11 Essential Apps For Steam Deck That Will Enhance Your Experience

The Nintendo Switch's huge success has demonstrated a strong demand for hardware that can act as both a portable gaming machine and a traditional video game console. After all, the hybrid system represents the ultimate in versatility, as it can be played on the go and docked in its station to display images directly onto a television screen. With the popularity of the Nintendo Switch skyrocketing, it should come as little surprise that a number of competitors have released similar products to get a share of the market.

One of the most visible of these competitors is Valve's Steam Deck. First released in February 2022, the Steam Deck features a custom Linux operating system in the form of SteamOS that can play a variety of Steam games in handheld mode or connect to a television or monitor — just like a standard PC or console.

Of course, the Steam Deck is capable of much more than just playing games. It also supports a wide range of apps and software that can enhance the gaming experience and make the device even more useful than it already is. These 11 essential downloads for the Steam Deck will let you get the absolute best out of Valve's portable gaming system.

The Steam Deck is great for those who purchase and play games mainly from the Steam storefront. However, Steam Deck is a PC platform, which means that there are a variety of other launchers and digital stores out there that are not usually accessible, such as the Epic Games Store or Battle.net. That's where Bottles comes in.

The nifty piece of software can be installed directly from the Discover section of Steam on the device when it is in Desktop Mode. From there, users can install a variety of launchers and other programs to get all their favorite games in one place. The process is as simple as clicking on the launcher you want to be able to use while the app gets it up and running in a matter of seconds.

Even more impressive is the fact that Bottles allows every game that can run on Windows to be played on the Steam Deck. This is a great feature considering that many games do not natively run on the device. With Bottles, this is no longer an issue, and every game across Steam and any other store should work without issues when launched through the app.

The Steam Deck is already a powerful device that is capable of playing hundreds of games directly from Steam. Other apps open up the possibility of launching even more titles from players' libraries, essentially giving them the opportunity to play every PC game they own on one portable system. While this obviously includes plenty of classic games, many games from eras past are not technically available to play on modern hardware through official means. That is where emulators shine. These are tools that allow users to play retro games on devices they were not designed for using ROMs, with additional features available to improve the experience.

For those who own a Steam Deck, EmuDeck is the perfect piece of software for playing older titles. It is an app that acts as a home for a wide variety of different emulators, configuring them so that they run efficiently on the portable gaming computer. These include games from consoles such as the NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, GameCube, PS2, and PS3. 

EmuDeck also includes cloud backups, a tool to enable the Steam Deck gyroscope for 3DS and Wii games, and a compressor to reduce the size of games by more than half. It even automatically sets up Bluetooth controllers, configures hotkeys for quick actions such as saving, and displays stylish box art for any retro games imported into the library.

The Steam Deck already comes with a range of customization options, giving players the opportunity to change the look and performance of the device — at least to a certain degree. However, there is an app that brings far more settings and options to the table when it comes to making the Steam Deck feel more personal. Decky Loader, which is available to download on Valve's system simply by navigating to the official website and downloading the launcher, is an open-source app that allows users to run an ever-growing selection of plugins and scripts that enhance many aspects of using the Steam Deck.

With Decky Loader, players can customize almost every single aspect of the Steam Deck's user interface and its menus. For example, Vibrant Deck gives users a chance to change the color settings of the UI to anything they want, while other scripts can add sounds from classic consoles. However, Decky Loader is even more useful than that. 

Whether it's DeckSettings, which will automatically look up and apply the recommended settings for any game in your library, or the gameplay footage recorder Decky Recorder, the sheer usefulness of many of these plugins makes Decky Loader essential for any Steam Deck owner. It is even possible to get tutorials for games through the likes of DeckFAQs and see how long it takes to beat a specific game through HLTB for Deck.

Heroic Launcher is a launcher that allows players to launch games directly from GOG and the Epic Games Store in one place. It was available for Windows and Mac for some time before making the jump to Steam Deck when Valve launched the device. There are several apps like this available for the Steam Deck, but Heroic Launcher has developed a reputation for being among the very best, mainly due to its sleek user interface and easy-to-use tools.

Finding Heroic Launcher is simple — switch the Steam Deck to desktop mode and search for the app in the Discover section of SteamOS. Once it's installed, all gamers have to do is log in to their various accounts from other stores to get access to all of their titles. From here, Heroic Launcher will provide a detailed description of every title, including its install size and play time stats, allowing the library to be organized to your liking.

As an added bonus, Heroic Launcher also comes with an in-built Wine Manager. This provides a vast number of tools, scripts, and plugins that make running games on Linux and SteamOS better by applying new settings and installing anything extra that is needed to get a game to work automatically. The app can also be used to purchase games or download free titles directly from stores without ever leaving the launcher.

Discord has become one of the most important communication tools for gamers around the world. While there are some very good alternatives to Discord available, the service has firmly established itself as the go-to VoIP option. It is used by millions of gamers who want to communicate with each other and organize large — or small — communities. It is even more important in the modern era of gaming, where cross-platform play is becoming more widespread, meaning that players can't always depend on the voice chat systems and friends lists that are built into individual platforms.

In that sense, Discord allows those playing across Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox to all talk to each other. The app has won praise for its minimal design, responsive user interface, and easy-to-use messaging system. Discord is also known for its lag-free voice chat and has been directly integrated into consoles such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. As such, it shouldn't come as a shock that a version of the software is also readily available on the Steam Deck.

