Can You Run 'Diablo IV' on the Steam Deck? Yes, But It'll Take Some Workaround

Since its early access period kicked off on June 1, players who purchased the Diablo IV Digital Deluxe and Ultimate Editions have been ripping and tearing through hordes of creatures stalking the grime-ridden lands of Sanctuary.

Class favorites like the Necromancer and Barbarian are playable in this new installment, and there are plenty of in-game rewards to score for buying into the KFC collaboration to acquire some snazzy cosmetics for your character.

The tenebrous ARPG's release has been a long-awaited event for many Activision Blizzard fans, and as it turns out, some of them have managed to get the game running on Valve's portable Steam Deck.

While not officially purchasable on the Valve store, owners can install Activision Blizzard's Battle.net platform on the Steam Deck to download Diablo IV and get it running on the PC handheld.

To do this, switch to the device's Desktop Mode next to the Power setting, and once booted up, select the Discover tab to find the Lutris app. Install this and press the + button on the app to locate the Battle.net platform to download it. Then log in with your Battle.net account to install Diablo IV.

To have the ARPG appear on the classic Steam Deck Gaming Mode, select "Games" via the top bar in Desktop Mode and choose "Add non-Steam Game to My Library" for the Lutris app.

Now, whenever you access your game library, you can get into Battle.net without the hassle of switching modes.

Across the internet, Diablo IV players are pleasantly surprised by how fluid the game runs on Steam Deck.

One Redditor stated, "Diablo IV on the Steam Deck is incredible," adding it "has full support for every aspect of the Steam Deck, even the touch screen ... I was playing the game on the lowest settings at 60 fps with no problems."

SteamDeckHQ, home to all things Steam Deck-related, noted on Twitter that "even without the shader cache, [Diablo IV] runs really well" on the handheld.

Shader caches are known for improving gameplay performance and responsiveness, so it's a treat to hear the ARPG holds its own without those integral technical bits.

Whether intentional or not, Activision Blizzard's PC optimization for Diablo IV has, in turn, shaped the buttery smooth performance possible on the Steam Deck.

So, if you'd like to fire it up on the handheld, follow the steps above to get it running just fine.

Diablo IV is now available via early access on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, and PS4 for Digital Deluxe and Ultimate Editions buyers and will officially release on June 6.