Valve releases drivers, notes to make Windows work on Steam hardware, but refuses to support it — tells users it doesn’t offer support for ‘Windows on Steam Hardware,’ gaming company provides resources ‘as is’

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Why tho

a Steam Deck with Windows 11 on its screen
(Image credit: Valve)

Gamers who find themselves “limited” by SteamOS capabilities can now more confidently install Windows on their Steam hardware. Valve just released the Steam Hardware - Windows Resources page on Steam, which contains Windows drivers for the Steam Deck LCD, Steam Deck OLED, and Steam Machine. This means that those who want to replace the stock SteamOS with Windows 11 on their devices can now do so more easily, and they don’t have to hunt around the internet for drivers just to ensure that all the parts and components on their console will play nicely with Windows.

The drivers on the page include those for the APU, graphics, SD Card reader, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Audio, depending on which Steam hardware you’re driving. However, Valve said, “We are providing these resources as is and are unfortunately unable to offer 'Windows on Steam Hardware' support. If you get stuck and need a way back to the default SteamOS, please follow these recovery instructions.”

This is the main reason why Valve refuses to subsidize the Steam Machine — since owners can essentially do whatever they want to the living room PC console, selling one does not automatically guarantee that the company will make back any discounts it offers through game sales. This is why even though the Steam Machine is highly rated for Steam Deck users who want to upgrade to a more powerful device, its relatively high price puts it at a disadvantage compared to competitors like the PS5 or Xbox.

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Many gamers would likely prefer SteamOS over Windows, especially as it offers far less bloat than Microsoft’s operating system. Valve is in fact working on SteamOS to make it more compatible with a general release and allow it to be installed on hardware that features Intel CPUs/GPUs and Nvidia GPUs. But because many anti-cheat apps still aren’t compatible with Linux (hence, SteamOS), installing Windows on Steam hardware is currently the only way that gamers can enjoy titles that require them.

It’s unfortunate that SteamOS doesn’t have any dual-boot capabilities at the moment, as that would give gamers the best of both worlds — use Windows and accept the performance hit if they want to play games that require specialized anti-cheat apps and then switch to SteamOS for all the other titles they enjoy. Valve said that it’s already working on this capability, but hasn’t given a fixed timeline for when it will arrive.

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Jowi Morales
Jowi Morales
Contributing Writer

Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.

12 Comments Comment from the forums
  • TerryLaze
    Why would valve offer support for windows?!?!?
    Could they even legally do this if they wanted to?!? They are not official windows representatives, they don't have any rights over windows IP.
    Reply
  • Nico H
    "Why tho"
    Weird take, Jowi.

    Why enable it? People like options.
    Why not support it? They didn't build it for that.

    /u/WhatsthatNoize on Reddit hit it on the head with a (admittedly abrasive) comment comparing supporting Windows on Steam Hardware would be like Apple providing Windows support on a Mac.
    Not quite an equal comparison, but close enough.

    2026 has proven to be a great year for Linux gaming, and with CLI AI tools like Google Gemini (now replaced with Antigravity CLI) - it has never been easier or more accessible to users of all skill levels.
    Reply
  • wakuwaku
    TerryLaze said:
    Why would valve offer support for windows?!?!?
    Could they even legally do this if they wanted to?!? They are not official windows representatives, they don't have any rights over windows IP.
    Maybe get out of your cave before commenting on the internet. The post specifically says STEAM HARDWARE.
    When you download Nvidia GPU drivers from Dell and encounter an issue with the driver, lets say the driver "failed to load" based on the error in Device Manager, do you complain to Nvidia? No you complain to Dell. Even if you did try to complain to Nvidia, Nvidia will either help you forward the complain to Dell first, or tell you complain to Dell first. They won't entertain you.

    This is how the world works. Most if not all drivers that are released by device manufacturers for download on their own websites (laptops, desktops, handhelds, mini-pcs, etc) are usually customized by those manufacturers to suit their devices and their use cases. And when they do, it is their responsibility as the first in line to offer any support for the drivers that they provide to the customer.

