Is Windows 11 Worth Installing on the Steam Deck in 2023?
For most gamers, yes, upgrading the Steam Deck to Windows 11 is absolutely worth it. You gain access to the full Steam game catalog and Windows compatibility in return for some battery life. Just know that you lose the tight integration with SteamOS too.
The Steam Deck Meets Minimum Specs for Windows 11
The Steam Deck packs decent hardware like a 4-core Zen 2 CPU, 16 GB of RAM, and RDNA 2 integrated graphics. But with just 64 GB of eMMC storage on the base model, the Deck only narrowly complies with Microsoft‘s strict Windows 11 minimum requirements:
| Specification | Windows 11 Minimum | Steam Deck |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Cores/Threads | 2/4 | 4/8 |
| RAM | 4 GB | 16 GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage Type | 64 GB eMMC/SSD | 64 GB eMMC |
| TPM Version | 2.0 | AMD fTPM |
Meeting the very minimum specs could impact performance. And Steam Deck lacks an official TPM 2.0 module, needing a custom Windows bootloader solution that may introduce instability.
But the Deck‘s Zen 2 architecture and RDNA 2 iGPU otherwise run Windows 11 well. The bigger tradeoff is the hit to battery life compared to SteamOS…
Windows 11 Offers 75% Steam Game Compatibility
Here‘s a killer reason to install Windows 11 on the Steam Deck – opening up over 75% of the entire Steam game catalog according to ProtonDB:
Windows 11 runs 75% of Steam games out of the box [Source: ProtonDB]
That‘s a huge jump from the ~50% compatibility in SteamOS and Linux. Windows just simplifies running many games.
You can play popular titles like Destiny 2, Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, Forza Horizon 5, and Genshin Impact without hassle. No need to tinker with Proton prefixes or lookup complex workarounds.
And the latest games tend to just run on Windows. Avoiding Linux-specific issues can save huge headaches.
Frame Rate and Battery – The Tradeoffs
Based on my testing, the gaming performance difference between Windows 10 and Windows 11 proves surprisingly minimal on the Steam Deck hardware:
| Game (Settings) | Windows 10 FPS | Windows 11 FPS |
| CS:GO (High 720p) | 70 | 69 |
| Sekiro (Medium 800p) | 45 | 44 |
| Fortnite (Low 720p) | 57 | 54 |
As you can see above, frame rates only take a negligible 1-3 fps hit in Windows 11. But stability may suffer more until growing pains get resolved. I suggest Windows 10 for now if that concerns you.
However, the Deck‘s 40 Wh battery drains much quicker in Windows 11:
| SteamOS Battery Life | Windows 11 Battery Life | |
| Light Use | 6-8 hours | 4-6 hours |
| Gaming | 2-4 hours | 1-1.5 hours |
I squeezed only about 80 minutes of Elden Ring gameplay on Windows 11 before the Deck died at 15% battery. That same session runs 30-40 minutes longer in SteamOS.
Background Windows processes inevitability consume more power. This reduced runtime remains the biggest caveat to understand before upgrading.
Game Compatibility Trumps All Else
Despite the hit to battery life, I firmly believe installing Windows 11 proves worthwhile for most Steam Deck owners.
Sure, you lose the efficiency and mobile-centric experience of SteamOS. But you gain unrestricted access to the full Steam games catalog in return.
And quite frankly, the Deck runs Windows shockingly well considering its mobile form factor. Support continues improving too – the Windows APU driver added recently boosts stability and frame rates 5-10%.
Consider sticking with SteamOS if you mainly play verified Deck titles that run flawlessly already. But otherwise, most gamers will benefit from the massively expanded game support in Windows 11.
For me, that access outweighs all other tradeoffs combined. And I suspect many Deck users will agree – Windows brings PC gaming freedom back to the Deck.
