Epic Games Launcher on the Steam Deck.

How to install and play games from the Epic Games Store on Steam Deck

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In addition to Steam, you can also install the Epic Games Store and play games from there on the Valve Steam Deck. Here’s how to do it.

Steam Deck is, of course, a mobile console designed to play games from Steam. But it’s a full PC, so you have the same options as you do on your PC. Steam has always been able to add games from other sources to your library, and the same applies to Steam Deck. But what about Epic? How do you play Epic Games Store titles on Steam Deck?

If for some reason you flashed Windows on your Steam Deck, installing the Epic Games Store is not a problem at all. But it’s a different story if you want to keep SteamOS. Although Epic Games supports Linux with its Easy Anti Cheat software, the company stopped bringing its game store to the platform.

This is where the Linux community steps up to the plate. Windows-based games can run smoothly on Linux and Steam Deck, and it’s no different if you have a library of Epic titles. It’s not that hard though to get them on the Steam Deck. Here’s what you need to know.

Using the Heroic Game Launcher

Although you can install the Epic Games Launcher, I recommend using the third-party Heroic Games Launcher, which is basically a custom version of the Epic Games Store that runs natively on Linux. Fortunately, it’s easy to install on Steam Deck. For this reason, it’s best to have a keyboard and mouse connected to your Steam Deck, but you can get by without them.

  1. Click the Steam button on the Dock.
  2. Go to Power and select Desktop Mode.
  3. When you’re in Desktop Mode, click the Discover icon on the toolbar (or find it in the full menu if you’ve uninstalled it).
  4. Search Heroic Game Launcher.
  5. Click Apply.
  6. Launch the Heroic Games Launcher and log in with your Epic Games account.
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How to add Heroic Game Launchers to Steam

Everything should work fine, but you don’t want to be in a situation where you have to come to Desktop Mode every time to access the Launcher. So we need to enable Heroic Game Launcher via Steam to work in Gameplay. Before leaving the desktop, do the following:

  1. Open the Steam desktop client.
  2. Click Games on the toolbar.
  3. Select the option to Add Non-Steam Games to My Library.
  4. Check the box next to Heroic Games Launcher.
  5. Click Add Selected Programs.
  6. Now, close Steam and go back to the desktop.
  7. Double-click/hold on the Return to Game Console icon and Steam Deck will restart in the user-friendly UI.

You will now find the Game Launcher in your library on the non-Steam section. Just open it, hit Play and the app will open full screen. From here you can choose your game to install or play as you wish. You won’t have to worry about installing any version of Heroic Games Launcher, it supports Deck control right out of the box.

Using Proton to emulate the Epic Games Store

The official Epic Games Store client doesn’t have a Linux client, so this is difficult to get started. However, as you know, you can run non-native Linux games on Linux using a tool called Proton, and the good thing is that Proton is not just a game. Here’s how we’re going to get the real Epic Games Store on Steam, based on its example. Be forewarned, this is a long and tedious process, and it will require some knowledge.

  1. Click the Steam button on the Dock.
  2. Go to Power and select Desktop Mode.
  3. Once you get to Desktop Mode, go to store.epicgames.com and download the Epic Games Launcher.
  4. Next, open Steam and click Add Games in the top left corner, then click Add Steam Games, and click Browse.
  5. Go to the Downloads folder and change the file type to All Files, and you should see the Epic Games Launcher installer.
  6. Click the Epic Games Launcher installer, select Open, then click Add Selected Applications.
  7. Find the Epic Games Launcher installer in your library and right-click on the background panel, then click Properties.
  8. Go to the Compatibility tab and check the box that says Enable the use of another Steam Play device.
  9. Click Play on the Epic Games Launcher in your Steam library and when the installer pops up, click Install.
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At this point, Epic Games Launcher is technically installed, but you may have problems finding the app and opening it. Next, you need to install Steam to install Epic Games Launcher.

  1. Open the file manager, go to Home, click the hamburger drop-down menu on the top right, and click Show Hidden Files.
  2. Go to /.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata.
  3. Sort by Updated and Newest First in the hamburger menu, go to the folder labeled Most New.
  4. Go to /pfx/drive_c/Program Files (x86)/Epic Games/Launcher/Portal/Binaries/Win32/.
  5. Right-click EpicGamesLauncher.exe and select Copy Location.
  6. Drag the installer into your Steam library, right-click it in the sidebar, and click Properties.
  7. In the Shortcut tab, you need to change the text in the Target and Start In text boxes.
  8. For Target, paste the content you copied into column 5, making sure it’s surrounded by quotes, one at the beginning and one at the end.
  9. For Start In, paste the content you copied in step 5 but this time remove EpicGamesLauncher.exe from the end so it ends with /Win32/ instead. Make sure the words are surrounded by quotation marks.
  10. (Optional) You can also rename the generic installer to Epic Games Launcher and add the Epic Games icon if you want by downloading it from the web and clicking the box to install.
  11. Return to Game Mode.
  12. Click Play on the Epic Games Launcher in your library. It must be established and it must be changed.
  13. To get the right controls for running the Epic Games Launcher, click on the Steam button and go to the control settings.
  14. Then change your template to Web Browser control scheme.
  15. Log in to your account, and enjoy Epic Games Launcher as much as possible after this tedious setup.
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How to install titles from Epic Games on Steam Deck

Installing games on Steam Deck with Epic Games Launcher or Heroic Games Launcher is no different from any other store or launcher. When you sign in, your entire library will be available for installation. The usual caveats apply, however. Most of the time, online titles will not work if they have an anti-beat. And don’t worry about Fortnite, even though Epic supports Linux and EAC, it’s not possible.

What you also miss is any kind of information. Valve tests the game on Steam to work on the Steam Deck, it doesn’t work when you run it from somewhere else. So it’s a lot of trial and error. However, tools like ProtonDB are worth checking out because if the Steam version is working there’s a good chance you’ll be able to access the same games through Epic.

Heroic Games Launcher also allows you to change Proton modes and use WineGE modes which will help you to perform better. Keep tabs on the WineGE Github repo for game updates that add support.

Considering Epic Games is still offering two free games this week it’s a useful way to get more games on your Steam Deck. It’s nowhere near Steam, but once the initial setup is done, the rest is pretty easy. Heroic Games Launcher will continue to improve so the experience will be better.

Steam Deck

Valve’s first portable PC, Steam Deck, is one of the coolest games on the market, with a huge library of games to play and the ability to take them on the go.

$400 on Steam

Categories: Reviews
Source: thptvinhthang.edu.vn