To get GOG Galaxy running on your Steam Deck or linux desktop PC:

1. Download GOG Galaxy installer. Unfortunately, GOG hides the download link if you're on linux, so here it is: https://webinstallers.gog-statics.com/download/GOG_Galaxy_2.0.exe You can also download from https://www.gog.com/galaxy on your Windows PC or find the download link in the page source.
2. Add GOG Galaxy installer as a non-steam game to Steam.
3. Right click it your Steam library, go into Compatibiliity and check "Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool", then pick "Proton Experimental".
4. Run the installer via Steam to install GOG Galaxy.
5. Go into the properties again and change "Target" to GalaxyClient.exe. It should be somewhere in ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/<galaxy compat data id>/pfx/drive_c/Program Files (x86)/GOG Galaxy/GalaxyClient.exe.
6. Also change "Start in" to the directory where GalaxyClient.exe is located.
7. Run GOG Galaxy from your Steam library and use it to install and run your games.

On Steam Deck, I recommend installing through the desktop mode, you can then use it in gaming mode just fine. The trackpads work great for navigating the Galaxy UI.

- The achievements work.
- Game time tracking in GOG Galaxy works.
- You also get Steam Input so you can now play your GOG games with DualSense or pretty much any controller of your choice.

Oh and one final step: download icons & covers for GOG Galaxy from SteamGridDB to make it look pretty in your Steam library ;)

Okay, but this doesn't actually solve the problem that the client is undesirable.

This seems to be the only way to have achievements currently, if that's your thing. And I guess Steam input if you need that. If you don't, then you could use Lutris, Bottles, or your own custom wine prefix, or go completely for Heroic that replaces Galaxy for the most part (cloud saves and auto-updates).

But how is the interface with your method? Is there lag in the UI in Galaxy? Have you encountered any errors, especially with regard to installation? Or cloud saves shenanigans?

Last time I used Wine on Galaxy (a few months ago), it was pretty janky and had trouble installing Grim Dawn and Witcher 3. But I suppose it's doable.

Once Heroic gets achievements, and multiplayer, there's no competition and the choice is obvious :)

I cannot stand Galaxy 2.0. I'm not sure why anyone would ever want that software; it's so very terrible.

Does Galaxy 1.2.67 work on Steam Deck?

It should be noted that this method does not allow you to install games to a different drive, e.g. a data drive.

On the desktop it works perfectly so far. Scrolling through my combined library of 3800+ games is a bit choppy, but it's on nitpicking level and doesn't affect the usability.

On Steam Deck in game mode scrolling is a bit janky and way more choppy in the "owned games" view (but then again, 3800+ games). It may work better with a smaller library, but I have no way of testing that.

It definitely works fine in "installed" view with few games, though, which is all I need from it on the Deck TBH - just run a bunch of GOG games while traveling. So I guess on Steam Deck it's fine for playing, but not ideal for managing your library.

As far as cloud saves go, I can jump between my Steam Deck and the linux desktop PC and the saves are always up-to-date. Yeah, I've had way more positive experience with Proton and Bottles (I run MusicBee through it) than just plain WINE in general. Also Valve is constantly updating Proton so even if something didn't work a couple of months ago, it might be working now.

I also tried Witcher 3 since you've mentioned it, it took me 10 minutes to install the Complete Edition via Galaxy on my desktop. I was getting my full download speed of 80 MB/s, and I was able to load into my saves from 3 years ago. I've run around for few minutes on RT Ultra (same settings as on Windows) without any issues, other than that I've completely forgotten how play and accidentally picked a fight with a bunch of guards.

I also tried CP77 (only on desktop), and Noita and Hollow Knight on both Steam Deck and desktop, no issues there either. I have no interest in Galaxy 1.x. You can try this method with it yourself, there's a good chance it would work. And let us know if you do - I'm sure other Galaxy 1.x enjoyers would appreciate it. Nobody is forcing you to use it. Same goes for reading & posting in this thread.

An easier way:

1) Install "Bottles" from the Discover store
2) Create a "Gaming" bottle
3) Select the bottle, and click "Install Programs"
4) Bottles will show a pre-configured list of programs. Find GOG Galaxy and hit download.

The nice thing about Bottles is that it's also easy to run offline installers in the bottle, and it's easy to add individual EXEs to Steam, so you can run a GOG game without the client in the background, then turn on the client at times to sync cloud saves or auto-update games.

Hi, thanks for the solution I will try it

Maybe the Heroic launcher would be a good alternative? Should work with GOG (and Epic), is distributed as an AppImage for Linux (closest equivalent on Windows would be its portable EXE files), and apparently, is getting Galaxy-related API support, like achievements and playtime.

Unless you're playing DOS games. Doesn't have DOSbox support just yet.

Also, it's based on Electron, which I know many people have pause about that.

Yeah I was primarily thinking from the Steam Deck point of view, since you'd already have Steam installed so it's one less step. Similar reason for running the games through the client - I switch between desktop and Steam Deck often, so I want cloud saves to always be up-to-date.

But yeah, Bottles might be another good alternative, I think in Bottles it should be easy to have multiple applications running from the same WINE prefix, which should be great for having games in the Steam library while being installed through Galaxy. Although I'd make them also run through Galaxy (like the shortcuts Galaxy creates) to have up-to-date cloud saves, achievements and time tracking. I wonder if it's also possible to do this through Steam. I'm gonna have to look into it when I have time.

Retroarch. Don't like the program or the team behind it, but if the user wants to go through as little programs as possible, it's a good companion program for such circumstances, and it's also distributed as an AppImage for Linux.

Or, if the user doesn't mind lag and not owning the copy of the system he/she has, the user can install Windows 10 on the Deck and using Playnite.

So why not Lutris then? Cause Retroarch is on my No Fly List as well.

hi I want to uninstall Galaxy Client from my steam deck, could you teach me how to do it?
thanks a lot.

Hi, I can recommend following this guide: https://youtu.be/9axzR5maUOc

It also shows how to install and run GOG games from an SD card.