NonSteamLaunchers Adds Real-Time Shortcuts And Teases Steam Integration

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Playing games from storefronts outside of Steam may not be straightforward, but it's definitely possible. However, one of my favorite ways to access them is NonSteamLaunchers. This is a script that will automatically install the third-party launcher you select, like the Epic, GOG, and Itch.io storefronts, and add them to Steam. It makes everything significantly easier, and the new update adds a nice feature to the script.

The new 4.2.2 update, which was released a couple of days ago, we now have real time shortcuts! This means there's no more restarting Steam when applying icons or artworks, and it sounds like this could include the actual shortcuts for the launchers being installed. Most programs require closing and re-opening Steam for changes to take effect, and while this isn't the end of the world, it's nice to be able to change what we need without needing to restart the program.

While this is the only current change, developer moraroy did tease the next big feature coming, which would be Steam integration with controller support. From the screenshot provided, it appears you will be able to launch and install launchers directly through Steam, as well as update Proton GE and such. One thing I don't see is being able to install launchers into Separate App IDs, which gives each launcher its own Proton Prefix. This is something I do recommend and is in the current 4.2.2 version of the script, so I hope this makes its way over, too.

Hopefully, these changes do include the separate app IDs, but I am happy to see how progress is being made. I remember first seeing the program when it launched, and I have been using it since for all my launchers that aren't covered by the Heroic Launcher.

If you already have NonSteamLaunchers downloaded on your Steam Deck, just run it, and it will auto-update to the newest version. It may give a pop-up that you should update to 4.2.2, but just hit ok and ignore it. If you don't, you can follow our guide on how to get it set up.

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