I’ve had my Steam Deck for about a year and a half, and I recently tried installing Windows on it. It seems to run fine, especially with Steam installed, where the controller works seamlessly in Big Picture Mode. I can access my entire collection of games, not just the ones compatible with the Steam Deck. I can also install non-Steam games without the hassle of using Lutris or figuring out Proton versions. But I’m curious—what are the potential downsides to using Windows instead of SteamOS?
2 Answers
Honestly, one of the main downsides is that you might experience lower FPS and more battery drain compared to running games on SteamOS. There’s been some talk about performance differences even on better hardware. Plus, Windows is a bit more hands-on; many people using SteamOS might not ever touch desktop mode, while Windows feels like a regular PC, which can be a hassle for new users.
Another biggie is the lack of suspend functionality on Windows. From my experience, that’s a real game-changer. Although I did manage to get suspend to work with some tweaks regarding WiFi drivers. Still, it’s an added layer of complexity.
Yeah, I had similar issues. It’s definitely more work compared to SteamOS where things are generally more streamlined.