Microsoft Makes Xbox Cloud Gaming Compatible With Steam Deck Without OS Swap

Microsoft has announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming will work on the Steam Deck, without the need to install Windows. The tech giant has made the Edge beta available on the Deck compatible with the service and provides instructions on how to integrate the service into SteamOS.

In a post on reddit the Edge team comes with relatively simple instructions. The browser can be downloaded from SteamOS’s Discover Software Center, after which it’s just a matter of adding the browser to Steam, making sure it starts with the correct settings and navigating to the Xbox Cloud Gaming page by default. There are a total of two console commands involved. The Deck controller layout must also be fully supported in the service.

As a result, Edge opens up the Xbox service in kiosk mode and the whole thing functions as an app within Steam. A user on YouTube has already posted a demonstration of the integration on the site.

Some of Microsoft’s PC Game Pass games already work on the Steam Deck, but not all of them. A prominent example of this is Halo Infinite, which Microsoft says cannot work on SteamOS “because of its anti-cheat”. That shortcoming is circumvented by gaming in the cloud. While the benefit of the cloud is compatibility, it also introduces some latency. Furthermore, the cloud may have the potential to play games at higher frame rates and may put less strain on the Deck’s battery.

This streaming service requires a subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which costs 12.99 euros per month. Geforce Now and Google Stadia also work in principle on the Steam Deck.

Note: The instructions in this video are partly outdated. The ‘disable readonly’ command turned out to be unnecessary.