How to Install Non-Steam Games on Steam Deck with Lutris

A common question I keep hearing in different gaming communities is: how do you install games on the Steam Deck that aren’t on Steam or aren’t in my Steam library? There are a few different ways to install and play non-Steam games. This guide is the first in a series exploring the best options.

I’ll kick off with Lutris. Lutris is a flexible and user-friendly tool that makes installing third-party games pretty quick and easy. It’s one of my favourites due to its ease of use.

Install non-Steam games on Steam Deck with Lutris Guide

Disclaimer: If you don’t have Lutris installed, install it from the Discover store in desktop mode. If you have a game which requires you to mount an ISO, there are a few options in Discover. I use one called ‘Mount Unmount ISO’, which is pretty basic but gets the job done. You will also need ProtonUp-Qt and to download some versions of Proton. Some will work better than others and I typically stick to the GE-Proton versions.

Below is a very basic guide, some games will require extra steps but this is the general base for installing a game with Lutris.

Anyway, let’s get to it…

1. Swap into Desktop Mode on your Steam Deck
2. Open Lutris and click the ‘+’ icon in the top-left corner of the app
3. Select ‘Install a Windows game from an executable’
4. Give your game a name, select your installer preset and click install. The preset essentially acts as your Windows version, you can usually keep this as the default option
5. On the next screen, click Install again
6. Next, choose your installation folder and click Continue.
   I have mine set to: /home/deck/Games/[Your Game]
7. Click the ‘…’ button next to ‘select the setup file’ and navigate to your game’s installer exe file and click Install
8. Lutris will create some basic WINE dependencies, then your installer will launch. Run through until installed and close the Lutris window once finished
9. The installed game will now show up in Lutris in the ‘Games’ section under the ‘Library’ sidebar.
10. Before launching, right-click on your newly installed game, click ‘configure’, navigate to Game options and ensure the correct Executable is listed here. If not, use the ‘…’ button to navigate to the correct exe and select ‘Save’
11. Finally, right-click your game and select ‘Create Steam shortcut’
12. Head back to Game mode and launch your game. If you can’t locate it, you’ll need to head into the ‘Non-Steam’ section of your library.

---

Further Notes:
With third-party game method, make sure you check ProtonDB for any specific Proton versions or extra install steps for the game you’re trying to play.

Set Proton Version:

Before launching, you may need to set a Proton version.
To do this:
– Select your game and head to settings or the ‘gear‘ icon.
– Select the ‘Compatibility‘ tab
– Tick ‘Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool‘
– Select your preferred Proton version.

Game Controls:

Some games will detect the Steam Deck controller automatically, others won’t. 
If your controls aren’t working:
– Launch the game and press the ‘Steam’ Button on your Steam Deck
– Select ‘Controller Settings’ 
Here, you can set your controls to whatever you like. The combinations are endless.

Other Lutris Tools & Settings:

– Step 3 in the above guide has an option for ‘Search the Lutris Website for installers‘ which has community-made installers that can do the heavy lifting for you.

– You can add GOG, Epic, EA, Ubisoft and Steam accounts to ‘Sources’ in the sidebar. You will need to login with your chosen account, provided you’re comfortable logging in via a third-party tool. I’ve only tested GOG so far, but you can simply right-click your game and install it once added and it works similar to the above guide.

– There are additional applications you can run through Lutris, such as x86Box, to use as a ‘runner‘ to launch your application. These do require additional setup. I haven’t yet ventured into those, I will either update this guide or write a new one if I do.