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Releases: project-barry/pb-os
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pb-os alpha v0.5.1: one image for the RP6, Nova and Thor
Important
Project Barry's additions to this fork were built with a coding agent:
Claude Code, running Anthropic's
Claude Opus 5.5 (claude-opus-5-5). This applies only to what Project
Barry added on top of hashtagbasit's
SteamOS-ARM-Handhelds.
Claude wrote that code, these release notes and the README (except
lavachemist's hand-written note there). People set the goals, made the
decisions and did the hands-on testing. Review the code before you rely on it.
pb-os for the Retroid Pocket 6, Retroid Pocket Nova, KONKR Pocket FIT and AYN Thor: Valve's SteamOS for ARM (the Steam Frame build). This is an alpha. Expect rough edges.
Built from commit 4dd38a7. It includes everything from alpha v0.5.0.1 and alpha v0.5.0.2.
What's new
- One image for all Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 devices. The Retroid Pocket 6, Retroid Pocket Nova and AYN Thor now share a single image,
pb-os-alpha-v0.5.1-sm8550.img. The Thor's extras (Barry Launcher on the bottom screen, the Dual Screen plugin, Firefox) are on every copy but only start on a Thor. On the RP6 and Nova they stay hidden. The KONKR Pocket FIT keeps its own image. - AYN Thor: Desktop Mode at 125 % on both screens, instead of 200 %.
- AYN Thor: the screens meet corner to corner in Desktop Mode. The bottom screen used to sit apart from the top one, which Display Settings reported as an error. They now touch only at the top screen's bottom-right corner, so the pointer and windows still stay on the top screen, and Display Settings accepts the layout.
- Retroid Pocket Nova: Desktop Mode at 125 %, which fits its smaller screen better than 150 %. Steam's on-screen keyboard is no longer cut off at the edges, and it stays on top of the panel and the application menu. A scale you chose yourself is kept.
- Dual Screen plugin: two-screen melonDS keeps the Natural layout. Picking Hybrid in melonDS no longer puts all three screens into the top window.
- Fresh installs use the whole card. On some first boots,
/homestayed at about 3.4 GB on a large card. It now tries again on the next boot.
Updating
From alpha v0.4, v0.5, v0.5.0.1 or v0.5.0.2: open Quick Access → Decky → PB-OS Update and press Download and install. alpha v0.5.1 is a feature release, so this is a full download of about 4.3 GB. Then press Restart and install. Your games, saves, login and settings stay.
From alpha v0.3 or v0.3b: the same, from PB-OS Update. Updating from a drive needs alpha v0.4 or newer.
Without internet, copy the package parts for your device, SHA256SUMS and SHA256SUMS.sig to the top folder of a microSD card or USB drive, then use Install from the drive in PB-OS Update.
| Device | Update package |
|---|---|
| Retroid Pocket 6 and Nova | pb-os-alpha-v0.5.1-rp6.update.tar.gz.* |
| AYN Thor | pb-os-alpha-v0.5.1-thor.update.tar.gz.* |
| KONKR Pocket FIT | pb-os-alpha-v0.5.1-pocketfit.update.tar.gz.* |
The Thor package is the same file as the RP6 one. After this update the Thor follows the shared Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 updates, and later releases have no separate Thor package.
The fixes that follow (alpha v0.5.1.1, v0.5.1.2, ...) come as one small package from alpha v0.5.1.
Installing fresh
| Device | Chip | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Retroid Pocket 6, Retroid Pocket Nova, AYN Thor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (SM8550) | pb-os-alpha-v0.5.1-sm8550.img.7z.001 – .003 |
| KONKR Pocket FIT | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (SM8650) | pb-os-alpha-v0.5.1-pocketfit.img.7z.001 – .003 |
What you need
- A 32 GB or larger microSD card. A fast A2 card helps, because games load from it.
- ROCKNIX ABL 1.1.8 or newer on the device. pb-os boots through ROCKNIX's bootloader, and the card includes ABL 1.2 for flashing it (step 5). Android stays and still boots from its menu.
- For updates later: about 25 GB free on the card or internal storage.
