SteamOS is a brilliant gaming platform that can run a staggering number of titles, but some games just refuse to work on SteamOS and Linux in general. The good news is that you can install Windows on your Deck and open it up to a slew of new games and PC Game Pass.
1
EA Sports WRC
I’ve spent over 50 hours in EA Sports WRC since it dropped on EA Play and PC Game Pass a few months ago, and I can say it’s one of the best rally games I’ve ever played.
It’s got an enjoyable driving model that plays nice with a controller, a humongous single-player campaign with tons of stuff to do, heaps of different rally stages taking you all over the world, and a massive selection of iconic and modern rally cars. The only thing missing is the rewind feature found in Codemasters’s Dirt games. I know this is a more realistic take on rally racing, but a rewind would allow me to be more aggressive and not to replay a 15-mile stage after I’ve made a single teeny tiny mistake on the second-to-last corner…
The game runs fine with occasional stuttering on Steam Deck, if you’re okay with playing the game with the lowest graphical settings. But the kicker is that recently, EA decided to update the game with its in-house anti-cheat solution, rendering the game unplayable on Deck and Linux in general. At the moment, you can only play EA Sports WRC on your Deck if you install Windows on it. If you’re a fan of rally games, this title alone is reason enough to make Windows your Steam Deck’s auxiliary OS.
Steam Deck OLED
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2
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
COD: Black Ops 6 multiplayer is some of the best fun I’ve had in a Call of Duty game, ever. Great gunplay, tons of customizable weapons, well-designed maps, and solid performance on the Deck if you can swallow the low settings and are ready to install Windows. This is a rare Call of Duty game that’s got me hooked for longer than a couple of months. I still play it on weekends and I don’t think I’ll stop anytime soon.
Multiplayer isn’t the only reason to check this one out. The campaign is also one of the best we’ve had in a decade or so. I was so hooked that I finished it in a couple of days and was left wanting more, which hasn’t happened since the glory days of the Modern Warfare series.
Valve Steam Deck
The Steam Deck LCD is, hands down, the best budget handheld gaming PC you can get, thanks to its phenomenal price, top-notch build quality, excellent software support, and pretty solid gaming performance.Â
3
The Crew Motorfest
The Crew Motorfest is mostly a single-player game, but due to Ubisoft’s insistence on always-online DRM (yet another game marred with anti-cheat), you cannot play it on SteamOS. But you can play it on your Steam Deck if you install Windows on it.
I really liked driving around Oahu and Maui while playing the single-player portion of the game because there are plenty of cars to choose from, and because this is the first The Crew game to have a decent driving model (still lagging behind Forza Horizon, though). On top of that, the visuals are solid even on lower settings, and the digital recreations of the Hawaiian islands that the game takes place in look gorgeous.
If you ask me, the game’s worth your time, even if you only plan to check out the campaign, as long as you can accept a stable 30 FPS. I had a blast racing across Hawaii, and my only complaint is that too many events limit you to only a few cars to choose from.
4
Grand Theft Auto Online
The GTA V single-player campaign still works great on SteamOS. On the other hand, GTA Online has been unplayable on SteamOS and Linux for a while since Rockstar implemented a new anti-cheat solution some time ago.
If you’re addicted to perpetually growing your digital criminal empire in Los Santos, the only way to tend to it on your Steam Deck is to install Windows on it.
5
Fortnite
The favorite live service pastime for millions of gamers around the globe doesn’t work on Linux. The game can work on Steam Deck with Windows on it, so if you’re itching for some battle royale rumble, get ready to install a fresh OS on your Deck.
6
F1 24
F1 24 is yet another EA game that doesn’t work on Steam Deck because of EA’s anti-cheat software. A crying shame because the game’s campaign and driving model are top-notch.
It’s unfortunate that the single-player portion of F1 24 is unplayable because, similar to EA Sports WRC, you can enjoy the game for dozens of hours without even touching multiplayer. But it is what it is, so if you’re an F1 fan who owns a Steam Deck, the only way to play the game is by putting Windows on it.
