There’s some useful Steam Deck news if you’ve been waiting for an easier way to get the Epic Games Store onto the handheld: a package for the new Epic Games Launcher is now on Flathub. In Desktop Mode, you can install it from Discover, the same app store SteamOS already uses for other Linux software.
This is not the official SteamOS release Epic has talked about. It’s a community package of the launcher Epic still calls a Preview, and it is worth treating it that way. We covered Epic’s plan to support SteamOS earlier this week. That official build still isn’t here. What landed today is a stopgap you can actually install.
Steam Deck news: install it from Discover
Switch the Deck into Desktop Mode, open Discover, and search for Epic Games Launcher. The Flathub listing is com.epicgames.launcher, and the package is marked as desktop software, which matches how you install it: from the desktop, not from Game Mode. The same path should work on a Steam Machine, because SteamOS uses Discover there too.
The listing currently ships version 0.113.0, and the Flathub repository for it went public on 13 November 2026. We have not run this package ourselves yet, so this is the official listing and Epic’s own Preview page, not a hands-on install report from us.
It’s a community package, not an official Epic release
The important caveat is written clearly on the Flathub page: this community-provided package is not verified by, affiliated with, or supported by Epic Games. If something breaks, you are relying on the package maintainers and the wider community, not on an official Epic SteamOS build.
The package wraps Epic’s new launcher, which Epic itself still describes as a Preview. On Epic’s launcher site, it’s presented as a rebuilt store and library that’s now open on Windows, macOS and Linux, with a request for feedback. Official Linux downloads from Epic are still a .deb installer aimed at Ubuntu and Debian, not a SteamOS or Flatpak build.
What Epic actually supports today
Epic’s own system requirements for Linux are narrow. It officially supports Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or newer and Debian 12 or newer, with Fedora listed as coming soon. It also says other distributions may work, but they aren’t officially tested or supported. SteamOS is not on that list.
That matches what we wrote on 9 November. Epic has said it wants to support as many Linux systems as possible, including SteamOS, and that it is still testing packaging formats. Until that official support ships, this Flathub package is unofficial, even if it is the most convenient way to try the new launcher on a Deck right now.
There’s a second, more important limit that doesn’t change with the install method. Epic says the launcher runs natively on Linux, but many games in the store are still Windows-only builds and may need a compatibility layer. A native launcher is not the same thing as a native library. Check each game before you assume it will run well on the Deck or a Steam Machine.
What this means for Deck and Machine players
If you already use a community tool to add Epic games to Steam, you may not need to change anything today. Our guide to installing launchers on Steam Deck still covers those options, and they remain the proven route for Game Mode shortcuts until an official SteamOS build arrives.
Fortnite is a separate question, too. When Epic talked about rebuilding Easy Anti-Cheat for Linux, it said the Steam Deck doesn’t currently support the features that version needs. Nothing in this Flathub listing changes that, so don’t expect Fortnite to suddenly work just because the launcher is easier to install. We walked through that in more detail when Epic first announced the Linux anti-cheat work.
The broader picture is still encouraging. Epic is moving the new launcher toward Linux, and GOG Galaxy is listed for Linux in 2027 as well. Two of the biggest PC stores outside Steam are heading in the same direction. This Flathub package just isn’t the official SteamOS chapter of that story yet.
If you do try it, keep the caveats in mind: install it from Discover in Desktop Mode, treat it as unofficial, and don’t assume every Epic title will run natively. When Epic ships a supported SteamOS build, we’ll come back to it.