Flashing
-
Download all image parts for your device, plus
SHA256SUMS. Keep them in one folder. -
Check the downloads (optional but recommended): run
sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS --ignore-missingon Linux, orshasum -a 256 -c SHA256SUMS --ignore-missingon macOS. -
Extract the image. Open the
.001part with 7-Zip or WinRAR on Windows, or Keka or The Unarchiver on a Mac. On Linux, run7z x pb-os-alpha-v0.5.1-<chip>.img.7z.001. The other parts are read automatically. You get a single.imgfile of about 16 GB. -
Write it to the microSD card with balenaEtcher, Rufus or
dd. Writing the image erases everything on the card. -
Install ROCKNIX ABL (once per device; skip this if it is already installed). The card's BOOT partition has a
rocknix_ablfolder with ROCKNIX ABL 1.2 and scripts for Android, the way Armada ships it:- Copy the
rocknix_ablfolder to the root of Android's internal storage. - Pick your chip's folder: SM8550 for the Retroid Pocket 6, Nova and AYN Thor, SM8650 for the KONKR Pocket FIT. A wrong ABL can leave the device unbootable.
- In Android's settings, use Run script as root to run
backup_abl.shfrom that folder, and copy theabl_a.imgandabl_b.imgit writes to your PC.restore_backup_abl.shputs them back later if you want the stock bootloader. - Run
flash_abl.shthe same way.
Full steps are in
rocknix_abl/README. You can also get ABL from ROCKNIX/abl releases and follow ROCKNIX's guide for your device. - Copy the
-
Boot from the card. Put the card in, then power on while holding the volume button that opens the ABL menu:
- KONKR Pocket FIT: hold Volume Down, go to Set device model → KONKR Pocket FIT, set Boot mode to Linux, then START.
- Retroid Pocket 6, Nova and AYN Thor: set the boot source to the SD card with Linux as the boot mode, then START. If it asks for a device model, pick yours (Retroid Pocket 6, Retroid Pocket Nova or AYN Thor).
Newer ABL versions may name these options slightly differently.
-
First boot takes 2–3 minutes. Then you get the normal Steam setup (language, Wi-Fi, time, sign in).
To go back to Android, pick Android in the ABL menu, or take the card out.
Installing to internal storage (optional)
The RP6 and Pocket FIT have run from internal storage for several days; the Thor and Nova haven't been tried. Use Easy UFS Installer in Desktop Mode. It erases Android's user data. See the installer's README.
Good to know
- SSH is off, like on the Steam Deck. To use it, set a password with
passwdin Desktop Mode's Konsole, then runsudo systemctl enable --now sshd. It allows password login for thesteamosuser; root login stays off. - Tailscale is installed but switched off, and no account is set up.
- Pocket FIT: sleep is a standby mode that still draws about 1 W, so the battery slowly drains. If you see GPU hangs, switch to the Low Power profile.
- Thor: run it from the microSD card. Barry Launcher in Desktop Mode is less tested than in Game Mode.
SHA256SUMS covers the images and the update packages and is signed with the pb-os release key (SHA256SUMS.sig); devices check that signature before installing an update. The .state.json.gz files list every system file of this release; the alpha v0.5.1.x packages are made from them.
Please report problems in Issues, with your device and what you were doing. To talk with other users, join the Project Barry Discord, or watch Project Barry on YouTube.
alpha v0.5.0.2
Important
Project Barry's additions to this fork were built with a coding agent:
Claude Code, running Anthropic's
Claude Opus 5.5 (claude-opus-5-5). This applies only to what Project
Barry added on top of hashtagbasit's
SteamOS-ARM-Handhelds.
Claude wrote that code, these release notes and the README (except
lavachemist's hand-written note there). People set the goals, made the
decisions and did the hands-on testing. Review the code before you rely on it.
A small fix for pb-os alpha v0.5 on the Retroid Pocket 6, Retroid Pocket Nova, KONKR Pocket FIT and AYN Thor. This is an alpha. It is the second patch release: one small update on top of alpha v0.5, with no new images. It also includes everything from alpha v0.5.0.1.
Built from commit b992d1e.
