Valve’s new handheld gaming system, Steam Deck, was released in February and has already earned a devoted following that appreciates the flexibility and convenience of the unique device. Though it works on the Linux-based Steam OS, its huge library also includes Windows-compatible tiles. So can you play Fortnite on Steam Deck?
You can play Fortnite on the Steam Deck, but only when you install Windows OS on the device. Epic Games has yet to release the updates to support Fortnite on ‘Proton,’ Valve’s Windows to Linux compatibility software, so you can’t play it on Steam OS like other games.
As one of the most popular games in the world, Fortnite is a natural choice for gamers looking to test out the capabilities of Steam Deck. But with no official support yet, it’s still a little complicated to get the game running. If you’re comfortable tinkering around in your system, you can definitely make it happen. Let’s see how Steam Deck works and how you can play Fortnite on it.
What Is the Steam Deck?
The Steam Deck is a new handheld gaming device by Valve. Since its debut in February 2022, it has become the hottest gadget to enjoy your favorite games on the go.
Steam Deck runs on the Arch Linux system and has a big library of games available to purchase and download. But you can also play Windows-exclusive games thanks to a compatibility layer called ‘Proton’, also developed by Valve.
Internally, the Steam Deck is powered by a custom AMD processor and eight-thread Zen 2 CPU, so you can enjoy the games at their fullest potential. It also has a 7-inch 60Hz IPS LCD display and a 40Wh battery that can last up to 5 hours on a single charge.
In addition, since the device is designed like a PC, it easily connects with any monitor or TV display via a USB-C dock. Even Bluetooth controllers and keyboards are supported to let users enjoy their games as they like.
Can the Steam Deck Run Fortnite?
Fortnite is still not available for the Steam Deck. Epic Games has yet to release the update to support Valve’s ‘Proton,’ which would enable the game to be played on the Steam Deck. And based on the recent series of tweets from Epic CEO Tim Sweeney, it seems like the company is in no hurry to do so.
Sweeney’s tweets were in response to a fan asking about the possibility of Fortnite on the Steam Deck. Sweeney explained the lack of support by stating that the open platform model of the Steam Deck gives access to a wide array of kernel configurations, including the custom ones, which leave it more vulnerable to cheating.
He further added that even though Epic’s Easy Anti Cheat (EAC) is compatible with Proton, it would be a big undertaking to make such a huge game like Fortnite work properly. And it’s simply not feasible and worth it for the company to do so at this point.
So, it seems like we won’t be able to play Fortnite on the Linux steam OS anytime soon. But there is a workaround that you can use.
How Can You Play Fortnite on Steam Deck?
Flexibility is the biggest selling point of the Steam Deck. The device is actually a PC, with all the necessary hardware and system support to run multiple operating systems or external devices.
Steam Deck gives users a choice to install both Windows and Linux-based operating systems.
It also allows double-boot, so you can install both operating systems and select between them at the startup BIOS menu. And don’t worry about system performance, because it comes with a powerful AMD processor and 64GB eMMC memory minimum. So, there’s plenty of power to handle multiple tasks and games.
You may lose some UI optimization when running the device in Windows instead of Linux. But it’s still a good option for playing Fortnite on the go.