Windows 11 officially arrives with Steam Deck update but is it worth installing?

Date:
Tue, 26 Apr 2022 13:01:03 +0000

Description:
As well as Windows 11 support, Valve has made some important improvements
with battery life.

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Windows 11 has officially arrived for the Steam Deck , with the ability to install Microsofts OS being wrapped up in a fresh update for Valves handheld gaming PC .

Previously, Windows 11 support had only been in testing, and therefore the operating system could only be installed by those running the beta version of SteamOS.

However, in the latest SteamOS update, Valve has made things official via
the introduction of support for fTPM (enabling firmware TPM on the Decks AMD CPU , which is a requirement for Windows 11) meaning any Steam Deck owner
can now install Microsofts operating system on their handheld, not just those running the beta.

Another important improvement which has progressed from beta to the full release is bolstering battery life in idle or very low usage scenarios, so thats good to see. Theres another tweak in the name of battery longevity,
too, which is an experimental Half-Rate Shading option (in the Quick Access menu, under Performance) which forces 2x2 Variable Rate Shading into existing games for power savings.

Check here for the full list of changes , and dont forget as weve seen elsewhere, Valve has made a welcome introduction in the form of a lock screen for the Steam Deck , as well as some other client tweaks.

Those include a much-improved design for the Achievements page, and support for switching between active windows after tapping the Steam button (thats particularly handy for those using game launchers). Analysis: Its now
official but is it worth the hassle of installing Windows 11?

This should mean that Windows 11 support is fully ironed out now for the
Steam Deck but of course, only time will tell. Its hopefully a good sign
that it didnt take long for support to move from the beta channel to the full release of SteamOS ( as the capability only hit beta just over three weeks
ago ).

From what weve seen thus far, those installing Windows 11 have had some positive comments to make about the experience. Clearly, youre going to run into fewer compatibility issues with games that have, say, anti-cheat
systems, which still remain a thorn in Valves side, and reports indicate
other upsides such as a better touchscreen experience (and even battery life, but wed take that with heaps of condiments).

Of course, there are pitfalls too, most obviously that youll doubtless still face driver issues even though Windows 11 support has moved from beta to official; so it may well be a case of swapping one set of problems for another.

Furthermore, youre losing the simplicity of the streamlined SteamOS
experience as well, and if you mostly play games from your Steam Library (and arent fiddling around with, say, third-party launchers), theres a lot to be said for how well Valve has things working even at this relatively early
stage ( many of the most popular PC games on Steam already work well with the Deck ).

We must also bear in mind that changing OS on the Deck wont be for the faint-hearted it isnt a trivial endeavor for the less tech-savvy and
besides that, some of the major benefits of Windows 11 for gamers, like DirectStorage tech, wont be realized for some time yet .

At this point, its probably still worth playing a waiting game rather than taking the plunge with Windows 11, unless you have some really compelling specific reasons (or specific games that dont play nice with Proton) to want to shift platform with your Steam Deck right now.

Its also worth considering that SteamOS needs to be supported by Deck owners, as more and more devices are shipped out there, meaning wider adoption for
the OS, putting pressure on developers to make sure their games work well
with its Proton compatibility layer. If a chunk of Steam Decks are heading
off into Microsofts pastures with Windows 11 (or indeed Windows 10), then
that takes away from this drive Cant wait for a Steam Deck to ship? This
rival could soon be a more tempting option



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/windows-11-officially-arrives-on-steam-deck-but -is-it-worth-installing/


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