Can You Play MapleStory On Steam Deck? – Answered

My childhood was basically run by two separate online games, one of them being MapleStory. The appealing art style and fun platforming/combat hybrid were more than enough to keep me entertained back in the day and still draw me in almost 15 years later. While I’m nowhere near as active in the game as I once was, I can’t help but jump back in and dabble around in the adorably stylized world before me. But, if I’m tired of playing in front of my PC, can I jump into the world on my Steam Deck, or am I going to need to find a way around this?

Does MapleStory Work On Steam Deck?

The quick and dirty answer is, unfortunately, no. While the Steam Deck is a very versatile little tool, there are a few things that make MapleStory unplayable on it. The first thing is the rigorous Anti-Cheat that is in play. There have been some gamers that have gotten MapleStory to run on it, but it will play for about a minute or two before the game force closes upon itself. This is the Anti-Cheat working as expected, and while it’s great to see it working, I just want to play one of my favorite little MMOs.

Related: Does Sun Haven Have Controller Support For Steam Deck?

While you may think that trying to play something like MapleStory with a controller would be cumbersome, it’s rather nice playing it this way. With the Steam Deck Controller Overlay, you can set your own custom keys, and with the additional 4 buttons on the back, you could, technically, put specific hotkeys into play. That is if it worked. There is a way that you can make this happen, but it’s going to be a bit of a pain in the backside. However, if you’re adamant enough to play games like MapleStory or Honkai Star Rail on the go, you’ll have to make the plunge into this world.

How Can I Play MapleStory On Steam Deck?

If you’re that desperate to play your favorite game on the Steam Deck, you could always Dual Boot Windows on your Steam Deck. Sure, it’s a bit of a process, but when you see how many possibilities open up to you it may be worth it. If you’re planning on getting Windows on the Steam Deck, be sure to research how to make it happen, and get your hands on the official drivers from Steam here.

While I went ahead and Dual Booted mine directly from the SSD inside of the Steam Deck, I followed the video posted above by ChiefSweet and found it to be extremely helpful the first time I tried setting up Windows on my Steam Deck. He’s a great teacher, so just make sure you pay close attention to what he’s showing you and you should be ready to play games like Maplestory on the go. Or, if you don’t want to mess with the hassle of setting it up, you could invest in something like the ROG Ally.

So, if you’re ready to dive into the world of Windows on your Steam Deck, you’ll be able to jump into your old favorites once again. But, if you’re hoping to learn more about the Steam Deck before you take this plunge, be sure to check out our section below to find out what already runs on there, and how to make it look better than ever.