need a general-purpose operating system.
  • Game Compatibility
    While the Steam library is extensive, not all games are compatible with SteamOS as it is based on Linux, leading to potential limitations in available titles.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    Some hardware components and peripherals might not be fully supported on SteamOS, which can result in functionality issues or the need for technical adjustments.
  • Learning Curve
    For users unfamiliar with Linux-based systems, there can be a learning curve involved in navigating and managing SteamOS compared to more traditional operating systems like Windows.
  • Limited Support
    Compared to major operating systems like Windows and macOS, SteamOS may have limited support options, making it more challenging to resolve specific technical issues.

Pop!_OS features and specs

  • Optimized for Productivity
    Pop!_OS is built with various features oriented towards productivity, such as a customized GNOME desktop environment that includes tiling window management and keyboard shortcuts.
  • User-Friendly Installation
    The installation process for Pop!_OS is straightforward and user-friendly, making it accessible for both beginners and advanced users.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    Pop!_OS is developed by System76, a hardware manufacturer, ensuring excellent support and compatibility with a wide range of hardware, particularly their own computers.
  • Regular Updates
    The operating system receives regular updates, ensuring that users have access to the latest features, security patches, and improvements.
  • Pre-installed NVIDIA Drivers
    Pop!_OS offers a version with pre-installed NVIDIA drivers, which simplifies the setup process for users with NVIDIA graphics cards.

Possible disadvantages of Pop!_OS

  • Limited Community Support
    While Pop!_OS has a growing community, it is still relatively small compared to more established distributions like Ubuntu or Fedora, which might make finding solutions to specific issues more difficult.
  • Resource Intensive
    Pop!_OS's GNOME-based desktop environment can be more resource-intensive compared to other lightweight desktop environments, which might not be ideal for older hardware.
  • Default GNOME Environment
    Some users may prefer other desktop environments over GNOME, and while it's possible to install them on Pop!_OS, it doesn’t come with this flexibility out of the box.
  • Designed for System76 Hardware
    Although it works well on various hardware, Pop!_OS is primarily developed for System76 devices, which might lead to some optimizations not being as effective on non-System76 hardware.
  • Learning Curve for New Users
    New users coming from Windows or macOS might find certain aspects of Pop!_OS different and challenging, such as the tiling window manager and keyboard-driven workflow.

Analysis of Pop!_OS

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Pop!_OS is highly regarded in the Linux community, praised for its ease of use, especially for individuals who need good hardware support out of the box, such as developers and gamers. However, as with any Linux distribution, user preference plays a big role, and trying it out is the best way to see if it meets your needs.

Why this product is good

  • Pop!_OS is a popular Linux distribution developed by System76. It is designed to provide a clean, efficient, and user-friendly desktop experience. Its strong points include excellent support for NVIDIA GPUs, a customized GNOME desktop environment with added features, and the Pop!_Shop for easy application management. It's also noted for its focus on privacy and security, alongside seamless updates and system performance.

Recommended for

  • Developers seeking a stable and customizable platform
  • Gamers needing reliable GPU support
  • Users new to Linux looking for a smooth and straightforward experience
  • Individuals concerned with system privacy and security

SteamOS videos

+ Add

SteamOS Revisit - Valve Strikes Back!!!

More videos:

  • Review - What is SteamOS Explained ft Linus' Steam Machine

Pop!_OS videos

+ Add

Pop!_OS Is Even Better With 19.10 (Full Review)

More videos:

  • Review - Moving In - Pop!_OS 19.04 Review
  • Review - Using Pop!_OS 19.10 ep. 1 - Intro, Installation, Desktop and Gaming Prep

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SteamOS and Pop!_OS)

SteamOS

Pop!_OS

Linux
11 11%
Linux
89% 89
Operating Systems
11 11%
Operating Systems
89% 89
Linux Distribution
9 9%
Linux Distribution
91% 91
Gaming
100 100%
Gaming
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare SteamOS and Pop!_OS

SteamOS Reviews

9 Best Linux Gaming Distributions in 2021
SteamOS is not your usual desktop operating system. It is tailored for playing games via Steam on your machine. You may choose to run common Linux applications as well – but I’d suggest you to test it out only if you want to use Steam as your preferred platform for gaming.
Source: itsfoss.com

