should I install Windows on Steam Deck?

[Dweller Beyond the Threshold]

There are very few games I play on Steam that doesn't use mods, Crusader Kings, M&B Bannerlord, Bethesda games, Elden Ring, etc. But since many mods require microsoft net framework and other plugins, having a Windows on Steam Deck seems like a must for me.

Are there any downsides to installing Windows 10 or 11 on Steam Deck? Is it complicated to do it? Once Steam OS is deleted, can I still get it back? Would I be missing anything if I choose to stick with Windows?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[@R+5]

only if you must play a free to play game that isnt reported as compatible in proton.db

if most of your games do work directly, or only need a different version of proton to run, is better to stay with steam os. only fanatics of windows are pushing its adoption; neutral parties have compared performance of games, and in many cases games works as well in linux (steam os) as in windows (few will work better, few worse, so from that side you dont win anything with windows).

with windows you will also have less options for tweaking settings or support, and you wont have the same degree of control over the gpu and energy.

another valid reason could be that you really need to play a game with many mods, and isnt compatible with steam workshop, and there are no reports of the external (non-steam) mods working via proton, or something else. in some cases you can manually install some mods, if you check the proper folder within proton, but in others they may never work from driver incompatibility or something similar.

anyway, the best approach is to first check proton.db, and then if games in your library have a native version for linux and steam workshop

[WarnerCK]

Originally posted by UnhappyLawbro:

But since many mods require microsoft net framework and other plugins, having a Windows on Steam Deck seems like a must for me.

Mono is an open source .net implementation. Installing the .net stuff to run with Mono is a standard (and generally automatic) thing that Proton does. You don't need Windows just for .net.

[Dweller Beyond the Threshold]

Originally posted by WarnerCK:

Originally posted by UnhappyLawbro:

But since many mods require microsoft net framework and other plugins, having a Windows on Steam Deck seems like a must for me.

Mono is an open source .net implementation. Installing the .net stuff to run with Mono is a standard (and generally automatic) thing that Proton does. You don't need Windows just for .net.

thanks! good to know!

[Dweller Beyond the Threshold]

Originally posted by @R+5:

only if you must play a free to play game that isnt reported as compatible in proton.db

if most of your games do work directly, or only need a different version of proton to run, is better to stay with steam os. only fanatics of windows are pushing its adoption; neutral parties have compared performance of games, and in many cases games works as well in linux (steam os) as in windows (few will work better, few worse, so from that side you dont win anything with windows).

with windows you will also have less options for tweaking settings or support, and you wont have the same degree of control over the gpu and energy.

another valid reason could be that you really need to play a game with many mods, and isnt compatible with steam workshop, and there are no reports of the external (non-steam) mods working via proton, or something else. in some cases you can manually install some mods, if you check the proper folder within proton, but in others they may never work from driver incompatibility or something similar.

anyway, the best approach is to first check proton.db, and then if games in your library have a native version for linux and steam workshop

is there anyway to get steam OS back if I decided to try installing windows?

[Diogenes]

Word of warning, you may loose functionality to your Steam Deck.

I have asked myself the same question.

I Googled it, just out of curiosity.

According to some pages, you may loose driver support, you may loose some of the functionality of your Steam Deck, since some buttons may not work etc.

Ultimately, it's up to you, it's your Deck.

The only time that I will EVER install Windows to my Deck, is when Valve updates enable TPM and Windows 11 becomes fully supported.

[Diogenes]

Originally posted by UnhappyLawbro:

Originally posted by @R+5:

only if you must play a free to play game that isnt reported as compatible in proton.db

if most of your games do work directly, or only need a different version of proton to run, is better to stay with steam os. only fanatics of windows are pushing its adoption; neutral parties have compared performance of games, and in many cases games works as well in linux (steam os) as in windows (few will work better, few worse, so from that side you dont win anything with windows).

with windows you will also have less options for tweaking settings or support, and you wont have the same degree of control over the gpu and energy.

another valid reason could be that you really need to play a game with many mods, and isnt compatible with steam workshop, and there are no reports of the external (non-steam) mods working via proton, or something else. in some cases you can manually install some mods, if you check the proper folder within proton, but in others they may never work from driver incompatibility or something similar.

anyway, the best approach is to first check proton.db, and then if games in your library have a native version for linux and steam workshop

is there anyway to get steam OS back if I decided to try installing windows?

As far as I am aware, Windows is installed onto an SD Card.

It is operated off the SD Card.

In other words, as soon as you remove the SD card with Windows on it, it should boot, by default, back into Steam OS, provided you haven't deleted any OS files on your HDD.

