We’re always happy to see new SteamOS versus Windows benchmarks appearing online. It’s usually in the form of a handheld review, but as we draw closer to the Steam Machine release date, desktop benchmarks are much appreciated. New tests from popular tech YouTuber ETA Prime show how the two operating systems compare for gaming on an all-AMD desktop, and it looks like SteamOS can hold its own against Windows 11, even for high-end 4K gaming.

It’s no secret at this point that Linux is becoming more popular among gamers – at least that’s what the latest Steam surveys tell us. Much of this growth can be attributed to the Steam Deck, which runs on the Linux-based SteamOS, but there’s a noticeable amount of desktop gamers making the switch from Windows, too.

SteamOS vs Windows 11 for 4K gaming

It’s again important to point out that these benchmarks are from an all-AMD build, which has long been preferred for Linux. Graphics-wise, while Nvidia drivers are getting better these days, Team Red is still on top – there’s also the issue of dropped Linux support on some older GTX cards, including the popular GTX 1080 Ti. In any case, here are the key specs ETA Prime used for benchmarking, along with some 4K benchmarks in Cyberpunk 2077, Forza Horizon, and more.

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
• GPU: AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
• RAM: 32GB DDR5 @ 7,000 MT/s
• Storage: 1TB M.2 SSD

As seen in the benchmarks above, SteamOS actually pulls ahead of Windows in a couple of games (Cyberpunk & Spider-Man 2), albeit only by a negligible amount. Windows is still on top for the most part, most noticeably being 21.6% faster in Forza Horizon 4, which is published by Microsoft Studios.

Regardless, it goes to show that Linux is a great option for some of the most popular games out there. Multiplayer, on the other hand, is a different story, as many popular anti-cheat solutions simply don’t work with the open-source operating system. This includes the likes of Call of Duty, Fortnite, and Apex Legends, so the dual-boot setup ETA Prime is showing off here is a nice solution if you want the best of both worlds in one machine.

It’s worth noting that Valve only officially supports SteamOS for the Steam Deck and Lenovo Legion Go S, the latter being the first third-party handheld to get ‘Powered by SteamOS’ credibility. Valve also lists “Other AMD-powered handhelds” under its Beta SteamOS Support branch. Desktop PC setups aren’t currently the priority, though it’s still possible to run SteamOS on such a system. Many Linux gamers are opting for alternatives such as Bazzite while we wait for official SteamOS support from Valve.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.