Install

Install

Requirements

• Windows 10 or 11
• Steam installed
• A controller (Xbox-class works out of the box; others can be taught)

Running from source additionally needs AutoHotkey v2.0.19 or newer, 64-bit. The released .exe is already compiled and needs none of that.

Which product do I want?

	SteamShell	SteamShell XFE
Replaces the Windows shell	Yes	No
Boots to Steam Big Picture	Yes	No — you use Xbox FSE
Controller pointer + Quick Menu	Yes	Yes
Window management, focus assist	Full	Lightweight assist
Display / HDR / audio / RTSS	Yes	Yes
If it goes wrong	You may need to restore the shell	Close it

Not sure? Start with XFE. It is portable, changes nothing permanent, and gives you the controller experience. Move to the shell replacement once you trust it.

Installing

1. Download SteamShell.exe from the latest release. One executable installs both products.
2. Put it somewhere sensible and run it.
3. The Setup Assistant opens on first run.

Setup Assistant

It walks through:

• Which product — standalone shell, or the XFE companion.
• Install mode — Standard (a managed copy in a fixed location), Custom (you pick the folder), or Portable (runs where it sits, nothing registered).
• Applications — Steam is required and is detected automatically. RTSS is optional.
• Shell registration — whether SteamShell becomes the Windows shell. This is the step with consequences. You can skip it and launch manually first.
• Auto-login — optional, so a console-style box boots straight in.

Everything it does is reversible from Settings → Advanced, and it records what it installed so a later run can tell a moved installation from a fresh one.

Trying it without committing

Register nothing and just run SteamShell.exe. It will launch Big Picture and manage focus without touching the shell registry. Close it and you're back to normal.

Safer still: install XFE instead, which never touches the shell at all.

Making it the shell

If you do register it as the shell, before you reboot:

• Know the escape key. Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E registers Explorer as the shell and exits.
• Have a keyboard attached. Worth it for a kiosk build, at least the first time.
• Have a second account that still uses Explorer, or a way to reach Safe Mode.

SteamShell.exe /safe starts in Safe Mode: it stays non-elevated, keeps Explorer available, and does not start the elevated helper.

Verifying the download

The released binary is committed in the repository at releases/2.0.0/current/SteamShell.exe, and its SHA-256 is listed in releases/2.0.0/RELEASE.md alongside the exact source that built it.

Get-FileHash .\SteamShell.exe -Algorithm SHA256

Uninstalling

Settings → Advanced → Permanently Restore Explorer puts the shell back, then remove the folder. If SteamShell can't determine what it installed, it asks rather than guessing.