Table of Contents
Steam Deck owners have been able to play games from the Epic Games Store for years, but the process hasn’t been as straightforward as downloading games from Steam. Since Epic doesn’t officially support SteamOS, users have had to rely on third-party tools to access their libraries. Fortunately, this is finally changing, as Epic Games has confirmed that its new launcher will officially support SteamOS, making it easier for Steam Deck and Steam Machine owners to access their Epic games.
The confirmation comes from Epic Games Communications Director Jake Jones, who recently spoke to GamingOnLinux about the company’s plans for its new Linux launcher. According to Jones, Epic wants to support as many Linux distributions as possible, including Fedora, Cachy, Omarchy, and, most importantly for Valve’s hardware, SteamOS.
For those unfamiliar, Epic announced its plans to bring a native launcher to Linux back in August, followed by the release of a preview version on October 14. However, SteamOS wasn’t specifically mentioned as a supported operating system at the time. The latest confirmation means Valve’s gaming-focused operating system is now officially part of Epic’s plans.
Latest tech deals.
- AMD Ryzen™ 9 9900X 12-Core - was $499 now $331
- Sony INZONE M10S 27” - was $899 now $748
- Thermaltake LCGS View i1470S-170 - was $2,399 now $2,099
- Apple 2026 MacBook Air - was $1,999 now $1,891
- Bose QuietComfort Headphones - was $359 now $169
- LG 77-inch OLED C6 - was $2,499 now $1,999
- MSI Prestige 16 Flip - was $2,149 now $1,870
-
Hisense 85" U6 Pro Series-
Prices correct as of November 5th, 2026.
This is particularly good news for Steam Deck owners who regularly claim the free games Epic offers every week. While those games can already be accessed through third-party applications such as Heroic Games Launcher, having an officially supported client should make the process more convenient.
Instead of depending entirely on community-developed solutions, users will eventually have a direct way to access their Epic Games Store libraries. However, Epic hasn’t explained exactly how the launcher will work with SteamOS’s Gaming Mode, so it’s still unclear whether users will be able to install and launch games without switching to Desktop Mode.
As for the launcher itself, Epic has rebuilt it with performance in mind. The new version is designed to be faster and more responsive than the existing client while also bringing official Linux support.
However, there’s one important thing Steam Deck owners should keep in mind: official Epic Games Launcher support doesn’t mean every Epic game will suddenly become playable on SteamOS. Windows games will still require compatibility tools such as Proton to run on Linux. And while many games already work through these tools, titles that rely on certain anti-cheat systems can still face compatibility problems.
Written by
