- A new Decky Loader addon for SteamOS has made it easier to play and install non-Steam games
- Allows you to sync multiple game libraries on SteamOS without using other third-party launchers.
- It is available to download now via GitHub.
SteamOS users probably know very well that playing games from other launchers like Epic Games involves tinkering and that can be cumbersome. Game libraries can only be accessed after launching those launchers, and there are many problems you may run into when trying to install them.
That’s why community-created tools like Decky Loader are very useful, which I covered previously when it helped improve access to frame generation for games. There is now a new plugin known as Unifideck and created by mubaraknuman, which is available on GitHub.
I have used it on my Lenovo Legion Go S gaming laptop PC and it is nothing short of brilliant. Simply put, Unifideck eliminates the need to install other game launchers outside of Steam and instead takes your game libraries from those third-party launchers and places them in your Steam library in separate categories.
It has the easiest setup process compared to any of the previous automatic installers for game launchers that appeared early in the Steam Deck lifecycle.
As you would install any other Decky Loader plugin (before it is available in the main store), simply download the Unifideck ZIP file from GitHub, switch back to SteamOS game mode, make sure developer mode is enabled in the Decky Loader settings, and install the plugin from the ZIP file.
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Currently, Unifideck only lets you add your GOG, Epic Games, and Amazon Games libraries, but that’s still a major benefit, especially when it comes to avoiding Epic’s much-maligned launcher.
That said, Unifideck still has a ways to go – download speeds are noticeably slower compared to downloads on Steam, and it’s missing Battle.net and the Rockstar Games Launcher – but I imagine those implementations will require a little more work.
However, it’s a great start and there’s not much to complain about. Unifideck not only makes portable gaming much easier, but it will also be ideal for any system running SteamOS, and in that sense, it has arrived at the perfect time.
Analysis: Steam Machine can benefit greatly from this
Valve’s Steam Machine is on the horizon, scheduled for release in early 2026, and while most of the talk around the console-style PC is about its potential price, Decky Loader’s Unifideck add-on is one of the many goodies awaiting Steam Machine buyers.
Unifideck will allow players moving from consoles to PC to use more than just the Steam library, with access to GOG, Epic Games, Amazon Games, and potentially even more when the system launches.
And for current PC owners running Microsoft’s Windows 11, having all your game libraries easily accessible in one place will keep gaming experiences optimized without the need to waste time using other launchers.
Really, the only major drawback left to the Steam Machine is the lack of support for games that use kernel-level anti-cheat in SteamOS. However, the hope is that the Steam Machine will encourage game developers to consider making these anti-cheat tools compatible with Linux. If that happens, SteamOS will take another significant step forward in terms of its potential to catch Windows 11 defectors.
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