Dual Booting Windows and Steam OS on Your Steam Deck: A Comprehensive Guide

The Steam Deck offers fantastic handheld gaming on the go, but sometimes users crave the flexibility of a Windows environment.

Dual booting allows you to have both Steam OS and Windows on your Deck, enabling access to a wider range of games and applications.

However, it’s crucial to understand the process and potential risks involved before diving in.

Before You Begin:

• Understand the risks: Dual booting involves modifying your Steam Deck’s internal storage, which can lead to data loss if not done correctly. Back up all your crucial data before proceeding.
• Technical knowledge required: This process requires some technical knowledge and comfort navigating command lines. If unsure, consider seeking help from an experienced user.
• Choose your method: You can install Windows on the internal SSD or an external SD card. This guide focuses on the internal SSD method.

What you’ll need:

• A Steam Deck with at least 64GB of free space (recommended)
• A USB flash drive with at least 8GB of storage
• A Windows 10/11 ISO file
• Rufus software (for creating a bootable USB drive)
• Optional: External keyboard and mouse for easier navigation

Preparing the Windows Installation Media:

1. Download the Rufus software from its official website (rufus.ie).
2. Download the Windows 10/11 ISO file from the Microsoft website.
3. Launch Rufus and select your USB flash drive from the “Device” dropdown menu.
4. Click “SELECT” and choose the downloaded Windows ISO file.
5. Ensure the “Partition scheme” and “Target system” options are set to “GPT” and “UEFI” respectively.
6. Leave other settings as default and click “Start” to create the bootable USB drive.

Partitioning the Steam Deck’s SSD:

1. Warning: This step erases all data on your Steam Deck. Ensure you have a complete backup before proceeding.
2. Power off your Steam Deck completely.
3. Hold down the “Volume Down” button and press the “Power” button. Release the “Power” button after the chime, but keep holding “Volume Down” until the boot menu appears.
4. Select “UEFI settings” and navigate to the “Boot” tab.
5. Locate the option to “Boot Device List” and ensure your USB drive is listed first.
6. Save changes and exit the BIOS settings. Your Steam Deck will boot from the USB drive.

Installing Windows:

1. Follow the on-screen instructions during the Windows installation process.
2. When prompted, choose the unallocated space on your Steam Deck’s SSD for Windows installation.
3. Important: During installation, do not connect to the internet or create a Microsoft account. This can cause compatibility issues with Steam OS later.
4. Once Windows is installed, proceed to the next step.

Setting Up Clover for Dual Booting:

1. Boot back into Steam OS using the boot menu (hold “Volume Down” and press the “Power” button).
2. Enter desktop mode by selecting “Power” after pressing the Steam button.
3. Set a sudor password in Steam OS if you haven’t already. Open the Console and run the command passed.
4. Download the latest Clover EFI bootloader from https://github.com/topics/clover-efi and extract it to a folder on your Steam Deck.
5. Open the Console and navigate to the extracted Clover folder using the cd command.

Additional Notes:

• Drivers: You might need to install additional drivers for Windows on your Steam Deck. Search online for specific drivers compatible with your Deck model and Windows version.
• Performance: Installing Windows on the internal SSD might impact SteamOS performance slightly due to shared storage space. Consider allocating sufficient space for Windows based on your needs.
• Updates: Updating Windows might require additional configuration steps within Clover to maintain dual booting functionality. Refer to online resources for specific instructions.