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How to Add Non-Steam Games to Steam Deck and Use Proton starts in Desktop Mode: you add a shortcut to software that is already installed, return to Gaming Mode, and then optionally choose a Proton compatibility tool for that library entry. The process does not download or acquire the game, prove that you own it, or guarantee that it will run.
Valve’s menu labels can change with SteamOS and Steam client updates, but the route remains conceptually the same. The official references are Steam Support’s Desktop FAQ, the Add Non-Steam Games to a Library instructions, and Valve’s Steam Deck software troubleshooting guide.
What adding a non-Steam game actually does
A non-Steam entry is a Steam library shortcut to an application that is already present on your Deck. Steam can show that shortcut in the non-Steam section, launch it from Gaming Mode, expose its controls and per-entry settings, and apply Steam Play compatibility tools when appropriate.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteIt is not an installation service. Adding an entry does not download the game, install a launcher, supply missing files, deliver updates, validate a license, or turn the software into a Steam purchase. Steam Support describes the result plainly: “This will only add a shortcut to your game in the Steam client.” The files, account, license and update mechanism remain the responsibility of the original game or application.
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What the shortcut can and cannot change
| Question | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Does it install the game? | No. Install the software first, using its own installer or distribution method. |
| Where does it appear? | In Steam’s non-Steam portion of the library after you add it. |
| Does it prove ownership? | No. A shortcut is not a license record or purchase receipt. |
| Will Steam update it? | Not through the normal Steam update channel. Use the game’s launcher or publisher’s update process. |
| Can it use Proton? | Often you can select a Proton tool for the entry, but successful launch and complete functionality are not guaranteed. |
| Will online play work? | That depends on the game, launcher, service and anti-cheat implementation; forcing Proton cannot guarantee access. |
Prepare the Deck before adding the entry
Do these checks before troubleshooting Steam’s library registration. They separate an installation problem from a shortcut or compatibility problem.
- Confirm that the game or application is installed and can be located in Desktop Mode.
- Have any required account credentials, launcher files, redistributables and game data ready. Steam does not provide them when you add a shortcut.
- Update SteamOS and restart if the Deck is behaving inconsistently. Valve’s troubleshooting guidance treats an up-to-date system and a restart as basic stability steps.
- Keep enough storage for the game, its launcher and any updates. The shortcut itself is small; the installed files are not.
- Decide whether you need physical peripherals. The Deck supplies trackpads and an on-screen keyboard in Desktop Mode, but Valve says some situations still require a physical keyboard and mouse.
Desktop Mode input options
Hold the Steam button and use the trackpad and triggers as mouse controls, or use the on-screen keyboard when a text field has focus. These controls are sufficient for many installers and settings screens. If a window has difficult focus behavior, needs sustained typing, or does not respond well to controller emulation, connect a keyboard and mouse temporarily. A compact keyboard-and-mouse set is optional, not a prerequisite.
Where application files should live
Valve’s Desktop FAQ recommends Flatpak for desktop applications installed to the writable portion of the drive and warns that software installed outside Flatpak may be removed by a future SteamOS system update. That warning concerns how the application itself is installed; it does not mean you must modify the read-only system image to add a Steam shortcut. Avoid random commands or scripts that alter the operating system just to register a library entry.
Step 1: Switch from Gaming Mode to Desktop Mode
- Open the Steam menu.
- Choose Power.
- Select Switch to Desktop.
The Deck closes or minimizes the Gaming Mode interface and loads the desktop. The exact wording may move slightly after a client update, so look for the Power option that switches to the desktop environment. Valve documents this route in its Desktop FAQ.
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Step 2: Add the installed program to Steam
- In Desktop Mode, open the Steam client.
- At the lower-left corner of the Steam window, choose Add a Game.
- Choose Add a Non-Steam Game.
- In the program list, select the installed application you want to expose in Steam.
- Choose Add Selected Programs (or the equivalent confirmation label shown by your client).
Steam then creates a library entry in the non-Steam section. The entry is a launcher shortcut; the original application remains installed where its installer placed it. Repeat the procedure for each separately launchable program you need, such as a game and a required launcher, rather than assuming one shortcut represents every component.
