Borderlands 4 showed a small advantage for Windows 11, with an average of 74 FPS compared to SteamOS’ 69 FPS at 4K Ultra with FSR Quality enabled. Forza Horizon 5 displayed one of the larger gaps, with SteamOS averaging 157 FPS at 4K Extreme settings without FSR, while Windows 11 reached 191 FPS. ETA Prime suggested that the difference may be influenced by the title’s close ties to Microsoft’s ecosystem.
In contrast, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 slightly favored SteamOS when tested at 4K Very High with FSR set to Quality, averaging 111 FPS compared to 103 FPS under Windows 11. Red Dead Redemption 2 at 4K Ultra without FSR averaged 88 FPS on SteamOS and 96 FPS on Windows 11.
The YouTuber also individually tested other popular titles such as Left 4 Dead 2, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Doom: The Dark Ages at 4K on SteamOS, with the full tests shown in the video linked below.
Overall, the results indicate that performance varies depending on the game, with neither operating system holding a consistent advantage across all titles. ETA Prime concludes that the dual-boot approach offers flexibility, allowing users to choose the operating system that performs better for a given title while maintaining access to the full Windows ecosystem when needed.