TL;DR: World of Warcraft: Forever runs on Steam Deck, but not officially. You install the Windows Battle.net app as a non-Steam game, force Proton Experimental, install Forever from it, then turn on the in-game Gamepad UI. Start with default graphics and a 30 FPS cap. If you freeze on a loading screen, switch to DirectX 11.
WoW Forever is a Windows and macOS game, and Blizzard doesn't support Linux or SteamOS. Players run it on the Deck through Proton, Valve's Windows compatibility layer. Notebookcheck cited a beta tester who reported it runs "surprisingly well" on default settings with a 30 FPS cap. The controller side is official, because Forever ships with a native Gamepad UI. You set it up once in Desktop Mode, and after that the game launches from Gaming Mode like any Steam title.
The install steps follow Steam Deck HQ's Forever guide from launch day. Data as of November 2026, launch build.
Can you play WoW Forever on Steam Deck?
Yes, unofficially. Three things to know before you start:
- No official support. Blizzard lists Windows and macOS only. A Blizzard forum reply quoted by The Forever Guides calls the Deck "not supported hardware", so Blizzard support can't help if Proton breaks after a Battle.net update.
- The GPU passes Blizzard's new floor. Forever drops GPUs older than AMD GCN 1 (2012), NVIDIA Maxwell or Intel Skylake, because its new lighting needs RGBA16F UAV support in compute shaders. The Deck's GPU is 8 RDNA 2 compute units, which is far newer than that floor.
- It isn't on the Steam store. No Steam release has been announced, so the Battle.net route below is the only way.
How to install WoW Forever on Steam Deck
This method points Steam at the real Battle.net launcher instead of the setup file. Steam Deck HQ says the shortcut method avoids the slow launches and pop-up windows players hit when running the game from the setup file.
- Hold the power button â Switch to Desktop. Open a browser and download the Windows Battle.net installer (
Battle.net-Setup.exe) from Blizzard's site. - Open Steam on the desktop â Games â Add a Non-Steam Game â pick
Battle.net-Setup.exefrom Downloads. - Right-click the new entry â Properties â Compatibility â tick Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool â choose Proton Experimental.
- In the same Properties, set the controller layout so a trackpad works as a mouse and a trackpad click works as a left click. You'll need it in the launcher.
- Return to Gaming Mode, launch the entry, log in and install only the Battle.net launcher. Close Battle.net when you reach its main page.
- Back in Desktop Mode, open Konsole and run:
find /home/deck -iname "Battle.net Launcher.exe" 2>/dev/null - In the Steam entry's Properties â Shortcut, paste that full path into TARGET inside double quotes. Paste the folder path ending in
/Battle.net/into START IN, without quotes. - Return to Gaming Mode, launch the entry and log in. Open World of Warcraft, select Forever in the game version menu and install.
- In game, enable the gamepad (Esc â Options â Gameplay â Gamepad (Alpha) â Enable Gamepad UI (Alpha)). Rename the Steam entry to "World of Warcraft: Forever" so it's easy to find.
If the Battle.net login window shows up grey and empty, add WINE_SIMULATE_WRITECOPY=1 %command% to the shortcut's Launch Options. It's an older Battle.net-on-Proton fix that players still list for Forever. If Proton Experimental fails after an update, try a recent GE-Proton. Then stay on a version that works, because Battle.net updates have broken specific Proton versions before.
Best Steam Deck settings for WoW Forever
There are no Blizzard or Valve benchmarks for Forever on the Deck yet. These settings are a starting point drawn from player reports. Values marked "your call" are a trade-off, not a fact.
| Setting | Where | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compatibility tool | Steam â Properties â Compatibility | Proton Experimental (fallback: GE-Proton) | Used in both launch-week guides |
| Graphics preset | In game â System â Graphics | Default | The beta tester report used defaults |
| Frame limit | Quick Access Menu â Performance | 30 FPS | Same report; steadier frame pacing and longer battery life |
| Graphics API | In game â System settings | DirectX 11 if you freeze on loading screens | Player-reported fix on Proton |
| Secondary Lighting | In game â Graphics Quality | Fair if you want to stay on DX12 | Alternative fix for the same freeze |
| Refresh rate | Quick Access Menu â Performance | Your call: 60 Hz, or 40 Hz with a 40 FPS cap | 40/40 is a common Deck compromise between smoothness and battery |
| Use Compact Action Bar | Options â Gamepad (Alpha) | On | The 7-inch screen needs the space |
| Stick Run / Back Pedal threshold | Options â Gamepad (Alpha) | 0.3 (defaults 0.5 / 0.6) | Full run speed with less stick travel |
The freeze fixes come from a September 2026 Blizzard forum thread about Linux and Proton, and it's not confirmed they're still needed on the Deck after launch. The threshold values are from Warcraft Tavern's controller guide. All gamepad options are covered in our WoW Forever controller support guide.
