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Yes. You can stream many games bought outside Steam with Steam Link, but first add a shortcut to the game in the Steam desktop client on the host PC. Steam Link then streams that PC running the game; it does not install or run the game on the Link device. Whether a particular title launches and accepts your controls depends on its launcher, DRM, anti-cheat, display mode, and input support.
How to add a non-Steam game for Steam Link
Do this on the PC that has the game installed. Valve’s Steam Link instructions direct users to add a non-Steam title to the host’s Steam library and launch it there. The labels below are for the Steam desktop client; wording or layout can vary by platform, language, or client update.
- Install the game on the host PC and, if it uses a launcher, sign in and confirm the game starts normally outside Steam.
- Open the Steam desktop client on that PC and select + Add a Game in the lower-left corner.
- Choose Add a Non-Steam Game….
- Select the game if it appears in the list. If it does not, choose Browse…, navigate to the installation folder, and select the game’s executable (usually a
.exeon Windows). - Select Add Selected Programs. In the Library, open the entry’s Properties if you need to rename it or adjust its launch options.
- Launch the entry once from the Steam desktop client to confirm the shortcut works.
- Open Steam Link on your TV, phone, tablet, or other client, connect to the host PC, and launch the entry from the library shown there.
You generally cannot add the game from the Steam Link app or hardware interface. The addition happens in Steam on the host; Steam Link provides the remote screen and input. The host must be on, reachable, running Steam, and capable of running the installed game. For the simplest setup, keep host and client on the same local network. Valve describes Steam Remote Play as the feature that streams games from a computer to devices using Steam Link.
What the shortcut does—and does not do
Adding a title to the library creates a convenient launch entry; it does not convert the game into a Steam purchase. The files remain installed and managed by the original store or installer. This is different from activating a valid Steam product key, as Valve explains in its Steam product-key guidance.
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- Steam does not take over the game’s download or updates.
- A shortcut does not automatically provide Steam Cloud saves or Steam achievements.
- Steam Overlay and Steam Input may work, but are not guaranteed for every game or launch path.
- The game may still require its original launcher, account login, DRM check, or anti-cheat system.
It helps to distinguish four outcomes: Steam can launch the program; Steam Link can stream its audio and video; the game receives controller or keyboard input; and the full experience is comfortable to use remotely. A title can succeed at the first two and still have problems with input, menus, resolution, or launcher windows.
Choose the right executable or launcher
Start with the game’s own executable if it can launch the game directly. Find it in the installation folder rather than assuming a desktop icon points to the right file. If the title requires its publisher’s launcher, add that launcher or use a shortcut that starts the game through it. Keep the original launcher installed and signed in.
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This applies to games from Epic Games Store, GOG, EA app, Ubisoft Connect, Battle.net, retail installers, and other sources. Emulators and front ends can also be added; an emulator shortcut may need the emulator executable plus the game file as a launch argument. A desktop shortcut by itself is not necessarily the best target.
If Steam opens a launcher and the actual game starts as a separate process, Steam may not track the handoff cleanly. The launcher can remain on screen, or overlay and controller behavior can differ. Test launching from Steam on the host before troubleshooting the Link connection. If the shortcut opens the wrong program, inspect its Properties and check the target executable, Start In folder, and launch options. Some games need their installation directory as the working folder.
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Controller support depends on the game and launch path
Steam Link forwards input to the host, but adding a shortcut does not make every game controller-friendly. If the game natively supports a gamepad, that is usually the simplest case. For a keyboard-and-mouse game, Steam Input may let you map controller buttons to keyboard or mouse actions, but you may need to choose or configure a layout, and some menus remain awkward without a keyboard and mouse.
Input or overlay behavior may be inconsistent if a launcher starts the game as a separate process, the game runs with different permissions from Steam, or anti-cheat software blocks overlays or virtual input. Test a standard Steam Input layout and, if possible, add the game executable rather than only the launcher. Avoid running programs as administrator unless needed; if the game requires elevated permissions, mismatched permissions can interfere with overlay or input features.
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Games that may need extra work
Microsoft Store and PC Game Pass
Some Microsoft Store and PC Game Pass games are harder to add because their installation, executable access, or permissions differ from a conventional desktop game. Do not assume every title will work by browsing to an ordinary executable; some may require extra setup or may not behave correctly.
Anti-cheat, DRM, and publisher launchers
A title’s anti-cheat or DRM may reject overlays, remote-play components, virtual controllers, or an unusual chain of launchers. Check the game publisher’s rules before trying workarounds. A login window, second launcher, or anti-cheat check can also require interaction on the host before gameplay begins.
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Keyboard-and-mouse games and launcher screens
A game can stream successfully yet be inconvenient from a couch if its launcher or menus need precise mouse input. A Bluetooth or USB keyboard and mouse, or a carefully configured Steam Input layout, may be necessary.
Troubleshoot by symptom
The game does not appear in Steam Link
- Confirm the entry is in the Steam library on the host account used by Steam Link.
- Make sure Steam is running and the host is visible in Steam Link; connect to the correct PC.
- Check for a library filter or hidden entry, then allow Steam to refresh the library.
- Try launching the shortcut locally from the Steam desktop client. If that fails, fix the shortcut before investigating the Link client.
The launcher opens, but the game does not
- Try adding the game’s executable instead of the launcher, if it launches directly.
- Otherwise, start the launcher first and launch the game through it; confirm you are signed in.
- Check the shortcut’s target, working folder, and required launch options.
- Disable launcher overlays one at a time to identify a conflict. Match Steam and game permissions only if necessary.
Black screen or incorrect resolution
Valve’s Steam Link troubleshooting guidance recommends switching the game to windowed mode for black-screen problems and identifies some potentially conflicting overlay, monitoring, capture, and background utilities.
- Launch the game on the host and change fullscreen mode to borderless-windowed or windowed.
- Temporarily close overlays, monitoring tools, screen-capture software, and heavy background transfers.
- Reconnect Steam Link and test again through the Steam library entry.
No controller input
- Connect the controller to the Steam Link client and check the shortcut’s Steam Input layout.
- Test a standard gamepad layout, then try adding the actual game executable rather than the launcher.
- Test keyboard input, if available, to separate a streaming problem from a controller-specific one.
- Try a wired controller or USB connection to isolate Bluetooth problems.
The game crashes after it starts
If the failure occurs before launch, check the shortcut, permissions, launcher, and Link connection. If it occurs inside a Steam dialog, Steam may be the right support route. If the game has loaded and then crashes or exhibits a game bug, Valve’s third-party game support guidance points users toward the game’s developer or publisher for problems within the game.
Improve the streaming connection
Network quality affects smoothness, latency, and image quality, but it will not fix a broken shortcut, blocked anti-cheat launch, or missing controller support. A wired Ethernet connection for the host or client is a useful first improvement; strong 5 GHz or Wi-Fi 6 coverage can also work well. Congested 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, distance, interference, router quality, resolution, bitrate, and host encoding performance all affect results. Valve’s Steam Link setup guidance covers network setup; Ethernet is practical advice, not a universal requirement.
If Steam Link cannot launch or control the game
Try the game’s own remote-play or streaming feature if it has one. Another streaming setup such as Moonlight with Sunshine may suit a title that Steam cannot launch or control, but it requires its own host/client setup and controller configuration. For the fewest moving parts and often the lowest latency, connect the gaming PC directly to the TV or monitor. A dedicated living-room PC runs launchers locally, but adds hardware and setup costs. None of these alternatives bypasses a game’s DRM, anti-cheat, or input requirements.
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