Ever since the Deadlock test invitation became public, there have been a lot of questions about it. One of the main questions was whether you could play Deadlock on a Steam Deck. Although early in development it was stated that this game was not supported, there are still workarounds. So, with that, let’s start answering the question of if and how to play Deadlock on Stream Deck right here.
Can you play Deadlock on Steam Deck?
GOOD, Deadlock comes with Steam Deck controls support by default. Although it is stated that it is not ready for Steam Deck, not everything that is written on paper is true. Yes, you can play the game via Steam input. However, it has many issues as an early development game.
One of the issues is that Deadlock does not work on the Steam Deck. This results in an error message that says “Matchmaking not supported for Steam Deck.”

If you’re in the same situation, don’t worry. Read on as we explain how to play Deadlock on Steam Deck. We’ll also share the optimal button settings so you can get the most out of your deck. In particular, playing Deadlock on controllers comes with a lot of restrictions.
How to play Deadlock on Steam Deck
To play Deadlock on Steam Deck, you can follow two methods. One is quite simple but requires some workarounds. The other, on the other hand, is more technical and requires running a command through the launch settings. Here are the two methods you can use to play Deadlock on Steam Deck:
1. Launch method
There is a permanent way to run the game on Steam Deck. This way, you can change the launch settings once and never have to worry about matchmaking again. Here’s how you can use the launch settings to run Deadlock on Steam Deck:
- Access Deadlock from the Steam menu and select the gear icon.
- Select Properties and go to the General tongue.
- In the launch options, type SteamDeck=0 %command% and start the game.
2. Spectator method
Note: I suggest you select a game with a lower number of viewers. Otherwise, the game may waste your time and you will have to start the process again.
To play Deadlock on Steam Deck via Spectate, follow the steps below:
- Go to the Watch Menu from the game’s main screen.
- Select a game with a low number of viewers.
- Now open the menu and click on the first Play button displayed.

Optimized Steam Deck Controller Layout for Deadlock
Thanks to Reddit user Message from Human971224we have an ideal controller layout that maximizes your gaming efficiency. You can follow the image below and modify yours.

This setup will help you play the game like a classic third-person shooter where the left stick helps with movement and the right stick is for sight. In this setup, the gyroscope is also enabled for precise aiming.
And that’s how you can play Deadlock on a Steam Deck. Still, have doubts? Feel free to contact us in the comments below.
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