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Can I play Palworld on Steam Deck?

Pocket Pair's quirky open-world RPG is ideal for Pokémon fans, so here's how to get Palworld raring and ready to go on Valve's Steam Deck.

Palworld Steam Deck: An image of a Pal with a weapon.

Can I play Palworld on Steam Deck? So, you feel like rounding up your Pals, forging a cool base, and fighting some bosses? Yeah, that’s the bread and butter of Palworld Steam Deck action. If you’re looking to take a break from Pokémon, or just fancy a new RPG to sink your time into, then this guide is here to get you up and running on Valve’s handheld.

Before you keep scrolling, we’ve got more guides available for plenty of the best Steam Deck games. Our Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Steam Deck, Marvel Rivals Steam Deck, Fortnite Steam Deck, Hogwarts Legacy Steam Deck, and Roblox Steam Deck guides can get you set up to play to your heart’s content.

Can I play Palworld on Steam Deck?

Yes, you can play Palworld on Steam Deck. Nope, you don’t need to rely on some of the best Steam Deck alternatives to get Palworld running. Palworld is rated as ‘playable’ on the Steam Marketplace, which means you’ll be able to play the game with a few caveats. According to the descriptor, you may need to tinker with the following settings:

  • Some functionality is not accessible when using the default controller configuration, requiring use of the touchscreen or virtual keyboard, or a community configuration
  • This game sometimes shows mouse, keyboard, or non-Steam-Deck controller icons
  • Entering some text requires manually invoking the on-screen keyboard
  • Some in-game text is small and may be difficult to read
  • This game requires manual configuration of graphics settings to perform well on Steam

Alongside playing Palworld through Steam, you can also play it with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription through Xbox Cloud Gaming.

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How do I install Palworld on Steam Deck?

To install Palworld on your Steam Deck, purchase the game from the Steam Marketplace, then install it when prompted. You can also find the game in your library, and hit ‘install’ from there. However, if you want to use Xbox Cloud Gaming to stream Palworld, here’s how to do it:

  • Turn on 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, 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 Palworld on Steam?

Yes, Palworld is available on the Steam Marketplace. Palworld is in early access on the Steam Marketplace and Xbox Cloud Gaming, so don’t worry if you run into a few pesky bugs as developer Pocket Pair irons out the game’s flaws.

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And there you have it, that’s all you need to know about playing Palworld on your Steam Deck – one of the best portable gaming consoles. You can also check out our rundown of the Steam Deck specs or the best Steam Deck docks. And if you fancy a cheeky debate, our Nintendo Switch vs Steam Deck or Steam Deck vs Asus ROG comparisons should ignite that spark.