A game on Steam will work on the Steam Deck, of course. But it’s also a full PC, so you have the same options as you do on your PC. Always, you could add games from other sources like Steam to your library. The same is true for your Steam Deck. What about Epic? On the Steam Deck, how do you play Epic Games Store games?
The Epic Games Store could be set up on your Steam Deck even if you changed the operating system. But if you want to stay with Linux, things are different. Easy Anti Cheat software from Epic Games is now available for Linux. However, the company didn’t open up its games store to the platform.
So the Linux community steps up to the plate and does its best. It doesn’t matter if you have a lot of Epic games if you play them on Linux and the Steam Deck. It’s not even that hard to get them on the Steam Deck. Here are the things you need to know.
How to get the Epic Games Store on Steam Deck
No, the official Epic Games Store client doesn’t have a Linux client that works right out of the box. Use WINE on Linux to run it. There’s a better way. To play Epic Games games on the Steam Deck, we will use a tool called the Heroic Games Launcher. This tool is free and open source.
Heroic Games Launcher
On Linux, it acts as a native client for Epic Games. You have full access to your library with this client. Go to Github to learn more about how the project works. Fortunately, it’s very simple to set up on the Steam Deck. A keyboard and mouse connected to your Steam Deck is best for this, but you can still do it without them if that’s what you want to do.
- Press the Steam button on the Deck.
- Go down to Power and select Desktop Mode.
- Once in Desktop Mode, click on the Discover icon on the toolbar (or find it in the all apps menu if you removed it).
- Search for “Heroic Games Launcher.”
- Hit Install.
As a Flatpak package, Heroic Games Launcher can be used on the Steam Deck. This is why it is so easy to use! Everything you need to make it work is in this single package. It will be installed and ready to use in a short time. If you want the most up-to-date version, you can choose the beta from the sources dropdown menu in the top right-hand corner to switch to the beta.
As long as you’re in Desktop Mode, it is a good idea to get the Heroic Games Launcher up and running. To sign in to Epic Games, there are two ways. Log in through the client or a web browser and paste the code that the launcher will need to connect your account. You can also use OAuth to log in. If you don’t want the developer to know anything about you, don’t.
How to add Heroic Games Launcher to Steam
Everything should now be operating properly, however, you don’t want to be stuck in Desktop Mode all of the time to reach the Launcher. So, in order for Heroic Games Launcher to work in Gaming Mode, we need to enable it using Steam. Before leaving the desktop, follow these steps.
- Open the Steam desktop client.
- Click Games in the toolbar.
- Choose the option to Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library.
- Check the box next to Heroic Games Launcher.
- Click Add Selected Programs.
- Now, close Steam and go back to the desktop.
- Double-click/tap on the Return to Gaming Mode icon, and the Steam Deck will reboot back into the handheld-friendly UI.
Heroic Games Launcher is now available in your library under the non-Steam tab. Simply open it, press Play, and the app will launch in full-screen mode. You can choose the games you want to install or play. It’s worth mentioning, however, that you’ll almost certainly have to set up the controls yourself or rely on one of the community’s contributions. Although the Heroic Games Launcher accepts controller input, the Steam Deck controller is not supported natively at this time. Read more; Grand Theft Auto 6: Everything You Need to Know.
How to install titles from Epic Games on Steam Deck
With the Heroic Games Launcher, you can install games on your Steam Deck in the same way as with any other store or launcher. When your account is linked, your whole library can be installed. The caveats still apply, though. There is almost always a good chance that online multiplayer games won’t work if they have anti-cheat. Because even though Epic allows Linux to run EAC, it hasn’t been turned on.
That’s another thing that you don’t have. It doesn’t work the same way when you run games from outside of Steam because Valve tests them for performance on Steam Deck. In this case, there is a lot more guesswork. Nonetheless, resources like ProtonDB might be worth a look. If a Steam version of a game works, there’s a good chance you can get the same game to work on Epic.
You can also change Proton versions with Heroic Games Launcher and use the WineGE custom versions. This might help you get something to work. Keep an eye on the WineGE Github repo for news about games that it adds support for. Read also; Call of Duty Warzone Pacific: Season 2 Reloaded.
Epic Games still gives away two free games each week, so this is a good idea. As soon as you finish setting up, the rest isn’t as easy as Steam. The Heroic Games Launcher will keep getting better, so the experience will only get better as time goes on.
It comes from Lutris, a Linux game launcher that is well-known. It, too, can be found on the Epic Games Store. A Steam Deck-friendly version is still in beta, but it should be out soon. Then, when it’s ready, we’ll have a lot of choices. Lutris can do more than Epic Games can.
