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To launch an installed game or desktop app from Steam Deck’s Gaming Mode, switch to Desktop Mode, open Steam, and choose Add a Game → Add a Non-Steam Game. Select the installed app, return to Gaming Mode, then find its shortcut in your library. This adds a shortcut; it does not make the app a Steam purchase or put its updates under Steam’s management.
What this process is for
Steam Deck has two closely related interfaces. Gaming Mode is the controller-focused library and launcher you normally see when you turn on the Deck. Desktop Mode is a Linux desktop inside SteamOS, with windows, a pointer, and the Steam desktop client. Steam’s supported way to bring an application from that desktop into Gaming Mode is the client’s built-in non-Steam shortcut command.
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This is useful for a game installed by another store, a game launcher, or a desktop application you want to open from the same library screen as your Steam titles. The software must already be installed on the Deck. The command does not download the program, locate an installer on the internet, or convert a separate purchase into a Steam game.
Before you start
- Install the app first. The Add a Non-Steam Game list is intended for applications already present on the Deck. Complete the app’s own installation process before opening the list.
- Have access to Desktop Mode. The add command is in the desktop Steam client, not in the normal Gaming Mode library menus.
- Know which app entry you want. A third-party package may include a launcher and a game as separate applications. Select the installed entry you actually want Steam to start.
- Expect a shortcut, not Steam management. Steam will not claim ownership, provide a Store entitlement, or take over the app’s update channel as a result of this procedure.
- Choose your controls. You can use the Deck’s trackpad and on-screen keyboard. A physical keyboard and mouse are optional if they make desktop navigation easier.
Add an installed app to your Steam library
- Switch to Desktop Mode: Open the Steam menu and choose Power → Switch to Desktop. Wait for the Linux desktop to load. This is the supported starting point described in the Steam Deck Desktop FAQ.
- Open the desktop Steam client: Start Steam in Desktop Mode if it is not already open. The lower-left area of this client contains the command used to add software that is not in your Steam collection.
- Choose the non-Steam app option: Click Add a Game in the lower-left corner, then select Add a Non-Steam Game. This opens Steam’s application-selection list.
- Select the installed application: Find the program in the list, select its checkbox or entry, and confirm the selection. The list is for software that is already installed; this step does not install anything.
- Check that the entry was created: The selected application should now be represented in the Steam client as a non-Steam library entry. If it is not listed, close and reopen the add flow and verify that the installation completed.
- Return to Gaming Mode: On the desktop, use the Return to Gaming Mode link. The Deck will leave the Linux desktop and return to the standard controller-oriented interface.
- Find the shortcut: Open the library and select the non-Steam tab. The application should appear there as a library entry.
- Launch it: Select the entry and use the normal launch control. Steam is starting the shortcut you created, while the application itself remains software installed outside Steam.
Steam’s Desktop FAQ summarizes the key action this way: on the desktop, open the Steam client, click the “add a game” button in the lower-left corner, click “add a Non-Steam game,” and find the application you installed in the list. The wording may vary slightly with the client interface, but the route remains Desktop Mode, Add a Game, then Add a Non-Steam Game.
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What you should see in Gaming Mode
After returning to Gaming Mode, the shortcut is not necessarily mixed into your purchased Steam titles. Look for the library’s non-Steam tab, then select the name associated with the application you added. From there it behaves as a launchable library entry: you can select it and attempt to start the program without first returning to the desktop.
If you add several outside applications, each one receives its own entry when you select it through the Desktop Mode client. The entries are references to installed programs, so removing an entry from the Steam library would not be the same operation as uninstalling the underlying application through its own installer. Keep the distinction in mind when organizing the library.
What the non-Steam entry does—and does not do
The entry is a Steam library shortcut to an app installed outside Steam. Steam Support describes the limitation plainly: “This will only add a shortcut to your game in the Steam client.” The shortcut gives you a convenient place to start the app; it does not turn the app into a Steam purchase.
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Adding the shortcut does not establish Steam account ownership or create a Steam Store entitlement. It also does not make Steam deliver updates for that game or application. Continue to use the publisher’s, store’s, or application’s own installation and update method. If an outside launcher normally performs updates, that launcher remains responsible for them even when you start it from the Steam library.
A shortcut is not a compatibility fix either. It does not change the application’s Linux support, its launcher requirements, its online-service requirements, or the behavior of any third-party components. A program may appear correctly in the non-Steam tab and still fail to open, stop responding, or require configuration supplied by its developer.
Navigate Desktop Mode with the Deck or optional peripherals
You do not need to buy accessories just to add a shortcut. Steam’s Deck guidance says the trackpad can act as a mouse, which lets you point at desktop controls and click them. While Steam is running, Steam + X opens the on-screen keyboard for text entry. Those built-in controls are enough for many short desktop tasks.
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A physical keyboard and mouse are optional conveniences. They can feel better for long names, search fields, cursor-heavy windows, or any situation in which tapping an on-screen keyboard is slow. They are not stated as a requirement for the Add a Non-Steam Game flow, and no particular keyboard, mouse, dock, or model is necessary for the procedure.
| Option | Portability | Text-entry comfort | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck trackpad and on-screen keyboard | Built into the Deck | Uses the on-screen keyboard; short entries are possible, but some desktop text entry may be less convenient | No extra peripherals |
| Physical keyboard and mouse | Requires carrying them or having them available | Often more convenient for typing and precise cursor control | An optional keyboard and mouse |
Choose based on where you use the Deck and how much desktop work you expect to do. If you are adding one application from the sofa, the built-in controls avoid extra equipment. If you regularly manage several launchers or enter long account names, external controls may reduce friction, but purchasing them is entirely optional.
