How to enable the Steam Deck interface on any Linux PC

The Steam Deck gaming console uses Linux to run. So why turn your Linux PC into a desktop Steam Deck? To do this, we’ll use the same tools Valve uses in its SteamOS operating system

Steam is arguably the most popular PC game store on the market. Among other reasons, this is due to its prices, year-round deals and discounts, ease of installation, and the ability to keep games updated. And, as if that weren’t enough, it has its own portable gaming console, the Steam Deck , based on Linux. This year, it will also launch a desktop console, the Steam Machine . Both consoles run on Linux, specifically SteamOS . Thanks to the work of Valve , its employees, and thousands of contributors and players, over 20,000 games are currently available on the Steam Deck . 

When Valve started the SteamOS project , it seemed like madness. PC gaming has always been synonymous with Windows. Even today, Windows accounts for 92% of Steam players , according to official data, compared to just 5% for Linux . But that percentage is significant. For one thing, SteamOS, and especially Valve’s Proton software , have made it possible for thousands of major games to be compatible with Linux .

In the past, we’ve seen that any old PC can be transformed into a Steam gaming machine. Or a new one. You just need to install SteamOS or one of the Linux distributions adapted to take advantage of Valve’s software and thus play Windows games on Linux . This isn’t always easy to achieve, but it’s becoming increasingly accessible thanks to free and independent projects running alongside Valve’s work. So, if you don’t have a Steam Deck but want something similar to the upcoming Steam Machine , you can take a shortcut and achieve it on a Linux PC. Let’s see how.

Your own Steam Deck on your Linux PC

Let’s start from the beginning. As we’ve seen, both the Steam Deck and Steam Machine , as well as other compatible third-party consoles, run a Linux-based operating system. It’s called SteamOS and is based on Arch Linux , a very popular distribution. This opens the door for a Linux PC to become a Steam gaming machine . Making it happen will take time and is a manual and laborious process, unlike simply buying a Steam Deck, turning it on, and starting to play. But it’s a good alternative if you don’t have the money or the desire to buy one.

The SteamOS component that makes it possible to play Windows games without Windows is called Proton . It’s open source and based on Wine . If you’re not familiar with it, Wine is Linux software that emulates parts of Windows instead of the entire operating system. It’s more practical than creating virtual machines because it uses fewer of your computer’s resources . And that helps a lot, especially when it comes to games. Even Apple uses Proton in its Game Porting Toolkit , its tool for porting Windows games to Mac, iPad, or iPhone.

Another important element of SteamOS is Gamescope . This is SteamOS’s window manager, and it’s also open source . Simply put, this software allows you to play Windows games with the best possible visual experience . While Proton is the unseen component, Gamescope is the visible part that makes SteamOS one of the best solutions for playing Windows games on Linux. Therefore, this component is essential for emulating Steam Deck on Linux. Among other things, this software minimizes screen latency, optimizes full-screen gameplay, facilitates compatibility with most games, and ultimately acts as an intermediary between the game, your graphics card, and your PC’s display . 

The advantages of Steam Deck over Steam

To achieve a gaming experience similar to that offered by a Steam machine, whether laptop or desktop, we have several options. The most logical is to install SteamOS on a PC . The second, which we already discussed, involves using Linux distributions optimized for Proton and other SteamOS components, allowing you to install Windows games on your PC , even if you don’t have Windows installed. A third solution, if you already have Linux, is to simply add the necessary components. It’s more of a manual process, but possible.

You could actually just install Steam on your Linux system and be done with it. However, the results won’t be the same. Incorporating GameScope gives you more control and improves the graphics performance of the games you install via Steam. This software is one of the reasons why it’s easier to play games on a Steam Deck than on a Linux PC with Steam . 

Requirements to install Gamescope

In theory, you can install Gamescope on any Linux distribution you have on your computer, or that you’ve chosen to install. However, to avoid problems, some Linux distributions are better suited than others. Keep in mind that Valve works with Arch Linux . Therefore, it’s recommended to use that distribution or something similar. Although other popular distributions like Ubuntu or Fedora would also work to have your own Steam Deck on a Linux PC. 

The reason is that Gamescope is primarily compatible with the Wayland graphics system , which is used by Arch Linux and, therefore, SeamOS. Many other Linux distributions have also adopted it. However, Gamescope can also run on X11 via Xwayland .

Regarding hardware, there are no specific requirements. But since we’re talking about games, it’s logical to assume that a good GPU or graphics card is advisable . The requirements don’t specify models, although Gamescope is compatible with most GPUs from major manufacturers, NVIDIA and AMD . And since it’s compatible with Vulkan , it can also work on Intel graphics cards .

How to install Gamescope on your PC

Although most Linux distributions already have their own app store, in this case it’s recommended to use the terminal or console to install Gamescope. Let’s see how to install Gamescope using Arch Linux and Ubuntu as examples. However, you can easily find instructions for installing this app on Fedora and openSUSE by searching online .

On Ubuntu , Debian , and other compatible Linux distributions:

1. First, we’ll update packages with `sudo apt-get update`
2. sudo apt update also works
3. Then, all that remains is to install it with the command `sudo apt-get install gamescope`.
4. sudo apt install gamescope also works
5. To verify that it was installed correctly, run gamescope –help | head -n 5

On Arch Linux, Manjaro , and other compatible Linux distributions, simply enter the command `sudo pacman -S gamescope` to install Gamescope. Then, verify that it is installed with the command `gamescope –help | head -n 5` , which we saw earlier.

On Valve’s GitHub page, you’ll find instructions for installing Gamescope from its source code. There you’ll also find keyboard shortcuts and a list of compatible Linux distributions that include the Gamescope installer package, along with the version number.

How to use Gamescope with Steam

Once Gamescope is installed, you can enjoy its advantages and features combined with Steam. This allows you to have your own Steam Deck on your Linux PC. Although there are different ways to open Gamescope, we’ll opt for the simplest solution: using it directly with Steam, Valve’s game launcher and store. 

1. Open the Steam app on your Linux.
2. Go to your Game Library .
3. Right-click on the game you want to play.
4. Go to Properties > General > Startup Parameters .
5. Enter the Gamescope command that we will see below.
6. Close that Properties window .
7. You can now start the game.

Several examples of possible Gamescope commands that we can use in games running on Linux. These can be used as is or adapted to our needs and the capabilities of our PC. Taken from Valve’s GitHub documentation.

• Upscaling a 720p game to 144p using integer scaling :
• gamescope -h 720 -H 1440 -S integer — %command%
• Limiting a game with V-Sync enabled to 30 FPS:
• gamescope -r 30 — %command%
• Open a game at 1080p, but scale it to an ultrawide 3440×1440 fullscreen window with sidebars:
• gamescope -w 1920 -h 1080 -W 3440 -H 1440 -b — %command%

From the terminal or console, you can ask Gamescope what options it offers with the command `gamescope –help` . The GitHub page shows the following options, as we saw earlier:

• -W and -H : Gamescope resolution.
• -w and -h : game resolution.
• -r : FPS limit for the game.
• -F fsr : applies scaling with AMD Fidelity FX Super Resolution 1.0.
• -F nis : applies scaling with NVIDIA Image Scaling v1.0.3.
• -S integer : applies integer scaling .
• -S stretch : applies scaling to fill the game window.
• -b : creates a borderless game window.
• -f : creates a full-screen game window.