How to Install Windows on Steam Deck – Guide

The Steam Deck can be considered one of the best hardware reveals of the year. Valve recently revealed the new portable PC running on Linux-based SteamOS. While you could really say Linux? Well yes, Linux has improved a lot over the years and there are even a lot of games that support Linux systems. It even has Proton, a compatibility layer that lets you run games designed for Windows. But of course Windows is better when it comes to user interface. As Valve stated that it is a handheld PC, you can install any operating system you like. You might want to run Windows on the Steam Deck if you play games from other stores like Epic Games, or you just want to use the Steam Deck like a regular PC, but in a portable format. Whatever the reason, you can easily install Windows 10 on Steam Deck. Certainly much easier than building your own custom Linux-based operating system and designing a controller-friendly UI to examine it. And of course, with Windows, those pesky compatibility concerns and broken anti-cheat software would just go away.

How to install Windows 10 on Steam Deck

Windows is one of the most popular operating systems and it would be even better to use it on a portable device. And most users prefer Windows to SteamOS. If you are one of these users, check out the details guide. Let’s start with the requirements.

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Here is a list of the things you need to install Windows 10 on your steam deck:

Download Windows 10 ISO

First, you will need to download the Windows 10 ISO file. The Windows 10 ISO files are available from Microsoft’s own website. You will need to purchase an activation key later to activate the Steam Deck copy. You can download the media creation tool to get the ISO file.

Create a bootable flash drive

You can easily create a bootable USB stick. On the PC where you downloaded the ISO file, download Rufus. It is a free tool that you can use to create bootable USB drives. You can follow the steps in this tutorial to create a bootable Windows USB drive. although that guide is for Windows 11, the method to create a bootable disk is still the same.

Steps to Install Windows on Steam Deck

With the boot disk ready, it’s time to install Windows on your Steam Deck. Be sure to connect your Type C dongle to your Steam Deck and connect your mouse, keyboard and bootable USB stick. If you pre-ordered the Steam Deck, that’s a good thing as it comes with a lot of ports and eliminates the need for dongles.

Final note

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