When will official dual boot with Windows be available?

[davidinct]

Hey,

I love my deck, I love my games and I even love I can add some other games that I own with it. I also pay for Game Pass Ultimate, it's one of the best deals in gaming if you have a Xbox and a PC. Streaming games is very laggy over a cell phone connection (I got my Steam Deck to be portable, right ?)

I need Windows to install all the Game Pass games. The options that are out there, do kind of work with a ton of bugs with it. I am just trying to use the deck for all the games I can.

I would love to see OFFICAL support and it says its coming, but, WHEN ?

[d[-_-]b]

引用自 maxRunner：

You will not find a bigger GNU/Linux fanboy than myself.

That said, I'm just tired of hearing the whole "Windows is an unsupported OS" line, in all its many forms. This is simply not true. Maybe I wish it were true but that's neither here nor there.

When we talk about supported OSes we are talking about which OS work on the device. Which have drivers. Which can be installed. Windows is supported. However, you can not get support for windows. Two different concepts using two different meanings of the words support. Just seems like an important distinction that people are glossing over, or even using purposely as a rhetorical strategy.

Yeah windows is supported in the terms that it can be installed. As are all OS's really.
Windows is given that extra support via the drivers provided.
But the drivers are provided as is.
This means that valve doesn't have to update the drivers or provide any extras to assist it or continue to do any more than they have already.
And once it's installed there is no support for any issues you may have.

In the case of this post, valve have already said that they will update with option for dual booting at some point but official windows on deck support just won't happen.

[maxRunner]

So basically you're going to keep doing it anyway.

引用自 #/DragonKeeper：

Yeah windows is supported in the terms that it can be installed. As are all OS's really.

Really? All OS's? Have you seen someone hack iOS on there yet? Or Solaris? How many OSs do you think I can name that don't run on deck? Hint: a lot.

引用自 #/DragonKeeper：

but official windows on deck support just won't happen.

I literally can't imagine what you mean by this. What could be more official than Valve stating you can use windows and linking to the drivers that they developed for it?

Or are you talking about tech support again and purposely trying to confuse us again?

[d[-_-]b]

引用自 maxRunner：

So basically you're going to keep doing it anyway.

引用自 #/DragonKeeper：

Yeah windows is supported in the terms that it can be installed. As are all OS's really.

Really? All OS's? Have you seen someone hack iOS on there yet? Or Solaris? How many OSs do you think I can name that don't run on deck? Hint: a lot.

引用自 #/DragonKeeper：

but official windows on deck support just won't happen.

I literally can't imagine what you mean by this. What could be more official than Valve stating you can use windows and linking to the drivers that they developed for it?

Or are you talking about tech support again and purposely trying to confuse us again?

If an OS is the same architecture then it has the possibility of being able to run.
Steam deck is open so they support the use of any OS you can install.


They made drivers for windows, they provide them as-is and support your use of windows.
In those terms windows has support on the deck.
This was done so it could be installed and in a basic usable state so people could play with it.

Valve have no obligation to do any more for Windows and noone should expect them to.

And windows on deck refers to any support for Windows after it is installed.

Valve has already said they will make a way to dual boot easily.

It's pretty clear where valve stand. They allow other OS's but you're on your own if you are not using steamOS

[maxRunner]

My point is that language is used to communicate an idea. If you say "Windows on deck is supported as is, but they don't offer Windows on deck support" you are not communicating a useful idea. I personally don't like it when anyone, including Valve themselves, misrepresent what they are doing. And yeah, they share part of the blame because their statements on the issue are as muddy as anyone's.

If we look at the facts though:

- They are (so far) developing 6 windows drivers.
- They have an official dedicated windows resources website for Deck users.
- They have announced future windows on deck features.

I'm sorry to say, but semantics aside as a developer I call this support.

Also you keep repeating this:

引用自 #/DragonKeeper：

And windows on deck refers to any support for Windows after it is installed.

Where is that even a thing? Is there something about support ceasing after installation on Valve's website? What support are you talking about here? Do you mean Steam resources, because the client still works after windows installation. Are you talking about tech support? Valve doesn't offer tech support for the installation of windows, nor after installation. This statement is useless, it means nothing, it does not communicate an idea. Not an accurate one anyway.

I'm sure if you try you can be more clear about Valve's relationship to windows but I'm done with this particular subject. I may chime in on future topics to correct you as you continue to be misleading about windows though.

[d[-_-]b]

What I wrote makes perfect sense.

You're not correcting anything.

[maxRunner]

引用自 #/DragonKeeper：

What I wrote makes perfect sense.

You're not correcting anything.

Right, because Valve's unofficial windows drivers cease to function after installation.

[d[-_-]b]

引用自 maxRunner：

引用自 #/DragonKeeper：

What I wrote makes perfect sense.

You're not correcting anything.

Right, because Valve's unofficial windows drivers cease to function after installation.

Whether they do or not. They are provided as-is. So whatever.

