Valve has released the first Windows drivers for its new Steam Deck handheld gaming PC, which will allow early-enthusiast to replace Valve’s SteamOS with Windows 10. Despite its handheld form factor, the Steam Deck uses standard PC components making it possible to install Windows 10, though doing so now with these first drivers comes with some caveats.

The first limitation Valve highlighted is that it’s currently not possible to dual-boot SteamOS and Windows 10 on the Steam Deck, meaning that installing Windows 10 will erase the latter. “While Steam Deck is fully capable of dual-boot, the SteamOS installer that provides a dual-boot wizard isn’t ready yet,” the company said.

The second important limitation with these first Windows drivers is that audio isn’t fully supported yet. “Drivers are provided for GPU, WiFi, and Bluetooth. Audio drivers are still in the works with AMD and other parties – but you’ll still be able to use Bluetooth or USB-C audio with Windows on Deck,” the announcement post reads.

Valve is also working on a new BIOS with TPM support that will make it possible to install Windows 11 on the Steam Deck. However, it’s important to note that the company won’t offer technical support to users who decide to install Windows on the Steam Deck. Enthusiasts encountering any issues with the installation of Windows 10 are invited to follow recovery instructions on this page.

The Steam Deck currently supports a growing list of Deck verified Steam games, but many popular games such as Destiny 2 or Halo: MCC aren’t currently supported. Valve is still in the process of reviewing the entire Steam catalog on Deck, but the ability to dual-boot Windows should open up many more possibilities for PC gamers, including the ability to access PC Game Pass games on the handheld device.

Tagged with Steam, Steam Deck, Valve, Windows 10