Do you want to play Destiny 2 wherever you are on your Steam deck? Well, there are only a few ways to do this, and all of them are accompanied by serious reservations.
This is how we imagine the beginning of the quest in Destiny 2, if we were talking about launching the game on the Steam deck. Probably someone a little mystical was talking about it. Let’s attach this to Eris Morn:
“The Traveler beckons you, Guardian. However, it seems that you are in a Steam deck with SteamOS, so it has blocked you from playing due to the higher power. It is impossible to pass this difficult task, so we will have to bypass it. Head towards the goal.”
Is it possible to play Destiny 2 on Steam Deck?
Destiny 2 does not support Steam Deck out of the box. In fact, Destiny 2 does not support Linux, which means it will not work on SteamOS. However, if you have Windows installed, you can run the game normally.
Bungie made the awkward decision not to allow Destiny 2 on the Steam Deck for security reasons. The theory is that Linux can open the game to hackers and exploits that are not normally available on Windows.
The company uses BattlEye, which actually supports not only Linux, but also Proton, an intermediate layer that translates Windows programs into Linux. All Bungie has to do is tell BattlEye that they would like it to work.
This is a strange problem for Destiny 2 and Bungie, since the game was in Google Stadia before it was closed. The Google servers on which the game was running will use Linux, so there is already a Linux version that has now been lost in time.
Will Destiny 2 ever appear in the Steam deck?
We doubt that the game will ever appear on Steam Deck now. Bungie has recently faced some backlash from some avid Steam Deck fans, but the company seems determined to keep it locked up. We hope Bungie will soon respond to the criticism that Destiny 2 cannot be played on Steam Deck initially, but until then you will have to install Windows on Steam Deck to play the game as intended.
How to Play Destiny 2 on Steam Deck via Windows
You can follow our special guide for installing Windows on Steam Deck. While we recommend this only for die-hard Destiny 2 fans, having Windows on your deck can open up Game Pass and other games you don’t normally have access to, like Modern Warfare 2.
Once you have installed Windows on your device, everything will be ready. We played a little bit on it in Lightfall, and you will see that the performance is in the range of 40-60 frames per second in PVE modes. We recommend not playing PVP, as your fluctuating FPS will cause more losses than usual.
How to Play Destiny 2 on Steam Deck without Installing Windows
Of course, if you own a game on streaming platforms that SteamOS can access, then you are already ready to play. Nvidia GeForce Now is the only readily available version since it left Game Pass last year.
Nvidia GeForce Now works great on Steam Deck, initially supporting the built-in controller.
There’s a little setup to do before you get started, as you’ll need to follow similar steps to add Xbox Game Pass streaming to your Steam deck.
Since GeForce Now determines whether you are using a compatible browser, we will need to purchase Microsoft Edge to work as smoothly as possible.
How to install Microsoft Edge on Steam Deck
- Go to the Discover store
- Search for “Microsoft Edge’ and once you’ve found it, install
- Open the taskbar and under “Internet” you’ll find the browser
- Right-click and “Add to Steam”
- This will allow us to run it through Gaming Mode
- Open Konsole and use the following code to give the correct permissions to Edge to get over any security barriers
- Press Enter and then close Konsole
- Head into Steam and right-click Microsoft Edge
- Choose Properties and locate Launch Options
- Type the following code:
- This will force Edge to run like it would if it were a demo at a kiosk, not allowing you to use the browser as normal
Microsoft Edge is almost ready to be used, but you can alter the name and look before you head into Gaming Mode via the properties menu in Steam. You’ll also want to map the controller to use a back button as the escape key, as this will be your method of entering menus for further alterations when you’re in Nvidia GeForce Now.
Remote streaming
You can actually just launch Destiny 2 on your Steam account on your PC and stream the game to your Steam Deck for playing while using the toilet, in bed, or wherever else in the house.
- Load up Steam on your PC
- Load up your Steam Deck and head to Destiny 2
- As long as the game is installed on your PC, the Steam Deck should give you the option to stream it via the Play Button, or you’ll need to use the drop-down menu next to it to fire the game up
