Can I play Minecraft on Steam Deck? If you’re eager to get some Minecraft Steam Deck fun on the go, then we’re here to help. Minecraft is arguably the best sandbox game out there, entertaining millions of players around the world with its blocky goodness. Mojang Studios has ported the game to plenty of platforms, so here’s what you need to know about playing it on Valve’s handheld.
While you’re tinkering with one of the best portable gaming consoles around, don’t hesitate to check out our rundown of the Steam Deck specs or the best Steam Deck docks. You can also check out our list of the best Steam Deck alternatives currently available.
Can I play Minecraft on Steam Deck?
Yes, you can play Minecraft on Steam Deck by acquiring the Java version of the game or by streaming it via Xbox Game Pass. Mojang Studios is yet to list Minecraft on the Steam Marketplace, Epic Games Stores, or GOG, which means you need to use Minecraft Java Edition if you want to download it. Or, if you’ve got an active Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you can stream Minecraft instead. Both methods require a bit of tinkering to get started, but let’s begin with the Java Edition.
How do I install Minecraft on Steam Deck?
To install Minecraft Java Edition, follow these steps:
- Boot up your Steam Deck, and launch ‘desktop mode’
- Go to the Discover store, then download Prism Launcher
- Launch Prism Launcher
- Select Minecraft by tapping ‘add instance’
- Hit launch, and then link your Microsoft account
- After Minecraft has installed, head to ‘settings’ in Prism Launcher
- Tap the Minecraft option, then tick ‘start Minecraft maximized’
- On your desktop, right-click and tap ‘add to Steam’
- Find the version of Minecraft you installed, and add to it your library
- Now you can play Minecraft in ‘gaming mode’

Alternatively, as we mentioned before, you can use Xbox Cloud Streaming to play Minecraft on your Steam Deck, too. Microsoft supports this integration and provides the following official instructions:
- Boot up your Steam Deck, and launch ‘desktop mode’
- Select the Discover software center icon on the taskbar
- In the Discover software center, select Applications > Internet > Web Browsers
- Install Microsoft Edge
- Select Application Launcher
- Select Internet, then right-click on Microsoft Edge and select ‘add to Steam’.
- In the ‘add a game’ window, scroll to find Microsoft Edge, check the box next to it, and select ‘add selected programs’
- Back on the Desktop, select Application Launcher > System > Konsole (terminal window)
- Edge will need to be able to access your Steam Deck controls with udev, so we need to give it override access
- Set it by entering this command and pressing ‘enter’: flatpak –user override –filesystem=/run/udev:ro com.microsoft.Edge
- Then enter exit and press ‘enter’ to close Konsole
- Open Steam by selecting the Steam icon on the desktop
- Select the Library tab, navigate to Microsoft Edge in the list, and then right-click it and select ‘properties’
- Make the following changes to the Microsoft Edge shortcut:
- Change the name (next to the icon) to Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta)
- Scroll down to ‘launch options’ and append the following (after @@u @@):
–window-size=1024,640 –force-device-scale-factor=1.25 –device-scale-factor=1.25 –kiosk “https://www.xbox.com/play”
- Close this window when you’re done
- Now, navigate to Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) in the Steam Library, right-click it, and select Manage > Controller layout
- In the Steam Controller Configurator, select ‘browse configs’. Under Templates, select Gamepad with Mouse Trackpad. Select ‘apply configuration’, then select ‘done’
Is Minecraft on Steam?
No, Minecraft isn’t officially available on the Steam Marketplace. Minecraft is for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
And there you have it, everything you need to know about Minecraft on the Steam Deck. For more handheld goodness, you can check out our Nintendo Switch vs Steam Deck or Steam Deck vs Asus ROG comparisons, as well as the best Steam Deck games to play right now.