Windows 11 runs better than ever on a Steam Deck OLED, but it still doesn't matter

What you need to know

• Valve has uploaded a new package of Windows 11 drivers for its Steam Deck OLED handheld gaming PC.
• Launched on August 11, the drivers improve the performance of the AMD processor and wireless devices, as well as audio playback.
• Dual-booting Windows 11 with the default SteamOS still isn't possible on Steam Deck, but users can install either operating system with relative ease.

The world's most popular gaming handheld is an accolade still firmly held by Valve's highly-praised Steam Deck, and the latest variant has proven ever popular since upgrading its screen to an OLED display. It's a couple of years old, launching in February 2022, but the plucky portable console keeps trucking on with regular updates to its Linux-based operating system. However, its developers weren't opposed to its users installing whatever OS they wanted from day one, including the latest builds of Windows 11.

After all, the Steam Deck is a regular, if ultra-compact, PC. It uses a relatively standard and manually upgradeable solid-state drive, which users can wipe clean to install Windows 11 on the Deck if they really want to. It works well if you're willing to tinker with some settings and optimize the experience, but it's still a far cry from the experiences of competing handhelds like ASUS' excellent ROG Ally X and Lenovo's innovative Legion Go, both designed for Microsoft's OS from the start.

Valve continues to support Windows on Deck performance with an open-minded attitude as it delivers a series of driver and BIOS updates for the Steam Deck OLED, the latest of which dropped on August 15, 2024. There isn't anything particularly revolutionary, and the WinDeck experience won't suddenly become any better than it was, but drivers loaded with bug fixes are always welcome. Downloading each file might also be tedious, but it's worth it for stability.

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Can we dual-boot Windows 11 with SteamOS yet?

Nope. Not officially, anyway. Valve still explains that migrating to Windows 11 on your Steam Deck, whether the price-dropped LCD model or new OLED refresh, requires a complete wipe of the internal storage. The importance of a first-party dual-boot wizard doesn't seem that high for Valve, as it was supposed to emerge alongside SteamOS 3, and we're currently on version 3.5.19, so I wouldn't hold your breath for the opportunity to install Microsoft's operating systems alongside Valve's default fork of Arch Linux.

We might eventually see dual-boot support with the fabled Steam Deck 2, especially since Valve appears to be opening up official SteamOS support for third-party gaming handhelds like ASUS' ROG Ally.

It would at least save us from user-made efforts to port SteamOS to the ROG Ally, but whether that leads to more robust support for a Windows 11 partition on your original Steam Deck remains to be seen.

No matter how much support Valve gives for Windows 11 on Steam Deck, I can't envision a future where most portable gamers choose it over the default SteamOS. Not even the recent Compact Mode update to the Xbox Game Bar is enough to convince me to format the internal storage of my OG Deck, and the prospect of permanently switching just for a light handful of games isn't matching the convenience of Valve's in-house operating system.

Still, I keep a bootable version of Windows 11 on a microSD card for the times when Linux just isn't cutting it for specific needs, and I'm always happy to see Valve supporting Windows on Deck — even with the tiresome post-install tasks of removing Microsoft's bloat that come with the standard Windows 11 ISO. A dedicated Windows 11 variant built for gaming handhelds might be a pipedream, but I'm a dreamer.