Steam Deck gets a fix for one of its biggest problems with Windows 11

Date:
Sun, 15 May 2022 09:03:42 +0000

Description:
Weve got some good news for those who want Windows 11 on their Steam Deck,
but also want sound.

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Steam Deck owners who want to install Windows 11 on the portable, rather
than running with SteamOS, will doubtless be pleased to hear that Valve has fixed one of the major problems with going this route namely the audio side of the equation.

As weve seen with many complaints from folks adopting Microsofts OS on Valves compact gaming PC, there has been an issue with sound drivers which means
that with Windows 11, you dont get audio not unless you use Bluetooth speakers (or a USB-C headset).

But now, Valve has provided Windows audio drivers (two of them) which cure
the problem, so youll now get sound via the Decks built-in speakers (or you can use headphones with the audio jack, rather than relying on a Bluetooth pair).

Instructions are provided along with the drivers on Valves Windows resources page , and note that theres an APU driver here which you must install first
to get audio support working. Analysis: A step in the right direction but it is just one step

Its obviously good to see that Valve is not just pushing forward with work on the Steam Deck as-is doing plenty of tinkering to add useful features like the recently implemented per-game performance settings but also considering those who might want to take an alternative route like installing Windows 11 on the handheld (or even Windows 10 for that matter).

That said, if youre mulling over sticking Windows on the Steam Deck, even
with one of the rougher edges now smoothed out in the form of audio drivers, its still a rather suspect proposition to install Microsofts OS on the portable gaming PC.

Why? For starters, its still in the very early stages of development, with Windows support only having officially arrived for the Steam Deck a few weeks ago so there will doubtless still be driver and other technical issues floating around (indeed, its possible that these newly released audio drivers could still be glitchy for some).

Plus as weve pointed out before, SteamOS is purpose-built for a slick and streamlined experience with the Deck, but if you venture into Windows territory, thatll be a very different matter. Furthermore, installing Windows on the Steam Deck is not a trivial exercise for the less tech-savvy but if you do want to give it a whirl, weve got a full guide on how to install Windows 10 and 11 on a Steam Deck . Is it really possible to ditch your work laptop for a Steam Deck?

Via Toms Hardware



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/steam-deck-gets-a-fix-for-one-of-its-biggest-pr oblems-with-windows-11/


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