Adding Non-Steam Games to Your Steam Deck Using Heroic Games Launcher

Sure thing, here’s my take on the article:

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So, you know that daydream where you’ve got this mini-computer in your hands, and you’re playing all your favorite games while sprawled on the couch? Enter Valve’s Steam Deck. When it first dropped, people lost their minds. Totally understandable. It felt like holding the future in your palms—get this, a handheld gaming PC! But then, like with everything shiny, the hype mellowed because, surprise, surprise, more gaming handhelds decided to crash the party. Still, I’d argue the Steam Deck’s like, the unofficial ambassador for handheld gaming.

But wait, pause. People think, “Oh, it’s strictly Steam games.” Wrong! That’s just scratching the surface. You can actually load up all kinds of games. There’s this magic little trick called Heroic Games Launcher. It’s like opening a secret passageway to your GoG, Amazon, and Epic libraries. It’s wild because, let’s be real, those libraries are filled with freebies we’re guilty of hoarding (totally not just me, right?).

Imagine this: all these games just chilling in your hands on your way to work or when you’re too lazy to leave your bed. Like, can life get easier?

Okay, so I went on this mission, right? My goal: embed the Heroic Games Launcher into my Steam Library. Basically, I wanted everything right there, easy as pie. Here’s how it went down.

First step—installing the Heroic Games Launcher on my Deck. You know, you gotta hit that Steam button and choose “Switch to Desktop” from the Power menu. It felt like a hidden hack, but maybe that’s just me romanticizing tech a bit too much.

Next up, I wander over to the desktop, and you’ll spot this icon called Discover. It’s basically the app store for your Steam Deck. A bit like a software candy shop if you think about it. You search for Heroic, click install, and bada-bing, bada-boom, you’re halfway there.

So, fast forward a bit—you open Heroic from the Games menu. Ignoring the pop-ups (who really reads those?), it’s time to dive into setting up gaming accounts. Epic was my first pick because, seriously, you haven’t lived till you’ve played Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge.

Then comes choosing a game. Scrolling through, experimenting with settings—names like Show Wine aren’t just drink suggestions. Proton Experimental makes it all work, kinda buggy sometimes, but that’s part of the charm, I reckon.

And downloading… oh boy, this is where patience tests begin. Some games are quick. Others, like Cyberpunk, it’s like watching grass grow but digitally, you know?

Skipping forward, boom! Games playa’. But the tech hiccups (looking at you, Deathloop) gave me mini heart attacks. Thank goodness those weren’t everyday bugs.

Now, here’s where things spice up. Integrating Heroic into Steam was the endgame. A few menu clicks and right affixes, and there you go, it’s all melting seamlessly into your library.

And the pièce de résistance—using steamgriddb to make your Heroic Games Launcher look artsy. You parade through a gallery of images, slap those babies onto your launcher, and suddenly, everything feels less factory-settings and more you.

By the end, whenever I powered up that Deck, the games were just there. Ready. Like my personal little playground. Heroic Games Launcher greeting you like an old friend—it’s kind of beautiful, in a nerdy way.

That’s where I leave you for now. Maybe give it a whirl and here’s hoping your experience is as crazy-fun-awkward as mine.