Fresh 4K gaming benchmarks are shining a light on a question more players are asking lately: should you game on Windows 11 or SteamOS? New tests from ETA Prime suggest the answer depends heavily on the game you’re playing, because neither operating system delivers a universal performance win across the board.
In Borderlands 4, Windows 11 edged ahead in the 4K Ultra preset with FSR set to Quality. The game averaged 74 FPS on Windows 11 versus 69 FPS on SteamOS, giving Windows a modest but measurable advantage in this specific setup.
The biggest gap showed up in Forza Horizon 5. Running at 4K Extreme settings with no FSR, SteamOS averaged 157 FPS while Windows 11 climbed to 191 FPS. ETA Prime noted that this difference may be tied to the game’s close relationship with Microsoft’s ecosystem, which could help explain why Windows performed so strongly here.
Not every title leaned toward Windows, though. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 slightly favored SteamOS in testing at 4K Very High with FSR on Quality. SteamOS averaged 111 FPS, while Windows 11 came in at 103 FPS, showing that SteamOS can absolutely compete—and sometimes win—depending on the game engine and optimization.
Red Dead Redemption 2 landed closer to the middle. At 4K Ultra without FSR, SteamOS averaged 88 FPS and Windows 11 averaged 96 FPS. That’s a noticeable lead for Windows, but not a runaway result.
ETA Prime also ran individual 4K checks on additional popular games, including Left 4 Dead 2, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Doom: The Dark Ages, expanding the picture beyond just a handful of flagship titles.
The main takeaway is clear: SteamOS vs Windows 11 gaming performance isn’t a simple “one is faster” story. Results swing based on the game, the settings, and features like FSR. That’s why ETA Prime ultimately points to dual-booting as a smart option for players who want maximum flexibility—use SteamOS when it performs best for a specific title, and switch to Windows 11 when you need broader compatibility, features, or access to the full Windows ecosystem.
