All that was missing were the drivers to allow it, and it’s done, you can now install Windows 10 on your Steam Deck.
Right at the start of its life, the Steam Deck has a major flaw: its in-house operating system, much less malleable than that of Windows, blocking several features, including certain games.
Valve had however warned that, if Microsoft made specific drivers available, it would be possible to Enjoy Windows on Steam Deckand it is now possible.
Windows 10 on Steam Deck? Yes, but in this case we forget the Steam OS
It is via an article published on Steam that we learn the news, Win 10 drivers for Steam Deck are now available and can be downloaded now. Nevertheless, installing the new operating system will replace the Steam OS of the machine. An update will arrive soon to allow swapping the two operating systems on the fly. Moreover, other versions of the Steam Deck are already being studied.
However, Steam warns users who would like to switch to Windows 10, not everything is perfect yet and Steam cannot guarantee technical support. It will be necessary to recover Steam OS in the event of a problem, to see right there.
For now, it is only possible to install Windows instead of SteamOS. Although Steam Deck is capable of dual booting, the SteamOS installer that provides a dual boot wizard is not yet ready. Also, now you can only install Windows 10. Windows 11 requires a new BIOS which is currently under development (will offer fTPM support) and will be available soon. Drivers for graphics card, wifi and Bluetooth are provided. We are still working on audio drivers with AMD and others, but Windows will still detect USB-C or Bluetooth audio devices on Steam Deck.
On paper, such news should facilitate the launch of third-party software and especially games that are not normally fully compatible with the Steam Deck. It remains to be seen what that says in terms of stability, response in a few weeks.
Source: store.steampowered.com
