Some Microsoft employees are considering Steam Deck compatibility with Windows 11, as leaked images from Hackathon 2022 tease the idea of a specific version of the operating system. The project overview shows what the laptop’s operating system will look like, as well as ambitions related to the user interface, controller support, and drivers.
Before you dive into the Microsoft Hackathon leak, it’s worth remembering that there is already support for the Windows 11 Steam Deck. Sure, it looks less fancy than SteamOS and the operating system lacks a trick when it comes to drivers, but it’ll still work. So you don’t need to use Linux to play your Steam library on the go, though Valve’s platform is still better suited for portable gaming.
An insider shared images of the Microsoft Hackathon 2022 MarcheCat lays the foundation for what could become Windows 11 for the Steam Deck. The self-proclaimed “raw and go” review of the project first dives into the current situation with links to PCGamesN’s coverage of why Steam Deck’s Windows isn’t quite as good as SteamOS.
Describing current controller and controller support as “basic” gives you an idea of what official Windows 11 Steam Deck support might look like. As you’d expect, portable mode resizes things like the taskbar and icons to fit the bridge’s screen, but it also has its own big picture mode, designed by former lead software engineer at Microsoft, Hayden McAfee.
The “Game Shell” feature in question offers console-like menu commands, but also seems to lay “the foundation for a launcher with which you can quickly switch between games and stores.” In a nutshell, the project aims to combine storefronts like Steam and Xbox Game Pass into a single library, and the clip itself uses the Epic Game Store and EA Play as additional examples.
Of course, the hackathon leak is more of a publicity stunt than an official Microsoft project, and there’s no guarantee the tech giant will put in the time and resources to bring it to life. However, with devices like the Asus Rog Ally on the horizon, Windows 11’s fully optimized portable mode will help the company tap into the growing market for gaming laptop PCs.
Many of the best gaming laptop PC options on the market, like the Onexplayer Mini, already run Windows 11, but we’d argue that SteamOS still offers a better experience than it does. As such, unless Microsoft decides to fully switch to a portable platform, future devices like Steam Deck 2 will likely continue to use a mix of Valve’s Linux and Proton compatibility layers.
Are you looking for ways to improve your deck right now? Check out our list of the best Steam Deck ports and turn your Pocket PC into a hybrid desktop PC.
Source : PC Gamesn