Installing Discord on a Steam Deck works in a similar way to most other apps, with users having to put the device into desktop mode before searching for Discord in the Discovery app. As soon as the app is installed and you have logged in, Discord can be used just like it is on a normal computer.

One of the biggest recent shake-ups in gaming has been Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft's subscription service allows gamers to download and play a large collection of games and is available across a range of platforms, such as Xbox consoles and PC. A major benefit of Xbox Game Pass is that it supports Xbox Cloud Gaming, effectively giving players the ability to stream games rather than install them. This is a great choice for those who want to game while on the go using mobile devices and tablets.

Of course, that also means the Steam Deck would be a perfect fit for streaming games from Xbox Game Pass. Thankfully, there is a way to get access to the subscription service by downloading Microsoft Edge as an app. This involves putting the portable gaming machine into desktop mode and finding the Microsoft Edge app through the Discovery section. When that's completed, navigate to the Xbox Cloud Gaming site to begin playing games.

For those who want to be able to jump into streaming games directly from Xbox Game Pass without having to use the browser every time, there is a more complicated setup process that is outlined by Microsoft. However, it involves some work to get it to work properly.

Most video game consoles now act as entertainment hubs in addition to playing games. They are able to work with a huge array of video streaming services, making it easier than ever for viewers to watch movies and television on demand wherever they are. Since the Steam Deck is a relatively small device that can operate without a power connection, access to streaming apps is a big advantage.

Thankfully, it can do just that, even if accessing the various streaming services is not quite as simple as it is on other platforms. The Light Den Academy offers a fairly straightforward guide to this somewhat complex process that will allow you to add shortcuts for a number of apps, including Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video. Below you'll see a video covering the latest process:

Users can also install a browser such as Google Chrome from the Discovery app while in desktop mode and stream directly from the websites of most of these services.

In the same way that a multitude of video streaming apps are available on the Steam Deck by a variety of means, there are also music streaming options as well. For example, Spotify can be installed through the Discovery app while in desktop mode, turning the device into a portable music player. Other alternatives, such as YouTube Music and Amazon Music, are also available. Music can then be played either through the Steam Deck's built-in speakers, with connected headphones, or through an external sound system.

While the Steam Deck is meant for playing video games, the handy little machine can also be used to get some work done as well. The Discover app has a number of office suites available for users to install, including the popular LibreOffice. This includes a word processor, spreadsheets, and a presentation tool, allowing you to create and edit documents by switching the Steam Deck into desktop mode. Using a browser such as Firefox or Google Chrome will also let users access online apps such as Google Docs and Microsoft Office via the web.

What makes the Steam Deck a somewhat attractive option for getting work done is that it supports a keyboard and mouse. After all, the device is effectively a gaming PC compacted down into a small portable design. Wired and wireless accessories are supported, although it's important to avoid those with bad reviews for things like input lag and sensitivity issues. When in a dock, USB keyboards and mice can be plugged into the available ports, but when the device is being used in portable mode Bluetooth accessories will have to be used, as the Steam Deck doesn't have any USB ports of its own.

People have been reading digital versions of their favorite books on ebook readers for years now. While Amazon may rule the roost with its exceptional Kindle line, it is actually possible to read ebooks on almost any smart device, from mobile phones to tablets, through the use of an ever-expanding library of apps.

Of course, gamers who are already taking their Steam Deck with them when they are traveling may not want to bring extra electronic devices as well. As such, the ability to read eBooks on Valve's system would prove useful for those who want an all-in-one platform that can do a bit of everything — from playing video games to streaming movies and television or perhaps even reading a novel.

A number of easy-to-use eBook apps are available via Flathub, meaning they will show up in searches on the Discovery app while in desktop mode on the Steam Deck. These range from simple readers such as Foliate and Sigil to more complicated apps like Calibre. Whatever the case, all of these apps allow users to read any ebooks that have been stored on the Steam Deck's memory or SD cards.

Although streaming television shows, movies, and music is the most common way for most of us to access media, many still prefer to buy and own content. There are a few solutions when it comes to the Steam Deck that allow users to play content that they have transferred to the system or are loading from an SD card. A simple search for media players in the Discovery app of SteamOS when running in desktop mode will highlight many available apps, although there are some standout examples.

The two most notable and familiar media players are VLC and Kodi. Both are available as Flathub installs directly in the Discovery app and can be installed on the Steam Deck quickly and easily. Users can then use these apps to play any content they want on the device without having to worry about the file format or DRM. Kodi even offers a variety of options for organizing your library and using add-ons that can be downloaded through the program. Both VLC and Kodi also support streaming from another source, meaning you don't necessarily have to take up all of your storage on the Steam Deck with videos and music that you want to play.

Over the last few years, podcasts have grown to become an overwhelmingly popular type of content. It doesn't matter what type of person you are and what you like, there's a podcast out there for you. Whether it's sports shows, news and current events, fiction series, crime-scene documentaries and investigations, or just straight-up comedy, the world of podcasts is diverse and there are thousands of high-quality shows that release new episodes weekly.

That means that any device needs to have the ability to access and play podcasts if it wants to have maximum appeal. Steam Deck owners are fortunate because the Discovery app within the device contains plenty of podcast applications that will allow users to listen to their favorite shows either through speakers or headphones. There are dedicated apps such as Gnome's Podcasts as well as Kasts by The KDE Community but other media players, including Kodi, also work just as well when it comes to finding the best shows.