by In this tutorial, we will show you how to install and run the Discord client on the Steam Deck.
Discord is one of the best VOIP and text clients around, especially for those interested in gaming.
A large number of communities now operate almost purely through the Discord platform.
Luckily, installing and using Discord on your Steam Deck is a relatively straightforward process.
You can even run this VOIP client alongside other games while in gaming mode. You can chat away to your friends without relying on Steam Chat.
By the end of this guide, you will have the Discord client running on your Deck in both Desktop and gaming modes.
Installing and Setting up Discord on the Steam Deck
In this first section, we will walk you through the straightforward process of installing the Discord client on your Steam Deck.
We will also show you how to add it as a non-Steam application so you can use it even while in gaming mode.
Changing to the Desktop Mode
1. Before installing Discord, you must change from gaming to desktop mode. The desktop mode allows you to install applications unavailable in the Steam store.
To get to desktop mode you must first open the STEAM menu. Bring up this menu by tapping “STEAM Menu” in the bottom-left corner or pressing the STEAM button.
2. With the STEAM Menu open, select the “Power” option. This menu is where you will be able to swap to desktop mode.
3. Select the “Switch to desktop” option to change to desktop mode.
Installing Discord to the Steam Deck
4. Now that you are on the desktop interface, we can install the Discord client.
To install this VOIP client, we must open the Discover application. This application is the little shopping bag in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen.
5. With the Discover application open, you must change to the “Search” screen (1.).
After swapping to the search screen, use the search box to search for “Discord” (2.).
You can bring the keyboard up on your Steam Deck while in desktop mode by pressing STEAM + X.
6. After running the search you should see “Discord” at the top of the application list.
To install this application to our Steam Deck we must open its entry by double-clicking it.
7. Now that you have the Discord discover page open, you can install it to your Steam Deck by clicking the “Install” button in the top-right corner.
8. After Discord is installed to your Steam Deck, click the “Launch” button in the top-right corner to open it.
9. With Discord now open on your Steam Deck you can log in to your account.
You can do this by typing in your username and password or scanning the QR code using the Discord mobile app.
10. Now, you have Discord running successfully within desktop mode.
Configuring the Voice Settings for Discord
11. Before continuing further, now is an excellent time to ensure you have Discord configured properly.
To get to the voice settings in Discord, click the COG icon in the bottom-left corner.
12. With the settings panel open, change to the “Voice & Video” tab.
Once you are within this tab you can change the “INPUT” and “OUTPUT” devices for Discord. This is useful if you are using a Bluetooth headset or a separate microphone.
Adding Discord to the Steam Deck Library
13. To use Discord on your Steam Deck while in gaming mode, you must add it to your library.
Return to the desktop and double-click the “Steam” icon to start this process.
14. With the Steam desktop client open, click “Add a game” (1.) in the screen’s bottom-left corner.
In the context menu, click the “Add a Non-Steam Game...” option (2.).
15. With the “Add Non-Steam Game” dialog open, search for “Discord” and tick the checkbox next to it (1.).
Once you have Discord selected, click the “Add Selected Programs” button (2.).
Returning to Gaming Mode
16. We have set up everything we need within the Steam Deck’s desktop mode.
You can return to gaming mode by double-clicking the “Return to Gaming Mode” icon on the desktop.
Finding Discord in your Steam Deck Library.
17. With the STEAM Menu open on your Steam Deck, change to your game library.
18. Within this library you must change to the “Non-Steam” category (1.).
Once you have changed to this category you should see “Discord” listed as one of the available application (2.). Select this entry to continue.
Adjusting Input Settings for Discord
19. The default input settings for Discord on your Steam Deck make the application a bit tricky to use.
Luckily for us, Steam makes this process easy. To proceed click the controller icon on the right side of the screen.
20. You can now change the current layout by selecting the option at the top of the page.
21. On this screen, ensure you are currently in the “TEMPLATES” section.
Once you are sure you are on the right page, scroll to the bottom of the page and select the “Web Browser” template. We found this template worked well on our Steam Deck when using Discord.
Launching Discord on your Steam Deck
22. From now on all you need to do to launch Discord on your Steam Deck is to open its entry and click the “Play” button.
23. After clicking the play button, Discord should be running on your Steam Deck while in gaming mode.
Running Discord Alongside Other Apps on your Steam Deck
24. The Steam Deck allows you to keep multiple applications at once. All you need to do is not click the “Exit game” option.
To swap to a game while Discord is open, press the STEAM button to bring up the STEAM Menu. Now, use this menu to browse and launch a game.
25. Below you can see that we now have Vampire survivors running on our Steam Deck at the same time as Discord.
26. If you bring up the STEAM menu again by pressing the STEAM button you will see both “Discord” and “Vampire Survivors” are listed in the top-right of the screen.
You can swap your game and Discord at any time. Discord will continue to run in the background until you quit out of it.
Conclusion
Hopefully at this stage of the tutorial you will now know how to install and run Discord on your Steam Deck.
Installing this client gives you access to numerous gaming communities and one of the best VOIP clients.
Thanks to how the Steam Decks gaming mode works, you can run Discord alongside all of your games.
Please comment below if you have any questions about getting Discord to run on your Deck.
If you found this tutorial useful, be sure to check out our many other Steam Deck guides.
