How to Install Non-Steam Games on Steam Deck

The Steam Deck runs SteamOS — a Linux-based operating system — which means your Epic, GOG, and Battle.net libraries don’t install the same way they do on a Windows PC. There’s no Windows installer to run directly in Gaming Mode. But with the right tools, you can access every major game library on your Deck and launch non-Steam titles straight from the Gaming Mode interface.

If you’re still deciding which handheld to buy, our best handheld gaming PC 2026 guide compares the Steam Deck against the ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and other competitors. Already own a Deck? This guide covers four methods: the fastest route for .exe files, Heroic for Epic and GOG, NonSteamLaunchers for Battle.net and EA, and EmuDeck for retro games.

How Steam Deck Runs Windows Games

SteamOS runs on Linux. Most PC games are built for Windows. The bridge between them is Proton — a compatibility layer developed by Valve that translates Windows system calls into Linux equivalents. When you launch a Steam game, Proton runs automatically. For non-Steam games, you have to wire it up yourself — which is what each method below does.

Before installing any game, check ProtonDB (protondb.com) [3]. Type in the game title and read the community reports. Platinum and Gold ratings mean it works well out of the box. Silver means minor issues exist. Bronze and Borked mean expect significant problems or no launch at all. Checking ProtonDB before you install tells you which specific Proton version other players recommend for that title — and saves hours of trial and error.

Method 1: Steam’s Built-In Shortcut (Best for .exe Files)

This is the fastest method for any Windows game you already have as a .exe file — DRM-free games from Itch.io, standalone purchases, or anything that doesn’t require a separate launcher. [1]

Step 1 — Switch to Desktop Mode: Press the Steam button → Power → Switch to Desktop. The Deck reboots into a KDE Plasma desktop interface.

Step 2 — Open Steam: Double-click the Steam icon in the taskbar to launch the full desktop version of Steam.

Step 3 — Add the game: Click the plus (+) icon at the bottom-left of the Steam window → Add a Non-Steam Game → Browse. Change the file type filter to “All Files” to see .exe files, then navigate to your game folder and select the .exe launcher.

Step 4 — Force Proton (critical for Windows games): This step is what most guides skip — and skipping it is the main reason Windows non-Steam games fail to launch or fail to detect controllers in Gaming Mode. In your Steam library, right-click the game → Properties → Compatibility → check “Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool” → select Proton Experimental from the dropdown, or whichever version ProtonDB recommends for your specific game.

Step 5 — Return to Gaming Mode: Double-click “Return to Gaming Mode” on the desktop. The game now appears in the Non-Steam tab of your library and launches directly from Gaming Mode.

Key tip: If the game uses a separate launcher .exe — many games handle authentication and patching through a launcher rather than the game.exe directly — add the launcher .exe, not the game.exe. Pointing directly to game.exe bypasses authentication and causes login errors on launch.

Method 2: Heroic Games Launcher (Epic, GOG, Amazon Prime Gaming)

Heroic is the most capable tool for accessing your Epic Games, GOG, and Amazon Prime Gaming libraries on Steam Deck. It handles authentication, game updates, Proton version management, and can automatically add every installed game to your Steam library so they’re accessible in Gaming Mode without extra steps. [2]

Step 1 — Install Heroic: In Desktop Mode, open the Discover app (the shopping bag icon in the taskbar) → search “Heroic Games Launcher” → Install. Heroic is available as a Flatpak — no terminal commands required.

Step 2 — Log in to your libraries: Open Heroic → click the store icon for Epic Games, GOG, or Amazon → sign in with your account credentials. You can connect all three stores. Your full library loads automatically.

Step 3 — Set the default Proton version: Before installing games, go to Settings → Game Defaults → under “Wine Version,” select Proton Experimental or the version recommended on ProtonDB for your most-played titles. This setting applies to all new installs going forward.

Step 4 — Enable auto-add to Steam: Still in Settings, enable “Add Games to Steam Automatically.” Heroic will inject a Steam shortcut for every game you install, so you never have to create one manually.

Step 5 — Install and launch: Browse your library → click a game → Install → choose internal storage or your SD card as the install location. Once installed, return to Gaming Mode — your game appears in the Non-Steam section, ready to launch.

