The Tool Desk
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Adding artwork changes how an entry looks; it does not turn the shortcut into a Steam purchase, a Steam-managed installation, or an ownership record.
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What a non-Steam library entry actually is
Steam treats an added program as a shortcut. It gives you a launch tile and lets you organize the program with the rest of your library, but Steam does not take over the program’s installation or licensing.
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“This will only add a shortcut to your game in the Steam client. This will not allow you to download updates for your game through Steam, nor allow you to use this game as proof of ownership for your Steam account.”
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That distinction matters for games installed outside Steam, emulators, productivity tools, and launchers. Updates remain the responsibility of the software’s own installer or launcher, and the shortcut cannot be used as evidence that the Steam account owns the title.
What you need before you start
- The game or application must already be installed on the Deck, or otherwise have a launchable program available to Steam.
- You need access to the Steam desktop client. On a Deck, that means using Desktop Mode for the desktop-client route.
- Artwork files are optional. You can use Steam’s library artwork controls, select your own local images, or use the optional SteamGridDB Decky plugin.
- Deck controls work in Desktop Mode, although Steam’s desktop FAQ notes that some situations are easier with a physical keyboard and mouse. They are an occasional convenience, not a stated requirement for changing artwork.
Add the game or application from Steam Deck Desktop Mode
This is the official, software-supported route for creating the library entry.
- Open the Steam menu in the Deck interface.
- Choose Power, then Switch to Desktop. Wait for the desktop and the Steam desktop client to appear.
- In the desktop client, use the Add a Game control. Steam’s desktop FAQ describes this control as being in the lower-left corner of the client.
- Choose Add a Non-Steam Game. Steam will show programs it can find on the system.
- Select the installed game or application, then choose Add Selected Programs. If more than one program is selected, each becomes its own shortcut.
- When you are finished in Desktop Mode, use the desktop link labeled Return to Gaming Mode.
- In the normal Deck interface, open your library and look in the non-Steam section. The shortcut should be listed there.
Steam’s support instructions use the same basic sequence for the desktop client: Games > Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library, select the program, and choose Add Selected Programs. The Deck version places that operation inside Desktop Mode, then exposes the result in the Deck interface.
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The picker only helps when Steam can see an installed program. Confirm that the application is installed before opening the picker, then check the list again. If Steam still does not show it, the official instructions do not establish a Deck-specific manual browse path in the material available here; avoid assuming that a Windows walkthrough or an arbitrary file location is valid on SteamOS. You can instead use the desktop client’s available selection controls or investigate the application’s own installation details before creating a shortcut.
Keep separate shortcuts separate
Installers and launchers sometimes expose more than one executable. Add the program you actually want to launch, rather than assuming the first item in the list is the game itself. If you add both a launcher and a game executable, Steam will display two independent shortcuts; artwork applied to one does not automatically apply to the other.
Confirm the entry before changing its appearance
Launch the shortcut once in Gaming Mode before spending time on artwork. This confirms that you selected the intended program and gives you a clean name to identify when you return to Desktop Mode or open an artwork tool. If the wrong application opens, remove or ignore that shortcut and add the correct installed program rather than trying to fix an artwork mismatch that is really a launch-entry problem.
Choose an artwork method
There are two practical approaches. The first keeps you in Steam’s desktop client and can use files you select yourself. The second uses the optional SteamGridDB Decky plugin to search for and apply images while you remain in Gaming Mode.
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|---|---|---|
| Steam desktop controls and manual files | People who prefer the Steam client and selecting their own files | Requires Desktop Mode and careful matching of artwork to the correct library entry; the cited manual path instructions are Windows-specific |
| SteamGridDB Decky plugin | People who want to search for and apply artwork in Gaming Mode | Requires optional Decky Loader/plugin setup; compatibility and current installation steps should be checked before use |
Neither method changes the shortcut’s ownership status or gives Steam responsibility for updates. They only change the library presentation.
Method 1: apply artwork with Steam’s desktop controls
In Desktop Mode, Steam’s library controls can be used to change the artwork associated with an entry. The exact menu wording can change with Steam client updates, so select the library item you added and look for its artwork or image-changing control rather than relying on a particular screen layout.
- Switch to Desktop Mode and open the Steam desktop client.
- Open the library entry for the non-Steam shortcut you created. Check its title carefully so you do not edit a similarly named game.
- Open the entry’s library artwork control and choose the local image you want to use.
- Save or apply the selection, then return to Gaming Mode with Return to Gaming Mode.
- Check the tile and the entry’s detail view in Gaming Mode. If the image is attached to the wrong shortcut, return to Desktop Mode and repeat the operation on the correct entry.
This is the least complicated option when you already have a suitable image and do not want to install an additional Deck plugin.
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The AppID-based manual file method
The SteamGridDB FAQ also documents a manual workflow in which artwork files are placed in Steam’s grid directory and named for the game’s AppID. The AppID is the identifier Steam uses to associate an image with a library entry, so a filename that belongs to a different identifier can make artwork appear on the wrong tile or fail to appear at all.
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For a Deck-only workflow, use Steam’s supported library controls or the optional Gaming Mode plugin unless you have separately verified a current SteamOS-specific file location. If you do use a manual method, keep the following checks in order:
- Identify the exact library entry you intend to edit.
