Although the recently released Steam Deck comes pre-installed with the Linux-based Steam OS, Valve has always planned to make the game console support Windows. Now the company is taking Windows support one step further by removing a major hurdle to installing Windows 11.
Perhaps the most notable detail in Steam Deck’s latest OS beta patch notes is the addition of support for the Firmware Trusted Platform Module (fTPM), which allows users to install Windows 11 on their devices. This BIOS feature was a common solution to what became a controversial requirement when Windows 11 first launched.
For a system to officially support Windows 11, it must have TPM 2.0, which initially shocked many users because it limited the OS’s compatibility to relatively newer CPUs. This requirement can be met by dedicated hardware or software-based fTPM.
In early March, Valve released the first Windows drivers for Steam Deck, but the initial lack of fTPM support meant the device could only run Windows 10 until now. AMD hasn’t finalized the audio driver, so any sound from Steam Deck running Windows has to come via USB-C or Bluetooth. Additionally, Valve is still working on an installer with dual-boot capability, so for now users will have to choose between Windows and Steam OS.