If the app does not appear in the selection list
Confirm that it is installed
The add dialog is not an installer. Verify that the outside installation finished on the Deck and that you are looking in the desktop Steam client, not only in Gaming Mode. Then open Add a Game → Add a Non-Steam Game again and review the list.
Reopen the add flow
If the program was installed while Steam was already open, reopening the add dialog gives the client another opportunity to display the installed application. Select the entry and confirm it. If the program still does not appear, the shortcut process has not found an installed application to add; it has not failed by making a hidden Steam purchase or by downloading an alternative copy.
Check that you are adding the intended component
Some third-party software presents more than one installed application. Read the names in the selection list and choose the launcher or program you intend to start from Gaming Mode. Adding one entry does not automatically add every related component.
If the shortcut appears but will not launch
First separate the library problem from the application problem. If the entry is visible in the non-Steam tab, the shortcut was created. A launch failure then concerns the outside program, its dependencies, its launcher, or its service rather than the act of adding the library entry.
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Steam describes Desktop Mode as a PC-like Linux desktop that remains part of SteamOS. Steam Support advises checking whether third-party software supports Arch Linux. A program designed for a different operating system or distribution may need support from its developer; the non-Steam shortcut does not provide that support.
For instability involving a third-party application, Steam’s troubleshooting guidance is to exit or disable other third-party applications and restart the Deck. Try the launch again after the restart. If the issue remains, contact the application’s support team. Those steps address software behavior; they do not change the shortcut’s role or make Steam responsible for the app.
How Deck Verified and Playable ratings apply
Steam Deck’s Verified and Playable labels are useful context for games listed in Steam. Steam’s guide describes Verified games as working by default. Playable games may work but require manual configuration or adjustment.
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Common expectations to reset
“Will adding it give me the Steam version?”
No. The command points Steam to an installed application. It does not replace the outside installation with a Steam Store copy and does not create account ownership.
“Will Steam update it automatically?”
No. The shortcut does not put updates under Steam’s management. Use the original publisher, store, or launcher’s update process.
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“Do I need a dock, keyboard, or mouse?”
No accessory is required by the documented procedure. The trackpad can act as a mouse, and Steam + X opens the on-screen keyboard while Steam is running. External controls are optional conveniences.
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No. It only creates a library shortcut. Compatibility remains application-specific, and Steam’s Verified or Playable categories for Steam-listed games do not certify every non-Steam program.
“Can I launch a desktop application, not just a game?”
The same flow is for an installed application. Steam’s instructions refer to finding the application you installed, so a desktop app can be added as a shortcut as well as a game, provided it is installed and appears in the selection list.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A practical start-to-finish checklist
- Install the game or desktop application on the Deck using its own supported method.
- Open the Steam menu and choose Power → Switch to Desktop.
- Open Steam in Desktop Mode.
- Click Add a Game in the lower-left corner.
- Select Add a Non-Steam Game.
- Choose the installed application and confirm.
- Use Return to Gaming Mode.
- Open the library’s non-Steam tab.
- Select the new entry and try launching it.
- If it fails, verify Arch Linux support, exit or disable other third-party applications, restart, and contact the app’s support if the problem continues.
This checklist keeps the boundaries clear: Desktop Mode is where you create the entry, Gaming Mode is where you use it, and the application’s own support and update systems remain separate from Steam’s library shortcut.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run apps I install on the desktop in Gaming Mode?
Yes. In Desktop Mode, open the Steam client, click Add a Game in the lower-left corner, choose Add a Non-Steam Game, and select the installed application. Return to Gaming Mode and find it in the library’s non-Steam tab.
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No. Steam Support describes the result as a shortcut in the Steam client. It does not create Steam Store ownership or an entitlement for the outside application.
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Will Steam download updates for the shortcut?
No. The shortcut does not place the application on Steam’s update channel. Continue using the application’s own launcher, store, publisher, or installer for updates.
Is a physical keyboard and mouse required?
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 if they make typing or cursor control more comfortable.
Why does the app not appear when I choose Add a Non-Steam Game?
The flow is for an application already installed on the Deck. Confirm the installation completed, make sure you are using Steam in Desktop Mode, then reopen Add a Game → Add a Non-Steam Game and check the list again.
Does adding the shortcut guarantee that the app will run?
No. The shortcut only provides a library launch point. Steam advises checking whether third-party software supports Arch Linux, and recommends exiting or disabling other third-party applications and restarting if instability occurs. Contact the app’s support team if the problem persists.
Do Steam Deck Verified and Playable labels cover non-Steam apps?
No. Those categories describe games listed for Steam Deck. Verified means working by default, while Playable may require manual configuration; neither label certifies every outside game, launcher, desktop app, or online service.
Can I use this method without buying anything?
Yes. The built-in Steam client and Deck controls handle the procedure. Any keyboard, mouse, or other peripheral is an optional convenience rather than a requirement.
The Bottom Line
Use Power → Switch to Desktop, then Steam’s Add a Game → Add a Non-Steam Game command to select an installed application. Return with Return to Gaming Mode and launch the new entry from the library’s non-Steam tab. The result is only a shortcut: Steam does not grant ownership, deliver updates, or guarantee compatibility. For launch problems, check Arch Linux support, restart after disabling other third-party applications, and contact the application’s support team when necessary.
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