- Confirm the AppID associated with that entry before naming any file.
- Use the filename convention documented by the current SteamGridDB FAQ.
- Place the file only in a path you have verified for your Deck’s current Steam client.
- Reopen the library view after applying the file and verify the image on the intended shortcut.
Method 2: apply artwork from Gaming Mode with the Decky plugin
The SteamGridDB Decky plugin is optional software, not a built-in Steam requirement. Its documented workflow is designed for Gaming Mode and supports artwork for both Steam games and non-Steam shortcuts, including icons.
- Install and enable Decky Loader and the SteamGridDB plugin using the project’s current instructions. Plugin compatibility and installation screens can change, so check the current project documentation when you set it up.
- Return to Gaming Mode and highlight the game or application whose appearance you want to change.
- Open the game’s context menu.
- Select Change Artwork….
- Choose the artwork offered by the plugin, apply it to the selected entry, and return to the library tile to verify the result.
The context-menu action is the key difference from the desktop route: you can manage the artwork without switching out of Gaming Mode. Because the plugin is maintained separately from Steam, an update to Decky, the plugin, or SteamOS can affect availability or labels. If the command is absent, check the plugin’s current compatibility information before troubleshooting the image itself.
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When the plugin is the better choice
- You want to browse artwork instead of preparing image files in advance.
- You want to change several Steam and non-Steam entries while staying in Gaming Mode.
- You want icon support as well as the larger library artwork.
When Steam’s own controls are preferable
- You do not want to install optional software.
- You already have original artwork or a personal design ready to select.
- You need a workflow that depends only on the Steam client.
Build a consistent custom library interface
Adding one image is easy; making a large non-Steam collection look deliberate requires a repeatable system. Treat each shortcut as a separate library record and prepare a small art set for every record before applying anything.
Use one visual rule for the whole collection
Choose a consistent treatment—such as the same logo placement, background style, or color approach—and apply it to every entry. Consistency makes a launcher, emulator, or independent game feel like part of one library even when the underlying programs come from different sources.
Keep names and art aligned
Use a clear library title and artwork that identify the same game or application. Avoid applying a game’s image to its launcher shortcut or an emulator’s image to a ROM shortcut. This is especially important when two entries have similar names in the non-Steam section.
Check every view after applying art
Gaming Mode can show a tile, a focused library view, and a detail view. Check the entry after changing its artwork rather than judging only from a file name or a thumbnail in Desktop Mode. A correct-looking file can still be associated with the wrong shortcut if the AppID or selected library item was wrong.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The shortcut does not appear in Gaming Mode
Return to Desktop Mode and confirm that you completed Add Selected Programs. Then use Return to Gaming Mode and check the non-Steam section, not only the main Steam games view. If you added several programs, verify that you are looking for the exact title Steam created.
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The game appears, but the artwork is unchanged
First confirm that you edited the same shortcut you are viewing. If you used a manual file workflow, recheck the AppID and remember that the documented example path is for Windows, not the Deck. On Deck, use Steam’s library artwork control or the plugin’s Change Artwork… action instead of guessing a SteamOS path.
The artwork is on the wrong game
This usually indicates that the wrong library entry was selected or that a manual filename used the wrong AppID. Remove the incorrect assignment if the interface offers that control, then apply the image again while the intended shortcut is clearly selected.
The Decky command is missing
Verify that Decky Loader and the SteamGridDB plugin are installed, enabled, and compatible with the current SteamOS and Steam client versions. The plugin is optional, so the absence of its menu does not prevent you from using Steam’s Desktop Mode artwork controls.
Desktop Mode is awkward to operate
Deck controls work on the desktop, but Steam’s FAQ notes that some situations may call for a physical keyboard and mouse. Treat those peripherals as an occasional convenience. They are not identified as a prerequisite for adding a shortcut or changing artwork.
Local library art versus public Community Hub uploads
Applying an image to your personal library is different from uploading artwork publicly to a Steam Community Hub. Steam’s Community Artwork policy says public artwork should be your own creation and directly related to the game; stolen or inappropriate work can be removed.
That policy is a rule for public uploads. It is not a complete statement of copyright law for every local-use situation, so keep the distinction clear: a private library change affects your interface, while a Community Hub upload is visible to others and subject to Steam’s moderation rules.
A practical workflow for a polished collection
- Install the game or application and confirm that it launches outside Steam.
- Switch to Desktop Mode and add the program through Steam’s Add a Game control.
- Return to Gaming Mode and confirm the shortcut is in the non-Steam section.
- Decide whether you want Steam’s desktop controls or the optional Decky plugin.
- Apply artwork while the exact shortcut is selected.
- Check the tile and detail view, then correct any name, AppID, or entry mismatch before adding more artwork.
- For a larger collection, use the same visual rules and naming scheme for every entry.
This order separates launch troubleshooting from appearance work. If something fails, you know whether the problem is the shortcut itself, the artwork association, or the optional tool.
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Quick Recap
What changes—and what does not
- Changes: the shortcut’s presence in your Steam library, its displayed artwork, and the visual consistency of your Gaming Mode collection.
- Does not change: who supplies updates, whether Steam owns the game, or whether the shortcut proves ownership of a Steam account.
- Optional: Decky Loader and the SteamGridDB plugin. Steam’s own Desktop Mode controls remain available without them.
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