Adding Non-Steam Games to Your Steam Deck Using Heroic Games Launcher

Sure thing, let’s dive right in:

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So, there’s this thing called the Steam Deck, right? Valve dropped it like it’s hot, and suddenly everyone was talking about handheld gaming PCs. And then—bam!—a bunch of other handhelds popped up, kind of stealing its thunder. But let’s be real, the Steam Deck’s still the go-to for handheld gaming. But here’s the kicker: you thought it only plays Steam games? Pfft, think again.

Nah, this bad boy can do a lot more, and I’m not just blowing smoke here. Yeah, you might have to tinker a little bit, but isn’t that part of the fun? Enter the Heroic Games Launcher. Used it with a Linux project of mine, and boom, it opens up GoG, Amazon, Epic libraries right on your Deck. All those free games you’ve been hoarding—yeah, I see you—now they’re ready to roll when you’re hitting up your morning commute or, let’s be honest, just chillin’ in bed.

Okay, where was I? Oh yeah, anyway—add Heroic to your Steam Library for full couch-gaming glory. First, hit that Steam button, dive into Desktop mode. Feels like hacking the matrix, kinda. Then there’s this Discover icon—fancy name for an app store. Search “Heroic”, install it, and wait. Snore-fest, right?

Next thing you do, open Heroic. Ignore those annoying pop-ups—nobody reads ’em anyway. Link up your Epic account or whatever you’re into. I went with Epic, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge ‘cause, well, nostalgia vibes.

Then, you gotta mess around with Wine settings—no, not the drink, although tempting!—pick “Proton Experimental.” Could get buggy, but hey, life’s about risks, right?

Long story short, install your game, grab a snack or a nap depending on its size. Shredder’s Revenge zipped through, but Cyberpunk took forever, like 40 minutes. Ugh. Test it out. Despite my capture equipment totally botching screen resolutions, things were surprisingly smooth.

Now, here’s where it gets nerdy. Hook Heroic into Steam. Navigate the menus, do the right-click dance, and voilà, it’s part of your Steam collection. But let’s not stop there, why blend in when you can stand out? I stumbled onto steamgriddb—grabbed some sick artwork to make it seem, well, legit.

Head to steamgriddb, snag some cool graphics, throw them onto Heroic. Trust me, it’s worth it. Your library will thank you for looking fly. Wrap it up by clicking “Return to Gaming Mode” and you’re golden.

Now, whenever you power up your Deck, your vast sea of games is right there. Talk about a whole new world, huh?

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How’d I do?