You can now run Windows 10 on the Steam Deck, with some limits

2 min. read

Published on March 10, 2022

published on March 10, 2022

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The Steam Deck launched without official support for Windows, but the moment has finally arrived if you’re one of the lucky few who have one in your hands. As spotted by The Verge, it’s now possible to install Windows 10 on the Nintendo Switch-like portable gaming console, and it’ll work without any big issues.

Valve has an official support page for running Windows on the Steam Deck, which explains how Microsoft’s operating system works on the device. Now that Wi-Fi, GPU, and Bluetooth drivers are available through the page, you can install Windows 10 in place of SteamOS. However, it’s important to note that Dual-Boot is not supported, and if you opt to run Windows, you’ll have to wipe your Steam Deck. A separate support page provides instructions on how to do that.

This is because while Steam Deck is fully capable of dual-boot, the SteamOS installer that provides a dual-boot wizard isn’t ready yet. Valve says support will ship alongside SteamOS 3 once it’s complete. Some other notes with running Windows on the Steam Deck involve the speakers and headphone jack not working. As The Verge notes, you’ll have to use Bluetooth or USB-C audio to enjoy your games properly with Windows.

If you’re hoping to upgrade your Steam Deck to Windows 11, then there’s more bad news. Valve is still preparing a BIOS update that will enable fTPM, which is needed to install Windows 11. You can stay tuned to this support page for more information on when that becomes possible.

In other news, Microsoft did provide an update on which Xbox Game Studios games will work on the Steam Deck. You should expect most titles to work fine. However, Gears 5, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Halo Infinite, and Microsoft Flight Simulator won’t run for anti-cheat reasons.

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time). For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web. Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they're looking for.