Windows 7 running natively on a Steam Deck is an affront to science — this tinkerer has Microsoft’s OS booting in portrait mode

by

Indeed, that’s correct! It is indeed possible for Windows 7 to operate natively on Valve’s Steam Deck, which is renowned as the world’s most popular handheld gaming PC. This stems from the ever-curious nature of tech enthusiasts who often respond to skeptics with a simple question: “Why not?

While it’s understandable that some people might take the trouble, even for a Windows enthusiast like me who holds a soft spot for the past, I was taken aback by the idea. Despite Windows 7’s widespread popularity, arguably its most cherished edition in Microsoft’s portfolio, I’m not immediately jumping on the bandwagon following Bob Pony’s recent tech-focused posts on Bluesky and various social networks, as reported by Tom’s Hardware.

Windows 7 natively running on Steam Deck.

— @bobpony.com (@bobpony.com.bsky.social) 2025-07-15T15:26:09.344Z

People paying close attention may spot that running Windows 7 on Valve’s handheld device presents an obvious problem – it remains fixed in portrait orientation. For those familiar with some of the Steam Deck’s technical aspects, it’s important to note that its landscape display is intended as a design feature.

These gaming handheld PCs have screens designed for vertical (portrait) orientation rather than horizontal (landscape). However, it’s entirely possible for a manufacturer to rotate the displayed image by 90 degrees digitally, even if there’s no code specifically for rotation.

It seems that the Steam Deck, which uses a custom-made “Van Gogh” AMD Zen 2 APU, can run Windows 7 with regular device drivers. However, it’s questionable whether one could play games on it as intended by Valve. Bob has successfully booted to the desktop, but further gaming experience remains to be seen.

The CPU you have is a standard x86_64 model, but unfortunately, the drivers for its unique, self-made graphics card won’t install on Windows 7. Instead, these drivers are compatible only with Windows 10 and 11.

As a researcher delving into this topic, my current assessment is that running Windows 7 on the Steam Deck’s integrated GPU might not be feasible due to compatibility issues and the unique nature of the AMD graphics driver. However, if a dedicated Windows 7 enthusiast were to customize the driver further, it could potentially change the outcome. Yet, the likelihood of such an event seems slim. As for its worthiness or advisability, I’m not in a position to judge. My involvement here is merely because Windows 7 was mentioned in relation to the Steam Deck.

In their eagerness to determine if they could, they overlooked the question of whether they ought to.

The Internet, probably

It’s worth mentioning that Bob isn’t new to the process of installing older Windows versions on Valve’s Steam Deck. In fact, they shared a YouTube video showcasing Windows 8.1 on the Steam Deck in 2022. So, this isn’t a completely novel path for them; rather, it’s an extension of their ongoing curiosity that I find intriguing, despite my caution against attempting such things myself given ASUS’ Windows 11-based ROG Ally has become my preferred handheld device. However, I still enjoy watching from a distance.

Microsoft no longer supports Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, and I wouldn’t advise installing either of these versions on your Steam Deck. Even though it’s possible to put Windows 11 on a Steam Deck, I also don’t recommend that option because that’s why Arch Linux, a spinoff of Linux, is so widely used on the Steam Deck. This has led many people to believe even more strongly in the “Year of the Linux Desktop” movement. So, it’s best to stick with Arch Linux for your Steam Deck.

At least, it serves as an engaging pastime endeavor that preserves the essence of earlier Windows versions, and maybe even ignites a bit more passion about the approaching end-of-life phase for Windows 10 in October this year. Some individuals simply cherish these older editions of Microsoft’s primary operating system, despite their technical limitations or risks. For me, my preferred choice was Windows XP, coupled with the “secret” Royale Noir theme – but which among the contemporary versions truly stands out?

Read More

2025-07-15 22:09