You don't even need to "pirate" Windows anymore. You can download an ISO from Microsoft's website, install it, and when it asks for your license key, you click "I don't have one", and that's the end of it. If you look in the activation settings, it'll say "not activated", but nothing will ever become of it. This even works if you install it as Pro. It's not like the Windows XP/7 days where you'd get a 60 day scare timer. They just don't seem to care anymore, or maybe all that telemetry they siphon up from you is just that much more valuable.

JOIN TEAM LINUX INSTEAD

Windows on a Steam Deck just feels like a crime.

Be ashamed of using windows.

This is perfect, this is what a steam deck is built for! Doing whatever the fuck you want with the hardware even if people don't like it

Be ashamed of using Windows. If you paid for it, more shame.

Stop it hurts

I used rufus to put windows on an sd card. The steam deck can boot from the card if you hold a volume button when you power on. Valve provides drivers for both lcd and oled. It’s worked perfectly since maybe a month after each model came out. It touches nothing. Rufus is the only trick, since microsoft is the uncooperative part.

I did it for modern warfare 2019. It wasn’t worth it. If you boot into windows every six months, you get to update for an hour. If you get logged out of steam, you should plug in a mouse and keyboard. It’s my only windows install since 8 came out which was my only attempt since 98. And it only convinces me to stay away.

I run a Legion Go. it’s all I could afford at the time. Plays factorio and satisfactory fine. Wish I could afford a “real” rig but… it’s just not in the cards. Apparently buying wife’s car a new tranny is “important.”

I mean, if you just absolutely had to play a Linux-hating kernel anti cheat game, then install a small-as-possible partition for Windows, dual boot, and stay in Steam OS every single moment you're doing anything else but that game.

But most Windows-on-a-Steam-Deck people I've encountered just drive Windows all the time. I will never understand.

Be ashamed when using windows and any microslop product.

Hate to admit that when I first got my deck at launch, I immediately set up a dual boot just so I could play Destiny 2 on it.

Needless to say, I no longer play Destiny 2 or even use Windows at all on any of my machines. Hell, I even installed CachyOS Handheld on my deck over SteamOS for shits and giggles.

Guys! Relax, it's fine. We still have a VM for the Linux experience. It's basically the same thing!