Are you looking to get Minecraft working easily on Steam Deck or a normal Linux desktop with no hassle? This is a way to accomplish this and it's extremely simple. For this I picked the PolyMC launcher (a version of MultiMC) available on Flathub, as the current official Minecraft launcher Flatpak doesn't save your password on Steam Deck and PolyMC of course, supports modding as well.
Here's a new video guide for you, complete with the steps in text below:
This video is also on the Steam Deck section of the PolyMC Wiki!
Text steps
- Install PolyMC from the Discover Software Centre on Steam Deck or Flathub directly for desktop Linux. Launch PolyMC and then add your account to the upper right corner of the. It supports Mojang as well as Microsoft logins. If you go to the main PolyMC Settings, then click Minecraft in the left panel and click the option to close PolyMC when the game window appears. If you try loading the game in Game Mode / Deck UI on Steam Deck it will be a blur between the two windows. Ensure that Java is up-to-date in PolyMC Settings. This is necessary for the latest Minecraft. Minecraft gaming Click on Add Instance at the top left. Next, choose normal Minecraft or mods that have built-in search. It will install everything you require. - To be able to launch directly from Steam you must go to the Games menu at the top, then select Add a non-Steam game and then find PolyMC in the list of games.
Some YouTube comments suggested trying modpacks that are optimized, but really I didn't see a big enough difference in terms of performance or power use to make them actually worth it on Deck when compared to vanilla Minecraft when testing on the same map seed. Controller mods were also suggested, but they're rarely updated and often only compatible with specific Minecraft versions, so sticking with Steam Input and just adjusting some keys is the best option for this. Update: How to get Steam Deck and Gamepad controls in Minecraft.
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