Re read both of my posts slowly and if you have questions after that.. re read.. and repeat.

[maxRunner]

引用自 #/DragonKeeper：

Whether they do or not. They are provided as-is. So whatever.

Re read both of my posts slowly and if you have questions after that.. re read.. and repeat.

What does as-is have to do with installation? So if drivers that are provided as is don't work during installation there is support, but if they don't work afterwords there is not support?

I think you know.

[d[-_-]b]

引用自 maxRunner：

引用自 #/DragonKeeper：

Whether they do or not. They are provided as-is. So whatever.

Re read both of my posts slowly and if you have questions after that.. re read.. and repeat.

What does as-is have to do with installation? So if drivers that are provided as is don't work during installation there is support, but if they don't work afterwords there is not support?

I think you know.

They are provided so it can be installed. Currently it works.
As-is means it's provided without support/warranty. If these drivers break or break something well that's tough.

Will they then make an update for the drivers in that event? Who knows... But it shouldn't be expected of them to do that

[maxRunner]

Good job, you just defined "as-is" in a very clear concise manner. I'm more interested in the word support, but I think we've done enough damage tonight.

[d[-_-]b]

Unless valve put out a public statement on how they support windows in clear language.
The way I see it is.

Is windows10+11 supported on the deck where supported means that they can be installed and run: yes

Is windows expected to have a smooth experience: no

Do the drivers that are provided have tech support: no

Are drivers expected to have regular updates: no

Is windows supported in terms of tech support: no

Should features be requested to help a running windows installation: no

Do valve support your use of any OS: yes

Will you get support on any OS that's not SteamOS: no


Valve will obviously let us know if they plan to add stuff. I.e dual booting
But until valve update their stance on windows to be very clear, you have nothing to correct anyone on when they say it's unsupported.

[maxRunner]

Does Steam deck support windows as an installable OS: yes

Is support for windows in the Steam Deck provided as-is: yes

Has Steam Deck supported windows for some time now: yes

Did Valve enable the use of Windows 10 with dedicated developer support: yes

Did a recent update add Windows 11 support by supporting TPM: yes

Has valve announced they are adding support for dual booting windows in the future: yes

Could Valve decide to discontinue support for windows in the future: yes

[d[-_-]b]

引用自 maxRunner：

Does Steam deck support windows as an installable OS: yes

Is support for windows in the Steam Deck provided as-is: yes

Has Steam Deck supported windows for some time now: yes

Did Valve enable the use of Windows 10 with dedicated developer support: yes

Did a recent update add Windows 11 support by supporting TPM: yes

Has valve announced they are adding support for dual booting windows in the future: yes

Could Valve decide to discontinue support for windows in the future: yes

Not quite..

Does Steam deck support windows as an installable OS: yes, as this device does with any OS of the same architecture.

Is support for windows in the Steam Deck provided as-is: no.... windows drivers are provided as-is . Tech Support for Windows is non existent

Has Steam Deck supported windows for some time now: yes because it's an OS that's installable, refer to question 1.

Did Valve enable the use of Windows 10 with dedicated developer support: what do you mean by this?

Did a recent update add Windows 11 support by supporting TPM: yes, the module got enabled in the bios. This has the extra effect of helping win11 and it kinda just goes with the same reason the drivers were released.

Has valve announced they are adding support for dual booting windows in the future: they announced dual boot. This doesn't have to be with windows specifically, we can dual boot any OS so I don't see this as a reason to add towards your argument

Could Valve decide to discontinue support for windows in the future: we don't know how much they have support right now. Could just be what you see . There could be updates in the future. Valve should give a proper statement on it.

[maxRunner]

That's all semantics and definition cherry picking.

Has the lack of valve offering default installation, warranty, or help for customers for windows on deck, affected valve's ability to add features, drivers, or even write-ups solely aimed at windows on deck?

If you say yes, you are being disingenuous. You are abusing the word "support" and its multiple meanings to further your own agenda. That's all.

[d[-_-]b]

引用自 maxRunner：

That's all semantics and definition cherry picking.

Has the lack of valve offering default installation, warranty, or help for customers for windows on deck, affected valve's ability to add features, drivers, or even write-ups solely aimed at windows on deck?

If you say yes, you are being disingenuous. You are abusing the word "support" and its multiple meanings to further your own agenda. That's all.

If you want to correct me, as you say, then get valve to publicly state their position on it. that's the only way you can do that.

In the mean time I see it has clear lines.
Windows is supported by the deck means that it will install and run

Drivers are provided as-is means it has no support or warranty

No Windows on deck support means that there's no technical support for the OS

It's not my agenda, that's just how it reads in the write ups so that's how I take it.
You seem to want to blur the word support as to mean the os is fully supported on the sole basis that valve made drivers to help the installation of it.
End of the day steam deck is a pc, designed with SteamOS in mind and open for those that want to tinker beyond that and valve shouldnt be expected to support any other OS and anything that is provided is as-is and out of good will.

No point arguing with you any longer