Run and gun on your favourite handheld PC.
A Proton GE update means Halo Infinite can now be played on the Steam Deck. Halo Infinite was previously unplayable on the Steam Deck due to incompatibility with the game’s anti-cheat software. Even the single-player campaign wasn’t playable, but now Steam Deck users can get around this pesky incompatibility in just a few easy steps.
Reddit user DanTheBloke gives us the rundown on what to do. The first step is to go into the SteamOS settings on your Deck (it’s in the System tab) to change the system update channel to the “Preview” Beta build. Next, follow Rock Paper Shotgun’s guide to installing Proton GE, which will add compatibility features that make Halo Infinite playable on the Deck.
We’re not going to go into the full details here, but getting ProtonGE isn’t that bad. First, switch the Deck to Desktop mode. This drops the SteamOS overlay for the regular old Linux UI and lets you install software other than games. Next, boot up the Discover App Store and search for an app called “ProtonUp-Qt.” Install it, launch it, and then click Add Version and search for “Proton-GE,” with the latest version being “GE-Proton7-26.”
Once installed, boot up Steam (but remain in Desktop mode) and right-click Halo Infinite from your library. Then go to Settings -> Properties -> Compatibility, and set it to use GE-Proton7-26.
Lastly, head into the Halo Infinite install folder and rename the videos folder (or just delete it). Apparently, there are still some problems running the in-game videos on this version of Proton, but so long as you’re playing multiplayer, you won’t be watching any videos anyway.
And that’s it! You should now be able to play Halo Infinite on the Deck. DanTheBloke reports 60 fps on low settings, which is good enough for a few quick play matches. Note that this version of the SteamOS is technically a beta until Valve says otherwise, so you might come across a few bugs.
Valve would also like to remind players during the summer that the Deck really doesn’t like to operate in ambient temperatures above 35 degrees C. So be sure to play the Deck in an air-conditioned building, or just don’t use it when it’s hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.
