On Steam Deck it is finally possible to install Windows: For now, there are some major limitations, including audio only via Bluetooth or USB-C, no dual booting, and support for Windows 10 only, but Valve has already said it’s continuing to work to fix this. In short, it is clear that at this stage it is an option reserved only for the most savvy users with a pioneering spirit.
Specifically, Valve has released drivers for GPU, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. At the moment there are no real audio drivers, which is why the speakers of the portable console are still not able to reproduce audio. As for Windows 11, however, Valve says it needs a new BIOS with support for TPM security technology; he’s working on it, but it’s not ready yet. And neither is the Steam OS installation program ready yet – more precisely the wizard that allows you to configure dual boot.
For now it is a “good to know”, more than anything else, since there are very few units in circulation. The first wave of pre-orders, that of the first quarter of 2022, should be shipped by the end of March. Emails for Q2 bookings will be sent out in the course of April. In any case, it is better to be prepared; by following the SOURCE link at the bottom of the article you can download all the drivers from the dedicated page of the Valve website. The company is keen to point out that drivers and other software for running Microsoft’s operating system are provided at this stage without guarantees and support, so you must decide to proceed completely at your own risk. We recall the main technical specifications of the device:
- AMD Custom APU:
- Zen 2 quad-core CPU (8 threads) 2.4 to 3.5 GHz
- GPU: Based on RDNA 2, 8 CU architecture from 1 to 1.6 GHz
- Archiving:
- 64GB (eMMC PCIe Gen 2 x1)
- 256GB (NVMe PCIe Gen 3 x4 SSD)
- 512 GB (PCIe Gen 3 x4 high speed NVMe SSD)
- 7 “16:10 display, 1,280 x 800 pixels, IPS LCD, 60 Hz, 400 nit brightness (typical)
- Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi ac
- Stereo speakers, dual microphone, 3.5mm headphone / microphone combo jack
- 40 Wh battery, 45W USB-C charger
- USB-C port with DisplayPort 1.4
- MicroSD reader
- Buttons and inputs:
- Double analog stick with button included (L3 and R3)
- Digital D-pad
- Four main front buttons
- Dual back triggers (L1 / L2, R1 / R2)
- Double additional rear buttons (L4 / L5, R4 / R5)
- Four additional functional buttons: View, Steam, Menu, Quick Access
- Dorsal volume rocker
- Dorsal power button
- Front trackpad