That's my understanding anyway.

I might be wrong.

I'm only going off what I have read online.

[@R+5]

Originally posted by UnhappyLawbro:

is there anyway to get steam OS back if I decided to try installing windows?

https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/1B71-EDF2-EB6D-2BB3

[Dweller Beyond the Threshold]

I see, thanks for the answers guys!

[golephish]

I have dual boot and recently uninstalled. I did like windows, it does run well on the deck. the thing is, with the 512 flavor and before I stop being lazy and put in a 2tb, I thought I would utilize this thing just for games. to each their own. it will run, and it is ok, but ask what is the role of the device? you know, like when we have yet another device to stream netflix on ... well before we canceled netflix after the cuties thing...

[Dweller Beyond the Threshold]

Originally posted by golephish:

I have dual boot and recently uninstalled. I did like windows, it does run well on the deck. the thing is, with the 512 flavor and before I stop being lazy and put in a 2tb, I thought I would utilize this thing just for games. to each their own. it will run, and it is ok, but ask what is the role of the device? you know, like when we have yet another device to stream netflix on ... well before we canceled netflix after the cuties thing...

I defintely want to install emulators like Yuzu and CEMU too if the Steam Deck is powerful enough for that.
But ultimately it is just to replace my PC when I'm away from home for work since I need to travel to a different city for few months.

[[KAMI] RedWyvern]

Originally posted by UnhappyLawbro:

Once Steam OS is deleted, can I still get it back?

With a USB drive with a SteamOS recovery image written to it, you can install SteamOS again.
Of course you need some way of connecting the stick with the Deck, so it has to be an USB-C one or you need some dongle or Dock.
As long as you have access to a working Linux/Windows/MacOS PC, Steam Deck included, you can write this image to a stick.

[Dweller Beyond the Threshold]

Originally posted by KAMI RedWyvern:

Originally posted by UnhappyLawbro:

Once Steam OS is deleted, can I still get it back?

With a USB drive with a SteamOS recovery image written to it, you can install SteamOS again.
Of course you need some way of connecting the stick with the Deck, so it has to be an USB-C one or you need some dongle or Dock.
As long as you have access to a working Linux/Windows/MacOS PC, Steam Deck included, you can write this image to a stick.

thank you!

[golephish]

then stock as is with desktop mode is awesome. you could also install windows to an SD card and boot as needed. I tested windows to go, and it works well enough, but then did it on the internal drive. I just spent the past day formatting again and removing windows. rEFInd is the tool you need to dual boot.

[Dweller Beyond the Threshold]

Originally posted by golephish:

then stock as is with desktop mode is awesome. you could also install windows to an SD card and boot as needed. I tested windows to go, and it works well enough, but then did it on the internal drive. I just spent the past day formatting again and removing windows. rEFInd is the tool you need to dual boot.

what would be the advantage of dual booting then? Considering that if I have windows installed and it works well, I don't see any reason to use the default OS, especially if most mods wouldn't work on the Steam OS.

[[KAMI] RedWyvern]

Originally posted by UnhappyLawbro:

Originally posted by golephish:

then stock as is with desktop mode is awesome. you could also install windows to an SD card and boot as needed. I tested windows to go, and it works well enough, but then did it on the internal drive. I just spent the past day formatting again and removing windows. rEFInd is the tool you need to dual boot.

what would be the advantage of dual booting then? Considering that if I have windows installed and it works well, I don't see any reason to use the default OS, especially if most mods wouldn't work on the Steam OS.

The reason is the battery life optimalisations of the Quick Access menu, the quick suspend and resume, the better driver support and having a simple gaming interface that lets you sit down and play without having to fumble with fullscreen and multiple windows.
This makes a bigger difference than you might expect, especially after you've had the device for a while.

Also, SteamOS *can* run Windows games in Game Mode, it's more convoluted to mod games on SteamOS itself, still possible and copying games modded on Windows works too.
As long as you copy the games to a Steam Deck/Linux (EXT4/BTRFS) formatted partition, in the case of non-Steam games add them as such and force Proton compatibility, almost any (modded) game will work, also in Game Mode.
If you try to run games from a Windows (NTFS) partition, the Proton compatibility layer runs into issues, but SteamOS can copy from these partitions to it's own.

Here's a more technical review that talks about modding of games on SteamOS, give it a watch and check the pinned comment if you want to know what you're in for.
https://youtu.be/6MP9d3aSwM8

If you'd rather put Windows on it and use it as a replacement PC, of course this is fine as well, it is your Deck, but don't rule out using SteamOS as thanks to the Proton compatibility layer it can do more that you might expect.