How to add external games to your Steam library

Steam istheplace for PC games , but several game are only uncommitted on other storefront . The Epic Games Store , Ubisoft Connect , Origin , and more have games that you ca n’t find on Steam . Plus there are those Hellenic roguelike game you ’re probable to download from independent sites . Here ’s how to get them all on Steam so you’re able to get at your games all from the same place . Plus , we ’ll show you how to add plot you ’ve purchase from places like Humble Bundle that use Steam codes .

Although you’re able to add up almost any biz to Steam , you wo n’t have approach to social features or achievements . Instead , Steam allows you to connect apps so you could see and launch them from your library page — though it does n’t go through the effort of fetching box seat art or anything of the sorting .

Further reading

How to add games to your Steam library from other sources

you’re able to supply non - Steam game to your Steam library , but you wo n’t have entree to achievements , trading bill of fare , or any of the social features normally attached to Steam game . It ’s simply a way to launch games from the Steam interface .

Here ’s how to add a non - Steam secret plan to Steam :

pace 1 : discover the secret plan data file on your computer . Doing this first allows you to habituate lookup functions easily .

footmark 2 : Open theGamesmenu at the top left of your Steam window , then clickAdd a non - Steam secret plan to my library .

stone’s throw 3 : Select the programme , or go hunt it down . If you ’ve installed the game already , there ’s a warm probability it ’ll be listed in the quick apps windowpane .

Step 4 : If it ’s there , just click the boxful next to the game you need to add , then advertize theAdd selected programsbutton .

Step 5 : If the biz is n’t listed , hitBrowseand find the data file manually .

Adding Steam codes to your Steam library

When you buy games from third - company stores and service , such as Humble Bundle , those games are often actually Steam game , and you could pay off them through Steam using a codification put up by the seller . code are 12 characters long , and they ’re pretty easy to apply .

Step 1 : get at your game code .

stride 2 : Once you ’re in Steam , steer to the top of the client and look for theGamesmenu at the top . Click onActivate a production on Steam .

Step 3 : That’ll open up a newfangled windowpane ; clickNext , then agree to the Steam endorser agreement .

Step 4 : Input your Steam key fruit in the newfangled window . HitNextagain to corroborate it .

footmark 5 : The next windowpane will let you instal the game on your computer immediately . you may also invalidate at this step , which will tot the game to your account but not immediately instal it .

Adding Windows games and apps to your Steam library

Windows is pretty open when it come to third - party apps ( after all , you may just chuck any ol’ .exe file into Steam and it ’ll work ) . It ’s not , however , receptive with its own apps . Windows apps do n’t show up in the file adventurer , so you ca n’t add up them to Steam just by look for . Thankfully , there ’s an open - source tool that will do the job for you , which is particularly utile for supply game fromXbox Game Passto Steam .

Step 1 : To startle , you ask to download a tool know asUWPHook . Brian Lima , the developer , create it and there are many other task yet to arrive from them , ( including a nifty UI for dally itch.io secret plan ) .

Step 2 : You may get a SmartScreen notification when running the installer . We did n’t encounter anything malicious in the app ( you could alwaysuse free antivirus softwareif you ’re concerned ) .

stair 3 : exportation UWP apps to Steam . After download UWPHook , select it . Then knock on theLoad set up UWP appsbutton . Keep in judgement that this could take a bit of prison term for the computer software to thoroughly site every Windows app on your gimmick .

Step 4 : After the list of applications is acquired , you may separate through them and play up which ones you ’d care to tot up to your Steam account .

Step 5 : After selecting them , you’re able to rename each app and export them . To in full export , you ’ll need to tap on theExport selected apps to Steamoption . After several second UWPHook will take over and copy them to your Steam Library .

footfall 6 : To see your updated list of diligence in Steam , you have to reboot the system . After shutting it down and restarting Steam , every new app should appear in the program library .

footprint 7 : If for some reason , some of your export applications are n’t there , you may need to lumber the AUMID for each missing app manually .

Adding emulator games to your Steam library

Digital Trends does not promote piracy , but that does n’t stop many players out there on the cyberspace from using software emulator and ROMs to flirt sometime games — and there ’s a legal argument to be made for creating read-only memory transcript of your own games or downloading read-only memory copy of game you ’ve legally buy that you do n’t pass on to others . In any cause , whether it ’s legal or not , multitude play ROMs , and sometimes they want to add them to their Steam libraries .

It ’s tough to bestow ROMs to Steam because , in addition to creating a crosscut to the ROM itself like you would with any other game , you also need to secernate Steam to enter the emulator necessary for playing it . you could belt along up the outgrowth with prick such as Ice or Steam ROM Manager to add your read-only storage to Steam . you may also create your own shortcuts in Steam that will work with your ROMs , much in the same way you add non - Steam biz to your Steam library .

Step 1 : Create a cutoff to any .exe file . First , use the same steps above that you would to add a plot to Steam , but opt any feasible programme data file . All you ’re doing here is making a shortcut you ’ll edit later , so it does n’t weigh what program you use — you ’ll be changing it .

footprint 2 : Find the booklet where your imitator and fixed storage are installed . Just as above , take a second and find the file route to the emulator and ROM you ’re look to use . You ’ll need them in a moment , and write down or imitate the data file way ahead of time will save you a little time later .

whole tone 3 : edit out the cutoff . In Steam , find the programme you just added from your library . Select or right - click the game and utilise the menu that pops up to voyage down toProperties .

Step 4 : That’ll pull open a screen that lets you edit the cutoff you create , include changing the name and image that endure with it and altering the file way of life for the shortcut . Here , you ’ll just punch in the data for your aper and ROM to add up it to Steam .

Step 5 : Change the name of the crosscut to whatever the championship of your ROM is , then spotlight the text in theTarget study .

Step 6 : Replace it with the file track to the imitator , ensure to keep quotation chump around it .

Step 7 : Put a space after the end of the file path to the ape , and then add the file path to the ROM you want to apply — again putting credit marks around it . Your finished field of honor should expect something like this : C : YourEmulatorEmulator Folderemulator.exe C : YourEmulatorEmulator FolderYour ROM game.n64 .

Step 8 : You’ll either desire to erase the text in theStart infield or put the file way of life to your aper pamphlet in that playing field . In most cases , that should do it . The shortcut will now search for the emulator and run it and then the ROM and run that as well .

Add command line arguments for emulator games

For some emulators , you ’ll postulate additional commands in yourTargetfield to tell the copycat what to do . There are a innkeeper of potential commands and they ’re different for different imitator . you may find a large , useful list of command arguments atLaunchBox.com , andSteam user cunningmunkicreated a handy tutorial for adding ROMs to Steam that also list a few of the most common emulators and their mastery disceptation .

When you know what mastery arguments you need , you ’ll generally tot up them to theTargetfield after the file paths for your emulator , but before the filing cabinet path for your ROM .