Do you want to know how to use the Steam Deck to play Fortnite? The procedure isn’t as simple as you may assume, so we’ve put up a little guide to help you.
Is it possible to play Fortnite on Steam Deck, you might question. Sure, but the game isn’t natively supported by SteamOS. But there are a number of reasons why Epic and Valve aren’t yet the greatest of friends.
Epic has often criticized Valve for having a monopoly on the market. However, Epic has also experienced issues with Microsoft Windows, and the corporation has not yet adopted Linux as a substitute.
However, the introduction of Valve’s portable device, the Steam Deck, deepens the story. This gadget can run games from several retailers via Proton, so it’s more than just a lovely face. On paper, it seems quite easy to get Fortnite to function on Proton.
This is where the corporate soap opera starts, though: Although it’s unlikely that a native Fortnite version for Steam Deck would launch very soon, Tim Sweeny said that if the game were converted to SteamOS, cheating would be a problem.
Later, in an interview with The Verge, Tim Sweeney bemoaned the “Linux problem” and expressed his need for “a few more” programmers when the subject of Fortnite operating natively on the Steam Deck came up.
But everything is not lost. We can get around Epic’s decision in a couple ways because of the Steam Deck’s open design. It all comes down to how much you’re prepared to compromise when it comes to streaming and if you want to install Windows on your Steam Deck or Steam Deck OLED.
How to play Fortnite on Steam Deck using Windows
Fortnite – as of right now – can’t run natively on Linux. Proton, the translation layer to get Windows games running on Linux, requires more work to get it working with Epic’s anti-cheat solution. As Fortnite isn’t set up to hook into Proton, the game will not work.
It’s easy to get past this; all we have to do is install Windows on the Steam Deck. As we would with something like Modern Warfare 2, and Destiny 2.
You will play the game at Low settings on Windows, however based on our testing and observations, it appears to operate flawlessly at 60 frames per second.
How to stream Fortnite to the Steam Deck
The other methods are by using either Xbox Cloud Gaming with Game Pass, or Nvidia GeForce Now. These two will require you to use Microsoft Edge, which you can get from the app store in Desktop mode.
It can be time-consuming to navigate desktop mode on the Valve handheld, thus it’s highly advised to utilize a keyboard and mouse with the Steam Deck by connecting via a Steam Deck dock. Still, you may use the Steam Deck keyboard without having to attach any other devices.
1. Download Microsoft Edge
To get to Desktop mode, on your home screen press the Steam button. Go to Power, and then go to Desktop mode in the menu that pops up.
Once you’ve done this, go to the Discover Store and search for Microsoft Edge. It’s in beta, but it functions nearly flawlessly.
We have a guide for Xbox Cloud Gaming already, and setting up Nvida GeForce Now is a fairly similar process.
2. Add Edge to Steam & set up
Once you’ve installed Edge, find it in the taskbar menu, and right click. Choose “Add to Steam” and we can proceed with the rest of the set up. This allows us to play your chosen streaming service in Gaming mode.
- Open Konsole and use the following code to give the correct permissions to Edge to get over any security barriers
- flatpak –user override –filesystem=/run/udev:ro com.microsoft.Edge
- Press Enter and then close Konsole
- Head into Steam and right-click Microsoft Edge
- Choose Properties and locate Launch Options
- Type the following code:
- –window-size=1024,640 –force-device-scale-factor=1.25 –device-scale-factor=1.25 –kiosk “https://www.play.geforcenow.com”
Setting Edge to run in Kiosk mode when selected through our shortcut will force it into a demo like state.
If you want Xbox Cloud Gaming, rather than Nvidia GeForce Now, you’ll need to type in place:
–kiosk “https://www.xbox.com/play”
Once you’re done, load into Gaming mode, and your streaming service of choice should load up, allowing you to play Fortnite on Steam Deck.