What's new
- X and Y are no longer swapped on the Retroid and AYN devices. In alpha v0.5, the X and Y buttons came out swapped in Steam and in games on the Retroid Pocket 6, Retroid Pocket Nova and AYN Thor. They now match the letters printed on the buttons. A and B stay as alpha v0.5 set them. The AYN Odin 2 models get the same change, but they have never been tested with pb-os. The KONKR Pocket FIT's buttons don't change.
Updating
From alpha v0.5 or alpha v0.5.0.1: open Quick Access → Decky → PB-OS Update and press Download and install. The download is about 2 MB. Then press Restart and install. Your games, saves, login and settings stay. If you changed the X/Y buttons in a game's or Steam's controller settings to work around the swap, change them back.
Without internet, copy the package for your device, SHA256SUMS and SHA256SUMS.sig to the top folder of a microSD card or USB drive, then use Install from the drive in PB-OS Update.
| Device | Update package |
|---|---|
| Retroid Pocket 6 (and Nova) | pb-os-alpha-v0.5.0.2-rp6.from-alpha-v0.5.delta.tar.gz.001 |
| KONKR Pocket FIT | pb-os-alpha-v0.5.0.2-pocketfit.from-alpha-v0.5.delta.tar.gz.001 |
| AYN Thor | pb-os-alpha-v0.5.0.2-thor.from-alpha-v0.5.delta.tar.gz.001 |
From alpha v0.4, v0.3b or v0.3: this update only installs on alpha v0.5 or later. PB-OS Update offers alpha v0.5 first (a full download of about 4 GB). After that restart, it offers this one. To update from a drive, copy alpha v0.5's files first, then these.
Installing fresh
There are no new images. Flash the alpha v0.5 image for your device (its notes have the steps), then install this update from PB-OS Update.
Good to know
SHA256SUMS lists the three update packages and is signed with the pb-os release key (SHA256SUMS.sig). Devices check that signature before installing. The .state.json.gz files list every system file of this release; the next alpha v0.5.0.x packages are made from them.
Please report problems in Issues, with your device and what you were doing. To talk with other users, join the Project Barry Discord.
alpha v0.5.0.1
Important
Project Barry's additions to this fork were built with a coding agent:
Claude Code, running Anthropic's
Claude Opus 5.5 (claude-opus-5-5). This applies only to what Project
Barry added on top of hashtagbasit's
SteamOS-ARM-Handhelds.
Claude wrote that code, these release notes and the README (except
lavachemist's hand-written note there). People set the goals, made the
decisions and did the hands-on testing. Review the code before you rely on it.
A small fix for pb-os alpha v0.5 on the Retroid Pocket 6, Retroid Pocket Nova, KONKR Pocket FIT and AYN Thor. This is an alpha. It is the first patch release: one small update on top of alpha v0.5, with no new images.
Built from commit 7a66e61.
What's new
- Updates clean up after themselves. Until now, every update left about 4 GB behind on the device for good: the whole download, the unpacked files and a backup of the old ones. After a few updates, that could fill the storage until the next update refused to start for lack of space. Now, each time Game Mode starts, PB-OS Update deletes what finished updates left behind. That includes updates installed before this one, so the space they took comes back after this update. Only a few small log files per update stay, in case something needs looking into later. An update that is waiting for a restart, or one that stopped halfway, is never touched. Not yet tried on the devices themselves.
Updating
From alpha v0.5: open Quick Access → Decky → PB-OS Update and press Download and install. The download is about 2 MB. Then press Restart and install. About 30 seconds after Game Mode starts again, the space from earlier updates is freed. Your games, saves, login and settings stay.
Without internet, copy the package for your device, SHA256SUMS and SHA256SUMS.sig to the top folder of a microSD card or USB drive, then use Install from the drive in PB-OS Update.
| Device | Update package |
|---|---|
| Retroid Pocket 6 (and Nova) | pb-os-alpha-v0.5.0.1-rp6.from-alpha-v0.5.delta.tar.gz.001 |
| KONKR Pocket FIT | pb-os-alpha-v0.5.0.1-pocketfit.from-alpha-v0.5.delta.tar.gz.001 |
| AYN Thor | pb-os-alpha-v0.5.0.1-thor.from-alpha-v0.5.delta.tar.gz.001 |
From alpha v0.4, v0.3b or v0.3: this update only installs on alpha v0.5. PB-OS Update offers alpha v0.5 first (a full download of about 4 GB). After that restart, it offers this one. To update from a drive, copy alpha v0.5's files first, then these.
