Microsoft has revealed that its gaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming can be added to the Steam Deck, which enables you to play any game on your Game Pass. In this guide, we will see how to go about it.
How to Enable Xbox Cloud Gaming on Your Steam Deck
You can now load up your Game Pass on your Steam Deck via Microsoft Edge, but the entire process is still under beta and is not completely optimized. Nevertheless, the Steam Deck can run most Xbox Cloud games seamlessly without much hassle. Here we will see more about how to do the entire setup for the Xbox Cloud Games on the Steam Deck.
Earlier there were compatibility issues between Valve’s Steam Deck and Xbox Cloud Games because of its anti-cheat system, which rendered all Xbox games unplayable. Now, through Microsoft’s new system, Microsoft Edge, you can load your games through it to access the Xbox Cloud Game. The only drawback to this is that Microsoft Edge and Xbox Cloud Gaming are not completely optimized for the Steam Deck, since it is still under beta testing, so you will have to play your games through a browser rather than locally on the device.
The games loaded on the Steam Deck do not pose any risks for lag or instability during launch and playthrough, but there is a slight downside in image resolution. It is quite negligible and texts and images are still clear, but not as clear as if played natively on the device itself. There are also some slight issues with force launching a game, but that can be rectified with a quick restart to the device.
Below we will see how to install Xbox Cloud Gaming for your Steam Deck
- Turn on your Steam Deck and press the Steam Button to bring up the Menu
- Go to Power > Switch to Desktop > Discover Software Center
- Under Discover Software Center, go to Applications > select Internet > Web Browzer > Microsoft Edge (beta)
- You can find Microsoft Edge in the list of applications available. After clicking on it, select install.
- After installation, return to Desktop mode and go to the Application Launcher on the taskbar
- Go to the Internet, then right-click the Microsoft Edge (beta) icon. Choose the option Add to Steam.
- Now go to Add a Game window to find Microsoft Edge. Click on it and select the option below called Add Selected Programs. Also, checkmark the box next to Microsoft Edge
- Go back to Desktop > Application Launcher > System > Konsole. This will open the terminal window where you will need to grant override access to Microsoft Edge
- In the window, input the command
flatpak –user override –filesystem=/run/udev:ro com.microsoft.Edge
- Press Enter. Then click on Exit and Enter to close the Konsole
- Go back to Desktop and select the Steam icon > Library > Microsoft Edge (beta) > Right click and go to Properties
- Change icon name to Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta)
- Under Launch Options, after @@u @@, type in
–window-size=1024,640 –force-device-scale-factor=1.25 –device-scale-factor=1.25 –kiosk “https://www.xbox.com/play”
- Exit Window
For Controller Layout
- Go to Steam Library > Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) > right-click and select Manage > Controller Layout.
- Steam Controller Config > Browse Configs > Templates > Gamepad with Mouse Track. Apply settings and press done.
Microsoft was nice enough to throw in some sample artwork to not make the Xbox Cloud Gaming icon look worn down. To install the artwork, there are some additional steps to take.
- Download the zip files to a USB connected to Desktop Mode. Now copy the files from Desktop Mode onto your Steam Deck, under the Documents folder.
- In Steam Deck, under Desktop Mode, launch the Steam icon, go to the library, and right-click on Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta)
- For Icon: Right-click it, go to properties and click on the blank square next to the shortcut name. Go to the folder where the artwork was saved and choose the appropriate .jpg file for the icon.
- For Banner: Go to Library, select the game, and right-click on the black space behind the title. You can find it above the play button. Click on Set Custom Background and select the .jpg file for the banner.
- For Capsule: Go to Steam Library and select the blank Xbox Cloud Gaming rectangle icon. Right-click it > Manage > Set Custom Artwork. Select the .jpg file for the capsule.
You can find the Xbox Cloud Gaming shortcut under Recent Games if you have launched it. You can find this under the Steam Desktop Mode, but it will appear with a blank background. To change it, right-click on it > Manage >Set Custom Artwork > assign capsule artwork.
Now that everything is set in place in your Steam Deck, you can load up your Game Pass under Gaming Mode in Desktop and have access to all the Xbox Games stored here.