    When it comes to Valve, all the more so since their device is custom at hardware level, especially the SOC. Drivers from AMD may not even work and AMD may not even release such drivers because its not their product. Its a product of Valve manufactured by AMD.
    Reply
  • TerryLaze
    wakuwaku said:
    Maybe get out of your cave before commenting on the internet. The post specifically says STEAM HARDWARE.
    When you download Nvidia GPU drivers from Dell and encounter an issue with the driver, lets say the driver "failed to load" based on the error in Device Manager, do you complain to Nvidia? No you complain to Dell. Even if you did try to complain to Nvidia, Nvidia will either help you forward the complain to Dell first, or tell you complain to Dell first. They won't entertain you.

    This is how the world works. Most if not all drivers that are released by device manufacturers for download on their own websites (laptops, desktops, handhelds, mini-pcs, etc) are usually customized by those manufacturers to suit their devices and their use cases. And when they do, it is their responsibility as the first in line to offer any support for the drivers that they provide to the customer.

    When it comes to Valve, all the more so since their device is custom at hardware level, especially the SOC. Drivers from AMD may not even work and AMD may not even release such drivers because its not their product. Its a product of Valve manufactured by AMD.
    The big difference here is that a dell PC comes with windows, they are partners with MS, the steam machine doesn't come with windows, wasn't made for windows, and valve isn't a OS partner of MS.
    Reply
  • mrdoc22
    It's just drivers for Windows to get Steam Deck or Steam Machine working.
    Microsoft are just releaseing standard drivers, not drivers for special hardware.
    It's the hardware producents problem to make drivers , to getting the hardware to work with Windows.

    (Most people dosen't think of this when installing, because Windows is big loaded with drivers from a many hardwareproducents or found on "Windows update catalog")

    The problem here is that Valve won't stand with, they are hardware producent and dont't support they own drivers they are releasing, it's the responsibility as hardware producent.
    Reply
  • John Kiser
    mrdoc22 said:
    It's just drivers for Windows to get Steam Deck or Steam Machine working.
    Microsoft are just releaseing standard drivers, not drivers for special hardware.
    It's the hardware producents problem to make drivers , to getting the hardware to work with Windows.

    (Most people dosen't think of this when installing, because Windows is big loaded with drivers from a many hardwareproducents or found on "Windows update catalog")

    The problem here is that Valve won't stand with, they are hardware producent and dont't support they own drivers they are releasing, it's the responsibility as hardware producent.
    Valve doesn't make the hardware. AMD made the hardware for valve and its a barely semi custom zen 4 based chip. Valve is not the "hardware producent" as you put it. They can simply ask amd for a Windows version of drivers and for all intents and purposes nothing other than the gpu being recognized on graphics driver install even matters here and that would again be a simple enough request from valve to amd.

    You really think the likes of Lenovo, msi, or asus are crafting their own drivers for Intel or amd hardware ?
    Reply
  • ezst036
    Windows is a legacy OS. Gamers also hate it.

    Even if Windows currently has the most usage right now, Windows has been in a hard, solid, undeniable, and unmoveable decline for 20 or more years.

    What is the incentive to offer super stellar support for it on Steam Hardware? Let AMD and others cover the basics and move on.

    Especially considering the birth of all of this anyways, Valve was scared to death of the Windows Store back in Windows 8 and so they beefed up Linux to where it is today a decade later.

    Windows is the past. Windows is not the future.
    Reply
  • usertests
    X86 device supports Windows, news at 11.
    Reply
  • ezst036
    Nico H said:
    /u/WhatsthatNoize on Reddit hit it on the head with a (admittedly abrasive) comment comparing supporting Windows on Steam Hardware would be like Apple providing Windows support on a Mac.
    Not quite an equal comparison, but close enough.
    Linus Sebastian (LTT) made the same comparison of the Steam Machine to a Mac, with all of the flawless usage and attention to detail compared to the constant bugs of Windows, as well as Apple's direct control over every stage of production and support.

    Other than AMD making the chip, the Steam Hardware is Valve's creation top to bottom just like a Mac.
    Reply
  • Findecanor
    Dual-boot to access Windows is a thing of the past. The only right way to run Windows in 2026 is in a virtual machine under Linux, so that you have full control of the hardware, storage and network, and could roll back bad "updates".

    Does Steam hardware have support for IOMMU so Windows games that can't run under Proton could access the GPU?
    If so, then Windows drivers for Steam hardware would make sense.
    Reply