Valve's Steam Deck can have Xbox Game Pass installed on it, allowing owners to access titles available on the PC version of the service. Xbox Game Pass is a staple gaming service that has been praised by many of its users, and for some, this extends to the PC version of the service. Given that the Steam Deck is still considered a PC, installing the gaming service is a great way to access many fan-favorites titles over more than 100 games.

Installing Xbox Games Pass on the Steam Deck allows owners to access titles like Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 5, among other first-party titles available through Microsoft's service. Unfortunately, there are multiple titles that cannot be run on the Steam Deck for the moment due to complications with anti-cheating measures, such as the case with Halo Infinite. Additionally, Xbox Game Pass cannot be installed natively on Valve's handheld device, but thanks to a Microsoft Edge Beta that can be run on the Steam Deck a workaround is available.

Related: Steam Deck Game Performance Suffers With Windows Installed, Tests Say

Missy Quarry, the Community Manager for Microsoft Edge, confirmed that Xbox Cloud Gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate can be set up for a Microsoft Edge Beta from scratch on the Steam Deck. While there isn't a dedicated app, for the time being, the ability to access the current and upcoming titles for Xbox Game Pass, like Tunic, is definitely a step in the right direction, for now. It should be noted that some users in the Microsoft Edge Beta Reddit post reported still being unable to access Xbox Game Pass after following the steps laid out by Quarry or through the Mircosoft dedicated support instructions.

Steam Deck: How To Install Xbox Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass On Steam Deck Microsoft Edge
  • Step 1: Select the Steam menu, then Power, then Switch to Desktop
  • Step 2: Select the Discover Software Center icon
  • Step 3: Click on the hamburger icon, then Internet, then Web Browsers
  • Step 4: Continue scrolling to reach the Microsoft Edge Beta and click install
  • Step 5: On the Desktop, select Application Launcher
  • Step 6: Select Internet again
  • Step 7: Right-click on Microsoft Edge (beta), then select Add to Steam
  • Step 8: Navigate to the Add a Game window, then select Microsoft Edge (beta)
  • Step 9: Return to the Applications menu and select System, then Konsole
  • Step 10: In Konsole set the override by setting this command: flatpak --user override --filesystem=/run/udev:ro com.microsoft.Edge

Next, start Steam on the Desktop and continue along with these steps:

  • Step 1: Select Library, then Microsoft Edge (beta)
  • Step 2: Right-click it and select Properties
  • Step 3: Change its name to Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta)
  • Step 4: Select LAUNCH OPTIONS and append to this: --window-size=1024,640 --force-device-scale-factor=1.25 --device-scale-factor=1.25  --kiosk "https://www.xbox.com/play"

Switch the controller layout to Gamepad with a touchpad as Mouse by selecting the gear icon in the top right of Steam, Manage, then Controller Layout. Return to the Gaming Mode on the Desktop and Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Game Pass should be available on the Steam Deck. For a photoed layout, visit Microsoft's dedicated support article.

Next: Steam Deck Thefts Lead to Calls for More Discreet Packaging

Steam Deck is now shipping to the United States, Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom.

Source: Microsoft; Missy Quarry/Reddit