Installing Epic games on a Steam Deck looks complicated at first. Underneath the friendly interface you still run a full Linux system. This guide shows a simple way to install Epic Games Store on Steam Deck without turning you into a Linux expert.
The main idea stays straightforward. You install a helper launcher. That launcher talks to Epic. Proton or Wine then make the Windows games run on SteamOS. After that your Epic games behave much like normal Steam titles.
How SteamOS and Proton make Epic Games Store work on Steam Deck
Steam Deck runs SteamOS which is based on Arch Linux. Valve locks the core system to keep it stable. This design avoids random breakage yet it also means you rarely install apps the old Linux way with root access.
Windows games run through a compatibility layer called Proton. Proton is Valve’s custom build of Wine plus several gaming focused patches. When you add Epic Games Store to Steam Deck you do not get a native Linux client. Instead you run Epic content through Proton or regular Wine.
Practically this means three layers work together.
- A launcher like Heroic or Lutris
- Proton or Wine as the compatibility layer
- SteamOS providing drivers and the desktop shell
Once you understand that structure the whole process feels less mysterious.
Desktop Mode vs Gaming Mode when installing Epic Games Store
Steam Deck has two faces. Gaming Mode is the console style interface you see by default. Desktop Mode exposes a full KDE Plasma desktop similar to a regular Linux PC.
You install Epic related tools in Desktop Mode. There you have a mouse cursor full keyboard support and access to the Discover app store. You do the setup once in Desktop Mode. After that you launch your Epic games from Gaming Mode for a couch friendly experience.
Switching is simple.
- Press the Steam button
- Go to Power
- Choose “Switch to Desktop”
Later you can return to Gaming Mode with the “Return to Gaming Mode” icon on the desktop.
Get ready: updates accounts and storage planning
Before you install Epic Games Store on Steam Deck you should prepare a few basics.
Update SteamOS and Flatpak support
From Desktop Mode open the Discover app. Run available updates for both system components and applications. SteamOS already supports Flatpak which is the safest way to install third party software on the Deck. You do not need to touch the core system. Flatpak keeps apps sandboxed and easier to manage.
Check input and network
Epic game installs can be large. A stable network connection saves time and avoids corrupt downloads. If possible use a 5 GHz Wi‑Fi network or a wired connection through a USB‑C hub.
Typing passwords with only the touch keyboard soon becomes painful. A cheap USB‑C hub plus keyboard and mouse makes the initial setup much faster.
Plan your storage
Steam Deck has limited internal SSD space. Many players also use a microSD card. Epic games can live on either location. Internal SSD offers better performance. MicroSD offers cheaper capacity. For most people the best approach is simple. Keep your most played or demanding titles on the SSD. Keep large secondary games on a high quality microSD card.
Easiest path: use Heroic Games Launcher for Epic on Steam Deck
Heroic Games Launcher gives you the cleanest way to install Epic Games Store on Steam Deck today. It is an open source client that talks to Epic and GOG. Heroic hides most Wine complexity behind a simple interface.
Install Heroic in Desktop Mode
In Desktop Mode open Discover. Search for “Heroic Games Launcher”. Choose the Flatpak version then click Install. Wait until the process finishes. You now have Heroic in your application menu.
You can also run it once from there. This first run checks that the app starts correctly on SteamOS.
Connect Heroic to your Epic Games account
Open Heroic. On the left side click the Epic Games icon then press “Login”. Heroic will open a small browser window. Enter your Epic credentials or use the device code method if Epic offers it. After success Heroic fetches your Epic library. You should now see owned games listed under the Epic section.
For extra safety enable two factor authentication on your Epic account through a normal browser first. That step reduces risk if the device ever gets lost.
Configure Proton or Wine inside Heroic
Heroic lets you choose which compatibility layer each game uses. On Steam Deck Proton GE often works very well. Proton GE is a community build of Proton tuned for a wide range of titles.
Inside Heroic open Settings then look for Wine Manager or Proton GE manager. Download at least one recommended Proton GE version. For each game you can later choose:
- Default system Wine
- A specific Proton GE build
- Other installed Wine versions
If a game shows video glitches or crashes you can switch versions and test again. This simple toggle solves many issues without deep Linux work.
