The annual release of Madden NFL games continues with the release of Madden NFL 24. Like Madden NFL 23, the new one launched in August of this year, albeit a day before on the 18th. Currently, it’s available for Windows, PS 4|5, and Xbox Series X/S|One with no release in sight for the Nintendo Switch. While it might not be available on one handheld, it certainly is playable on others, like the Asus Rog Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go. But what about the Steam Deck? Well, since the release, players have been reporting an issue where the game just displays a “Wine is not supported” message after launching the game on the Deck. So, if you are encountering this issue while playing the game, consider reading this guide until the end for workarounds to fix it.
It’s true that the Steam Deck can’t beat the performance output of either the Rog Ally or the Legion Go. However, this also doesn’t mean that it’s not powerful enough to run AAA titles. In fact, games like Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, Doom (2016), and many more run just fine on it. So, what’s the issue with Madden NFL 24? Is the issue even fixable? Well, continue reading to find out all about that.
Madden 24 Steam Deck wine is not supported error: Is it fixable?
At the time of publishing this guide, this particular error remained unfixed by EA. But why exactly? Well, it’s all to do with EA’s Anti-cheat software. The Anti-cheat doesn’t work with Linux at all, and hence Madden 24 at the moment is unsupported for the Steam Deck. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t play it on the Deck. In fact, many have already. The caveat here is that you will need to dual-boot Windows on your Deck in order to do that. So, if you are okay with that, just follow the steps mentioned below.
Before we begin, you need to make sure that you have a microSD card with you and a laptop or PC. When you have both, go ahead and start with the process.
- First of all, head to this website and download the Windows 10 Disc Image or ISO File. You can do that by clicking on the Download Now button located under Create Windows 10 installation media.
- Now, head to this link, and download RUFUS. Get the latest version, not the old ones. Once the download is complete, run the file and leave it running.
- Next, launch the recently downloaded Media Creation tool and select Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC. Click on Next, and ensure that the edition is selected for Windows 10. Hit next once again, and select the ISO file. Select Next, and save the ISO file somewhere on your PC. Ideally Desktop should do fine.
- After the download is done, click on Finish and close the window.
- Now, before switching back to the RUFUS window, make sure that you have a microSD card inserted into your PC. Following that, select the microSD card under Device and then choose the Select button. Next, click on the ISO file that you just downloaded. For the Image option select Windows To Go and then click on the START button located below.
- A window will pop up asking you to select a “..version of Windows you want to install”. Just select Windows 10 Pro and then click OK when the next prompt comes up. Don’t worry about checking any of the options presented to you. Once again, click OK when you get a warning.
- Now, wait for the process to complete. In the meantime, you should go ahead and download all the Windows Drivers provided by Valve for the Steam Deck. Once every single driver is downloaded, extract the zip files and place the folders inside on the Desktop.
- When the RUFUS process is complete, close it and open your File Explorer. There, you will see something like ESD-ISO. This is your microSD card with Windows inside it. Cut and paste all the extracted drivers here.
- Now, just right-click on your microSD card and select Eject.
- After that, turn off/power down your Steam Deck and insert the microSD card inside it.
- Time to boot the Deck into Steam Boot Screen. Hold the power button and volume-down button until you hear a chime. After that, you no longer need to hold down those buttons.
- In the Boot Manager, select your microSD card and the Deck will reboot from the microSD card. When it does, start setting up Windows. Do note that everything will be vertical when you start Windows for the first time. To set Windows horizontally, open Windows Settings and then click on System > Display. Under the Display Orientation option, click on the drop-down menu and select Landscape.
- Now, let’s go ahead and install the drivers. Open File Explorer, and click on This PC > [Your microSD card]. Head to the location where you have stored the drivers and start installing them one by one. After all drivers are installed, reboot your Steam Deck and then install all available Windows updates.
- Next, download Steam, log in to your account, and then start downloading Madden24. Once it’s installed, launch the game and enjoy.
For now, this is what you need to do to enjoy Madden 24 on the Steam Deck. If EA does decide to start supporting the game for the Deck, we will be sure to let our readers know. Till then, keep following DigiStatement for more like this. Also, read: Madden NFL 24 Solo Battles Not Working Issue: Is there any fix yet
