How to put Xbox Cloud Gaming on the Steam Deck
No, you don’t have to install Windows; you can play Xbox Cloud games right from your Steam launcher; here’s how.
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The Steam Deck has a huge library of available games, but sometimes I just wish I could play my Xbox games on it. In the case ofFallout 76for example, I already own the game on Xbox and really don’t want to have to purchase it again just to play on the Steam Deck, let alone lose my save as the game doesn’t have cross-save.Fortunately, there is a solution for playing at least some Xbox games on the Steam Deck, and it doesn’t require you toinstall Windows. It does, however, require anXbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, as you’re going to installXbox Cloud Gamingon the Steam Deck and you’ll need at least the Ultimate tier to be able to access all the the games.Here’s how to install Xbox Cloud Gaming on the Steam Deck. You can use the on-screen keyboard to follow this tutorial, but it’s far easier if you connect a keyboard and mouse using Bluetooth or a Steam Deck dock like theJSAUX dock.
Install Microsoft Edge on your Steam Deck
Give Microsoft Edge access to controller inputs in Gaming mode
flatpak –user override –filesystem=/run/udev:ro com.microsoft.Edge
Add Microsoft Edge to your Steam Library
Head to Properties to change the name of Microsoft Edge to Xbox Cloud Gaming
– window-size=1024,640 –force-device-scale-factor=1.25 –device-scale-factor=1.25 –kiosk “https://www.xbox.com/play”
It iscrucialthat you include a space before pasting this text, so thereshould be a gapbetween the last @ and first -
Apply controller layout
Making Xbox Cloud Gaming look like an installed app
Ok so now you want it to look like an installed app, or you can rock with the unsightly grey icons. You do you.If you do want it to look aesthetically good, you’re going to have to put the images in yourself. The images you need arehere on Microsoft’s websiteand will automatically download so either open this link in the browser on your Steam Deck and save, or transfer to your SD card.The files will save as JPG, you need to change to PNG.
You’ll want to do this for your icon in ‘recently played’ too, so make sure you launch the Xbox Game Pass icon at least once, then go to your recently played in the library, right-click and follow the same process. You may need to do this a couple of times for both portrait and landscape versions of ‘recently played.’ It’s a pain, but it’s worth it for the look!
Now use Xbox Cloud Gaming in Gaming mode
Now you will find the icon for Xbox Cloud Gaming in your ‘non-Steam games’ when you are playing in Gaming mode, you’ll just be prompted to sign in.
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Enjoy your Xbox Cloud games on the Steam Deck
While we wait in anticipation for signs of anXbox handheld, our closest solution at the moment is eitherXbox PC gaming on the ROG Allyand other gaming handhelds or just using Xbox Cloud Gaming from your mobile with one of thebest controllers for Xcloud. It’s not perfect, but we’re told it won’t be long before we canplay our owned games on Xbox Cloud Gamingtoo. Until then, I hope this guide has helped you access at least some of the Xbox titles you want to play on the Steam Deck.
Jen is a News Writer for Windows Central, focused on all things gaming and Microsoft. Anything slaying monsters with magical weapons will get a thumbs up such as Dark Souls, Dragon Age, Diablo, and Monster Hunter. When not playing games, she’ll be watching a horror or trash reality TV show, she hasn’t decided which of those categories the Kardashians fit into. You can follow Jen on Twitter@Jenbox360for more Diablo fangirling and general moaning about British weather.