Installing fresh
There are no new images. Flash the alpha v0.5 image for your device (its notes have the steps), then install this update from PB-OS Update.
Good to know
SHA256SUMS lists the three update packages and is signed with the pb-os release key (SHA256SUMS.sig). Devices check that signature before installing. The .state.json.gz files list every system file of this release; the next alpha v0.5.0.x packages are made from them.
Please report problems in Issues, with your device and what you were doing. To talk with other users, join the Project Barry Discord.
pb-os alpha v0.5: Nintendo buttons, Pocket FIT controls and sound
Important
Project Barry's additions to this fork were built with a coding agent:
Claude Code, running Anthropic's
Claude Opus 5.5 (claude-opus-5-5). This applies only to what Project
Barry added on top of hashtagbasit's
SteamOS-ARM-Handhelds.
Claude wrote that code, these release notes and the README (except
lavachemist's hand-written note there). People set the goals, made the
decisions and did the hands-on testing. Review the code before you rely on it.
pb-os for the Retroid Pocket 6, KONKR Pocket FIT and AYN Thor: Valve's SteamOS for ARM (the Steam Frame build). This is an alpha. Expect rough edges.
Built from commit f6d015b.
What's new
- Nintendo face buttons on the Retroid Pocket 6, Nova and AYN Thor. These devices print A on the right and B at the bottom, but Steam treated the bottom button as A. All four face buttons now do what their printed letter says: the right button (A) confirms and the bottom one (B) goes back. Not yet tried on the devices themselves.
- Pocket FIT: GameCube games have controls. The pad now reaches Steam as a real Steam Deck controller, so EmuDeck's Dolphin profiles (and the Wii, Ryujinx and Cemu ones) find it.
- Pocket FIT: stronger rumble. Games mostly ask for light rumble, which the Pocket FIT's motors made too weak to feel. Light and medium rumble are now much stronger; off and full are unchanged.
- Pocket FIT: louder speakers. The speaker boost goes from +8 dB to +12 dB. The limiter still stops loud sounds from clipping.
- Pocket FIT: silent speakers fixed. Sometimes both speaker amplifiers failed to turn on when a sound started and stayed silent until a reboot. The kernel now notices this and restarts them.
- Desktop Mode is easier to use by touch on the RP6, Nova and Pocket FIT: it opens at 150 % instead of 125 %, with Plasma's touch mode on, and the screen no longer turns with the device. A scale you chose yourself is kept. The Thor keeps its own two-screen layout.
Updating
From alpha v0.4: open Quick Access → Decky → PB-OS Update and press Download and install. You can also copy the update to a microSD card or USB drive (see alpha v0.4's notes). alpha v0.5 is a feature release, so this is a full download of about 4 GB. Getting it ready takes a while longer on a microSD card, and you can keep playing meanwhile. Then press Restart and install. Your games, saves, login and settings stay.
From alpha v0.3 or v0.3b: the same, from PB-OS Update. Updating from a drive needs alpha v0.4 or newer.
| Device | Update package |
|---|---|
| Retroid Pocket 6 (and Nova) | pb-os-alpha-v0.5-rp6.update.tar.gz.* |
| KONKR Pocket FIT | pb-os-alpha-v0.5-pocketfit.update.tar.gz.* |
| AYN Thor | pb-os-alpha-v0.5-thor.update.tar.gz.* |
The fixes that follow (alpha v0.5.1, v0.5.2, ...) come as one small package from alpha v0.5.
Installing fresh
| Device | Chip | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Retroid Pocket 6 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (SM8550) | pb-os-alpha-v0.5-rp6-nova.img.7z.001 – .003 |
| KONKR Pocket FIT | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (SM8650) | pb-os-alpha-v0.5-pocketfit.img.7z.001 – .003 |
| AYN Thor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (SM8550) | pb-os-alpha-v0.5-thor.img.7z.001 – .003 |
The rp6-nova image also carries support for the Retroid Pocket Nova. It has not been tested on a Nova yet.
What you need
- A 32 GB or larger microSD card. A fast A2 card helps, because games load from it.
