How to Install Epic Games Launcher on Steam Deck
The Steam Deck has incredible specs for a handheld gaming console. Because it can install other launchers, it’s more like a handheld PC than a game console. Introducing a desktop mode was a popular choice that cast a positive light on Valve’s initial entry into the market.
Players appreciate that they are not tied to buying all of their games on Steam if they want to play them on deck. With a little know-how, players can get Epic Games, GOG, and Origin launchers running alongside Steam. This means that players who have collected all the free games offered by Epic Games can also play them on Steam Deck!
Methods to Install Epic Games on Steam Deck
There are a few methods to install the Epic Games Launcher on your Steam deck:
- Manual installation: This includes downloading the installer file, browsing through files, and carefully customizing the shortcut path.
- Heroic Launcher: The Heroic Launcher is a lightweight solution designed to simplify installing games onto your Steam Deck from any supported launcher.
- Lutris: Lutris is a heavyweight solution that requires a lot of setup. However, it is more comprehensive. It creates shortcuts in your Steam library where Heroic can’t (yet).
Heroic and Lutris are evolving rapidly, so their setup processes will change over time. In the interest of documenting a reliable, consistent solution, this article focuses on the Manual installation Method. This method should work the same way every time and can be used for GOG, Origin, and any other launcher players can get their hands on.
Download the Epic Games installer
To get started, players will need to download the installer file from the Epic Games website.
- On your Steam deck, hold the power button and select Switch to the desktop to switch to desktop mode.
- Open Firefox or any other browser you have installed.
- Navigate to the Epic Games download page.
- Beat Download the Epic Games Launcher. The file will be downloaded to your Downloads folder. It should be an MSI file.
Add Epic Games Launcher to your Steam Deck Library
Next, Steam needs to install the Epic Games Launcher. To do this, the installer must be added to the Steam library.
- Open Steam in desktop mode.
- Navigate to Games > Add a non-Steam game to my library….
- Beat search.
- change that file type field to “All files”.
- Use the look inside: Field for selecting the “/” directory.
- Navigate to /home/deck/Downloads/.
- Select the installation file and tap Open. The installer file should appear in the list of programs with a tick in its box. If not, check it out. Beat Add selected programs.
- Open the Library tab in Steam and locate the installer file. It is filed under Games. Right-click on it and select Characteristics. You can click the left trackpad to right-click.
- Go to the “Compatibility” tab and check the box “Force use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool”.
- Select the latest version of Proton. Then close the window.
- Beat To play.
- When the installer dialog box appears, tap To install. The installer will run. When it finishes, the Epic Games Launcher has been installed successfully.
Correct the target for the Epic Games Launcher shortcut
Now that the Epic Games Launcher has been successfully installed, Steam needs to know where the correct executable is located.
- In desktop mode, navigate to the Steam Library.
- Locate the Epic Games Launcher and right click on it. You can click the left trackpad to right-click.
- Choose Characteristics.
- On the Shortcut tab there are two fields that you need to customize: target and starts in. Beat Browse… to start.
- Use the look inside: Field above to navigate to the “/” directory.
- Navigate to “/home/deck/share/Steam/compatdata/”.
- Under “compatdata” there are as many numbered folders as there are games installed on the Steam deck. Open each of them and check it under “/pfx/drive c/Program Files (x86)/”. Locate the one that has a folder called “Epic Games”.
- Open the Epic Games folder and navigate to /Epic Games/Launcher/Portal/Binaries/Win32/.
- Select EpicGamesLauncher.exe and tap Open.
- That starts in field is filled with the appropriate path, and the target displays the path to the file itself. This window can now be closed and should never need to be changed again.
That’s it! To do this, use the shortcut on the desktop Return to game mode. The Epic Games Launcher appears under the Non-Steam Games tab in the Steam Library. Start it, log in and enjoy!
Source: PC gamers