Steam Machine gains official Windows support with Valve drivers

Valve releases official Windows drivers for its Steam Machine

Valve has officially released Windows drivers for its Steam Machine. This will allow users of Valve’s hardware to utilise Microsoft’s OS, giving them an alternative to SteamOS.

Valve’s drivers include a graphics driver, Wi-Fi driver, Bluetooth driver, and a driver for the system’s SD card reader. This gives Windows users the Steam Machine’s full hardware functionality. Steam Machine users can use any software they want, setting Valve’s home gaming system apart from traditional consoles.

Note that Valve’s SteamOS currently lacks dual-boot functionality. While Valve’s hardware is fully capable of dual-boot, Valve’s SteamOS installer does not have a dual-boot wizard. This functionality will be available in a future SteamOS version.

(Steam Machine Drivers for Windows 11)

Valve’s Steam Machine is a PC, not a console

While most Steam Machine users will stick with SteamOS, support for alternative operating systems is a big deal. Valve’s Steam Machine is not a console; it is a fully fledged PC. That’s part of the reason why Valve cannot subsidise the cost of its Steam Machine hardware. If they did that, what’s to stop buyers from using the hardware for other purposes, thereby preventing Valve from recouping its subsidy?

Steam Machine users are free to do whatever they want with their hardware. This makes Steam Machine unlike PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo consoles, which use locked-down hardware. Steam Machine users are free to install their own software, play games from competing storefronts, and modify their hardware. That’s the freedom that comes with PC.

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