The Epic Games Store is an excellent alternative to Steam. Along with Fortnite and other games not found on Steam, it also regularly offers fantastic free games. If you’re eager to play any of your Epic Store games on your shiny new Steam Deck, the good news is that the Epic Games launcher is pretty easy to install. Let’s take a look.
All you need is a hero
The simplest way to install games from the Epic store onto your Steam Deck is with an app called Heroic Games Launcher. This free program makes the process simple and offers support for GOG games too.
How do I install the Heroic Games Launcher?
Before you install Heroic, please be aware that any apps or games installed outside of the Steam store will appear in the Steam Deck’s internal storage. It’s currently not possible to install them on your microSD card or other external devices, so make sure you have enough free space.
To get started installing Heroic Games Launcher, you first need to go to the Steam Deck’s desktop mode. To do this:
- Press the STEAM button to open the side menu
- From the list that appears, select Power
- On the power menu, select Switch to Desktop
With the Steam Deck in Desktop mode, you now need to find and open the Discover app. The icon resembles a blue shopping bag and you can usually find it under Favorites when you open the start menu. If it’s not there, look in System instead.
Once opened, use the search box at the top-left of the app and type in Heroic Games Launcher. Make sure you spell it correctly, or it won’t show in the list of results. If you also find the keyboard doesn’t appear for any reason, simply hold down the Steam button and tap X.
When the list of results appears, choose Heroic Games Launcher and select Install.
After you’ve installed Heroic, it’s time to make sure you can access it in your Steam library when in Gaming mode. To do this, first open the Steam icon while still in Desktop mode. You should see the icon on the desktop. If it’s not there, open the start menu, select Games and you’ll find it in the right-hand list.
With Steam open, choose the Games tab from the small menu at the very top of the window. From the list that appears, select Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library…
An Add a game window will now appear. Look through the list for Heroic Games Launcher and, once found, tick the box next to it. Now select Add Selected Programs and the window will disappear. To finish this part, close the Steam app and go back to gaming mode by selecting the Return to Gaming Mode icon on the desktop.
Back in the game
Once you’re back in gaming mode, tap the Steam button and choose Library from the menu. Now choose Non Steam from the top list and select Heroic Games Launcher.
Hit Play and then sign into the Epic Game Store. You’ll now find your games listed under Library on the left-hand menu of Heroic, and you can install them as required.
A small word of warning
You won’t get the same level of information regarding Steam Deck compatibility when you install games from a different store than Steam. It’s therefore best to do some detective work and check for any issues before installing a game from the Epic Game Store. Okay, warning over: now enjoy your extra selection of games!
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