The Steam Deck is an excellent handheld for playing PC games away from your gaming computer, but you’re generally restricted to Steam games by default. That’s fine for Steam-exclusive gamers, though you probably have games on other platforms, such as Epic Games, Ubisoft Connect, GOG Galaxy, and EA. How are you supposed to play those titles?
The good news is that the process isn’t difficult. Below, we'll use the NonSteamLaunchers installer created by moraroy on GitHub. While there is a manual method, we don't recommend using it as long as the installer is supported.
Before getting started, connect a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard to your Steam Deck or dock it and connect peripherals. You’ll have a much easier time navigating desktop mode if you don’t have to use the on-screen keyboard and touch screen.
How to Get Third-Party Launchers on Steam Deck
We love the installer method because it automatically installs and configures every third-party launcher of your choice on the launch menu. The installer supports the Epic Games Launcher, Ubisoft Connect, GOG Galaxy, EA app, itch.io, Battle.net, Rockstar Games Launcher, and others. It also supports cloud gaming services like GeForce Now, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, and Amazon Luna, as well as streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu.
DIFFICULTY
Beginner
DURATION
20 minutes
TOOLS
Steam Deck
NonSteamLaunchers-On-Steam-Deck
Step 1:Switch to Desktop Mode
Start by booting your Steam Deck into desktop mode. Press the Steam button, then go to Power > Switch to Desktop.
(Credit: PCMag / Valve)
Step 2:Download NonSteamLaunchers
Head to the NonSteamLaunchers Github page on your browser of choice and download the latest release. By default, the file will go to your Downloads folder, but you can save it wherever you want.
(Credit: PCMag / Valve)
Step 3:Open Downloaded File
Head to the downloaded NonSteamLauncher.desktop file, double-click the icon, and press Continue when prompted.
(Credit: PCMag / Valve)
Step 4:Choose Your Launchers
This should bring up a list of launchers supported by the installer. Tick off the ones you want to run on the Steam Deck and hit OK.
(Credit: PCMag / Valve / moraroy)
Step 5:Create Web Shortcuts (Optional)
The installer will then bring up the Shortcut Creator window that lets you create custom shortcuts for specific websites, such as Reddit, X, or PCMag. This step is optional, so if you don’t want to make website shortcuts, just click OK.
(Credit: PCMag / Valve / moraroy)
Step 6:Install Your Launchers
The installer will start by automatically detecting and installing the latest Proton GE version. Then, it’ll install your chosen launchers into the prefix folder at /home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/NonSteamLaunchers.Once complete, your Steam Deck should restart automatically and the new launchers will show up on your desktop.
(Credit: PCMag / Valve)
Step 7:View Game Launchers in Game Mode
Select the Return to Gaming Mode shortcut on the desktop to return to Game Mode. You should also see your game launchers here. If not, you can add them manually by right-clicking on the file and selecting Add to Steam.
(Credit: PCMag / Valve)
Step 8:Add Game Launcher Art
Launchers don’t have artwork out of the box; they’ll appear as gray boxes on your desktop and in the Non-Steam tab. To fix that, install the SteamGridDB Decky plugin, which will find artwork automatically.
(Credit: PCMag / Valve)
Step 9:Enable Steam Play Compatibility Tool
To ensure compatibility between your Steam Deck and the third-party game launchers, open the Properties menu for each one, select the Compatibility menu, and tick the box that says Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool.
(Credit: PCMag / Valve)
Step 10:Select Proton GE Version
You'll also need to pick the latest version of Proton GE from the drop-down menu. We recommend sticking with the latest stable Proton GE build, rather than the beta release. This step is vital; if you don’t do this, the launchers won’t work.
(Credit: PCMag / Valve)
Set Up Controller Layout
(Credit: PCMag / Valve)
Once the launchers are ready to go, it's time to make sure the controller layout is properly set up. Supported Steam games usually have a default controller profile configured, but that won’t hold true for third-party game launchers.Open Controller Settings and click View Layout.
You can customize the layout, but we recommend editing it so the left trackpad functions as the scroll wheel and the right trackpad as the mouse, with the click acting as a double-click. This should make navigating easier when you don’t have a mouse and keyboard connected.
Log Into Your Launchers
(Credit: Ajay Kumar / Valve / Rockstar Games)
Now that your launchers are installed, log into each one with your account information. You can do this in desktop mode, but we found that doing it that way didn't sync to game mode, and we had to enter all the login info again. Also, Epic Games and Ubisoft Connect are prone to logging you out after a period of inactivity, so you’ll need to re-enter your information periodically if you switch between games a lot.
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How to Uninstall Your Launchers
If you want to uninstall any launchers, run the NonSteamLaunchers.desktop file again and click Uninstall. For a completely clean setup, the Start Fresh option will remove everything and let you start from scratch.
What About Manually Installing Launchers?
The installer method is pretty reliable, but if it doesn't work for you, the manual method may be your best bet. This requires downloading each game launcher individually, installing ProtonUP-QT, and fiddling with hidden files and target locations. That's obviously more complicated, so we don’t recommend using it as long as the NonSteamLaunchers installer is supported.
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