How to Install Zenless Zone Zero on Steam Deck - All Methods

HoYoverse’s latest gacha adventure Zenless Zone Zero offers some of the coolest environments and heroes ever released in a gacha game. While the game is fully compatible with mobile, PlayStation, and Windows PC, many are wondering how to install Zenless Zone Zero on Steam Deck.

Players looking to dive deep into the Zenless Zone Zero tier list of magnificent heroes are also looking to play the game on the go. After all, it's a convenient way to keep up with the latest ZZZ banners. While many are already set to earn Polychromes on the go via the ROG Ally or Lenovo Legion Go, Valve’s popular Steam Deck is still the go-to for portable PC gaming.

How to Install Zenless Zone Zero on Steam Deck

To properly install Zenless Zone Zero on Steam Deck, follow these steps:

• Enter Desktop Mode on your Steam Deck
• Open the Discover App and install Heroic Games Launcher
• Open Heroic Games Launcher and Login to your Epic Games Store account
• Head to the Store and “purchase” Zenless Zone Zero or/and;
• Open the Library and Install Zenless Zone Zero
• In ZZZ settings in Heroic, force the use of GE Proton 9.9
• Open Zenless Zone Zero launcher and download the game files

At the time of writing, Zenless Zone Zero’s launcher on Steam Deck can only install files to the device’s C Drive. Anyone using an SD card for external storage or even an external hard drive via a USB will have to make space on the system’s main drive first.

Install Directly From HoYoverse

Some users have also reported being able to install Zenless Zone Zero on Steam Deck through its standalone HoYoPlay launcher. Due to the game's lack of Easy Anti Cheat, you should be able to run the game via Proton without issue.

To do so, follow these steps:

• Download the HoYoPlay Launcher from HoYoverse
• Open Steam in Desktop Mode
• Click Add Non-Steam Game and add the installer
• Go to Properties, Compatibility and Force Proton Experimental
• Open the Launcher through Steam and Install Zenless Zone Zero
• After installation add the game's EXE to Steam as a Non-Steam Game
• Return to Gaming Mode and Play Zenless Zone Zero

Install Zenless Zone Zero via Anime Game Launcher

If installing Zenless Zone Zero via the Heroic Game Launcher doesn’t work for you, you can also use the lesser-known Anime Game Launcher to install the game as well as Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail.

It’s worth noting that this is not an official way of installing Zenless Zone Zero on the Steam Deck, and there is a possibility that you could get banned for installing this way. However, this is still a way to install the game on the handheld at your own risk. To do so, follow these steps:

• In Desktop Mode copy, paste and enter the following commands:
  • flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
  • flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists --user launcher.moe https://gol.launcher.moe/gol.launcher.moe.flatpakrepo
  • flatpak install org.gnome.Platform//45
• Type Y and press Enter
  • flatpak install launcher.moe moe.launcher.an-anime-game-launcher
• Type Y and press Enter
• Open Anime Game Launcher and install the needed components
• Restart the launcher and download ZZZ

Best Settings for Zenless Zone Zero on Steam Deck

If you're planning to play through Zenless Zone Zero on Steam Deck, we suggest the following settings:

At these settings, Zenless Zone Zero should run great on Steam Deck. However, you will still encounter some stutters from time-to-time due to the lack of pre-cached shaders. As ZZZ isn't available on Steam natively, this is to be expected.

Can you run Zenless Zone Zero on Steam Deck?

Zenless Zone Zero is confirmed to be working on Steam Deck via these methods, including directly installing the game's launcher. At the time of publication, no one has reported bans due to playing the game on Steam Deck.

There are also other ways of installing Zenless Zone Zero on Steam Deck such as Decky Launcher plugins. However, due to the instability that some Decky Launcher plugins add to the device, we won’t be listing those methods here.

For more Zenless Zone Zero guides, check out the best team comps in ZZZ or build guides for Nekomata, Soukaku, Billy, and more.