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To add a game or desktop application installed outside Steam, switch the Deck to Desktop Mode, open the Steam client, and use Add a Game → Add a Non-Steam Game. Steam creates a library shortcut; after you return to Gaming Mode, the entry appears in the library’s non-Steam section and can be launched like a shortcut.
This process does not grant Steam Store ownership, provide Steam-managed updates, or guarantee that the application is compatible with SteamOS. It only puts an installed application behind a Steam library entry.
What adding a non-Steam game actually does
The Steam client can act as a central launcher for applications installed elsewhere. When you add one through the non-Steam-game flow, Steam records a shortcut to that application and displays it in the Deck interface. Steam Support describes the limitation precisely: “This will only add a shortcut to your game in the Steam client.”
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| What you get | What you do not get |
|---|---|
| A library entry in Steam’s non-Steam section | A Steam Store entitlement or proof that the account owns the game |
| A way to launch the installed application from Gaming Mode | Steam-delivered updates for the application |
| A shortcut managed from the Steam client | A guarantee that the game, launcher, online service, or other application will run correctly |
The application remains subject to its own installer, launcher, account requirements, update system, and Linux compatibility. Adding a shortcut improves access; it is not a compatibility repair.
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Think of the shortcut as a doorway to software that is already present, not as a second installation. Steam’s add flow does not download the title from the Steam Store, turn it into a Steam purchase, or take over its maintenance. If the application has a separate account, launcher, or update process, those requirements still apply when you start it from the library.
This also explains why seeing an entry in Gaming Mode is not proof that the underlying software is ready to run. There are two separate questions: did Steam add the shortcut, and can the application itself run on the Deck? The first is what this procedure accomplishes. Compatibility, sign-in, online-service access, and stability are application-specific.
What you need before starting
- A Steam Deck with the application already installed in Desktop Mode or otherwise available to the desktop Steam client.
- Access to the Steam client while the Deck is in Desktop Mode.
- The application’s own sign-in information or launcher, if it requires one.
- A way to point and enter text. The Deck trackpad can act as a mouse, and Steam + X opens the on-screen keyboard while Steam is running. A physical keyboard and mouse are optional conveniences, not stated requirements for adding a shortcut.
Desktop Mode is a Linux desktop that remains part of SteamOS. Steam advises checking that third-party software supports Arch Linux before relying on it. A Windows-only installer or service may therefore need its own compatibility solution, and the shortcut procedure does not supply one.
You do not need to buy a keyboard, mouse, dock, launcher, or paid service simply to use Steam’s built-in add-shortcut flow. If you already have a keyboard and mouse, they can make desktop navigation or long text entry more comfortable. Otherwise, the Deck’s trackpad and on-screen keyboard provide built-in controls for the task. Choose based on convenience, not because the shortcut feature requires an accessory.
Step-by-step: add the installed application in Desktop Mode
1. Switch from Gaming Mode to Desktop Mode
- Open the Steam menu on the Deck.
- Choose Power.
- Select Switch to Desktop.
The Deck leaves the console-style interface and loads its Linux desktop. Wait until the desktop and its applications are visible before opening Steam. This is the desktop workflow Steam documents for adding an application that was installed outside the Steam library.
2. Open the Steam client
Launch Steam from the Desktop Mode environment. This is the same Steam account and client used by Gaming Mode, but the desktop layout exposes the controls needed to add an external application. If Steam is already open on the desktop, use that client rather than looking for the add control in Gaming Mode.
3. Open the non-Steam-game picker
- In the lower-left corner of the Steam client, click Add a Game.
- Choose Add a Non-Steam Game.
- Review the list of applications presented by Steam.
- Select the installed application you want to add.
Steam’s Desktop FAQ gives the same route: on the desktop, click the “add a game” button in the lower left, choose “add a Non-Steam game,” and find the application installed on the Deck. Select the correct entry rather than a similarly named helper, installer, or unneeded component.
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Take a moment to identify the actual installed application in the list. The goal is to create a shortcut to the program you intend to open, not to add an installer or another component just because its name looks related. If you are unsure which listed item is the application, do not assume that adding every similarly named item will improve compatibility; the flow only creates shortcuts.
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4. Confirm that Steam added the shortcut
After the selection is confirmed, Steam adds the application to the client as a non-Steam entry. At this point the application has not been converted into a Steam game and has not been enrolled in Steam’s update or ownership systems. The useful result is the shortcut itself.
If your aim was to make the installed application reachable from the Deck’s library, this is the key result to check. It is separate from testing whether the software starts correctly. A successful add operation can coexist with a launch failure if the application or one of its services is not supported in the environment.
5. Return to Gaming Mode
- Use the desktop’s Return to Gaming Mode link.
