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Steam Deck drivers for Windows 10 now available

These new drivers will allow for smoother Windows 10 installs on Valve's new handheld PC.

Chris Jarrard

March 10, 2022 11:15 AM

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It would be hard to argue that any development studio shapes the way we play games more than Valve Software. From the creation and cultivation of Steam to advancements in VR, the company is always trying new things. One such project is the recently-released Steam Deck. Earlier today, Valve made new driver software available for the Steam Deck that will facilitate the installation of the Windows 10 operating system on the handheld PC.

Steam Deck ships with an operating system customized by Valve, known as Steam OS. Steam OS is built on top of a Linux foundation and uses special compatibility tools to allow users to play PC games written for Windows directly on the device. Valve let Steam Deck buyers know that it would be possible to install a Windows operating system once drivers were available from AMD, who produce the chip that powers the Steam Deck. 

As of today, those drivers have been made available through one of its Steam Deck support pages. Drivers for the GPU, WiFi radio, and Bluetooth transmitter can be downloaded from the support page. As of this writing, Valve is still waiting on a proper audio driver for the chip powering Steam Deck, so users who opt to install Windows will need to make use of Bluetooth or USB-C audio output for the near future. Valve says the audio driver will be posted along with the others as soon as it is made available.

Just because Valve doesn’t lock customers out of making changes or customizations to the Steam Deck does not mean that they will offer technical support for such endeavors. The company advises that any Steam Deck users who choose to install Windows operating systems on the device will do so at their own risk. Valve does provide universal device recovery options if users should run into trouble while installing and/or using other operating systems.

Those looking to install Windows on their Steam Deck should note that the current drivers only support Windows 10 at the moment. An updated BIOS that supports TPM security will be needed to install Windows 11 and AMD has not yet provided it to Valve. Once it does, expect the software to be made available on the Steam Deck Support page linked above.

Chris Jarrard

Contributing Tech Editor

Chris Jarrard likes playing games, crankin' tunes, and looking for fights on obscure online message boards. He understands that breakfast food is the only true food. Don't @ him.