If the application is not in the list
Valve’s cited support FAQ explains the add-to-library flow but does not provide a universal method for locating every possible launcher executable. Do not treat a guessed file path as an official Deck instruction. First verify that the installation completed and that you are selecting the intended program rather than an uninstalled shortcut. Check the game or launcher’s own documentation for its Linux, desktop or executable entry point, then use Steam’s file-selection interface only when you understand which installed file is meant to start the application.
If a launcher creates several similarly named files, selecting the wrong one can produce a shortcut that appears correctly but does nothing. Keep the original installer or launcher available so you can test it directly in Desktop Mode before blaming Steam or Proton.
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- Save or close installers and other desktop applications.
- Use the desktop’s Return to Gaming Mode link.
- Wait for the Gaming Mode interface to reload.
- Open Library and browse the non-Steam section to find the new entry.
You can launch the shortcut immediately to test the installation without changing compatibility settings. If the program opens in Desktop Mode but not in Gaming Mode, compare the selected shortcut and its launch behavior before changing Proton versions.
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Step 4: Force Proton for a non-Steam entry
Proton is Steam Play’s compatibility layer for running many Windows applications on Linux. You select it per library entry; adding a shortcut does not automatically choose a version or make an incompatible game work.
- In Gaming Mode, highlight the non-Steam entry in your Library.
- Open the entry’s Properties.
- Open Compatibility.
- Enable Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool.
- Choose an installed Proton version from the list.
- Close Properties and launch the entry.
On some client builds, the same controls are easier to see in Desktop Mode: right-click the library entry, choose Properties, then open Compatibility. The setting is attached to that library shortcut, so changing Proton for one entry does not select it for every non-Steam program.
Which Proton version should you try?
No source establishes one universally best Proton release. Choose based on the behavior you need from this particular game:
- Launch reliability: Does the game or its launcher open consistently?
- Controls and menus: Do the controller layout, text input, video options and window behavior work?
- Stability: Does it remain playable after loading, changing levels or resuming from sleep?
- Performance: Is frame pacing and responsiveness acceptable at the settings you use?
- Online features: Do sign-in, matchmaking and anti-cheat permit the connection?
For a Steam application troubleshooting issue, Valve suggests trying the latest Proton version as a starting point. Apply that advice as an experiment, not a promise. If the latest version regresses a particular title, testing another installed version can identify a per-game compatibility difference, but there is no guarantee that any available version will solve a launcher, DRM or anti-cheat failure.
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Understand Deck Verified labels and Proton limits
Valve’s compatibility categories are useful context, but a non-Steam shortcut does not receive the same store ownership and testing path as a purchased Steam title. Valve identifies four Deck Verified categories:
| Category | Meaning for your decision |
|---|---|
| Verified | Valve’s criteria indicate the Steam version works well on Deck under its testing conditions. This is not a guarantee for a separately installed copy or launcher. |
| Playable | The title can work, but may require manual settings, an on-screen keyboard, a community layout or other adjustments. |
| Unsupported | Valve has identified a significant incompatibility under its criteria. A non-Steam shortcut and Proton override do not remove that limitation. |
| Unknown | Valve has not tested the title; the label is not a prediction that it will work or fail. |
Use these labels as signals for the corresponding Steam release, not as a certification of every installer, edition, mod set or online service. Proton translates Windows interfaces; it cannot supply a missing server permission, bypass a publisher’s account requirement, or guarantee that anti-cheat software supports the Deck’s environment.
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Change one thing at a time and record the result. This avoids confusing an installation failure with a Proton selection or a Gaming Mode shortcut issue.
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The game or launcher is not installed correctly
- Run the installer or launcher directly in Desktop Mode.
- Check that the expected game files and prerequisites completed installation.
- Sign in to the required account and accept any first-run agreements.
- If the installer itself fails, fix that installation before creating or editing the Steam shortcut.
The shortcut is missing from the library
- Return to Desktop Mode and repeat Add a Game > Add a Non-Steam Game.
