Unless you’re only using the Steam game library, the Steam Deck is a important limitation when you play a title that is not available in the Valve store or that we have already purchased from other stores such as GOG, Epic Games Store among others.
In this case, the simplest solution if we are looking for a portable solution was (we spoke in the past tense) to opt for the ASUS ROG Ally X, the MSI portable console or the Lenovo Legion GO, portable consoles managed by Windows 11, which allows you to install any game store.
How to Install Windows on the Steam Deck
But that was until now, since Valve has just announced that it is now possible to install Windows on the Steam Deck OLED. Through this link we can access all the drivers we will need to carry out the process, including the AMD APU that manages the device, the audio drivers, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and, of course, the memory card.
For the Bluetooth connection to work properly, it is necessary to download the latest version of SteamOSespecially version 3.6.9, a version that is still in beta, before installing Windows, otherwise wireless connectivity may have operating problems.
To access the boot menu, we must turn off the console completely and then press and hold the combination of buttons, volume down and power until the boot menu is displayed, where we will have to select the USB drive on which we had previously created an installation media.
It is important to note that we can install both Windows 10 as Windows 11However, if you want the console to last a few years, it is advisable to opt for Windows 11 since Windows 10 will stop receiving support in the form of security updates on October 14, 2025.
Just a few days ago, Microsoft announced a new update of the application Game bar for handheld consoles, so if you’ve been waiting to install Windows 11 on the Steam Deck, now you have no reason not to, as long as you want to use other game libraries.
Not everything is perfect
The only downside to being able to install Windows on the Steam Deck OLED is that, at the moment, there is no official support for speakers, so it is necessary to use some headphones via Bluetooth or via headphone jack connection.
Another negative point that probably won’t push many users to install Windows 11 is that, at the moment, there is no possibility to do so. dual booti.e. having Windows and SteamOS installed. However, this will become a reality in a few months, in future updates of SteamOS 3.