- ROCKNIX ABL 1.1.8 or newer on the device. pb-os boots through ROCKNIX's bootloader, and the card includes ABL 1.2 for flashing it (step 5). Android stays and still boots from its menu.
- For updates later: about 25 GB free on the card or internal storage.
Flashing
-
Download all image parts for your device, plus
SHA256SUMS. Keep them in one folder. -
Check the downloads (optional but recommended): run
sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS --ignore-missingon Linux, orshasum -a 256 -c SHA256SUMS --ignore-missingon macOS. -
Extract the image. Open the
.001part with 7-Zip or WinRAR on Windows, or Keka or The Unarchiver on a Mac. On Linux, run7z x pb-os-alpha-v0.5-<device>.img.7z.001. The other parts are read automatically. You get a single.imgfile of about 16 GB. -
Write it to the microSD card with balenaEtcher, Rufus or
dd. Writing the image erases everything on the card. -
Install ROCKNIX ABL (once per device; skip this if it is already installed). The card's BOOT partition has a
rocknix_ablfolder with ROCKNIX ABL 1.2 and scripts for Android, the way Armada ships it:- Copy the
rocknix_ablfolder to the root of Android's internal storage. - Pick your chip's folder: SM8550 for the Retroid Pocket 6, Nova and AYN Thor, SM8650 for the KONKR Pocket FIT. A wrong ABL can leave the device unbootable.
- In Android's settings, use Run script as root to run
backup_abl.shfrom that folder, and copy theabl_a.imgandabl_b.imgit writes to your PC.restore_backup_abl.shputs them back later if you want the stock bootloader. - Run
flash_abl.shthe same way.
Full steps are in
rocknix_abl/README. You can also get ABL from ROCKNIX/abl releases and follow ROCKNIX's guide for your device. - Copy the
-
Boot from the card. Put the card in, then power on while holding the volume button that opens the ABL menu:
- KONKR Pocket FIT: hold Volume Down, go to Set device model → KONKR Pocket FIT, set Boot mode to Linux, then START.
- Retroid Pocket 6, Nova and AYN Thor: set the boot source to the SD card with Linux as the boot mode, then START. If it asks for a device model, pick yours (Retroid Pocket 6, Retroid Pocket Nova or AYN Thor).
Newer ABL versions may name these options slightly differently.
-
First boot takes 2–3 minutes. Then you get the normal Steam setup (language, Wi-Fi, time, sign in).
To go back to Android, pick Android in the ABL menu, or take the card out.
Installing to internal storage (optional)
The RP6 and Pocket FIT have run from internal storage for several days; the Thor and Nova haven't been tried. Use Easy UFS Installer in Desktop Mode. It erases Android's user data. See the installer's README.
Good to know
- SSH is off, like on the Steam Deck. To use it, set a password with
passwdin Desktop Mode's Konsole, then runsudo systemctl enable --now sshd. It allows password login for thesteamosuser; root login stays off. - Tailscale is installed but switched off, and no account is set up.
- Pocket FIT: sleep is a standby mode that still draws about 1 W, so the battery slowly drains. If you see GPU hangs, switch to the Low Power profile.
- Thor: run it from the microSD card. Barry Launcher in Desktop Mode is less tested than in Game Mode.
SHA256SUMS covers the images and the update packages and is signed with the pb-os release key (SHA256SUMS.sig); devices check that signature before installing an update. The .state.json.gz files list every system file of this release; the alpha v0.5.x packages are made from them.
Please report problems in Issues, with your device and what you were doing.
pb-os alpha v0.4: updates from a drive, smaller updates
Important
Project Barry's additions to this fork were built with a coding agent:
Claude Code, running Anthropic's
Claude Opus 5.5 (claude-opus-5-5). This applies only to what Project
Barry added on top of hashtagbasit's
SteamOS-ARM-Handhelds.
Claude wrote that code, these release notes and the README (except
lavachemist's hand-written note there). People set the goals, made the
decisions and did the hands-on testing. Review the code before you rely on it.
pb-os for the Retroid Pocket 6, KONKR Pocket FIT and AYN Thor: Valve's SteamOS for ARM (the Steam Frame build). This is an alpha. Expect rough edges.
Built from commit 2794d49.
