Games run faster on SteamOS than Windows 11, Ars testing finds

Windows 11 is also bloated as hell by default. Curuios how they compare to a very optimized and debloated windows 11?

Anybody know if Steam and games in general refuse to install in Windows LTSC? Its basically the stripped down ultimate lean version of windows. Boots insanely fast - no tracking bullshit - no windows store or candy crush. Battery life hugely improved. No big updates - security only - and for a longer supported time.

I know Adobe has forced their installers now to refuse to outright install on LTSC (for no real reason) which is annoying as hell. First they stopped it installing on Windows Server.....

Hopefully we do not see the same thing with graphics drivers and Steam and games because right now its the ultimate gaming OS (especially if you are running it as a second OS while daily driving Linux or MacOS)

There's little point benchmarking a debloated windows 11 since:

1. There is no standard debloated windows 11 to compare against since Microsoft adds more bloat each month.

2. Users aren't going to be running a debloated windows 11 anyway

and 3: its also windows 11 on the handheld - its not comparing a desktop (edit- or many desktops for that matter) with steamos on it vs some windows. (though i can see somebody debloating 11 and dropping it on the device - why not?)

> We then installed Windows 11 on the handheld, downloaded updated drivers from Lenovo's support site, and re-ran the benchmarks on the same games downloaded through Steam for Windows.

Microsoft is partnering with Asus to make the ROG Xbox Ally, which will run a stripped down Windows 11 that boots straight into the "Xbox" app, and you can switch to "desktop mode" much like how SteamOS / Steam Deck works. At least on Deck, it only boots the KDE desktop environment up when you switch to desktop mode so you aren't wasting resources on a windowing system you'll never see. It sounds like Microsoft is planning a similar setup, but only time will tell how much they manage to avoid enshittifying the plan.

You can be sure that gamers are going to install SteamOS onto their desktops once it supports more kinds of hardware.

Yes gamers could install Bazzite right now, but those that are open to switching away from Windows aren't going to if they don't have a large company that can fund the support focused primarily on the issues that gamers are going to experience.

i've been daily drive ltsc windows for a while, don't see any software installation problem.

I'm on Windows 10 LTSC which will receive updates until 2032. You'll likely have to add stuff to the OS to install the Windows Store and UWP apps but otherwise regular apps just work.

yeah i did not install windows store, but i recall installing Steam and other software like that is smooth.

2. Many are if this makes their game playable and there is an easy way to debloat

What's the advantage for a consumer here though? I honestly don't get the selling point of why I would want Win11 specifically on a handheld. The desktop UI sucks with a touchscreen, so having a windows vs a Linux desktop on the hardware doesn't seem like a difference. I get why MS wants to try to compete here, but I just don't get what they could possibly offer. I don't believe Win11 can be stripped down enough to compete on performance, currently I can't get a machine with 4GB of RAM and a SATA SSD to perform adequately with a web browser in Win11. The OS just consumes huge amounts of resources on stupid background tasks that can't be disabled without registry tweaks and the undefined behavior that comes with that.

Idk I’m not a Microsoft enjoyer. I gave it a good shot with Surface Pro for a bit but it’s just not for me.

There are issues in Windows going beyond just added bloat. I don't think its kernel can compete or keep up with Linux's, as an example.

The person you're responding to wasn't entirely accurate, as it's not just a regular desktop session with the Xbox app set to auto launch. Early reports (admittedly from Microsoft PR) say the gamepad-centric window manager they're shipping on the Xbox ROG, a replacement for explorer.exe, shaves off 2GB of memory usage specifically because they're disabling desktop-centric services during the session. They do seem to be addressing a lot of your points.

The selling point is compatibility with anti-cheat and Game Pass. These aren't targeted for me, I'm not big into competitive shooters, I prefer a la carte and I main Linux, but I can imagine it would be for a lot of people.

It's usually easier to just install Linux from what I've seen.

Related to 1, Microsoft did announce a gaming-focused "debloated" Windows 11 experience especially for gaming handhelds to release "sometime next year". It will be interesting to see what it is like as a standard, but obviously it is not out yet.