How to get Xbox Game Pass on the Steam Deck

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The Steam Deck is a powerful handheld gaming device capable of playing the majority of your Steam library on the go.

But, what if you want the Xbox Game Pass on Steam Deck? This is where things get a little more complicated and, at times, tedious.

Unlike the Asus ROG Ally, which is able to run the Xbox app natively, thanks to Windows 11, the Steam Deck, which runs Linux-powered SteamOS, requires much more patience.

Running Game Pass on Steam Deck wouldn’t be as complicated with a physical keyboard. The virtual keyboard is quite fiddly, making the process more time-consuming. So, if you have a keyboard to hand, I’d definitely recommend using it.

Install Microsoft Edge on your Steam Deck

Before you can play Xbox games on your Steam Deck, you will need to switch your Steam Deck over to Desktop mode and install Microsoft Edge.

To switch to Desktop mode:

• Press and hold the power button
• Select Switch to Desktop
• From the desktop, you will need to locate Discover (located at the bottom left of your screen)
• Search for Microsoft Edge by either heading to the Web Browsers tab or using the search bar.

If you use the search bar, you will need to press the Steam button and X to open the virtual keyboard and type.

Add Microsoft Edge to your Steam library

To add Microsoft Edge to your Steam library, you will need to open Steam in desktop mode, of which you should have a shortcut on your Steam Deck‘s desktop.

Once in Steam:

• Click Add a Game on the bottom right of the screen
• Click Add a Non-Steam Game
• Locate Microsoft Edge and click Add Selected Programs.

Launch Konsole

Next, you need to open up Konsole. This might sound like a mode in Mortal Kombat 11, but disappointingly it’s just the SteamOS’s terminal, no arse kicking for you here I’m afraid.

To find Konsole, simply press the Application Launcher button, which is the one on the bottom left in the shape of the Steam Deck logo. Then use the search bar to find Konsole.

Once Konsole is open, press the Steam button and X to open the keyboard, and type in the following command.

flatpak --user override --filesystem=/run/udev:ro com.microsoft.Edge

Annoyingly, you can’t simply copy and paste the above code into Konsole, trust me, I tried multiple ways, yet I couldn’t find a way to make it play ball.

Update MS Edge’s launch parameters

For the final step, you need to head back to Steam while still in the Steam Deck‘s Desktop mode. Head on over to your Steam library and locate Microsoft Edge.

Right-click (left trigger) on Microsoft Edge in Steam and click on properties. From here you will need to head to Launch Options, and navigate to the very end of the current text, which should look something like this:

@@u @@

Leave a single space at the end and add the following code:

--window-size=1024,640 --force-device-scale-factor=1.25 --device-scale-factor=1.25 --kiosk "https://www.xbox.com/play"

Unlike the code you entered into Konsole, this code can be copied and pasted, making it easier to make sure there are no mistakes.

Simply open up this article in Edge or Chrome on your Steam Deck, highlight the above text, and select copy.

Head back to the launch parameters, make sure you are at the end of the current text, leave a single space, and press the paste button on the virtual keyboard.

If you’re worried about making a mistake, you can always copy the current launch parameters into a document, letting you go back to them if you make a mistake when copying across the changes.

Using Game Pass on Steam Deck

You now have the Xbox Game Pass on Steam Deck.

All you need to do is head on over to your library, launch Microsoft Edge, and the Xbox Cloud Gaming app will open, letting you enjoy all your favorite Xbox games on your Steam Deck.

However, you will need to have an Xbox account, which you will need to log in to from your Steam Deck, and you will also need an Xbox Game Pass Subscription.

You might notice that some PC games are missing from the library. If you’re used to playing on Xbox Game Pass for PC, this is because the app uses the standard Game Pass.

Sadly, if you want to enjoy Xbox Game Pass for PC titles, you would need to install Windows on your Steam Deck.

Improving your Game Pass on Steam Deck experience

You’re ready to enjoy some Xbox gaming on your Steam Deck now, but there are a few little tips and tricks that can make the experience just a little better.

Changing Microsoft Edge’s name

Changing the name of the shortcut is a simple change that can help prevent confusion later. If you’re planning on playing Xbox games, you might not think to look for the Microsoft Edge shortcut.

This can be resolved by simply changing the name to Xbox Game Pass.

To change Microsoft Edge’s name in your Steam library, all you need to do is right-click (left trigger) on the shortcut in your library and change the name at the top.

Change the banner art

If it’s called Xbox Game Pass and runs Xbox games, you might as well have it look official. Changing the logo and banner art isn’t something that’s needed, but why not make it look good?

First, you will need to download the Xbox logos from here. Once you have them, you need to get them onto your Steam Deck.

To do this you could download an app, use some code wizardry, or send them to a random friend on Steam, and then collect them from that message on your Steam Deck.

Letting your friend know why you’ve sent them random images is a completely optional step.

• Go to Steam on your Steam Deck and right-click on the images that you sent
• Choose copy image URL
• Paste the URL into Microsoft Edge while in Desktop mode, then right-click and download the images

Now you have the images downloaded, you need to set them in Steam:

• Locate the Xbox Game Pass shortcut and right-click on it
• To the left of the name, there’s an empty square box, click on that and you can upload the Xbox logo file

To upload the Xbox banner:

• Locate the shortcut and click on it
• Right-click on the empty banner above the play button and select set custom background
• Upload the Xbox banner you previously downloaded

Setup an Xbox Wireless Controller

With this being a workaround to get Xbox Game Pass on Steam Deck, it’s not always going to work flawlessly, and you might encounter some issues.

One of the best ways to minimize the chances of any issues is to add an Xbox controller via Bluetooth to your Steam Deck, an easy task that could reduce issues and improve gameplay, making it one of the best Steam Deck accessories for Xbox gamers.

If you’re playing in handheld mode, you might want to consider remapping your buttons instead, but if you’re happy to play in docked mode, or with a makeshift kickstand, the Xbox controller is the way to go.

To pair your Xbox controller with the Steam Deck:

• Press the Steam button and locate the settings button
• In settings you should find Bluetooth, click on this and make sure that Bluetooth is connected

• Press the button highlighted on the controller above (and ignore the mess on it from my child playing the Bluey game while eating pizza)

This button will make the controller discoverable, and you should see Xbox Controller listed as a device on the Bluetooth screen, simply click on it and they should pair.

If you now launch the game and head to the controller options, you should see that the Xbox controller has now taken over the Steam Deck‘s native controls.

Both the Xbox Wireless Controller and the Xbox Elite 2 will show as Xbox Wireless Controller, which can get a little confusing if you’ve paired both types.

If you’re one of those people who like to use the term sheeple, talk about conspiracy theories, and generally laugh at the average person, you could always break the mold and pair a PS5 controller to use on the Xbox app.

You little rebel you!

A temporary fix

The method mentioned above is just a temporary method to getting Xbox Game Pass on your Steam Deck.

Microsoft has announced that they are working on a better way for gamers to enjoy playing their favorite games on the Steam Deck.

With that in mind, you might not want to take too much time focusing on personalizing the app, as hopefully, we should start to see a native way to play Game Pass on Steam Deck without needing a workaround soon.

Were you able to get Xbox Game Pass on your Steam Deck using the method above? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Kegan Mooney

Kegan is an avid gamer and tech enthusiast that has been gaming and building custom gaming rigs from a young age. He started out on his Amiga back in the 90s and hasn't stopped geeking out since.