Valve Adds SteamOS Gamepad Support for MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ and Ayaneo Handhelds

By Sakib Khandokar, Lead Analyst Published Aug 10, 2026, 11:52 AM UTC 1 min read

News Brief Details verified Verified reporting

Valve Adds SteamOS Gamepad Support for MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ and Ayaneo Handhelds

Valve has expanded the scope of its SteamOS development in the latest 3.8.25 Beta update, which introduces initial gamepad support for a variety of non-Valve handheld gaming PCs. This update marks a step forward for users looking to run SteamOS on third-party hardware.

New Device Compatibility

The update specifically targets hardware from MSI and Ayaneo, alongside an older high-end device. The additions include:

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+: Now featuring initial gamepad support.
Ayaneo Pocket S2: The Android-first, Snapdragon-powered handheld is now supported.
Konkr Fit: Added support for this recently released Windows handheld, available in both Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 and HX 370 configurations.
OneXPlayer Apex: The update includes updated gamepad support for this older model, known for its optional liquid cooling attachment.

For owners of the Konkr Fit, the update is expected to improve functionality for the device's TMR joysticks and Hall effect triggers.

Steam Machine Firmware Fixes

Beyond third-party handhelds, the 3.8.25 Beta includes a firmware patch for the Steam Machine. This update addresses a specific performance bug where CPU speeds could be throttled unexpectedly after the device wakes from sleep mode. By applying this update, users should see consistent performance following a sleep cycle.