Pop!_OS Reviews

10 Most Popular Linux Distros of the Year 2023
Although Pop!_OS is based on Ubuntu, it is still able to make its unique place among Dekstop users because of its fast performance, with a customized GNOME desktop environment to provide a polished interface and out-of-the-box installed software & drivers. The US hardware distributor System76 developers behind the Pop!_OS also offers Laptops and desktops with pre-installed...
Source: linux.how2shout.com
12 Best Linux Distros You Should Use
Pop!_OS is based on Ubuntu and uses the COSMIC desktop environment, which is Pop!_OS’ homemade desktop environment based on GNOME. However, unlike GNOME, it’s a lot cleaner and has got a few neat tricks up its sleeve, like the keyboard shortcuts, which makes Pop!_OS one of the cleanest Linux systems. Overall, Pop!_OS is a great option for budding creators as well as folks...
Source: beebom.com
The best Linux distributions (operating systems)
Pop!_OS has been developed by System76 and is based on Ubuntu. The operating system offers GPU support for AMD and Nvidia as well as their programming interface CUDA. Pop!_OS has a high-quality desktop environment and offers a tiling function that benefits gamers.
Source: www.ionos.com
7 Best Rufus Alternatives To Create Bootable USB In 2022
Popsicle is a USB flasher shipped with Pop!_OS, one of the most popular Linux distributions. One of the best features of the tool is that it allows you to flash an ISO to multiple USB devices simultaneously.
Source: fossbytes.com
13 Best Linux distros for gaming in 2022
The Pop!_OS distro by hardware vendor System76 is one of the best options for gamers who want to assemble their own gaming installation.
Source: edumotivation.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Pop!_OS should be more popular than SteamOS. It has been mentiond 456 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

SteamOS mentions (56)

  • Is it possible for a PC to only run steam and steam games and nothing else?
    SteamOS exists but may limit the games that could be played since it's a Linux based OS. Steam itself also has a web browser so no matter the way you do it have to research how or if you can disable that. There's also ways you could clamp windows down a lot but that's a lot of work. Source: over 1 year ago
  • So about SteamOS and ChimeraOS...
    I'm a bit confused about SteamOS. Is this the offical version for desktop devices? If so, why do people use ChimeraOS if there is already an offical version of it? Or is it not complete. Source: over 1 year ago
  • An L bois
    Closest you'll get is with SteamOS which can be run on a PC: https://store.steampowered.com/steamos. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Install on Steam Deck?
    I know I could install Dungeondraft on my Steam Deck when running Windows, but is it possible to install Dungeondraft on my Steam Deck when in "Desktop Mode" of the SteamOS? I know Dungeondraft specifically says "Ubuntu" as one of the OSes it supports, but SteamOS is based on Debian Jessie. I've tried to research how much different Jessie is from Ubuntu, but I'm not having much luck. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Why do reviewers still say that the Steam Deck can't run Windows?
    It’s literally a Debian distro…. https://store.steampowered.com/steamos. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

Pop!_OS mentions (456)

  • Part 1: Getting Started With Linux
    To start using Linux, I personally would recommend going with Pop!_OS. You got a few options here: either you can run it on a VM or install it on Bare Metal. Don't worry, I got you covered—you can use any one of the following methods:. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • The Future Is Niri
    Did you see Pop OS? https://pop.system76.com/ They follow ubuntu releases, kind of. The downside, they went all in into their new desktop env - cosmic, and until they release it they won't move on from 20.04.. I really loved the tiling feature in PopOS 20.04 which came out of the box. But then I bought a new laptop, and had to move to arch to use it.. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Apple's Software Quality Crisis: When Premium Hardware Meets Subpar Software
    Please try a distro [0] maintained by a company making their own Linux laptops. [0] https://pop.system76.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Perl 🐪 Weekly #707 - Is it ethical?
    What is Pop!_OS? Sounds like the name of one of the kids of Elon Musk. But no. It is apparently an Ubuntu-based Linux operating system for STEM and creative professionals. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Malibal and Coreboot Have a Disagreement
    > We no longer ship to Colorado due to the actions of System76's Principal Engineer (https://www.system76.com), Pop_OS! Maintainer (https://pop.system76.com), and Redox OS BDFL (https://www.redox-os.org) named Jeremy Soller (https://soller.dev). Source: https://portal.malibal.com/kb/a1064/why-dont-you-ship-to-colorado/ Err, what? I really can't follow the logic here. What does some dude have to do with Colorado. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing SteamOS and Pop!_OS, you can also consider the following products

Arch Linux - You've reached the website for Arch Linux, a lightweight and flexible Linux® distribution that tries to Keep It Simple. Currently we have official packages optimized for the x86-64 architecture.

Linux Mint - Linux Mint is one of the most popular desktop Linux distributions and used by millions of people.

Ubuntu - Ubuntu is a Debian Linux-based open source operating system for desktop computers.

Manjaro - Manjaro Linux is a linux distribution which is based on arch linux. It uses the PACMAN package manager.

Fedora - Fedora creates an innovative, free, and open source platform for hardware, clouds, and containers that enables software developers and community members to build tailored solutions for their users.

GamerOS - The definitive couch gaming experience

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