What's new
- Updates from a microSD card or USB drive. No internet on the device? Download the update on a computer, copy it with
SHA256SUMSandSHA256SUMS.sigto the top folder of a microSD card or USB drive (FAT32, exFAT, NTFS or ext4), and put it in. PB-OS Update notices it and offers Install from the drive. It checks the same release signature as a download. - Smaller updates from now on. alpha v0.4 is a feature release: it comes as full images and full update packages. The fixes that follow (alpha v0.4.1, v0.4.2, ...) come as one small package that takes any alpha v0.4 device straight to the newest fix.
- Faster, visible updates (from alpha v0.3b). The restart writes only the files that change, and the screen shows Installing update with a progress bar.
- No downgrades. PB-OS Update only offers versions newer than the one you have.
- The device is named after its model on your network:
rp6,rpnova,kpf,thor(orpockets2) instead offrame. A name you set in Steam is kept. - D-Bus fix (from alpha v0.3b): system services start on demand again after an update.
Updating
From alpha v0.3 or v0.3b: open Quick Access → Decky → PB-OS Update and press Download and install. The download is about 4 GB. Getting it ready takes a while longer on a microSD card, and you can keep playing meanwhile. Then press Restart and install. Your games, saves, login and settings stay.
If you're on alpha v0.3a, update too; it was withdrawn.
| Device | Update package |
|---|---|
| Retroid Pocket 6 (and Nova) | pb-os-alpha-v0.4-rp6.update.tar.gz.* |
| KONKR Pocket FIT | pb-os-alpha-v0.4-pocketfit.update.tar.gz.* |
| AYN Thor | pb-os-alpha-v0.4-thor.update.tar.gz.* |
Updating from a drive needs alpha v0.4's PB-OS Update, so it works for the updates after this one.
Installing fresh
| Device | Chip | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Retroid Pocket 6 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (SM8550) | pb-os-alpha-v0.4-rp6-nova.img.7z.001 – .003 |
| KONKR Pocket FIT | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (SM8650) | pb-os-alpha-v0.4-pocketfit.img.7z.001 – .003 |
| AYN Thor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (SM8550) | pb-os-alpha-v0.4-thor.img.7z.001 – .003 |
The rp6-nova image also carries support for the Retroid Pocket Nova. It has not been tested on a Nova yet.
What you need
- A 32 GB or larger microSD card. A fast A2 card helps, because games load from it.
- ROCKNIX ABL 1.1.8 or newer on the device. pb-os boots through ROCKNIX's bootloader. Android stays and still boots from its menu.
- For updates later: about 25 GB free on the card or internal storage.
Flashing
-
Install ROCKNIX ABL. Get it from ROCKNIX/abl releases and flash the file for your chip (SM8550 for the RP6, Nova and Thor, SM8650 for the Pocket FIT) to both
abl_aandabl_b. Follow ROCKNIX's guide for your device, and check the file's SHA-256 before you flash. A wrong or interrupted ABL flash can leave the device unbootable. If ROCKNIX ABL is already installed, skip this step. -
Download all image parts for your device, plus
SHA256SUMS. Keep them in one folder. -
Check the downloads (optional but recommended): run
sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS --ignore-missingon Linux, orshasum -a 256 -c SHA256SUMS --ignore-missingon macOS. -
Extract the image. Open the
.001part with 7-Zip or WinRAR on Windows, or Keka or The Unarchiver on a Mac. On Linux, run7z x pb-os-alpha-v0.4-<device>.img.7z.001. The other parts are read automatically. You get a single.imgfile of about 16 GB. -
Write it to the microSD card with balenaEtcher, Rufus or
dd. Writing the image erases everything on the card. -
Boot from the card. Put the card in, then power on while holding the volume button that opens the ABL menu:
- KONKR Pocket FIT: hold Volume Down, go to Set device model → KONKR Pocket FIT, set Boot mode to Linux, then START.
- Retroid Pocket 6, Nova and AYN Thor: set the boot source to the SD card with Linux as the boot mode, then START. If it asks for a device model, pick yours (Retroid Pocket 6, Retroid Pocket Nova or AYN Thor).
Newer ABL versions may name these options slightly differently.
