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JulianSanders's avatar
JulianSanders
Iron Contributor
Sep 01, 2026

Making Windows 10 LTSC IoT look like Windows 8.1 – what do you think?

I've been spending some time trying to get my Windows 10 install on my Steam Deck to look and feel like Windows 8.1. I've always wanted a Windows 8.1 gaming tablet, so this is kind of a dream project for me. It's not perfect—there are some rough edges and things I couldn't safely change without risking the install—but I think it's coming along pretty well.

I know 8.1 isn't everyone's favorite, but something about that UI just hits different for me. Curious what you all think. Anyone else tried something similar or have tips for getting it closer?

 

4 Replies

  • Longster's avatar
    Longster
    Iron Contributor
    Sep 07, 2026

    You're right that it hits different—Windows 8.1 with a touchscreen is buttery smooth in a way that 10 and 11 never replicated.

  • Weiona's avatar
    Weiona
    Tin Contributor
    Sep 04, 2026

    The fact that you've stopped at the safe boundaries — not messing with critical system files — is smart. Breaking core components on a handheld is not worth the visual payoff.

  • Ishaopan's avatar
    Ishaopan
    Tin Contributor
    Sep 03, 2026

    Taking a lean, lightweight OS like Windows 10 LTSC IoT and forcing it into the aesthetic of Windows 8.1 on a Steam Deck is such a weird, specific, and brilliant use case. It makes perfect sense—the Steam Deck is a handheld tablet-PC hybrid, and Windows 8.1 was the OS built for exactly that form factor. The hate Windows 8 got was mostly because it forced touch UI onto desktop mice, but on a Deck? That UI was born for this.