GNU/Linux like proper laptops and desktops, not gaming handhelds.
100% of the gamers that don't overlap with FOSS folks, don't care SteamOS is somehow based on the Linux kernel, the Steam Runtime and a Win32/DirectX translation layer, otherwise there would not be games to play.
The steam deck is essentially a laptop (and I think made it through FCC on that basis). Plug in a USB hub, HDMI, keyboard, mouse, and I'm all set. I actually bought an extra one because now that the mobile device ecosystem is locked down so completely, it's my main escape hatch for a portable PC.
Not at all, it makes a point, ChromeOS, WebOS, Android, are also based on the Linux kernel and hardly considered Linux distributions for everyday use, in a way similar to GNU/Linux expectations.
How little do game studios care to port their titles from Android/NDK into SteamOS, even though both are "Linux".