What just happened? Ever since Valve first unveiled the Steam Deck, some have wondered about its potential to utilize Microsoft’s Game Pass service on the go. Now, Steam Deck owners can at least access Xbox Cloud Gaming similarly to how it’s done on mobile devices.
On Friday, Microsoft announced that it got its cloud gaming service to work on the Steam Deck through the Linux version of Microsoft Edge. The process requires a lot of tinkering but results in users being able to jump into Microsoft’s service directly from the Steam Library.
Microsoft posted a detailed list of instructions on its website and Reddit for installing Edge on a Steam Deck, linking it to Steam, and linking the Edge launcher to Xbox Cloud. There is even custom artwork for the Xbox Cloud shortcut on Steam which users can download from either of the above links.
We worked closely with our friends at Valve to support #Xcloud #XboxGamePass through Microsoft Edge for the Steam Deck. https://t.co/NIuHCJtXMR pic.twitter.com/Jr4JPQSbFC
— Catherine Gluckstein (@CJGluckstein) March 18, 2022
Microsoft suggests that users either follow the instructions below with a keyboard connected to the Steam Deck or bring up the Steam Deck’s touch keyboard by pressing the Steam and X buttons simultaneously.
- Switch from Steam to the Linux desktop, and then acquire Edge from the Discover Software Center.
- From the desktop, select Applications> Internet> Microsoft Edge> Add to Steam.
- Go to Add a Game in Steam and select Microsoft Edge. If you see Microsoft Edge (beta) and Microsoft Edge (dev), you should select beta.
- In Applications, select Steam> Konsole, and then enter the following command to set an override:
- If a warning about permission or root access appears, enter the following before trying again:
sudo steamos-readonly disable
- Back in the Steam library, right click on Microsoft Edge and then select Properties and add the following to Launch Options:
–window-size=1024,640 –force-device-scale-factor=1.25 –device-scale-factor=1.25 –kiosk “https://www.xbox.com/play”
- At this point the shortcut’s name can also be changed from Microsoft Edge to a name of your choosing if you wish—like Xbox Cloud.
- To configure the controller layout, select the gear icon under the name of the shortcut in the Steam library, then select Manage> Controller layout. Under Controller Configurations select Templates> Gamepad with Mouse Trackpad.
Last month Valve CEO Gabe Newell said he would happily help Microsoft integrate Xbox Game Pass with Steam. Microsoft’s cooperation with Vale to develop this workaround could be an initial step toward that idea. Microsoft confirmed a list of games verified to run natively on the Steam Deck earlier this month, including Deahtloop and Psychonauts 2.