r/SteamDeck • • 8h ago

Tech Support Can't launch any game

Trying to launch any game results in it sitting for a bit saying Starting Launch, then going back the game library page. Verifying files causes it to instead only show the starting launch screen for a moment before snapping back to the library page. Tried shutting the steamdeck down and waiting a bit before turning it back on, that only causes it to go back to the long wait on starting launch. Reinstalling the game does nothing. Checked for updates, it's fully updated. The steam deck was working a few hours ago.

Help please? I am not tech savvy and just want my too expensive handheld to function

3 Upvotes

28 comments sorted by

2

u/cmkfrisbee95 8h ago

Is it doing it to alll games?

2

u/Financial-Habit5766 8h ago

I checked the 3 I have installed and it is like this for all of them

2

u/cmkfrisbee95 8h ago

What games are they if I may ask? And did this just randomly start happening

2

u/Financial-Habit5766 7h ago

Darkest Dungeon 2, Deep Rock Galactic, Of Blades and Tails.

Just started happening. Was playing dd2 just fine less than 4 hours ago. Never had this happen before

2

u/cmkfrisbee95 7h ago

Have you tried turning on Proton Compatibility? (Properites-Compatibility -check mark force game to us proton)) usually do the newest proton see if that works

1

u/Financial-Habit5766 7h ago

Just attempted. No check mark box, but there is a drop down select. Default is Proton Experimental. Tried Running with Proton Stable and the highest numbered Proton (11.0-2)

No changes

2

u/cmkfrisbee95 7h ago

Try launching the game in desktop mode and seee what it does

1

u/Financial-Habit5766 7h ago

The starting game popup appears, then closes after about the same amount of time as it takes to fail in regular mode

2

u/cmkfrisbee95 7h ago

You’re not using Decky are you?

1

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1

u/General-Professor-67 4h ago

Have you touched anything inside the steam folder inside desktop mode? Being verified means the game installs should be fine, then im suspecting the issue might be the whole compatdata folder or your proton install got issues

1

u/Financial-Habit5766 3h ago

Nope, opening desktop mode while following other commenter's suggestions was my very first time ever doing it.

Issue solved by factory reset, feels a bit drastic tho