Game Launchers are never-ending story. We will cover another one – Ubisoft Connect.
This one will be exactly the same as GOG Galaxy and EPIC, however -we will go through it. Maybe not in such details as with GOG, but all the steps will be here.
If you are missing something – please check my GOG Launcher install guide. There is also guide about installing and uninstalling games on GOG, so you may check that out also.
There are some things worth repeating:
Be aware that I cannot be responsible for any damage you do following this guide – be sure to have backups of your saves and games. I cannot take responsibility for any kind of damage!
Here is a resource on how to check if game is playable on Steam Deck. Not all games work with Steam Deck, and not all games work out of the box – so it is worth checking the status of game support for Steam Deck – especially if you are buying game, and doing it only for Steam Deck.
Quick help if you are really new to Steam Deck (things that you will need here)
How to get to Desktop Mode on Steam Deck
How to get on-screen keyboard on Steam Deck
How to navigate Desktop Mode with Steam Deck
Steam Deck File System Basic – How to navigate File Manager
For this guide I recommend you use keyboard and mouse – it is doable on Steam Deck, but it will be more comfortable with mouse and keyboard.
What is the reason I should have launcher installed?
Mainly cloud saves and game updates.
Preparing Installation
On Ubisoft Connect main site – https://ubisoftconnect.com/en-GB/ on the main screen there is a button on top right corner that is saying – Download for PC
Press it and let the download finish. By default downloaded installer will be in Downloads folder.
Preparing Steam Client
We now need to add downloaded UbisoftConnectInstaller.exe to the Steam Client – so we can start installation.
Press ADD A GAME at the bottom left of the Steam Client – click on Add a Non-Steam Game… | Press BROWSE… | Under File Type: select All Files | Navigate to the folder where UbisoftConnectInstaller.exe is, select it and press OPEN
UbisoftConnectInstaller.exe should be selected | Press ADD SELECTED PROGRAMS
Now UbisoftConnectInstaller.exe is in Steam Client | Press Manage (little cog icon) and select Properties
Under SHORTCUT sidebar menu, we now won’t touch anything – we will later return here, but we will now leave it as it is. Only option under SHORTCUT sidebar menu you will wish to change is LAUNCH OPTIONS – if you want to install this on MicroSD, you will need the command below.
STEAM_COMPAT_MOUNTS=/run/media/mmcblk0p1/ %command%I will leave that empty, since I will install on my main drive inside Steam Deck.
Under COMPATIBILITY sidebar menu, we will select “Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool” and will select latest Proton. Proton helps us run Windows software in Linux.
Close the window when you are done.
Installation
Now, after we are done with configuration, we will start installation of Launcher by pressing Play.
Be patient after you press Play
Screen will appear – select your language and press OK
I Accept
Install
Next
UNSELECT “Run Ubisoft Connect” and press Finish
Starting Ubisoft Connect
We now need to change our Steam Client shortcut from installer to program executable.
First we are going to our File Manager – we need to navigate to our Compatdata folder (see links for the File Manager at the beginning if you are not familiar with term).
Last Folder I created was 7 minutes ago – that is my Ubisoft Connect install
Navigate to Ubisoft Game Launcher – select UbisoftConnect.exe and right click on it – select “Copy Location”
We will now again go back to our Steam Client UbisoftConnectInstaller.exe item and again press Manage (little cog icon) and select Properties
On SHORTCUT sidebar menu, select Browse – in “File name” by pressing Control + V on the keyboard (right click with mouse won’t work, it’s a bug) paste the path you copied earlier. Under “File type” select All Files – click on OPEN
I will also change name of the shortcut to “Ubisoft Connect” and check that target has full path (including) UbisoftConnect.exe. Start in should only have full path, without exe.
COMPATIBILITY sidebar menu should be left as we initially set it – with Proton enabled.
If you wish to make your Launcher prettier, look at this guide
This is optional and will give you mouse access in app interface- Before we run our app, we can do one more thing- right click on your app shortcut in steam library – select Manage | click on Controller layout (you can do this, are you can select some other type on controller layout)
Under current layout click on little triangle and select – Gamepad with Mouse Trackpad
Exit and continue starting your app
Let’s press Play
We got a login screen!!!
That is it
Like all the other launchers – it will work fine, but sometimes it will hang or freeze.
Installing a Game
Remember – first check if game is compatible with Steam Deck – and will it play.
I will try to download and install game through Launcher
Game is also installed inside launcher directory (3388763133)
Playing a game through Ubisoft Connect
Sometimes, there are some issues playing games with Ubisoft Connect in Gaming Mode – Launcher won’t minimize and screen flashes between launcher and game
To get around this – in Steam Client, under game Properties | Shortcut | LAUNCH OPTIONS | and at the end of arguments you already have, enter following
uplay://launch/gameid/0GameIDs you can find on a link below. Game ID for a game I wish to play is 205
https://github.com/Haoose/UPLAY_GAME_ID
With these settings you will directly enter the game, not launcher. You need to change this per game you wish to play. You can play with this option how it fits you – for me this is enough – I play one game at the time.
I started the game, and it plays!! I tried this in Desktop Mode – I tried both ways – by running through launcher, or by modifying LAUNCH OPTIONS – works
After I started in Gaming Mode, I was again asked to login.I’m able only to navigate Launcher with screen touch.
Game also works in Gaming Mode both ways – either through launcher or by modifying LAUNCH OPTIONS.
Uninstalling a Game
As with every launcher – I will try and do it through launcher
The game was uninstalled – but was it?
It uninstalled the game properly – no need to do any manual stuff. Game was 3.4GB, size of the Ubisoft Connect folder is only 874.3MB, and game is no more in games folder.
That is it for Ubisoft Connect, we learned a basic bits of the launcher.
