DCS World not working on Steam Deck: How to fix it

It would be a crime not to mention DCS World when talking about combat simulators. Developed and published by Eagle Dynamics, DCS World or Digital Combat Simulator World, comes packed with a ton of content and features. ED also continues to add regular content to the game, with the most recent one introducing the F-4E Phantom II military aircraft. Currently, the game is only available on PC, although some are also enjoying it on their PC handhelds, like the Steam Deck. Unfortunately, there have recently been some complaints around DCS World on the Deck as it appears to be not working properly.

At the time of publishing this, DCS World is not Verified for the Steam Deck. However, the game does run on the Deck, and as such, Valve has marked it as Playable. This issue could be the result of compatibility issues with the Deck or due to there being some missing game files. Regardless, it needs to be fixed. So, without much further ado, let’s go ahead and find out all possible workarounds for this issue.

DCS World not working on Steam Deck: How to fix it

The following workarounds will help you deal with this issue. Try these and see which ones are particularly of help to you.

Restart –

Well, the very first thing that we suggest you do is to simply restart the game. If that doesn’t work, you can also restart your Steam Deck. At times a quick restart might be all you need to fix an issue like this. However, if the issue continues to exist, you can take a look at other workarounds mentioned below.

Use Proton Experimental –

A lot of issues, including this one can be fixed by forcing Proton on the game. And that’s what is also suggested by this player here. In order to force Proton, you will need to select DCS World from your Library and then press the Options button. Next, select Properties and switch to the Compatibility section. In there, you will find the Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool option with a checkbox beside it. Checkmark that checkbox and then select Proton Experimental from the drop-down menu below. If Experimental doesn’t work, you can select other Proton versions too. GE-Proton7-37 is also a popular one, so you can use that too.

Verify game files –

A missing or corrupted game file is a common cause behind issues like this. And the only fix for that is to verify and repair the DCS World files. This can be done by going into a game’s Properties settings (follow the steps mentioned in the previous workaround). Now, once you are in Properties settings, switch to the Installed Files tab and then click on Verify integrity of game files. Wait for the process to finish and once it is restart your Deck.

Properly install DCS World –

Make sure that you have properly installed DCS World. If you want, you can uninstall DCS World and then follow the steps mentioned below:

• First, open Steam and download DCS World Steam Edition from there. 
• Now, you will need to switch to the Desktop Mode. To do that, press the Steam button for 2+ seconds. When the Power menu pops up, select Switch to Desktop. The Steam Deck will now switch to Desktop Mode. 
• In the Desktop Mode, launch Discover Store, download Protontricks,  and then install it.
• Next, launch Protontricks and select DCS World Steam Edition: 223750. Just click on OK if you see any 64-bit WINEPREFIX warning messages. When the Winetricks menu launches, choose to Select the default wineprefix and then click OK.
• In the next menu, select Run winecfg and click on OK. Doing this will bring up the Wine configuration option. 
• Next, select the Libraries tab. In there, you will find the New override for library textbox. Enter winhttp in the text box and click on Add and then the Apply button. 
• Now return to the Winetricks menu and click on Select the default wineprefix and then click OK.
• In the next menu, select Install a Windows DLL or component and click on OK. Checkmark the box next to these packages:

• Now, you need to configure DCS World. Switch back to Gaming Mode and open the Properties settings of the game. 
• In the General tab, you will find LAUNCH OPTIONS. Enter this in there: “WINEDLLOVERRIDES=’wbemprox=n’ %command%”.
• Checkmark both Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game and Use Desktop Game Theatre while SteamVR is active option if you prefer. Also, set the GAME RESOLUTION to 1280×800 and uncheck the Set resolution for internal and external display options. 
• Now, force GE-Proton7-37 on the game.
• Next, in the Properties settings, switch to the Betas tab and click on Select the beta you would like to opt into:. Select openbeta-Public beta versions and close the Properties settings. 
• Now, that you’ve properly installed DCS World, launch it and see if it runs normally.

You can click on this link if you want a more detailed version of the steps.

Set Graphics to Low and Install DirectX11 –

Make sure to set DCS World’s graphics setting preset to Low. Along with that, you should also download and install DirectX11 on your Steam Deck. You can use Winetricks from the Discover store for that. Setting Graphics to Low and installing DirectX11 should resolve this issue. However, if DCS World still isn’t working properly on your Deck then try the next fix.

Reinstall –

The last workaround that could potentially be of help is this reinstallation method. All you need to do for this is uninstall DCS World from your Steam Deck and then start a new download. After the game’s reinstalled, launch it and see if the issue persists.

Well, that’s all the workarounds we have for this issue. You can also take a quick look here if DCS isn’t launching in VR. And for more interesting guides like this, keep following DigiStatement. Also read: American Truck Simulator 1.50 update makes VR mode to crash for many players: Is there any fix yet