Which MMORPGs can be played on the Steam Deck? MeinMMO presents a whole range of MMORPGs that are currently recommended and playable with little effort as part of the Grindfest Theme Week 2026.
What are we presenting to you here? MeinMMO introduces MMORPGs that you can easily install and play on the Steam Deck. By little effort, we understand switching to desktop mode and installing ProtonGE. We also assume that you have SteamOS installed and neither Windows nor dual boot.
The MMORPGs on our list are sorted alphabetically, so the order does not represent a ranking. Do you have any other recommendations or games that we have overlooked? Let us know in the comments.
The Grindfest from June 29 to July 5 2026
During this week, exciting articles around the topic of MMORPG await you every day. Included: nostalgic retrospectives, exciting analyses from renowned industry veterans, previews of upcoming online role-playing games, and entertaining streams.
Here’s the program for MeinMMO’s big MMORPG theme week 2026
Albion Online
Price: Free | Natively on Steam: Yes | Additional settings: No | Official controller support: Yes
What kind of game is this? Albion Online is a German sandbox MMORPG that focuses on sandbox gameplay, combat, trade, and PvP battles. The game emphasizes gameplay heavily over a narrative-driven world.
How does it run on the Steam Deck? The German MMORPG can also be played on the Steam Deck, with installation occurring natively via Steam itself. The game also offers decent controller controls.
The text in the game is quite small on the Steam Deck, but the windows can at least be adjusted. The game remains a bit fiddly, but can be played very well with a few tricks. For example, by setting up an automatic targeting feature for skill shots and assistance for aims at opponents.
Elder Scrolls Online
Price: Buy-to-Play, approx: 20 Euros | Natively on Steam: Yes | Additional settings: Activate accessibility mode | Official controller support: Yes
What kind of game is this? The Elder Scrolls: Online takes place in the same world as the game series and successfully translates the principles of the successful series into the MMORPG world. The game offers you an extensive story, alongside dungeons, raids, and PvP content. Additionally, you can enjoy ESO alone without any issues.
How does it run on the Steam Deck? The MMORPG Elder Scrolls: Online is a very good option if you want to play an MMORPG on the Steam Deck. This is due not only to good performance but also the official controller support. The menus can also be scaled. This provides a clean gaming experience without much tinkering.
Also, be sure to activate the accessibility mode upon first launch so that the entire game, including character selection, has the gamepad UI. At least that’s the case for us.
Final Fantasy XIV: Online
Price: Buy-to-Play, approx. 20 Euros and paid subscription; free demo available Natively on Steam: Yes | Additional settings: Yes | Official controller support: Yes
How does it run on the Steam Deck? MeinMMO editor Sophia Weiss has already played Final Fantasy XIV on the Steam Deck and revealed in her article that you hardly have to make concessions while gaming on the Steam Deck. Because the MMORPG is optimized for controller support by default.
By the way, it’s easiest through the Steam version; if you bought the game externally, you will need to take a small detour and install the game through the Linux software store.
Guild Wars
Price: Buy-to-Play, approx. 20 Euros | Natively on Steam: Yes | Additional settings: No | Official controller support: Yes
How does it run on the Steam Deck? Guild Wars can also be installed directly on the Steam Deck without detours as a Reforged version. Guild Wars also offers a well-optimized and thoughtfully designed UI scaling. Thanks to its age, you get high frame rates at high graphics quality on the Steam Deck.
While the MMORPG officially offers native controller support, it does feel a bit mixed, as you have to use your thumbsticks somewhat like a mouse cursor. This makes navigating the menus anything but intuitive. However, since December 2025, there is an official controller layout for the Steam Deck.
New World: Aeternum
Price: Buy-to-Play, no longer available | Natively on Steam: Yes | Additional settings: No | Official controller support: Yes
What kind of game is this? New World: Aeternum is a fantasy MMORPG from Amazon Games. You create your character and fight through a large game world. The game focuses on a mix of exploration, resource gathering, crafting, quests, and endgame raids.
How does it run on the Steam Deck? New World: Aeternum will officially be shut down on January 31, 2027. Until then, it remains one of the best MMORPGs that you can play on the Steam Deck. Already on MeinMMO we confirmed good qualities of the MMORPG New World on the Steam Deck. And that hasn’t changed since then:
You get stable performance at medium quality, and for several months now, New World has offered official controller support.
Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis
Price: Free | Natively on Steam: Yes | Additional settings: Yes, installation of ProtonGE | Official controller support: Yes
What kind of game is this? Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis is a free-to-play action MMORPG from SEGA that fully embraces an anime style. With your character, you can explore an open world and complete quests and boss monsters within it. Through this, you earn experience points and new equipment.
How does it run on the Steam Deck? This MMORPG is officially “not supported” on the Steam Deck according to Valve, but can still be started and played with some effort.
The standard version of Valve Proton does not handle the file structure of PSO2, so it is recommended to install Proton GE. You do this through desktop mode and via the internal Linux store. After that, you can select “Proton GE” under “Compatibility” in Steam and start the game without issues.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Price: Free | Natively on Steam: Yes | Additional settings: No | Official controller support: Yes
How does it run on the Steam Deck? The now-aged official MMORPG for Star Wars also runs on the Steam Deck. Installation works directly through Steam without any issues, and logging in is also straightforward. Character creation is a bit fiddly, but otherwise, the game runs very well on the Steam Deck, even at medium to high graphics quality.
The biggest disadvantages: the controls and button mapping can be a bit cumbersome at first, and the menus are very small on the Steam Deck display. If you can overlook that, you get a comprehensive MMORPG.
World of Warcraft
Price: Buy-to-Play, Free Trial up to level 20, paid subscription | Natively on Steam: No | Additional settings: Installation outside of Steam and additional settings required | Official controller support: Yes
How does it run on the Steam Deck? Yes, you can play World of Warcraft on the Steam Deck. The biggest disadvantage: the effort in setting it up is greater compared to a game that you can install natively via Steam. You can find a comprehensive guide on how to install WoW on the Steam Deck at Steamdeckhq.com.
If you’ve managed the installation, you can expect reasonable performance and a stable gaming experience.
While WoW now offers controller support, many fans still swear by the “Console Port” addon, which you can download via Curseforge. For example, someone wrote on Reddit: “The way you access menus and inventory screens is far superior to the controller support added by Blizzard.”
Do you prefer to play MMORPGs on a different handheld? MeinMMO presents you the most exciting alternatives to the Steam Deck and explains which of them are particularly worthwhile. All details can be found in the following article directly with us: Steam Deck: Here are the 10 most exciting alternatives 2026
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