Turn an old gaming PC into a living-room console with Bazzite or SteamOS

What you end up with

The Steam Deck made this idea popular. It runs Linux, but you'd never know it: you turn it on, Steam's controller-friendly menu appears, and you play. Valve's Steam Machine works the same way. Bazzite and SteamOS bring that experience to a regular PC.

• Steam Gaming Mode starts automatically. It's the same full-screen interface as the Steam Deck, built for a TV and a controller.
• Controllers just work. Xbox and PlayStation controllers connect over USB or Bluetooth.
• A regular desktop is one menu away, for web browsing, installing other launchers, or fixing things with a keyboard and mouse.
• Updates are safe to take. Bazzite installs each update as a complete new copy of the system. If one causes trouble, pick the previous version from the boot menu and you're back where you were.

It also gives a PC that can't run Windows 11 a supported, updated system again, without paying for Windows 10 extended updates.

Bazzite or SteamOS?

For an old gaming PC, Bazzite is the practical choice. Most gaming PCs from the last decade have Nvidia cards, and SteamOS doesn't support them. If you have an all-AMD PC and want the official Valve experience, SteamOS is worth a look once desktop support leaves beta.

Will your PC work?

The graphics card matters most. Find yours in Device Manager under Display adapters, or in Task Manager under Performance, GPU.

A few other things to check:

• UEFI boot. Bazzite expects a PC that boots in UEFI mode. The installer warns you if the PC is using Legacy BIOS or CSM. Most PCs from about 2012 on can switch to UEFI in the BIOS settings. The Secure Boot section of my Windows 11 guide shows how to tell which mode yours uses.
• A drive you can wipe. The simplest install takes over a whole drive. An SSD makes a big difference to load times, and it's worth checking an old drive's health first.
• Enough memory. 16 GB is comfortable for most games. 8 GB works for older and lighter games.

Performance is usually in the same range as Windows on the same hardware, sometimes a little better, sometimes a little worse. If a game played well on the PC before, it's a good bet it will again.

Which games won't run

Steam runs Windows games on Linux through a compatibility layer called Proton, and it handles most of a typical Steam library. The big exception is anti-cheat.

• Kernel-level anti-cheat doesn't run on Linux. That rules out many popular competitive online shooters. Check areweanticheatyet.com for the games you care about.
• Everything else: look each game up on ProtonDB, where players report how well it runs. Platinum and Gold ratings mean it works well.
• Game Pass and Xbox app games won't run. Epic and GOG games often do through a launcher called Heroic, which you can install from the desktop.

If your main game is on the anti-cheat list, this isn't the project for that PC. Single-player games, older favorites, and indie games are where it shines.

Install Bazzite

Back up anything you want to keep on the PC first. Installing Bazzite erases the drive you install it to. You'll need a USB stick of 16 GB or more.

1. Download the right image from bazzite.gg. The site asks about your hardware and whether you want a desktop or Steam Gaming Mode. For a console in the living room, choose the edition with Steam Gaming Mode (the Deck or handheld edition, which also works on desktop PCs). The Desktop edition doesn't boot into Gaming Mode.
2. Write it to the USB stick with a tool like balenaEtcher or Fedora Media Writer. Bazzite's documentation lists what currently works.
3. Boot from the USB stick. Restart and press the boot menu key, usually F12 on Dell and Lenovo or F9 on HP, then pick the USB stick.
4. Run the installer. Choose your language and time zone, pick the drive, and let it erase and install. If Secure Boot is on, follow the prompt Bazzite gives you. Its documentation explains the extra step.
5. Restart and sign in to Steam. Bazzite boots into Steam Gaming Mode. Pair your controller, sign in, and start downloading games.

Want to try it without committing? Install it on a spare SSD, or swap drives, and keep your Windows drive in a drawer until you're sure.

Living-room tips

• Wired network if you can. Game downloads are huge, and a cable is faster and steadier than Wi-Fi.
• Mind the noise. An old tower under the TV can be loud. Clean out the dust and check the fans before it moves to the living room.
• Get to the desktop from the Steam menu, under Power, Switch to Desktop. That's where you install other launchers or change system settings.
• Steam Remote Play lets this PC stream games from a stronger gaming PC elsewhere in the house, which is handy if the old one can't keep up with newer games.

Not a gamer? The same old PC makes a good home server, or a regular desktop with a beginner-friendly version of Linux.