Ever since the announcement of the Steam Deck, there have been speculations about its compatibility with Windows 11 upon release. While Valve has not officially confirmed it, it’s hard to imagine that a high-end gaming “portable PC” couldn’t run an operating system. However, the main concern lies with the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) requirement, which is currently considered necessary for installing the software on a machine.
In an interview with the PC Gamer website, Greg Coomer, the designer of the Steam Deck, mentioned that the company primarily focused on compatibility with Windows 10 but did not anticipate the current restrictions of Windows 11. He explained that the team is actively working with AMD, the manufacturer of the device’s processor (Zen 2/RDNA 2 APU), to find a solution and bypass this limitation.
While it’s not a definitive answer, this news generates excitement among Steam fans. Opting for Windows 11 instead of the limited SteamOS 3.0 could open up promising possibilities for the future of the console. However, it’s essential to consider that compatibility with Microsoft’s system could also introduce potential challenges, such as the use of third-party applications, stability issues, malware concerns, and other related problems.
From a gaming perspective, the need for Windows could become less significant if the new hardware can offer the entire game library at launch. The new SteamOS user interface appears to be streamlined specifically for this purpose, which may not be achievable with a retrofitted operating system.
The Steam Deck will be available in three versions: 64 GB of storage (priced at $399), 256 GB (priced at $529), and 512 GB (priced at $659) — all with the same performance configuration.
Ultimately, we’ll have to wait and see the outcome of the collaboration between AMD and Valve engineers. Regardless of whether Windows 11 is supported or not, the Steam Deck has the potential to make a significant impact and find success among gamers.