- Confirm that you selected the program and completed the add confirmation.
- Search the non-Steam section rather than the store categories.
- Restart Steam if the client has not refreshed its library view.
The entry appears but does nothing
- Test the application from Desktop Mode to distinguish a bad shortcut from a Gaming Mode display issue.
- Reopen Properties and verify that the compatibility-tool override is enabled for this exact entry.
- Try the latest Proton version, as Valve recommends for Steam application troubleshooting, then retest.
- Check whether the selected shortcut starts a launcher that still needs the game executable chosen inside it.
The launcher opens but the game fails
- Confirm that the launcher and game files are installed in the same environment expected by the launcher.
- Try launching the game from inside the launcher before changing other settings.
- Test a different Proton version only after noting the original result.
- Look for a publisher requirement, DRM check or service dependency that Proton cannot provide.
Controls, keyboard or display behavior is wrong
- Open the per-game controller layout and assign the required buttons or trackpad behavior.
- Use the on-screen keyboard for login and text fields; connect physical peripherals if a window cannot be controlled reliably.
- Try launching in a window or changing resolution only if the application exposes those settings. Do not assume a display change will fix a failed installation.
Online play or anti-cheat blocks access
A successful local launch does not establish online compatibility. Anti-cheat, account services and server policies can reject a Proton session even when the game renders correctly. Check the publisher’s current requirements for the specific edition and service. Do not interpret a Proton override as permission to bypass those controls.
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Stability problems continue
Install available SteamOS and Steam client updates, restart the Deck, and retest with the same shortcut and Proton setting. Valve’s software troubleshooting guide also advises ensuring that non-Steam applications are supported by Arch Linux. If the application depends on a Windows-only component that is not supported, repeatedly changing the library shortcut will not repair that dependency.
Desktop Mode and SteamOS update precautions
The writable portion of the Deck is the safer place for desktop applications that Valve supports through Flatpak. Valve cautions that software installed outside Flatpak may be wiped by a future SteamOS update. Keep personal game data and installers in locations you can restore, and treat an operating-system update as a reason to verify the application installation again.
You do not need to disable read-only protections or alter the SteamOS system image for the basic workflow in this guide. Avoid commands or scripts copied from unverified posts, especially those that replace system files. If a game requires system-level changes beyond adding a shortcut, that is a separate maintenance decision with different recovery risks.
Removing or correcting a shortcut
Removing a non-Steam library entry removes the Steam shortcut, not necessarily the installed game files. If you added the wrong executable, open the entry’s management menu and remove it from the library, then add the intended program again from Desktop Mode. Before deleting any files manually, verify whether they are shared with a launcher or another game.
A practical decision checklist
- Need only Gaming Mode access? Install the application, add its shortcut in Desktop Mode, return to Gaming Mode and test it.
- Windows application on Linux? Open Properties > Compatibility and force a Proton tool for that entry.
- Not listed by Add a Non-Steam Game? Verify the installation and consult the application’s documentation; Valve does not publish one universal locator for every executable.
- Launcher works but game does not? Treat the game, launcher and Proton behavior as separate failure points.
- Online service fails? Check anti-cheat, DRM and account requirements; a local launch is not proof of online support.
- Desktop work is uncomfortable? Use the built-in trackpads and on-screen keyboard, then connect a physical keyboard and mouse when the application requires more precise input.
- Concerned about SteamOS updates? Prefer applications installed to the writable area through supported Flatpak distribution and keep restorable copies of installers and data.
Sources and changing labels
The menu names and compatibility behavior described here reflect Valve’s English-language support pages available on October 9, 2026. SteamOS, the Steam client and Proton continue to change, so a label may move while the underlying route remains: switch to Desktop Mode, add an installed program as a non-Steam shortcut, return to Gaming Mode, and set a compatibility tool per entry when needed.
For the authoritative wording and any updated controls, consult Valve’s Steam Deck and Steam Machine Desktop FAQ, Add Non-Steam Games to a Library, and Steam Deck – Software Info & Troubleshooting Guide.
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