-
First boot takes 2–3 minutes. Then you get the normal Steam setup (language, Wi-Fi, time, sign in).
To go back to Android, pick Android in the ABL menu, or take the card out.
Installing to internal storage (optional)
The RP6 and Pocket FIT have run from internal storage for several days; the Thor and Nova haven't been tried. Use Easy UFS Installer in Desktop Mode. It erases Android's user data. See the installer's README.
Good to know
- SSH is off, like on the Steam Deck. To use it, set a password with
passwdin Desktop Mode's Konsole, then runsudo systemctl enable --now sshd. It allows password login for thesteamosuser; root login stays off. - Tailscale is installed but switched off, and no account is set up.
- Pocket FIT: sleep is a standby mode that still draws about 1 W, so the battery slowly drains. If you see GPU hangs, switch to the Low Power profile.
- Thor: run it from the microSD card. Barry Launcher in Desktop Mode is less tested than in Game Mode.
SHA256SUMS covers the images and the update packages and is signed with the pb-os release key (SHA256SUMS.sig); devices check that signature before installing an update. The .state.json.gz files list every system file of this release; the alpha v0.4.x packages are made from them.
Please report problems in Issues, with your device and what you were doing.
pb-os alpha v0.3b: faster updates
Important
Project Barry's additions to this fork were built with a coding agent:
Claude Code, running Anthropic's
Claude Opus 5.5 (claude-opus-5-5). This applies only to what Project
Barry added on top of hashtagbasit's
SteamOS-ARM-Handhelds.
Claude wrote that code, these release notes and the README (except
lavachemist's hand-written note there). People set the goals, made the
decisions and did the hands-on testing. Review the code before you rely on it.
Faster, visible updates. This release is alpha v0.3 with a new updater. The system itself is unchanged.
- The restart takes minutes, not most of an hour. Before the restart, the updater works out which files actually change and gets only those ready. The restart then writes just those files.
- You can see it working. During the restart the screen shows Installing update, a progress bar and pulsing dots. Don't power off while it's there.
- Smaller downloads from now on. Later releases come with a small package holding only what changed since the version before. PB-OS Update picks it automatically.
- D-Bus fix. Updates no longer reset the permissions of the D-Bus helper that starts system services on demand.
Updating from alpha v0.3
Open Quick Access → Decky → PB-OS Update and press Download and install. The download is about 4 GB, because the updater in alpha v0.3 only knows full packages. Getting it ready takes a while longer on a microSD card, and you can keep playing meanwhile. Then press Restart and install. The restart takes a few minutes and shows its progress, and afterwards PB-OS Update shows alpha-v0.3b as installed. Your games, saves, login and settings stay.
Skip alpha v0.3a. Its restart step can sit on a black screen for most of an hour, and it has been withdrawn.
| Device | Update package |
|---|---|
| Retroid Pocket 6 (and Nova) | pb-os-alpha-v0.3b-rp6.update.tar.gz.* |
| KONKR Pocket FIT | pb-os-alpha-v0.3b-pocketfit.update.tar.gz.* |
| AYN Thor | pb-os-alpha-v0.3b-thor.update.tar.gz.* |
The .state.json.gz files list every system file of this release; the next release's small packages are made from them.
There are no images here: to install pb-os fresh, use alpha v0.3, then update. SHA256SUMS is signed with the pb-os release key (SHA256SUMS.sig); devices check that signature before installing.
Please report problems with updating in Issues, with your device and what PB-OS Update or the restart screen showed.
pb-os alpha v0.3: Retroid Pocket 6, KONKR Pocket FIT and AYN Thor
Important
Project Barry's additions to this fork were built with a coding agent:
Claude Code, running Anthropic's
Claude Opus 5.5 (claude-opus-5-5). This applies only to what Project
Barry added on top of hashtagbasit's
SteamOS-ARM-Handhelds.
