Valve started shipping the Steam Deck console earlier this year, combining a vaguely Nintendo Switch-like design with the open hardware and software of a PC. Valve is mostly focusing on its own SteamOS platform for the Steam Deck, but the company allows installing other operating systems, and now a BIOS update in beta testing includes official support for Windows 11.

The Steam Deck has supported installing third-party operating systems since day one, and Valve released official Windows drivers last month for a more functional experience. However, you could only install Windows 10, because the TPM module wasn't enabled yet (which Windows 11 requires for a normal install). Valve has now addressed this with a new BIOS update, which is available in the beta channel for testing before it rolls out to everyone.

Steam Deck OS Beta Patch Changelog

  • Added messaging when a charger that doesn't meet the minimum bar is plugged in
  • Added uncapped framerate setting in Quick Access menu > Performance
  • Added fTPM support, enabling Windows 11 installation
  • Added button combo: hold "..." + "Volume Down" to reset PD contract in the cases where Steam Deck gets stuck due to an incompatible Type-C device
  • Updated power LED to dim a few seconds after power supply connection events for better experience in dark environments
  • Improved compatibility for a number of Type-C docks and PSUs
  • Improved battery life in idle or very low usage scenarios
  • Improved stability
  • Fixed issues where the touchscreen does not work after some boots
  • Fixed compatibility with some SD cards specifically when used as boot devices.
  • Fixed ACPI error spew in the kernel

Valve wrote in an announcement, "You can opt into this by going to Settings > System on your Steam Deck, and selecting Beta from the OS Update Channel. Again, this OS and BIOS are still in beta and being tested, so only opt-in if you would like to try it out and provide feedback."

Besides enabling the TPM module for Windows 11, expanded support for USB docks and power supplies is great to see. Here's hoping there aren't any critical bugs and it can roll out to everyone soon.

Source: Valve