Steam Deck can now officially run Windows 11 with new drivers from Valve
You should do it at your own risk, though.
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- Valve published dedicated drivers for AMD graphics, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, audio, and SD card reader, making it easier to install Windows on Steam Deck.
- Windows enables titles with anti-cheat systems not supported on SteamOS, including Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Destiny 2.
- Windows installation wipes SteamOS completely, and Valve offers no technical support. Dual-boot wizard planned for future release.
- The move signals growing acceptance that hardware owners should run whatever software they choose, though Apple and other ecosystem strongholds remain closed.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Valve, the company behind the gaming platform Steam, has published official Windows 11 drivers for the Steam Machine, a console-like PC. The move makes it easier for gamers to install Microsoft's OS on Valve's hardware.
To do so, the company released the official drivers needed to run Windows on the device. Gamers now have dedicated drivers for AMD graphics, WiFi, Bluetooth, audio, and the SD card reader.
However, choosing Windows over SteamOS, Valve's Linux-based operating system, means the latter will be completely wiped from the machine during installation.
Installing Windows also gives gamers access to titles such as Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Destiny 2, whose anti-cheat systems are not supported on SteamOS. Additionally, Microsoft's operating system turns the Steam Machine into a full-fledged home PC, allowing users to run Microsoft Office and other Windows applications alongside alternative game launchers such as the Xbox App.
In the release notes, Valve also says that an official dual-boot setup is not yet available, although the hardware supports it. The company plans to add a dual-boot wizard in a future SteamOS release.
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There are also some limitations. For example, Steam Deck OLED Bluetooth requires a recent BIOS update from SteamOS before Windows can be installed, while Bluetooth audio microphone support on the OLED model is still a work in progress.
Should you decide to switch to Windows, however, you'll do so at your own risk. Valve does not provide technical support for Windows-related issues, meaning you'll need to troubleshoot any problems yourself. There is, however, a way back, as users who want to return to SteamOS can use Valve's recovery tools.
In any case, the notion that if you own hardware, you should be free to run whatever software you want on it appears to be gaining traction. Even so, it may take some time before other ecosystem strongholds, such as Apple, begin to embrace the same philosophy.
