The Steam Deck is perfectly capable of running Windows, with official driver packages from Valve to support this functionality. Valve stands out among tech companies for its unique approach, allowing users to do whatever they want with their hardware once purchased. This philosophy is reflected in Steam OS, which is based on Linux and can be customized to personal preferences. The open nature of Steam OS has fostered a large community of coders who add functionality without the proprietary lock-outs found in other operating systems. This permissive attitude extends to the ability to change the entire operating system to Windows, with Valve supplying the necessary driver packages. Currently, only the Steam Deck LCD has full driver support, but Valve is working on providing Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Audio drivers for Windows on the Steam Deck OLED as well.
Steam OS: More Functional and Often Faster
Switching to Windows on your Steam Deck means losing access to several key features. For instance, the Quick Settings menu, which allows you to see performance overlays and change settings like Bluetooth, will no longer be available. This tool also lets you adjust the Steam Deck’s APU power settings on the fly, such as lowering wattage and limiting FPS in-game, all with a few taps of the slide-out menu. These functionalities are exclusive to Steam OS and are not available if you install Windows. While devices like the Legion Go or ROG Ally have custom software packages for Windows created by their respective manufacturers, the Steam Deck lacks such a program and likely never will.
Additionally, you may experience a drop in performance if you switch to Windows. Although direct benchmarks for Windows running on the Steam Deck are not available, a YouTube creator named TheTerk found that out of a selection of 20 games, only four ran faster on Windows than on Steam OS. Of the games that performed better on Steam OS, five had over 10% more frames per second, with one game, God of War, running 22.3% faster on Valve’s OS. While a 10% increase at lower than 60FPS translates to only about 6 frames at best, it still makes games a bit smoother, though not dramatically so.
Steam OS: The Best Choice for Most Users
The tight integration into your Steam Library makes Steam OS the better choice for most Steam Deck users. Valve designed the operating system to feel more like a cohesive handheld console, allowing it to fade into the background and let gamers enjoy their libraries seamlessly. This approach has proven successful, as demonstrated by Nintendo, which remains the handheld console champion for usability. The only scenario where running a Windows-powered Steam Deck makes sense is if you play a lot of multiplayer games that require anti-cheat software. Even then, dual-booting can be a viable solution, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of Steam OS while still being able to play those specific games.
