Things to know when using Windows drivers on Steam Deck

Valve's Steam Deck is a powerful handheld game console. It has a processor that can run up to 3.5GHz and a GPU that can spin up to 1.6 TFlops. Valve has officially released Windows 10 drivers for the Steam Deck to serve the needs of fans who want to run Windows on it.

What can you do with Windows drivers on the Steam Deck?

When Valve released the Windows driver for the Steam Deck, four drivers were available to allow brave Deck owners to tinker with their devices. These are Windows drivers for GPU, WiFi, Bluetooth and SD card reader. Since then, Valve has released a few more drivers to make your Windows experience on the Steam Deck a little smoother.

Steam Deck owners can now install Windows 11

When the Windows driver was released to the Steam Deck, Windows 10 was available. Now, those who want to boot their Steam Deck console into the latest Windows platform - Windows 11 - can also do this.

Steam Deck with Windows now has sound

However, at the top of the list of new Windows drivers are those for audio. Early adopters were forced to use USB-C or Bluetooth for audio with Windows on the Steam Deck. The Sound Driver for Steam Deck has two separate files, and information on how to set that up is available on the Windows Resources for Steam Deck page.

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What do users expect?

Users are ready with Valve releasing more Windows drivers for Steam Deck. The only thing left that Valve hasn't added to this powerful handheld is the ability to have two operating systems.

Dual boot is not available yet

Valve doesn't yet have an official method for dual-booting Windows and SteamOS on the Deck - however, there are some unofficial ways to do this. Gamers who want to dual-boot Windows and SteamOS will have to wait a little longer.

Should Windows be installed on the Steam Deck?

While there's nothing stopping you from installing Windows on the Steam Deck, there's reason to be cautious about doing so. Not all Valve handheld games are suitable for Windows.

However, you can download the Windows driver for the Steam Deck directly from Valve if you want. The hyperlink provided will take you to Valve's Steam support page, which links to the drivers currently available for Windows 10 on the Steam Deck.

Notes when installing Windows 10 on Steam Deck

While Valve has tools for installing Windows on the Steam Deck, there's no "Windows on Deck" support for step-by-step installation instructions. However, if you're stuck in this process and want to get your Deck back, Valve has recovery instructions to help you fix the problem.

The Deck can be an expensive console, with prices ranging from $399 to $649, but the Steam Deck has a lot to offer.

If you're looking to turn your Steam Deck into a Windows machine, you can get started right away with its support for your existing GPU, WiFi, Bluetooth, and SD card reader. You will have to wait a little longer for the sound driver and dual-boot functionality.

Jessica Tanner

Update 17 February 2023