SteamOS vs. Windows 10 on PC: Which Delivers Better Gaming Performance?

Seamless integration of SteamOS with standard PC hardware unlocks higher frame rates and improved graphics rendering capabilities

Hardware by Masaru Hoshino on Jul 14, 2025

The Official SteamOS is designed for handheld devices but can also be installed on a standard desktop system. Armed with an Intel i5-12400F and an AMD RX 6500XT, we explored how well SteamOS performs on a modest gaming PC.

Over the past few days, we've documented the installation process, usability, and game performance, then compared those results to Windows 10.

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Installing SteamOS on a PC

Our test rig consists of an Intel i5-12400F on an H610M motherboard, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and an RX 6500 XT graphics card. We used an NVMe M.2 256GB SSD—installation on a SATA SSD resulted in an early error, so a high-speed NVMe drive is effectively required.

To begin, you download the Steam Deck OS image, flash it to a USB drive using Rufus, then disable Secure Boot (or enable CSM) in your BIOS and boot from the USB. After a brief series of text logs, you'll reach a basic desktop environment.

If you choose to wipe the target drive, confirm the dramatic warning that it will be erased, and wait for the installer to finish. Because the H610M board lacks Wi-Fi and SteamOS failed to detect Ethernet, we switched to an Asus Z790 motherboard with onboard networking and 32GB DDR5 6400 MHz RAM.

Although this exceeded our budget build's initial limitations, network recognition went easily, and SteamOS booted into its familiar gaming interface.

First Impressions and User Experience

Once installed, SteamOS has two modes: console-style gaming and a more responsive desktop mode. We used desktop mode only for game installations, then switched back to gaming mode for play. Our ultrawide 3440×1440 display initially ran sluggishly; we reduced the resolution and disabled HDR, which was enabled by default, and washed-out colors.

The keyboard and mouse function immediately, so you can navigate menus or even play mouse-driven titles without issue.

SteamOS, Windows 10, PC, Delivers Better, Gaming Performance, NoobFeed

The Gaming Experience

We tested Counter-Strike 2, Forza Horizon 4, Red Dead Redemption 1, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Black Myth Wukong benchmark, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Counter-Strike 2 compiled shaders for about 10 minutes before running flawlessly at native 1080p with medium settings.

Forza Horizon 4 reached ultra settings smoothly once FSR was enabled, despite our 4GB VRAM limit on the RX 6500 XT. Red Dead Redemption 1 ran at ultra with FSR 3 at native resolution. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 initially slowed as VRAM filled, but enabling FSR restored performance.

Black Myth Wukong benchmark ran at low with native resolution and FSR scaling, delivering acceptable results. Shadow of the Tomb Raider issued a warning about an unsupported OS, but then performed without issue.

SteamOS vs Windows Performance

In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Windows with DX12 averaged 73 fps, whereas SteamOS achieved 78 fps after three benchmark runs on the same hardware.

SteamOS produced 183 fps at 1080p with FSR disabled, whereas Windows (DX12) achieved 223 fps on a workshop map in Counter-Strike 2.

Black Myth Wukong test also performed better on SteamOS with low settings with FSR scaling, achieving 42 fps, as opposed to 37 fps on Windows.

Perhaps most striking was Forza Horizon 4: running at ultra settings under Windows yielded 61 fps, yet SteamOS soared to 96 fps at the same configuration. However, we suspect an anomaly in that test.

SteamOS, Windows 10, PC, Delivers Better, Gaming Performance, NoobFeed

Final Thoughts

SteamOS on desktop hardware offers a compelling alternative to Windows for those willing to embrace Linux. An NVMe M.2 SSD, an AMD GPU that is compatible, and a motherboard with networking capabilities are required.

Although compatibility isn't flawless—some games need workarounds, and unsupported-OS alerts could show up—many well-known games function well. It can be worthwhile to install SteamOS on your PC if you're looking for a Windows substitute and already like it on a portable device.

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