BioShock Remastered, BioShock 2 Remastered and BioShock Infinite have all fallen afoul of some questionably titled “high quality of life” updates that publishers 2K Video games launched final week. These updates added a brand new 2K Launcher to all three BioShocks that seems when booting them up from Steam, however as discovered by GamingOnLinux, one thing about this launcher doesn’t take kindly to Linux-based working programs. Linux-based working programs just like the Steam Deck’s SteamOS.
Because it occurs, then, there’s an opportunity – in case you’re making an attempt to play on Valve’s handheld PC – that each one these updates will do is swing a bloodied 9-iron into the Deck’s means to launch the affected video games in any respect. Whoopsie doodle.
To take a look at the harm, I put in all three borked BioShocks onto my very own Steam Deck, full with the QoL updates, and each BioShock Infinite and BioShock Remastered did not launch when commanded. I will need to have bought fortunate with BioShock 2 Remastered, although, as this launched wonderful – it merely did not present the 2K Launcher when it might usually seem. Different Linux and Steam Deck customers have reported it among the many affected video games, nevertheless.
(Probably associated: BioShock 2 Remastered is the one one of many three with a Steam Deck Verified score. BioShock Remastered is rated as Playable, and Infinite as Unsupported, although the latter ought to nonetheless run on Proton 7.0 and later. It’s simply not bought the perfect efficiency in-game.)
How lame. It’s not like these updates even add a lot that truly improves “high quality of life” as you’re taking part in: for all three video games, the updates consist fully of the 2K Launcher and the flexibility to hyperlink a 2K account in case you have one. That’s it. Not likely value bricking Steam Deck compatibility, eh?
Fortunately, GamingOnLinux additionally discovered some workarounds, which I’ve tried as properly with success. For every recreation, you simply want to stick within the following strings as Steam launch choices – yow will discover the required discipline by opening the sport’s Properties menu. The launch choices discipline is on the high of the Common tab, which ought to seem first by default.
To repair BioShock Remastered, add the next:
bash -c ‘exec “${@/2KLauncher/LauncherPatcher.exe/Construct/Last/BioshockHD.exe}”‘ — %command% -nointro
To repair BioShock 2 Remastered, add this:
bash -c ‘exec “${@/2KLauncher/LauncherPatcher.exe/Construct/Last/Bioshock2HD.exe}”‘ — %command% -nointro
And lastly, right here’s the textual content for BioShock Infinite:
bash -c ‘exec “${@/2KLauncher/LauncherPatcher.exe/Binaries/Win32/BioShockInfinite.exe}”‘ — %command% -nointro
In every case, this bypasses the 2K Launcher fully. Annoyingly, this isn’t the primary time a developer or writer has wrecked their very own recreation’s means to run on the Steam Deck: Last Fantasy XIV was damaged for some time after it, too, bought a brand new launcher, and wasn’t playable till a later Proton replace. One can however hope that this time, it’s 2K themselves who clear up their very own mess.