How To Connect Your Epic Games Library To Steam
If you've built up a collection of games on the Epic Games Store and want to manage them alongside your Steam library, you're not alone. Many PC gamers prefer Steam's interface, overlay, and social features — and the good news is there are legitimate ways to bring your Epic titles into Steam's ecosystem. The bad news: it's not a native, one-click solution. Here's exactly how it works, what your options are, and what shapes the experience for different users.
Why Steam and Epic Don't Connect Natively
Steam and Epic Games Store are competing platforms. Neither Valve nor Epic has built an official cross-platform sync tool that lets your libraries automatically merge. Your games are tied to their respective launchers, and the licenses you own on Epic are non-transferable to Steam — you can't "move" ownership.
What you can do is add Epic games as non-Steam shortcuts inside Steam, which lets you launch them from Steam's interface, use the Steam overlay (in some cases), and have them show up in your library view. This is meaningfully different from native Steam games, and understanding that distinction is important before you start.
Method 1: Adding Epic Games Manually as Non-Steam Shortcuts
This is Steam's built-in approach and works without any third-party tools.
Steps:
- Open Steam and navigate to Library
- Click Add a Game at the bottom-left of the screen
- Select Add a Non-Steam Game
- A window will appear showing installed programs — locate your Epic Games Launcher or specific game executables
- Check the box next to the game(s) you want and click Add Selected Programs
If a specific game doesn't appear in the list, click Browse and manually navigate to the game's .exe file — usually found in your Epic Games installation folder (commonly C:Program FilesEpic Games[GameName]).
What this gives you:
- The game appears in your Steam library
- You can launch it via Steam
- Steam overlay may work depending on the game
- You can set custom artwork for each entry
What it doesn't give you:
- Steam achievements
- Steam cloud saves
- Steam Workshop access
- Play time tracked natively as a Steam game
Method 2: Using Heroic Games Launcher as a Bridge 🎮
Heroic Games Launcher is a popular open-source alternative launcher that supports Epic Games (and GOG) libraries. It's not made by Epic or Valve, but it's widely used and actively maintained.
Heroic can connect directly to your Epic account, display your full library, and includes a built-in feature to export games to Steam automatically — generating shortcuts, artwork, and launch commands with far less manual work than the native Steam method.
This is particularly useful if you have a large Epic library and don't want to add games one by one.
Key consideration: Heroic is a third-party tool. It requires you to log into your Epic account through its interface. Most users report it works reliably, but it sits outside the official Epic/Steam ecosystem, so behavior after major platform updates can vary.
Method 3: Steam Deck Users Have a Built-In Advantage
If you're playing on a Steam Deck, Valve's built-in Desktop Mode makes adding Epic games through Heroic or manual shortcuts more practical. The Steam Deck's Gaming Mode is Steam-native, but users can install Heroic or the Epic Games Launcher through the Linux-compatible Flatpak system in Desktop Mode.
From there, Heroic's Steam export feature works well on Deck — and is one of the most common setups for players who want Epic titles in their Deck's game library without constantly switching to Desktop Mode.
What Affects How Well This Works for You
Not every setup produces the same result. Several variables determine your actual experience:
| Factor | How It Affects the Setup |
|---|---|
| Game DRM | Some Epic exclusives require the Epic Launcher to run even when launched via Steam |
| Operating system | Windows users have a straightforward path; Linux users may need extra configuration via Proton |
| Library size | A handful of games → manual method works fine; large libraries → Heroic saves significant time |
| Steam Overlay dependency | If you rely on the overlay for FPS counters or screenshots, test per-game — it's not guaranteed |
| Epic Online Services (EOS) | Games using EOS for multiplayer may require Epic to be running in the background regardless |
The Steam Overlay and Artwork Gap
Two friction points come up consistently for users doing this:
Steam Overlay: Works for some games, not others. Games with their own anti-cheat or always-on DRM layers often block the overlay from injecting. This isn't something you can fix at the Steam settings level — it's determined by how the game itself is built.
Library artwork: By default, non-Steam shortcuts use generic placeholder art. Both the manual method and Heroic allow you to set custom grid artwork. Tools like SteamGridDB (a community image database) let you download high-quality box art, banners, and hero images that make your non-Steam games look native. 🖼️
What You're Actually Managing
It helps to think of this clearly: you're not connecting two accounts or merging two libraries at a platform level. You're creating local shortcuts on your PC that tell Steam "when I click this, launch that game." The Epic Games Store account, your licenses, your save data tied to Epic Cloud — all of that stays in Epic's ecosystem.
For some users, the visual consolidation and Steam Deck compatibility are worth the setup effort. For others who rarely use Steam's social or overlay features, keeping games in their native launcher may be simpler. The right approach depends on how central Steam is to how you actually play — and whether the features you'd gain are ones you'd genuinely use.