Run Steam on a dual-boot setup with your gaming PC.
Run Steam on a dual-boot setup with your gaming PC.
Hi, I'm looking into setting up a dual boot with Windows and Steam OS on my device. Let me know if you need more details!
Well, the speed won't be as quick. If KDE feels a bit slow (it really does), switch to XFCE using pacman -h to find the right letter option for installation—I think it's 's'. Look for the search tool with 'xfce' and install it. Log out without rebooting, then choose 'xfce' at the bottom, enter your password, and press enter. You should notice your Steam Deck runs much faster when launching programs. KDE uses a lot of memory, even with recent upgrades, and will struggle if you have less than 2GB. XFCE handles it better by keeping things simple—basic menu, panel, and that's it. If you still want Windows, you can install it, but be aware it may run poorly. Make sure to create a large partition for Windows (at least 20+ GB) using the KDE partition manager. Shrinking partitions while they're running is risky; I've lost a partition before and the system froze halfway. Always back up your data before making any changes. Once you have enough space, create two partitions—one for Windows boot and another for regular use. If needed, move partitions carefully to avoid losing data. Backup everything first, especially when shrinking or moving partitions. Before doing this, test how Windows 10 performs on your Steam Deck and check the power-saving features. Compare battery life between Windows and Linux to see which suits you better.