DOS games on Steam Deck: Here’s the best way to do it

This part is easy: Tap the Steam button, scroll down to Power, then select “Switch to Desktop.”

When the desktop environment launches, you use the right trackpad for cursor controls, R2 and L2 for left and right clicking, and Steam + X to bring up the on-screen keyboard.

DOSBox is an emulator that runs classic DOS games on modern PCs, and it’s easy to install via Steam’s desktop mode.

On the desktop taskbar, click the shopping bag icon to launch the Discover app store. Select the Home section in the left sidebar, then type “DOSBox” in the search field at the top. Then, click the Install button on the DOSBox entry.

To streamline the setup process, make sure all your DOS games are in one location. Click the folder icon on the taskbar to bring up the file manager in desktop mode (called “Dolphin”), which you can use to organize your files.

For this guide, we’ll assume that your games are stored in Steam Deck’s Documents folder, under a subfolder called “DOS.” Each individual game should have its own subfolder within this “DOS” folder, with all the necessary files extracted.

Still no DOS games? The Internet Archive’s MS-DOS Games collection and MyAbandonware are good places to start.

Inside your DOS folder, right-click on an empty space, then select Create New > Text File…

You will use this file to launch one of your DOS games, so give it a name associated with the game, and use .sh instead of .txt for the file extension. The exact file name doesn’t matter, but you can use something like “dukenukem.sh” for Duke Nukem as an example.

Now, we need to edit the .sh launch file to include the instructions to launch the game. But first, let’s copy the location of the DOS game’s .exe file to the clipboard.

• Navigate inside the folder for one of your DOS games.
• Find the .exe file that normally launches the game. It usually bears some resemblance to the name of the game itself.
• Right-click the .exe file and select “Copy Location.”

Right-click the .sh file and select “Run with Kate” to open a text editor. In the text editor, type the following:

flatpak run com.dosbox.DOSBOX ""

Now, between the two quotes above, paste the location you copied earlier. Assuming your games are saved in the Documents folder, your text should look like this:

flatpak run com.dosbox.DOSBOX "/home/deck/Documents/DOS/darkforces/dark.exe"

Click Save and close the file.

The next step is to make the game launch from within Steam:

• While in Desktop mode, launch Steam, go to the “Games” tab in the top menu.
• Select “Add a non-Steam Game to My Library.”
• Select “Browse…,” then locate and select the .sh file you just created.
• Select “Add Selected Programs.”

At this point, the .sh file should appear in your Steam library. Right click on it and select “Properties,” and you can rename it to the actual game name.

Now, you can launch the game in Desktop mode to make sure it works, or just go back to Game mode.

Non-Steam games do not automatically come with artwork. If that bothers you, consider installing the Decky Loader and the SteamGridDB plugin to easily add art from within the game mode. Alternatively, you can use SDGBoop to add artwork via Desktop mode.

Back in Game mode, the DOS game will appear in the “Non-Steam” section of your library.

Chances are the game won’t work with Steam Deck controls by default, and if they do, they’ll likely be out of line with modern controller conventions. This is where Steam Deck’s many button remapping features come in handy.

When you’re ready to add more DOS games, return to Desktop mode, then make a copy of your existing .sh file. Change it to the name of the game you added, paste the file location, and add the new file to Steam. Repeat this process for any DOS game you want to play on the Steam Deck, and enjoy your newfound container for PC gaming nostalgia.