Windows systems can be easily installed on Steam Deck

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When it comes to the latest fun devices, Steam Deck should be on the list. These days when graphics card prices are outrageous and consoles are hard to find, Valve’s PC handheld is a solution to relieve game addiction (although it is not available from stock). However, in addition to its game performance, many players may be more concerned about installing a Windows system to use it.

Steam Deck is actually an x86 PC in hardware, so theoretically it is compatible with Windows systems. But because Valve has its own Steam OS (based on the bottom layer of Arch Linux), the biggest problem with Linux is that there are too few native games which is a big obstacle for a handheld console that focuses on games. Valve used Proton technology to make Steam Deck run Windows games. Although this compatibility layer is well done, it is naturally not as straightforward as Windows native support, so installing Windows systems on Steam Deck should be in high demand.

Image: Tom’s Hardware

By default, the startup boot of Steam Deck is opened, which is the same as that of ordinary computers, so installing Windows is almost the same as the general process. Boot to the Windows installation U disk, and then the familiar installation interface. There is a more detailed tutorial at Tom’s Hardware, and you can even do Windows To Go on a microSD card. If you’re lucky enough to have a Steam Deck on hand, you can install Windows and play.

However, since the Windows system is not something that Valve natively supports, although it can be successfully installed and entered on the desktop at present, however, there will be a lack of a large number of important drivers including graphics cards, Wi-Fi, wired networks, etc., which are basically simple and barely usable. This still needs to wait for Valve to release the driver, but some media said that during their evaluation, Valve pushed several system updates, therefore, it is estimated that official support for Windows will take some time before Steam OS is made more complete.

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