- Allow the Deck to switch back to the standard Steam Deck interface.
Returning this way takes you back to the console-style library without changing the application’s installation. It is the documented desktop-to-Gaming-Mode route after you have added the non-Steam entry.
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- Open the library in Gaming Mode.
- Go to the library’s non-Steam tab or section.
- Select the shortcut you added.
- Choose the launch command.
If the application is compatible with the Deck environment, it should start through the shortcut. If it does not, use the troubleshooting branches below; adding it again repeatedly will not by itself resolve a compatibility or runtime problem.
When testing, notice which part of the process fails. An entry missing from the library points to the add or navigation step. An entry that is present but does not start points toward the application, its launcher, or its environment. An application that starts and then becomes unstable is a different problem again. Keeping those outcomes distinct helps you avoid repeating the shortcut procedure when the underlying issue is elsewhere.
Trackpad, on-screen keyboard, or physical peripherals?
You can complete the supported procedure without buying an accessory. The Deck trackpad functions as a mouse in Desktop Mode, and Steam documents Steam + X as the shortcut for opening the on-screen keyboard while Steam is running.
| Navigation method | Best use | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Deck trackpad and buttons | Occasional pointer movement and clicking | Slower for long desktop sessions or precise selections |
| On-screen keyboard | Short names, search fields, and account prompts | Less comfortable for substantial text entry |
| Physical keyboard and mouse | Frequent desktop navigation, long passwords, or extensive text entry | Requires peripherals and is not necessary for the add-shortcut operation |
Steam notes that some situations may still call for a physical keyboard and mouse. Treat those devices as an ergonomics choice rather than a prerequisite for the feature. If you only need to click through the add flow and select an installed application, start with the controls already built into the Deck. If entering a long password or navigating the desktop is uncomfortable, peripherals are an optional convenience.
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Why the shortcut may not behave like a Steam game
Steam does not update the application
The add operation creates a shortcut only. Updates continue to come from the application’s installer, launcher, developer, or service. If the program has an update problem, troubleshoot that program’s own update path rather than expecting Steam to download a Steam version.
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Adding the same entry again is not an update method. The shortcut gives Steam a way to open the program; it does not make Steam the publisher or updater for software installed elsewhere. Check the application’s own update mechanism when it needs maintenance.
The shortcut does not establish ownership
A non-Steam entry is not a purchase record, license record, or Steam Store entitlement. It does not prove that the Steam account owns the title. Any account check remains with the software’s own publisher or launcher.
This matters if a game asks you to sign in or verify access after launching. The shortcut does not bypass those checks, and Steam’s library listing does not replace the account or license requirements imposed by the application’s publisher.
Steam Deck compatibility is not automatic
Steam’s Deck Verified guide describes Verified games as working by default and Playable games as potentially requiring manual configuration. Those labels are context for games listed through Steam; they do not certify every non-Steam application, launcher, or online service you add manually.
Steam also advises checking whether third-party software supports Arch Linux. A shortcut can be present even when the application does not support the Deck’s operating environment. Do not treat the add procedure as a workaround for unsupported software or as a guarantee about an online service.
There is no compatibility percentage or success rate that can be applied to every non-Steam application on the basis of this shortcut feature. The result depends on the specific program and its requirements. For a particular failure, the application’s own support information is more relevant than the presence of a library shortcut.
Troubleshooting the add process
The application is not in the selection list
- Confirm that you are in Desktop Mode, not Gaming Mode. The documented add path is exposed through the desktop Steam client.
- Verify that the application is installed and available to the desktop environment before opening Add a Game → Add a Non-Steam Game.
- Close and reopen Steam, then check the list again. Restarting is also part of Steam’s general advice for unstable third-party software.
- Check the application’s Linux and Arch Linux support. If the software does not support the environment, making it appear in a list would not make it usable.
Keep the diagnosis narrow: first check that you are using the documented client and that the installed application is available to it. If the app is listed, select the relevant entry and test the shortcut. If it is not listed, reopening Steam is a reasonable next check, but it does not change the app’s compatibility or install status.
The entry appears, but launching does nothing
First distinguish a shortcut problem from an application problem. The shortcut can exist while the underlying program, launcher, account service, or compatibility layer fails. Exit or disable other third-party applications, restart the Deck or Steam client, and try again. Steam recommends contacting the application’s support team if the problem continues.
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Do not describe the shortcut as a fix for a blocked launcher, unsupported operating system, missing dependency, or online-service restriction. The documented feature only changes how Steam exposes the installed program.
The application opens and then becomes unstable
Use the same isolation sequence Steam recommends for third-party application instability:
- Exit other third-party applications that may be running.
- Disable those applications temporarily if closing them is insufficient.