7
Rainbow Six Siege
Rainbow Six Siege has been going strong for almost a decade now, and there are no signs that the game is slowing down. It’s still the best choice for fans of hardcore online shooters, where quick reflexes are tertiary, and teamwork, map knowledge, and operator expertise take center stage.
The game doesn’t work on Linux, including SteamOS. Conversely, it works great on Windows-powered Steam Decks.
8
Lost Ark
Lost Ark is one of the best action RPGs out there, but the game being an MMO means it comes with anti-cheat, and that means no Linux support. The game runs well even on hardware that lags behind Steam Deck, and Valve’s handheld packs enough horsepower not to be limited to low details.
If you’re ready to install Windows on one of the best handheld PCs, you will be able to effortlessly kick off your Lost Ark journey. The game’s available on Steam, so all you have to do is open Steam, download Lost Ark, and embark on an odyssey across the seven continents the game world consists of.
9
EA Sports FC 25
For better or worse, EA Sports FC 25 is the only premium soccer game that includes online multiplayer. Unfortunately, like every other EA game with multiplayer, the game doesn’t work on Steam Deck running SteamOS.
On the other hand, EA Sports FC 25 runs pretty solid on Steam Deck once you switch to Windows, as long as you limit the FPS because the frame rate is not that stable. EA Sports FC 25 isn’t all about multiplayer, though. You can spend hundreds of hours trying to win trophies and leagues across the globe or develop your player from a clumsy greenhorn to a Ballon d’Or candidate.
10
Erica
Erica is a single-player, full-motion video game that features an interesting story and a ton of different endings. It takes a couple of hours to complete, but you can spend dozens of hours trying to unlock every ending.
Unfortunately, this is a rare single-player game that, for some reason, doesn’t play nice with Linux. Thus, it does not work on Steam Deck unless you equip it with Windows. Being an FMV game, you can rest assured it will run perfectly on your Steam Deck once you turn it into a Windows PC gaming handheld.
11
Roblox
Roblox is yet another blockbuster multiplayer phenomenon that you cannot play on Linux. That said, you can make the Android version of the game run on SteamOS via Waydroid, an app that allows Android games and apps to run on Linux distros.
If you’re okay with playing the Android version of Roblox, check out our guide on how to install Waydroid. Once you finish that, you’ll also need to install and configure Roblox.
If you want to play the full PC version of Roblox, installing Windows on your Steam Deck is the only way to make that reality.
12
Minecraft
The most popular game in the world isn’t available on SteamOS. You can’t just install and run Minecraft on your Steam Deck, but there’s a way to play the game even on SteamOS. It’s a bit involved, and you can encounter issues with controller support and some mods not working even if you follow the guide to a T.
There’s a simpler way to play Minecraft on your Steam Deck though. If you install Windows on it, all you’ve got to do is download and install the game, install your favorite mods, and you’re off to the races.
Windows Also Means You Can Enjoy PC Game Pass
Last, but not least, it’s true that you can enjoy games available on PC Game Pass on your Deck via Xbox Cloud Gaming. However, the Game Pass cloud gaming experience leaves a lot to be desired. Poor image quality, massive latency, limited region coverage, and the fact that you have to subscribe to Game Pass Ultimate to use Cloud streaming in the first place.
On the flip side, installing Windows will allow you to play every single game available on PC Game Pass without having to subscribe to Game Pass Ultimate.
If you ask me, PC Game Pass alone is worth having Windows as the secondary operating system on your Steam Deck because the service offers tons of value and comes with a staggering number of games that run perfectly on Steam Deck’s humble hardware.
That said, you can stream any PC game to your Deck if you own a gaming PC. And if you’re an Xbox gamer who also owns a Steam Deck, there’s a way to remote play Xbox games on your Deck too.
Ready to take the leap? Installing Windows is a pretty straightforward affair, both on Steam Deck LCD and the OLED version of the console.
