How many of you install games outside Steam on your Decks? Do you find the process easy?
I’m a hobbyist game developer myself, and I’m looking into making games especially designed for the Steam Deck. However, for freeware games, the $100 price per title on the Steam store is a bit too steep. I wish there was an easy-to-use alternative store on the Deck, but since that’s not the case, I’m wondering if it would make any sense to develop games for the Deck and publish them, for example, on Itch.io.
(As a proof of concept, I created this step-by-step guide for a hacky Steam Deck version of my old game, Soccer Physics. I think it still applies, even though it’s a year-old build/guide: https://www.ottoojala.com/soccerphysicssteamdeck/ )
I’ll play whatever game is good, from whatever platform has the best price, provided it’s compatible.
Beyond All Reason is FOSS, published on flatpak, and works great on the deck! (W/ keyboard, mouse, and monitor)
I only play games on Steam, GoG, or free games from Epic.
GoG and Epic are very easy to install with Heroic Games Launcher.
The only non-steam game I play is league 😭
riot could run on the steamdeck any time they please. they choose no.
I got WoW and D4 to work great through battle.net.
I mainly use mine for emulation. So technically yes, but you’ll need to provide a way to download and install it easily
No. I’m technical enough to figure out how, but way too lazy to bother.
Yes, though it’s increasingly rare because most game developers would rather just integrate with Steam than setup their own account and payment systems … and I can hardly blame them.
A prime example is Andrew Gower’s new game. The dude started Jagex and RuneScape he surely could make a new account system, billing system, etc for Brighter Shores … he has all the experience necessary at a scale few developers have the experience with. He’s just opting not to and it’s surely because Steam’s offering in terms of game promotion and ease of access is unparalleled.
I’ve installed games from itch.io, and it’s about as easy as on windows.
I use regularly Lutris, Bottles, ScummVM, Dosbox-X or EmulationStation. So I can play from GOG, Epic, Itch.Io or plain old games (Dos) / emulated.
I do have many titles on Steam as well and generally I don’t look too much at whether something is verified or platinum on ProtonDB, I just avoid titles from companies like Activision, EA, Ubisoft and generally all works very easily or easy enough!
Not a SD user, but a desktop gamer who found your post. I wouldn’t be surprised to see people on the fediverse say they often play games outside of Steam.
The non-techy people I know treat the thing like a console and refuse to use desktop mode for games. That’s the catch of the Steam Deck. It runs Linux underneath, but most people never (want to) interact with it. I love it for what it does for Linux gaming but there’s more to PC gaming than just Steam - Although I’m aware that Steam probably underprices these with hopes to recoup the loss back on Steam purchases.
(Also your method isn’t really hacky, that’s just kind of how binary executables work in Linux, plus the steps to add it to Steam)
Yes, the store works so well that I’d guess not too many people bother with the desktop mode. It also works really well for developers, as @Dark_Arc@social.packetloss.gg mentioned, with installing non-Steam games still not too hard for those who really want to, like @Edge004@lemm.ee, so I guess there’s really no need for any change.
I’ll probably just end up developing for devices with gamepads in general. The idea of making a game specifically for the Deck is intriguing, like maybe a shared-controller local multiplayer game, but I guess it’s better not to lock the designs too much to the Deck’s features, especially since there isn’t really a platform to showcase those kinds of games.
I emulate a lot of old games on my Steam Deck. It’s not too hard, but requires some work. I will do the work for non-Steam stores if/when there is something I want to play from one. However, I suspect not releasing your games on Steam will really limit your reach. My guess is that most people won’t go through the effort to get itch.io games work on thier Deck.
Yep. Most are via Epic, GOG, and Amazon Games, but I’d install an itch.io game, if there was one I wanted to play.
If you’re trying to save money, instead of using it as a way to build reputation, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal to choose a cheaper option. And if you find that it becomes popular, you can maybe consider Steam later on.
A few from Itch, Parallel Launcher from Flatpak for SM64 hacks
I bought a 2GB USB-C SSD and did a full Windows install so I can boot whatever and run whatever.
2GB?
Sorry, 2TB.
No worries, figured as much.
What do you mean?
Are you saying I can plug in a SSD, plug in a Windows Installer USB, install the windows (with full drivers support), then choose to boot from said SSD to have a portable, fully functional Windows machine?
What if windows messed up the SteamOS partition?
Windows doesn’t even see the Steam drive, it entirely runs from the SSD.
I used one of these:
https://shop.kingston.com/products/xs2000-external-ssd?variant=40686324875456
Install process:
Following the instructions here:
https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-install-windows-steam-deck/
I downloaded a Windows 11 .iso image from Microsoft:
https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11
A disk imaging tool called “Rufus”:
And the Windows Steam Deck Drivers:
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/6121-ECCD-D643-BAA8
I did this all on a PC to prep the Kingston drive, installing to it instead of a MicroSD card.
Booting on the Steam Deck then works flawlessly. Hold down volume, tap power, wait for the beep, the boot menu appears, boot from the Kingston drive.
Windows boots in portrait mode, which is fine, that’s to be expected. You can corect it when finished.
Like any good Windows installation, it requires a few re-boots. Booting from USB though and re-starting is NOT a hard shutdown though and holding the Volume Down key through the re-boot will NOT bring you back to the boot menu. :(
So each re-start you go back to Steam OS, shut down, hold Volume Down and tap power until you hear the beep. Re-pick your Kingston drive and go back to windows.
Side note - Bumping the triggers in the boot menu will automatically boot Steam. I may have done that a few times. :)
Once your setup is done, you have a desktop and can re-set it to Landscape mode.
The one problem I had is pressing the Steam Deck button + X does NOT bring up the virtual keyboard in Windows, nor would I expect it to. Windows doesn’t know what a Steam button is.
Using the touch screen, tap and hold the task bar until you see the “Taskbar Options”, go into there and turn on the slider for “Always Show Virtual Keyboard”.
That puts a keyboard icon on the task bar so you can always access it.
I had to go into the Windows store and buy a Windows 11 license, it required me to authenticate and I couldn’t do it without a keyboard.