- Restart Steam or the Deck.
- Test the non-Steam shortcut again.
- Contact the application’s support channel if instability persists.
Record the point of failure—before the launcher opens, during sign-in, or after the game starts—when contacting support. That information belongs to the application’s support process, because Steam’s shortcut feature does not diagnose the underlying software. Be clear about whether the entry is missing, the launch does nothing, or the app opens and then fails; those are different symptoms.
The program needs text input in Desktop Mode
Use the trackpad to focus the relevant field and press Steam + X to open the on-screen keyboard while Steam is running. For long passwords, repeated desktop work, or awkward pointer movement, connect a physical keyboard and mouse. Neither option changes the shortcut’s status or adds compatibility.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Launching different kinds of non-Steam software
A conventional game
Add the installed game’s application entry, return to Gaming Mode, and launch it from the non-Steam library section. The game’s own update and sign-in mechanisms remain in control. The library shortcut is useful for access, but the game still has to support the Deck’s software environment.
A separate game launcher
You may add the launcher as the non-Steam shortcut when that is the installed application you need to open. The launcher’s ability to install or start another game is separate from Steam’s ability to display the shortcut. If the launcher or its online service is unsupported on the Deck, the shortcut will not change that condition.
In other words, getting a launcher into the library answers only how to open that launcher from Gaming Mode. It does not certify every game that launcher offers, provide updates for those games through Steam, or resolve account and service requirements. Consider the launcher and the game it starts as separate parts of the experience.
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A desktop application
The same Desktop Mode workflow applies to a desktop program. Steam’s FAQ specifically frames the feature as running applications installed on the desktop in Gaming Mode. Treat the resulting entry as a convenient launch point, not as a conversion of the desktop program into a Steam-native title.
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A practical pre-launch checklist
- Have you switched through Power → Switch to Desktop?
- Did you open the Steam client in Desktop Mode?
- Did you use Add a Game → Add a Non-Steam Game?
- Did you select the installed application rather than an installer or similarly named component?
- Did the entry appear in the non-Steam section after returning to Gaming Mode?
- Does the application support the Deck’s Arch Linux environment?
- Are you expecting the application’s own launcher or updater to handle updates and account checks?
- If it fails, have you exited or disabled other third-party applications and restarted before contacting the application’s support team?
This checklist separates setup from expectations. The first five checks confirm that you followed the shortcut path and can find its result. The compatibility and update checks address what happens after that. A correct shortcut is useful, but it does not answer whether a particular game or service is supported.
Can I run apps I install on the desktop in Gaming Mode?
Yes, when the application can run in the Deck’s software environment. Steam’s documented method is to add the installed application from the desktop Steam client, return to Gaming Mode, and launch the resulting non-Steam library shortcut. The method makes the application accessible from Gaming Mode; it does not guarantee that every application will launch or operate correctly.
Final takeaway
Use Desktop Mode for the one-time setup: Power → Switch to Desktop, open Steam, choose Add a Game → Add a Non-Steam Game, select the installed application, and return with Return to Gaming Mode. Launch the new entry from the library’s non-Steam section. Remember that Steam is providing a shortcut only; the application’s compatibility, updates, ownership checks, and support remain outside that shortcut.
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Can I run apps I install on the desktop in Gaming Mode?
Yes, if the application can run in the Deck’s software environment. In Desktop Mode, use the Steam client’s Add a Game → Add a Non-Steam Game option, then return to Gaming Mode and launch the shortcut from the non-Steam library section.
Does adding a non-Steam game make Steam update it?
No. Steam adds a shortcut to the installed application. Updates continue through the application’s own installer, launcher, developer, or service.
Does a non-Steam library entry prove I own the game on Steam?
No. The entry is not a Steam Store entitlement or proof of ownership. Any license or account check remains with the application’s publisher or launcher.
Do I need a physical keyboard and mouse?
No. The Deck trackpad can act as a mouse, and Steam + X opens the on-screen keyboard while Steam is running. A physical keyboard and mouse are optional conveniences for navigation or longer text entry.
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No. Adding the shortcut does not guarantee compatibility. Steam advises checking whether third-party software supports Arch Linux, and Deck Verified or Playable ratings do not certify every manually added application or service.
What should I try if a non-Steam app launches unreliably?
Exit or disable other third-party applications, restart Steam or the Deck, and test again. If the issue persists, contact the application’s support team; the shortcut itself does not diagnose the underlying software.
The Bottom Line
In Desktop Mode, use Add a Game → Add a Non-Steam Game, select the installed application, and return to Gaming Mode to launch it from the non-Steam library section. The result is a shortcut—not Steam ownership, Steam-managed updates, or a compatibility guarantee.
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