by In this tutorial, we will show you how to watch media from a Plex server on the Steam Deck.
Plex is one of the best media servers around, with client support for the vast majority of operating systems and devices.
One of these supported operating systems just happens to be Linux, meaning we can easily watch Plex media on our Steam Deck without relying on a third-party client or the web browser.
Using Plex, you can stream all your media to your Steam Deck, saving you from having to save media files to your Deck and consuming precious storage space.
Installing and running Plex is actually a super straightforward process thanks to it being available through the Discover store.
Setting up Plex on your Steam Deck
Throughout the following steps, we will be walking you through every step you need to take to install the Plex client on the Steam Deck.
Changing To Desktop Mode
1. To install applications to our Steam Deck that aren’t available through the Steam store, such as Plex, we must change to desktop mode.
You can start this process by bringing up the START MENU. You can open this menu by clicking “STEAM MENU” or by pressing the STEAM button on your Deck.
2. With the STEAM Menu open, click the “Power” option. Despite its name, this menu is where you will find options for quitting Steam gaming mode.
3. You will now be given a few different options. The option you must click is labeled “Switch to Desktop“.
Installing Plex from the Desktop
4. Now that you have changed to desktop mode, you will want to open the “Discover” app.
You can open this application by clicking the little shopping bag in the taskbar.
5. With the Discover app open, change to the “Search” screen (1.).
Once you are on the search screen, use the bar at the top to look for “Plex” (2.). You can bring up the keyboard in desktop mode of your Steam Deck by pressing STEAM + X.
6. You will now see all of the applications that contain the name “Plex” that can be installed on your Steam Deck
Double-click the one at the top of this list should be labeled “Plex“.
7. Now that you are on the page for Plex, click the “Install” button in the top-right corner of the screen.
This installation process can take a few minutes, depending on your internet speed.
8. Once Plex has been installed to your Steam Deck, you should see the “Install” button change to “Launch“.
Now is an excellent time to log in to your Plex account. Click the “Launch” button to open Plex.
Logging in to your Plex Account
9. Now that you have Plex open on your Steam Deck, you will want to log in to your Plex account if you have one. These accounts make it easier to connect with your Plex server. If you don’t have an account, skip to step 12.
To start the login process, click “Sign in” at the top of the application.
10. You will be taken to another page with a big “SigniIn” button.
Click the button to continue signing in to your account.
11. A web browser should pop up on your Steam Deck. Follow the prompts to log in to your account.
Adding Plex as a Non-Steam Game on the Steam Deck
12. Our next step is to add Plex as a Non-Steam Game on our Steam Deck.
This will allow us to use this media player from within gaming mode. To start this process, open up the desktop version of Steam by double-clicking the “STEAM” icon or double-pressing the STEAM button on your Steam Deck.
13. Once Steam is open on your Deck, click the “Add a game” button (1.) in the bottom-left corner.
Clicking this option will bring up a pop-up menu. Click the option labeled “Add a Non-Steam Game...” (2.).
14. With the “Add Non-Steam Game” dialog open, find the entry labeled “Plex” and tick the checkbox next to it (1.).
After selecting Plex, click the “Add Selected Programs” button (2.) to add Plex to your Steam Deck library.
Returning to Gaming Mode
15. We are finally at the point where we can return to gaming mode on our Steam Deck.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to double-click the “Return to Gaming Mode” icon on the desktop.
Playing Media through Plex on your Steam Deck
16. Once you are back in gaming mode, you will want to swap to your library.
You can do this by opening the STEAM MENU and clicking the “Library” option.
17. With your Steam Deck library open, you must change to the “NON-STEAM” (1.) tab to find Plex.
On this screen, find and click the “Plex” entry (2.).
18. All you need to do now to launch Plex on your Steam Deck is click the big “Play” button.
19. You should now have Plex up and running on your device. You can immediately start to watch any movies or TV shows from your media server.
Conclusion
Hopefully, at this stage, you will have successfully installed the Plex client to your Steam Deck.
Using this client, you can easily watch any TV shows and movies stored on your media server.
If you don’t have a Plex media server, we have guides that show you how to set one up on a Raspberry Pi or Ubuntu.
Please feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions about running Plex on your device.
If you liked this guide, be sure to check out our many other Steam Deck tutorials.
