How To Dual Boot Steam Deck | SteamOS & Windows 11

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of dual-booting your Steam Deck with SteamOS and Windows 11. Dual booting allows you to switch between two operating systems, maximizing the functionality of your device for both gaming and productivity. By following these steps, you will be able to set up your Steam Deck to run both operating systems efficiently.

Step 1: Gather Required Materials

Before starting, ensure you have the following items:

• A Steam Deck
• A USB drive (at least 8GB)
• A computer to create the installation media
• Internet connection for downloading software
• SteamOS Recovery Image
• Windows 11 ISO
• Windows drivers for Steam Deck
• Dual Boot Fix files

Download Links

• Rufus
• SteamOS Recovery Image
• Windows 11
• Windows Drivers
• Dual Boot Fix

Step 2: Install Dual Boot GUI

1. Download the Dual Boot GUI software.
2. Use Rufus to create a bootable USB drive:
   • Open Rufus and select your USB drive.
   • Choose the Dual Boot GUI image you downloaded.
   • Click "Start" to create the bootable USB.

Step 3: Explore Dual Boot GUI

• Boot your Steam Deck from the USB drive.
• Navigate through the GUI to familiarize yourself with the options available.
• Make sure you understand how to access the partition manager and installation options.

Step 4: Partition Your Drive

1. Launch the KDE Partition Manager from the Dual Boot GUI.
2. Identify the partition where SteamOS is installed.
3. Resize the SteamOS partition to create space for Windows:
   • Right-click the SteamOS partition and select "Resize."
   • Allocate enough space for Windows 11 (at least 40GB recommended).
4. Create a new NTFS partition in the freed space for Windows installation.

Step 5: Install Windows 11

1. With the bootable USB containing Windows 11, restart your Steam Deck.
2. Boot from the Windows USB drive.
3. Follow the Windows installation prompts:
   • Select the NTFS partition you created.
   • Proceed with the installation.
4. Allow the installation to complete and set up your Windows environment.

Step 6: Install Windows Drivers

1. After installing Windows, download and install the necessary drivers for Steam Deck.
2. Ensure all components (audio, graphics, gamepad) are functioning properly.

Step 7: Apply Dual Boot Fix

1. Extract the Dual Boot Fix files you downloaded.
2. Follow the instructions in the readme file to apply the fix.
3. This step ensures both operating systems can be selected at boot.

Step 8: Finalize Setup

• Restart your Steam Deck and verify that you can choose between SteamOS and Windows 11 at startup.
• Make any necessary adjustments to settings in both operating systems to optimize performance.

Conclusion

You have successfully set up dual booting on your Steam Deck with SteamOS and Windows 11. This setup allows you to enjoy the best of both worlds: gaming on SteamOS and utilizing Windows for other applications. For further customization, consider exploring additional software or configurations based on your needs. Happy gaming!