Non-Steam Games Not Showing Up on Steam Deck? Causes and Fixes
If an added game is missing from your Steam Deck library, the usual cause is that it was added in Desktop Mode and needs a check there. Here are the common causes and the fixes to try in order.
In this article
Non-Steam games that aren't showing up on your Steam Deck usually come down to where the game was added. Non-Steam games are added from Desktop Mode, so a missing game needs a check there first [1]. Switch to Desktop Mode and open the Non-Steam tab to see what is listed. It also helps to read How to Use a Controller for Non Steam Games on PC.
The quick fix is to restart your Deck, then look under the Non-Steam tab in Desktop Mode. If the game is listed there but still missing in Gaming Mode, the fix is in the steps below. It also helps to read Steam Deck Desktop Mode vs Gaming Mode.
Some reports tie the problem to a Steam Deck update, which is why a restart is worth trying before anything else [2]. This article covers each cause and fix in the order you should try them, so you can stop once your game shows up.
Did I add the game in Desktop Mode?
Non-Steam games are added from Desktop Mode, not from Gaming Mode. To add a non-Steam game on your Steam Deck, you must change to Desktop Mode [1]. If you only tried to add it while in Gaming Mode, the game was never set up in the right place, so it won't appear.
Open the Non-Steam tab
Once you're in Desktop Mode, check the Non-Steam tab to see what has been added. This tab is your starting point for every missing game [1].
- Switch to Desktop Mode.
- Open the Non-Steam tab.
- Look for your game in the list.
If the game is listed there, it was added correctly, and the problem is probably in how it shows up in Gaming Mode. If it isn't listed, add it again from Desktop Mode.
What reaches the Gaming Mode library
Only games added through this Desktop Mode process show up in the Gaming Mode library [3]. A game file you copied into a folder or launched from another app won't appear there, even if the file is on the Deck. Adding it through the Non-Steam tab is what puts it in your library.
Could a Steam Deck update be the cause?
Yes, some players have tied this problem to a Steam Deck update. One report linked it to the latest stable update as of March 16, 2024, and called it a new bug from that release. [2]
A later report described a different update. Non-Steam games were reportedly not launching after the 3.6 update, and the report is dated October 31, 2024. [4]
The fix users suggested is simple, and it works the same way whichever update you are on. Say you added a game and it vanished after an update. Remove that one game from the Non-Steam list, restart the Deck, and add it again. Users suggested removing the added games and restarting the Deck, and that is the step to try first. [2]
These are user reports, not a confirmed cause, so treat an update as a likely trigger rather than a certainty. The steps above cost little to try, so they are a reasonable first move if your games disappeared around the time of an update.
Why does a restart only help for a while?
A restart may bring a missing non-Steam game back, but it usually does not fix the cause. Restarting the Deck and trying again may resolve the issue. [4]
The catch is that the problem can come back shortly after. The source notes that it can re-occur shortly after a restart, so it is not an ideal workaround. [4] If your game shows up after a reboot and disappears again the next day, the restart only hid the problem for a while.
If the game keeps disappearing, the cause is probably in how it was added. A restart does not change how the game was set up, so restarting again will likely give the same result. Two restarts that both bring the game back still leave the underlying setup unchanged.
To run the restart test, restart the Deck once and then check whether the game is still listed in Gaming Mode. If it vanishes again, you know the restart was only a temporary fix. The steps for correcting how the game was added come next.
Do launcher games behave differently?
Some reports describe launcher-based games that never appear in your Steam library on their own. In one report, a player installed NonSteamLaunchers for Battle.net, Epic, EA, GOG, Amazon and Ubisoft, and the games worked. But there was no Steam shortcut for EA or Ubisoft titles, and the player wanted those shortcuts without adding each game by hand [5].
That report was a tracked issue, and it is now closed [5]. A closed issue does not tell you whether your own setup works, so look at the status of the tool you used before you assume the problem is gone.
The practical fix is to add the launcher itself to Steam first. Add the launcher as a non-Steam game, then open the Non-Steam tab in your library to confirm it is listed [3]. For example, if your Epic games are missing, add the Epic launcher this way, then start the games from inside it through Steam.
Use the launcher's own name for each entry. If your list grows, that makes it easy to see which store each entry belongs to.
In what order should I try the fixes?
Start with the quickest fix and move down the list only if the game stays hidden. Each step takes a little more effort than the one before.
- Restart the Steam Deck and check Gaming Mode again. A restart may fix the problem, but it can come back soon after, so treat it as a first try rather than a cure [4]. Open your library once the Deck is back on and look for the game.
- Switch to Desktop Mode, open the Non-Steam tab, and confirm the game is listed. To add a non-Steam game, you must change to Desktop Mode, and the Non-Steam tab is where you check the entry [1]. If the game is there, the entry exists, and the problem is in how it reaches your library.
- Remove the game from the Non-Steam list, restart the Deck, and add it again. Users in one report suggested this exact sequence for games that had vanished [2]. Remove the entry, restart, then add the game back the same way you did the first time.
- If it still will not show up, check for a recent update and the launcher issue reports. Check whether a Steam Deck update arrived recently, then look at the launcher's issue reports. One GitHub issue is titled "Non Steam Games are not added to Steam library automatically" [5], so read it to see whether your launcher has the same problem.
When should I contact support?
If your game is still missing after you remove it, restart the Deck, and add it again, contact Steam Support. At that point the fixes above have run out, so support is the right next step.
Before you contact anyone, start at Valve's official help pages for adding non-Steam games. Walk through the steps you took and compare them with the official process. If you find a difference, correct it, remove the game, restart the Deck, and add it again. Only contact support when the steps match and the game still will not appear.
If the steps match and the game still will not appear, you may be dealing with a bug. Report it on the official Steam Community pages so it can be tracked. Those pages already hold reports of non-Steam games not showing up in Desktop mode [2], so look there for your symptoms first. Then add your own details to an existing thread or start a new one.
Keep your report specific. Name the game, say how you added it, and describe what you see in Gaming Mode and in Desktop Mode. A detailed report gives the people reviewing it something concrete to work from.
Getting your game back on Steam Deck
The one thing to remember is that a missing non-Steam game usually needs a check in Desktop Mode, not Gaming Mode. Switch to Desktop Mode and open the Non-Steam tab to see whether the game is still listed there [1]. A restart may bring it back, but it can re-occur shortly after, so treat that as a temporary fix [4].
If the game is still missing, remove it from the Non-Steam list, restart the Deck, and add it again. Then check Gaming Mode once more. If it still does not appear after that, contact Steam Support.