Claude wrote that code, these release notes and the README (except
lavachemist's hand-written note there). People set the goals, made the
decisions and did the hands-on testing. Review the code before you rely on it.
pb-os for the Retroid Pocket 6, KONKR Pocket FIT and AYN Thor: Valve's SteamOS for ARM (the Steam Frame build). This is an alpha. Expect rough edges.
| Device | Chip | Files |
|---|---|---|
| Retroid Pocket 6 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (SM8550) | pb-os-alpha-v0.3-rp6-nova.img.7z.001 – .003 |
| KONKR Pocket FIT | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (SM8650) | pb-os-alpha-v0.3-pocketfit.img.7z.001 – .003 |
| AYN Thor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (SM8550) | pb-os-alpha-v0.3-thor.img.7z.001 – .003 |
The rp6-nova image also carries support for the Retroid Pocket Nova. It has not been tested on a Nova yet.
Built from commit 90489fe.
What's new
- Updates without reflashing. The new PB-OS Update Decky plugin (Quick Access → Decky) finds new pb-os releases, downloads them in the background and installs them on the next restart. Games, saves, your Steam login, Wi-Fi and your own Decky plugins are kept. If an update is interrupted, the previous version comes back on the next boot. Downloads are checked against a signature from the pb-os release key before anything is installed. Desktop Mode has the same in the SteamOS Update app.
- Retroid Pocket Nova support in the SM8550 image (untested on hardware).
- AYN Thor: Desktop Mode now uses both screens side by side by default.
- Everything from alpha v0.2's Thor work that also applies to the other devices: see the commit history.
Updates start with the next release: from this version on, the PB-OS Update plugin offers each new release for your device. Coming from alpha v0.1 or v0.2, flash this image once.
What you need
- A 32 GB or larger microSD card. A fast A2 card helps, because games load from it.
- ROCKNIX ABL 1.1.8 or newer on the device. pb-os boots through ROCKNIX's bootloader. Android stays and still boots from its menu.
- For updates later: about 25 GB free on the card or internal storage.
Flashing
-
Install ROCKNIX ABL. Get it from ROCKNIX/abl releases and flash the file for your chip (SM8550 for the RP6, Nova and Thor, SM8650 for the Pocket FIT) to both
abl_aandabl_b. Follow ROCKNIX's guide for your device, and check the file's SHA-256 before you flash. A wrong or interrupted ABL flash can leave the device unbootable. If ROCKNIX ABL is already installed, skip this step. -
Download all parts for your device, plus
SHA256SUMS. Keep them in one folder. -
Check the downloads (optional but recommended): run
sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS --ignore-missingon Linux, orshasum -a 256 -c SHA256SUMS --ignore-missingon macOS. -
Extract the image. Open the
.001part with 7-Zip or WinRAR on Windows, or Keka or The Unarchiver on a Mac. On Linux, run7z x pb-os-alpha-v0.3-<device>.img.7z.001. The other parts are read automatically. You get a single.imgfile of about 16 GB. -
Write it to the microSD card with balenaEtcher, Rufus or
dd. Writing the image erases everything on the card. -
Boot from the card. Put the card in, then power on while holding the volume button that opens the ABL menu:
- KONKR Pocket FIT: hold Volume Down, go to Set device model → KONKR Pocket FIT, set Boot mode to Linux, then START.
- Retroid Pocket 6, Nova and AYN Thor: set the boot source to the SD card with Linux as the boot mode, then START. If it asks for a device model, pick yours (Retroid Pocket 6, Retroid Pocket Nova or AYN Thor).
Newer ABL versions may name these options slightly differently.
-
First boot takes 2–3 minutes. Then you get the normal Steam setup (language, Wi-Fi, time, sign in).
To go back to Android, pick Android in the ABL menu, or take the card out.
Installing to internal storage (optional)
The RP6 and Pocket FIT have been running from internal storage for several days; the Thor and Nova haven't been tried. Use Easy UFS Installer in Desktop Mode. It erases Android's user data. The steps are in the alpha v0.1 notes and the installer's README.
Good to know
- SSH is off, like on the Steam Deck. To use it, set a password with
passwdin Desktop Mode's Konsole, then runsudo systemctl enable --now sshd. It allows password login for thesteamosuser; root login stays off. - Tailscale is installed but switched off, and no account is set up.
- Pocket FIT: sleep is a standby mode that still draws about 1 W, so the battery slowly drains. If you see GPU hangs, switch to the Low Power profile.
- Thor: run it from the microSD card. Barry Launcher in Desktop Mode is less tested than in Game Mode.
Please report problems in Issues, with your device and what you were doing.