Following the recent launch of the Steam Machine, Valve has taken a significant step by releasing official Windows 11 drivers for the device. However, the company has advised caution regarding the installation of Microsoft’s operating system, despite acknowledging that the Steam Machine is fully capable of running any desktop OS, including Windows 11.
Performance Insights from User Testing
Despite Valve’s reservations, early adopters who have opted to install Windows 11 on the Steam Machine are discovering a surprisingly positive performance boost. YouTuber ETA Prime conducted a comparative analysis between Windows 11 and the default SteamOS, revealing some noteworthy results. In certain scenarios, Windows 11 not only matched but even surpassed SteamOS, showcasing impressive performance gains.
To provide context, the Steam Machine is powered by an AMD Custom 6-core 12-thread CPU, known as the “1772,” which features a combination of two Zen 4 and four Zen 4c cores. Its performance is comparable to that of an AMD Ryzen 5600 non-X model. In benchmark tests, the Ryzen 5600X outperformed the Steam Machine’s CPU by approximately 14% in the Cinebench 2024 multi-core test, suggesting that the non-X variant would be more closely aligned in performance.
In the gaming performance tests, three titles were evaluated:
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider: This CPU-intensive game demonstrated that both Windows 11 and SteamOS performed similarly, with Windows 11 exhibiting a slight edge in speed at both 1080p and 4K resolutions.
- Cyberpunk 2077: A demanding title for both CPU and GPU, Windows 11 excelled at 4K resolution, while SteamOS outperformed it at 1080p and 1440p, indicating that Windows 11 may have an advantage in GPU utilization.
- Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered: In this final test, Windows 11 emerged victorious with a 7% lead at 4K, reinforcing the notion that it generally excels in GPU performance across various benchmarks.
These findings are particularly encouraging given that the Windows drivers for the Steam Machine are not yet fully optimized. With Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to enhance performance, it appears that Windows 11 could indeed serve as a robust gaming operating system on the Steam Machine.
It is also essential to recognize the capabilities of SteamOS, which has managed to keep pace with Windows 11 in many instances, demonstrating its own strengths in the gaming landscape.
