In case you needed any more proof that the Steam Deck is a portable PC, Valve has released official drivers for installing Windows 10 on the device. If you were waiting for the official go-ahead rather than cracking into the Steam deck on your own, now’s your chance to install the OS.
As detailed in a Steam Deck blog post, Valve’s Windows 10 driver can be downloaded from the Windows Resources support page. Note that there are a few caveats. While the Steam Deck can dual boot, this driver only allows for a full install of Windows. “The SteamOS installer that provides a dual-boot wizard isn’t ready yet,” according to Valve. The same goes for Windows 11 support — this is only Windows 10 for now. “Windows 11 requires a new BIOS that is currently in the pipe,” Valve added, “and [it] will be shipping soon.”
Lastly, there are a few limitations on what Windows 10 can do on the Steam Deck. Drivers for GPU, WiFi, and Bluetooth are available, but audio drivers are currently “in the works with AMD and other parties.” Bluetooth or USB-C audio still works though.
Valve is providing all of these resources “as is,” which means there isn’t any Windows-specific help available if something goes wrong. Valve’s Steam Deck recovery instructions will show you how to restore the device to its original state if you need that. The company also recommends you go to a pro for any hardware fixes you might need.