Install your first Epic game
Pick a smaller game first so you can test the setup quickly. In Heroic click the game then press Install. Choose the install path. For microSD installs make sure you select a folder on that card such as /run/media/mmcblk0p1/Games/Epic or similar depending on your mount path.
Heroic will download and install the game. Once ready click Play. The game launches through the chosen Proton or Wine layer. The first launch may take longer while shaders compile.
If the game runs and accepts controller input your base configuration works.
Add Epic games to Steam Gaming Mode
Running everything from Heroic in Desktop Mode works yet feels clunky. You probably want your Epic games visible in Gaming Mode tiles.
You have two options.
1 - Add Heroic itself as a Non Steam game
- In Desktop Mode open Steam
- Click “Add a Game” then “Add a Non Steam Game”
- Select Heroic and confirm
- Now you can open Heroic from Gaming Mode and then start any Epic game inside it.
2 - Use Heroic “Add to Steam” for each game
- In Heroic open a game’s settings
- Use the “Add to Steam” feature if available
- This creates individual shortcuts for each Epic title. In Gaming Mode every game appears with its own entry just like native Steam titles.
Both patterns work. The second one feels more console like since you jump directly into a specific Epic game.
Steam Input still applies to these shortcuts. You can open the controller layout screen and pick templates or community layouts exactly as you do for normal Steam games.
Alternative: use Lutris if you want more control
Lutris is another launcher that can integrate Epic. It appeals to users who like detailed control over Wine versions environment variables and custom scripts.
You install Lutris through Discover in Desktop Mode the same way. After that you add Epic as a source inside Lutris and sync your library. For many general users this path feels heavier than Heroic. However it excels when you run many non Epic games or want granular tuning for each title.
Advanced option: run the official Epic Games Launcher
Some people still want the original Windows Epic client on Steam Deck. You can do that through Wine or Proton yet it brings drawbacks. The official launcher uses more resources. It sometimes shows rendering issues under Wine. Updates can also break things without warning.
The manual process looks like this in brief.
- Download the Windows Epic installer in Desktop Mode
- Create a dedicated Wine prefix for Epic
- Run the installer inside that prefix
- Add the resulting launcher executable as a Non Steam game that uses a Proton version
Most readers do not need this. Heroic already handles Epic accounts and downloads with far less friction.
Performance tuning and troubleshooting
Once Epic Games Store runs on Steam Deck you may want smoother performance.
If a specific game crashes or shows a black screen you can try these steps.
- Switch to a different Proton GE version in Heroic
- Disable extra overlays like MangoHud or third party tools
- Check the game on ProtonDB at https://www.protondb.com for tips
Some competitive titles use anti cheat that still fails under Proton. In those cases no amount of tuning will fix things until the vendor updates support.
Slow downloads often trace back to Wi‑Fi quality or storage speed. If downloads crawl and your internet usually runs faster test with a browser speed test in Desktop Mode. If that looks fine move the install location from microSD to SSD for the problem game.
Storage pressure builds up over time due to shader caches and Wine prefixes. You can safely remove unused games from inside Heroic. That action frees both game files and many related cache files. Avoid deleting random folders in your home directory unless you know their purpose.
Keep your setup healthy over time
SteamOS remains under active development. Heroic and Proton also change frequently. A small maintenance routine keeps Epic Games Store working smoothly on Steam Deck.
Every few weeks in Desktop Mode you can:
- Run system updates through Discover
- Update Flatpak apps including Heroic
- Open Heroic and confirm Proton GE versions still appear
Backing up your Epic library saves time if you upgrade your Deck or swap storage. You can copy entire game folders plus Heroic configuration files to an external drive. Later you point Heroic to those folders and verify installations instead of downloading again.
Try to avoid deep changes to the underlying SteamOS image. Installing random system packages outside Flatpak may work once yet break after a future update.
Conclusion
You can install Epic Games Store on Steam Deck without wrestling with complex Linux commands. Heroic Games Launcher gives a clean bridge between your Epic account and SteamOS. Proton makes the Windows games behave on Valve’s handheld. Steam then wraps everything with flexible controller support.
Start with one small Epic title. Confirm it runs. Add it to Steam. Once that workflow feels natural you can move the rest of your Epic library over and enjoy a unified handheld experience.
