Install Decky Loader and Enhance your Steam Deck [Guide]

Decky Loader brings community-made plugins into your Steam Deck’s Gaming Mode. You can choose add-ons that change how the Deck looks or add controls beyond its built-in settings.

The loader installs through Desktop Mode, so setup takes you out of the gaming interface for a bit. Once it’s installed, you pick the plugins you want from Decky’s own browser.

What Decky Loader adds to Steam Deck

If Decky’s panel opens, check the failing plugin’s maintainer notes before reinstalling the loader. If Quick Access lacks the plug icon, use the official installer and issue tracker.

Part	What it does	Who maintains it
Decky Loader	Opens a plugin panel from Quick Access	Steam Deck Homebrew project
Plugin browser	Lists plugins you can install	Decky project and plugin contributors
Plugin	Adds a specific feature or control	Its own developer

Decky is intended for the SteamOS supplied on Steam Deck. Its panel is separate from the Steam client on a Linux desktop, covered in our guide to Steam on a Linux desktop. That distinction helps you choose the right setup.

Decky plugins do not replace tools for every Steam task. ProtonUp-Qt manages Proton and WINE builds on Steam Deck rather than loading Decky plugins. Use it for compatibility-tool management.

What to have ready

Connect the Steam Deck to the internet and switch to Desktop Mode.

• Use the SteamOS installation supplied on the Steam Deck.
• Keep the Deck online while downloading the official installer.
• Use a mouse and keyboard, or the trackpad and on-screen keyboard.

The Decky README says a sudo password does not need to be set beforehand. If the installer offers its temporary password option, follow the prompt.

The project README also identifies KDE Connect as a remote-input option available on Steam Deck. For pairing an Android phone with a Linux desktop, see our KDE Connect setup guide. It is a separate route from Decky plugins.

Install Decky Loader from the official project

The official project supplies Decky’s installer and its release choices. Download the launcher in Desktop Mode and open it from the desktop. This keeps installation on the Deck itself.

1. Switch to Desktop Mode

Press the Steam button, open Power, and choose Switch to Desktop. From the Deck’s browser, open the official Decky Loader project page. The installer link is maintained there.

2. Download the installer

Use the project’s installer link to download decky_installer.desktop. It is a launcher file, not a Decky package from Discover. Keep the filename intact when saving it.

3. Open the desktop launcher

If Firefox adds .download, rename the file to decky_installer.desktop first. Then move it to the desktop, double-click it, and approve the launch prompt. The launcher needs its desktop filename to open correctly.

Set a sudo password only if the installer requires it. Its README offers a temporary password option when none is set, so follow that prompt instead of changing system files by hand. Let the installer complete before returning to Gaming Mode.

4. Choose a release channel

Latest Release is the stable channel for normal use. Latest Pre-Release is meant for plugin developers and testing, and Decky warns it may be less stable.

Let the installer finish, then open Return to Gaming Mode from the desktop. The project publishes a current installer, so there is no need to select an older version number manually.

Open Decky in Gaming Mode

Find Decky’s plug icon in the Quick Access sidebar after returning to Gaming Mode. The panel is the check that the loader launched.

Step	Screen state	Next action
Press the three-dot Quick Access button	Sidebar opens	Select the plug icon for Decky
Open Decky’s plugin browser	Plugin listings appear	Read the maintainer and compatibility notes

Open the plugin browser from Decky’s store button, read the plugin description, and check who maintains it before installing. A Decky listing does not promise that a plugin supports every SteamOS or Steam Client version.

Install one plugin first and check that it works before adding another. For a separate app in the Steam Deck menu, see our guide to YouTube in Gaming Mode.

Separate loader and plugin failures

The Decky project separates installer issues from plugin compatibility. Use the visible symptom to choose the next check before changing SteamOS settings.

What you see	What to try
Firefox saved decky_installer.desktop.download	Rename it to decky_installer.desktop, then open the launcher again.
The Decky panel disappeared after a SteamOS update	Reinstall from the official installer and choose Latest Release. Try Latest Pre-Release only if the stable channel does not restore Quick Access.
Decky is missing after a Steam Client beta update	Check the current Decky issue for this Quick Access symptom before changing SteamOS files or reinstalling plugins. The issue describes the missing panel after a Steam Client beta update.
The installer reports a port conflict	Check for software using ports 1337 or 8080. Decky’s README notes that Syncthing may use port 8080 on Steam Deck.
A single plugin fails while Decky opens	Remove that plugin through Decky’s settings, then check its developer’s support notes.

If Syncthing runs as a service on the Deck, the Decky project recommends changing its port because Decky needs 8080. Our Syncthing service setup explains how Syncthing runs on Linux.

If neither release channel brings back the panel, search the official Decky issue tracker for the SteamOS or Steam Client version shown on your Deck. Do not assume a plugin failure requires reinstalling the loader.

Official Decky sources

The Decky README documents the installer, channel choices, required ports and uninstall route.

• Decky Loader project README documents installation and troubleshooting.
• Decky Loader releases lists project files and release notes.
• Decky Loader issue tracker shows reports for specific SteamOS and Steam Client versions.

Plugin ownership sets the boundary

Add one plugin and test its feature before adding another. If Decky still opens but the feature fails, remove that plugin first and check its developer’s notes.

Keep Decky on Latest Release for normal use. Choose Latest Pre-Release only when testing or developing plugins.

What works	Next move
Decky opens and its panel works	Add one plugin and test its feature
Decky opens but the feature fails	Remove that plugin and check its developer’s notes

Decky Loader questions

The official installer remains the right place to start when Decky is missing. When one plugin fails but Decky still opens, check that plugin’s support notes.