Yes, with caveats. As of October 23, 2026, BeamNG.drive has Valve’s «Playable» rating for Steam Deck: it works and the default settings perform well, but at times you’ll need to use the touchscreen or the on-screen keyboard, and some text is hard to read. According to BeamNG, on the Deck the game uses its native Linux executable with the Vulkan renderer by default, and mods go in ~/.local/share/BeamNG/BeamNG.drive/current/mods. The current version is 0.40 (October 19, 2026).
What Valve’s report says
| Valve test | Result |
|---|---|
| Rating | Playable |
| Launcher | Can be hard to navigate with the controls: you may need the touchscreen |
| Default controls | Not everything is accessible; some features require the touchscreen or on-screen keyboard |
| Button icons | Don’t match the Deck’s buttons |
| Text input | The on-screen keyboard doesn’t open automatically: use Steam + X |
| Text | Some of it is small and hard to read |
| Default performance | Good (test passed) |
Other facts, also as of October 23, 2026: the Steam store only lists Windows and asks for 60 GB, with a note that mods increase the space you need; on ProtonDB, the community database, it has a Gold rating from 736 reports, trending Platinum. That rating comes from users, not from Valve or BeamNG.
Native or Proton: check this first
BeamNG’s official documentation explains how to tell what you’re running: in Steam, open BeamNG.drive’s Properties and then Compatibility. If the box to force a compatibility tool is unchecked, you’re using the native version. While you’re testing, BeamNG advises clearing any custom launch options.
- Native (recommended on the Deck): works with Vulkan only. User folder:
~/.local/share/BeamNG/BeamNG.drive/current. - Proton: BeamNG says only Proton 10.0-4 and Proton Experimental work. User folder:
~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/284160/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Local/BeamNG/BeamNG.drive.
If you switch from Proton to native, your mods will seem to have vanished, because each version uses its own folder. BeamNG suggests switching back to Proton briefly, playing online with Steam Cloud enabled, exiting with Quit from the menu and then unchecking Proton so the native version syncs. The other option is to copy them over in Desktop Mode:
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/BeamNGcd ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/284160/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Local/BeamNG/cp -r BeamNG.drive ~/.local/share/BeamNG
How to install BeamNG mods on the Steam Deck
From the in-game Repository
This is the easiest way on the handheld. Open the Repository from the main menu, search for the mod (use Steam + X for the keyboard) and press Subscribe: the game downloads and enables it. That way you don’t have to touch any folders.
Manually, in Desktop Mode
- Steam button, Power menu, Switch to Desktop.
- Download the mod from its author’s official page. It should be a .zip: don’t extract it.
- In Dolphin, press Ctrl + H to show hidden folders and go to
~/.local/share/BeamNG/BeamNG.drive/current/mods. - Copy the .zip there, go back to Game Mode and enable it in the Mod Manager.
BeamNG warns you to be wary of any mod that isn’t a .zip, such as an .exe.
Limitations with mods
- Memory. BeamNG’s documentation warns that the game can use more than 16 GB of memory, which is what the Deck has. With large maps and lots of modded cars, out-of-memory crashes become more common.
- Number of mods. BeamNG doesn’t recommend having more than 20 or 30 active at once: more load and more conflicts between them.
- Graphics crashes. If the game crashes with
VK_ERROR_DEVICE_LOST, BeamNG asks you to check your drivers and attach beamng.log (it’s in the user folder) to your report. - Controls. The Mod Manager and the launcher are easier to use with the touchscreen.
- Big updates. With changes like the jump from 0.39 to 0.40, the game cleans the user folder and old mods may fail until their authors update them.
More BeamNG.drive guides: how to install mods, the PC requirements, whether it’s coming to consoles and the best maps.
BeamNG.drive quick facts: multiplayer · download size · consoles · price and whether it’s free · on mobile · requirements · PS5 and Xbox.
Frequently asked questions
Is BeamNG.drive Verified for Steam Deck?
No: it’s «Playable.» According to Valve it works and performs well with the default settings, but the controls, the launcher and the text size have issues.
Does BeamNG use Proton on the Deck?
Not by default. According to BeamNG, on the Steam Deck it uses the native Linux executable with Vulkan, even though the store only lists Windows. If you force Proton, only 10.0-4 and Experimental work.
Where is the BeamNG mods folder on Steam Deck?
On the native version, in ~/.local/share/BeamNG/BeamNG.drive/current/mods. With Proton, inside compatdata/284160, under AppData/Local/BeamNG/BeamNG.drive.
Why did my mods disappear on the Deck?
Almost always because you switched between Proton and the native version, which use different user folders. Copy the folder as BeamNG explains or sync with Steam Cloud.