Valve releases Steam Machine Windows drivers: they wipe SteamOS

Valve has finally put out official Windows drivers for the 2026 Steam Machine, which means supported Windows installs are now on the table for the first time. You can grab the downloads directly from Valve.

Steam Download

There is a catch. Right now, installing Windows means wiping the device completely. If you replace the Linux-based SteamOS, you lose the setup that ships with the system, and Valve says dual-booting still isn’t available yet. The company says a future SteamOS installer update is supposed to add a dual-boot wizard.

Valve says the driver package includes graphics, Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, and the SD card reader. That should make for a much more usable Windows setup than relying on generic drivers alone. It also backs up Valve’s argument that the Steam Machine is an open PC , not a closed console, even if the unsubsidized starting price is still north of $1,000.

For some people, that’ll be enough reason to bother. If you want better support for anti-cheat games, Xbox Game Pass, other launchers, and non-Steam apps, this update is probably worth downloading. Still, you may end up trading away some of the smooth, console-like SteamOS experience reviewers liked on the compact, quiet hardware. Those same reviews also pointed out that performance feels modest for the money.

You can download the Windows drivers for the Steam Machine from Valve now.

Author: Jesús Bosque

{ "de-DE": "Ich bin Journalist mit über 30 Jahren Erfahrung in Videospielen und Technologie. Obwohl Videospiele schon immer mein Fachgebiet waren, habe ich begonnen, auch die komplexen Strukturen von Projektmanagement-Tools wie Asana sowie die Automatisierungen mit Make.com und N8N zu entdecken und zu genießen.", "en-US": "I’m a journalist with more than 30 years of experience in video games and technology. Although my specialty has always been video games, I’ve recently started enjoying exploring the intricacies of project-management tools like Asana, as well as automations with Make.com and N8N.", "es-ES": "Soy periodista con más de 30 años de experiencia en videojuegos y tecnología. Aunque mi especialidad siempre ha sido el videojuego, he empezado a disfrutar también de descubrir los laberintos de los programas de project management como Asana y las automatizaciones de make.com y de N8N", "fr-FR": "Je suis journaliste avec plus de 30 ans d’expérience dans le jeu vidéo et la technologie. Bien que ma spécialité ait toujours été le jeu vidéo, j’ai commencé à prendre plaisir à explorer également les méandres des outils de gestion de projet comme Asana, ainsi que les automatisations avec Make.com et N8N.", "it-IT": "Sono un giornalista con oltre 30 anni di esperienza nei videogiochi e nella tecnologia. Anche se la mia specialità è sempre stata il videogame, ho iniziato a divertirmi anche a scoprire i meccanismi degli strumenti di project management come Asana e delle automazioni con Make.com e N8N.", "ja-JP": "", "nl-NL": "Ik ben een journalist met meer dan 30 jaar ervaring in videogames en technologie. Hoewel videogames altijd mijn specialiteit zijn geweest, ben ik ook begonnen te genieten van het verkennen van de ingewikkelde wereld van projectmanagementtools zoals Asana en van automatiseringen met Make.com en N8N.", "pl-PL": "Jestem dziennikarzem z ponad 30-letnim doświadczeniem w grach wideo i technologii. Choć moją specjalizacją zawsze były gry wideo, ostatnio zacząłem również czerpać przyjemność z odkrywania zawiłości narzędzi do zarządzania projektami, takich jak Asana, oraz automatyzacji w Make.com i N8N.", "pt-BR": "Sou jornalista com mais de 30 anos de experiência em videogames e tecnologia. Embora meu foco sempre tenha sido os videogames, recentemente passei a gostar de explorar também os labirintos de ferramentas de gestão de projetos como o Asana e das automações com Make.com e N8N.", "social": { "email": "jesus.bosque@softonic.com", "facebook": "", "twitter": "", "linkedin": "" } }