WoW Forever Steam Deck performance: LCD vs OLED
No one has published proper frame-time benchmarks for Forever on the Deck yet. What's known so far:
| Report | Settings | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beta tester (Reddit, u/Emberflux) | Default graphics, 30 FPS cap | "Surprisingly well" | Notebookcheck |
| Commenter in the same thread | Not stated | Six-hour session; only issue was activating some quest items | Notebookcheck |
| Linux / Proton players | DX12, high Secondary Lighting | Freeze entering the world | Blizzard forums via The Forever Guides |
| FPS in cities, dungeons or raids | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
The LCD and OLED models have the same chip, so expect the same frame rate. The difference is the screen. The OLED goes up to 90 Hz and has a 50 Wh battery, while the LCD panel tops out at 60 Hz. At the same 30 FPS cap, the OLED should give you a longer session. Forever's new lighting and character models cost more than old Classic WoW. Expect busy places like Stormwind, Orgrimmar and 40-player raids to push you toward the 30 FPS cap rather than 40.
Steam Deck controls for WoW Forever
The Deck's face buttons follow the Xbox layout (A bottom, B right, X left, Y top). Forever's Xbox prompts therefore match the buttons under your thumbs. Here's how the Deck's hardware maps to the Gamepad UI:
| Steam Deck input | In WoW Forever (Gamepad UI) |
|---|---|
| Left stick / right stick | Move / camera |
| A / B / X / Y | Jump / Back / Interact / Inspect, plus spells on trigger bars |
| L1 / R1 | Friendly / hostile targeting |
| L2 / R2 (hold) | Switch action bars (LT, RT, LT + RT) |
| D-pad | Four ability slots per bar |
| Right trackpad | Mouse cursor, click = left click (set in Steam Input) |
| Left trackpad | Free: radial menu or scroll wheel in Steam Input |
| L4 / L5 / R4 / R5 back grips | Not used by the game; map them in Steam Input |
Put the back grips to work, because they're the Deck's advantage over a standard pad. Map R4 to LB + RB, the shortcut modifier for zoom, bags and switching action sets, and L4 to the View button (Change Focus Frame). The Controller Forever addon can bind spells to the grips directly. Our Steam Deck controller settings guide walks through Steam Input layouts.
Turn on the Gamepad UI before you arrange your screen. Blizzard's beta notes say toggling Gamepad UI mode resets your Edit Mode layout.
Controls not working? Check three things in order. First, launch from Gaming Mode, not Desktop Mode. Second, make sure Steam Input is on for the shortcut, using the Gamepad template. Third, make sure Enable Gamepad UI (Alpha) is ticked. If buttons work in Steam menus but not in the game, see controller works in Steam but not in game. If your character walks on their own after you lower the stick threshold to 0.3, the cause is a drifting stick, not WoW. Run the stick drift test and follow the Steam Deck stick drift fix.
How to install addons for WoW Forever on Steam Deck
CurseForge has a native Linux AppImage, so you don't need to copy folders by hand. Per Steam Deck HQ:
- In Desktop Mode, download the CurseForge Linux AppImage and run it.
- Click + â Manually Add a Game.
- In the file picker, enable Show Hidden Files from the top-right menu and go to
/home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata. - Sort by date and open the most recently modified numbered folder. Then go to
pfx/drive_c/Program Files (x86)/World of Warcraft/_forever_and click Open. - Browse and install addons as usual. Manual installs go into
_forever_/Interface/AddOns.
For controller play, Controller Forever is built for Forever's Gamepad UI. It adds back-grip binds, a party D-pad for healers and Quick Chat tiles, so you don't need a keyboard for common phrases. Notebookcheck suggests ConsolePort, but its author hasn't announced Forever support. Use Controller Forever until that changes.