How to play Avatar Frontiers of Pandora on Steam Deck

Avatar Frontiers of Pandora Steam Deck Na'Vi in battle gear

Avatar Frontiers of Pandora Steam Deck Na'Vi in battle gear

If you have been looking forward to having the possibility of travelling to Pandora and playing Avatar Frontiers of Pandora on Steam Deck, then you might be interested in this guide.

With the release date edging closer, after several delays and its system requirements also changing over time, many were curious to see if the game would actually be playable on the go. Now that the release is approaching, it is a good time to see if the game will be compatible with Steam Deck.

Let's discuss the possibility of Avatar Frontiers of Pandora being Steam Deck Verified. Without further ado, let's jump right into it.

Can you play Avatar Frontiers of Pandora on Steam Deck?

Yes, you can play Avatar Frontiers of Pandora on Steam Deck.

However, since the game is exclusively available through Ubisoft Connect, Ubisoft's virtual storefront, there are a few additional steps you'll need to take before diving into the adventure.

Avatar Frontiers of Pandora could be added to Steam at a later date, but for now, it appears that the game might not be available on Valveā€™s premiere PC game distribution platform at launch.

How to play Avatar Frontiers of Pandora on Steam Deck

To play Avatar Frontiers of Pandora on Steam Deck, you will need to install Ubisoft Connect first.

Unfortunately, Ubisoft Connect is primarily designed for Windows and does not have an official version available for Linux. So, you need to use Proton to install Ubisoft Connect, and the steps are a bit laborious.

Here are the steps needed to install Ubisoft Connect on Steam Deck:

  • Switch your Steam Deck to Desktop Mode.
  • Open a browser and head over to the Ubisoft Connect official page.
  • From there, download the Ubisoft Connect installer.
  • While still in Desktop Mode, open your Steam client and go to your Library.
  • Click on "Add a game" in the lower left corner and select "Add a Non-Steam game".
  • Click the Browse button and locate your Downloads folder.
  • Once you're in the Downloads folder, look for the "UbisoftConnectInstaller.exe" file, select it, and then click on Open.
  • The file should now appear on the "Add a Game" list, tick its box and click on Add selected programs.
  • Go back to your Steam Library and select UbisoftConnectInstaller.exe.
  • Click on the cog icon and open up Properties.
  • Go to the Compatibility tab and tick the box that says "Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool".
  • Choose "Proton Experimental" for the compatibility option.
  • Go back to the UbisoftConnectInstaller.exe page in your Steam Library and click on the Play button. This will launch the installer.
  • Before you hit Finish, make sure the "Run Ubisoft Connect" box is unticked.

So now that Ubisoft Connect is being installed, that's our first step finished. There are a few more steps needed in order to run the game successfully on Steam Deck.

How to launch Ubisoft Connect on Steam Deck

To launch Ubisoft Connect on your Steam Deck, you need to configure compatibility settings. By configuring compatibility settings, you are essentially making Ubisoft Connect compatible with Steam Deck's SteamOS.

This allows you to overcome the compatibility barriers and launch Ubisoft Connect successfully on your Steam Deck, despite it not being specifically designed for SteamOS.

Here are the steps you need to take to launch Ubisoft Connect on Steam Deck:

  • Go to your Steam Library and select UbisoftConnectInstaller.exe.
  • Click on the cog icon and select Properties.
  • In the Shortcut tab, click on Browse.
  • Go to the following path: /home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/[numerical_identifier]/pfx/drive_c/users/streamuser/Desktop/Ubisoft Connect.lnk
  • Look for Ubisoft Connect.lnk in your Steam library.
  • Click on Properties and go to the Compatibility section.
  • Tick the box that says Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool and select the latest version of Proton.
  • Return to the Properties tab and click on Browse
  • Go to your Program Files (x86) folder and from there, go to Ubisoft, then Ubisoft Game Launcher.
  • Select the UbisoftConnect.lnk file and click Open.

Finally, we are done. Ubisoft Connect is now installed on your Steam Deck and you are free to the virtual storefront and purchase the game from there. You can also subscribe to the Ubisoft+ service to have the game available from day one.

Either way, once the game is purchased and added to your Ubisoft Connect library, you are free to enjoy Avatar Frontiers of Pandora on Steam Deck.