Tip: When both Linux and Windows versions of a game are available (this happens with GOG titles), always install the Linux version. It runs natively on SteamOS without Proton, which improves performance and eliminates compatibility issues entirely.

Method 3: NonSteamLaunchers and EmuDeck

For launchers Heroic doesn’t cover — Battle.net (World of Warcraft, Overwatch 2, Diablo IV), EA App, and Ubisoft Connect — use NonSteamLaunchers [4]. In Desktop Mode, download the install script from the GitHub page, run it, and select which launchers you want. The script downloads each launcher, configures them under a shared Proton prefix, and adds them to your Steam library. All selected launchers then appear as entries in Gaming Mode.

The shared Proton prefix is a meaningful advantage: installing five launchers separately would create five independent wine prefix folders. NonSteamLaunchers consolidates them into one, keeping total disk usage manageable — important on the base 64GB model.

Retro games — EmuDeck: If your non-Steam library includes emulated titles — PS3, Wii U, SNES, Game Boy, arcade — EmuDeck (emudeck.com) is the standard solution. It installs and configures a full emulator collection and organizes everything into EmulationStation-DE, which integrates directly with Gaming Mode. EmuDeck doesn’t use Proton (emulators run natively on Linux), so the setup is distinct from the Windows-game methods above. Add it alongside whichever method you use for PC games.

Which Method Should You Use?

Troubleshooting

Controller not working in-game: The game is running but hasn’t registered Steam Input. Press the Steam button → Controller Configuration and verify a layout is applied. If none shows, edit the layout and assign a community template from the list.

Game won’t launch: Switch Proton versions. Right-click the game → Properties → Compatibility → try a different version. Proton GE (installed via ProtonUp-Qt, available in the Discover app) often fixes launch issues that stock Proton versions don’t. Check the game’s ProtonDB page for version-specific reports from other Deck users.

Black screen after launch: A black screen usually means the game started but the display resolution is wrong. Add launch options in Properties → Launch Options: -windowed -w 1280 -h 800 to force windowed mode on first launch. Once the game opens, adjust the resolution from within the game’s own settings.

Out of internal storage: In Heroic, set the install location to your SD card before downloading. For Steam shortcuts, the game folder can live anywhere on the SD card — the shortcut just needs the correct file path pointing to it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I play Fortnite on Steam Deck?

No. Fortnite uses kernel-level anti-cheat (Easy Anti-Cheat with kernel mode enabled) that is incompatible with Linux. Epic Games has not enabled EAC’s Linux-compatible mode for Fortnite, so it won’t run via Proton. This is an Epic decision — other games that use EAC in Linux-compatible mode run fine on Steam Deck.

Can I play Xbox Game Pass games on Steam Deck?

Not through the native Xbox app, which requires Windows. The practical workaround is Xbox Cloud Gaming through a browser — Chromium and Firefox are available in Desktop Mode and can be added as non-Steam shortcuts for Gaming Mode access. You’ll need a stable connection of around 20 Mbps or faster for smooth streaming. Some Game Pass titles are also sold separately on GOG or Epic with Linux support — worth checking before committing to cloud streaming.

Do non-Steam game saves survive OS updates?

Yes. Save files are stored in the Proton prefix folder or the game’s own save directory, separate from the game installation files. Updating SteamOS or reinstalling a game does not overwrite save data. Backing up saves to a USB drive or cloud storage before major OS updates is still a good habit — especially for games that don’t sync saves automatically.

Go Further with Your Steam Deck

With your full game library accessible in Gaming Mode, the next step is performance. Our guide to optimizing your PC for better FPS covers Proton version tuning, GPU memory allocation, and resolution scaling settings that apply across both Steam and non-Steam titles on the Deck.

Sources

[1] How to Add a Non-Steam Game on the Steam Deck — Pi My Life Up

[2] How to Install Non-Steam Games on Steam Deck with Heroic Games Launcher — Dad with a Deck

[3] ProtonDB — Community Proton compatibility reports (protondb.com)

[4] NonSteamLaunchers — GitHub/moraroy (github.com/moraroy/NonSteamLaunchers-On-Steam-Deck)

Michael R.

I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.