Honestly don’t even know why I’m bringing this up. Probably just gives me the opportunity to poke fun of Windows.

As Valve isn’t prohibiting anyone from installing different operating systems on their new handheld device, users are free to install Windows, and starting today, they can make better use of Windows on the Deck, thanks to most of the drivers finally being available. The GPU, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth drivers have to be installed separately. But here’s the catch:

  • only Windows 10 is available; users cannot install Windows 11 at the moment due to the system needing a new BIOS
  • Windows 10 cannot be installed in tandem with SteamOS – it has to be the only OS on the system
  • audio driver is not yet available

That being said, the audio driver is in the works and will soon be available (you can also use Bluetooth and USB-C headsets as a workaround for now). So will the new BIOS for Windows 11. And it will probably be possible to dual-boot with SteamOS later on, as the blog post mentions that the dual-boot wizard “isn’t ready yet.”

How to install Windows on the Deck

The post also says that Valve is “unable to offer ‘Windows on Deck’ support.” Which I’m actually quite happy with. I wouldn’t touch Windows with a ten-foot pole. Well, except maybe to get my mother on Facebook with her laptop or something, but I just can’t stand that OS. Nagging notifications, $200 license fee (or however much it is these days), y’all know the drill.

I think Windows isn’t going to be a great experience on the Deck anyway; Windows isn’t going to have the optimizations that SteamOS does, MangoHUD won’t be available, the battery life will probably be worse…and at the moment you can’t even dual-boot or use the internal speakers. And you have to activate the Windows license before getting the Wi-Fi driver…which means you have to plug in a USB-C-to-Ethernet adapter, then you have to correct the screen orientation after installation. Is it really worth that much hassle just to play Destiny 2?

Even Windows Central advised against installing Windows on the Deck. To each his own though; I won’t judge. The Phawx also has a partial guide on how to install Windows on the Deck, if you prefer to follow the instructions via video.