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Welcome to Junk-Store![edit | edit source]

Welcome to the Junk-Store Wiki! This is your go-to resource for finding information about our plugin. If you can't find an answer to your question or need further assistance, feel free to reach out to us on reddit or join our discord server. We're here to help!

What exactly is Junk Store?[edit | edit source]

Imagine having all your streaming services unified into one interface; a single hub where you can navigate your Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+ accounts, and more, all in one easy-to-search platform. Think of something like Kodi, and you'll get a sense of what we’re aiming to build for the Steam Deck.

This is the vision behind Junk Store, but instead of streaming services, it’s for all your non-Steam games. The developer of Junk Store wants to turn the Steam Deck into an "everything" deck. Junk Store’s goal is to provide an interface that allows you to easily access all your non-Steam games, no matter which store or platform they’re from, directly from Game Mode.

How is Junk-Store Different from Other Solutions?[edit | edit source]

We often get asked how Junk-Store compares to other solutions such as Heroic, Lutris, and Non-Steam-Launchers. To help answer these questions, we have put together the following comparisons. This is not an exhaustive comparison; instead, we focus on the main differences that might interest users.

Our comparisons are based on thorough research by our development team, who reviewed the code, downloaded, and ran each solution to see how they operate and feel compared to Junk-Store. We are not trying to persuade anyone to use Junk-Store over other solutions; instead, we want users to make an informed decision based on what works best for them. Each solution has its own advantages and disadvantages, and it’s up to each individual to decide what meets their needs.

If you believe we have made any errors or omissions, please contact us so we can correct them. We strive to be as unbiased and accurate as possible in our comparisons.

Junk-Store Compared to Heroic Games Launcher[edit | edit source]

Application Type: Heroic is a desktop application, whereas Junk-Store is a plugin for Steam.

Epic Games Integration: Both use Legendary instead of the native Epic Games Launcher.

GOG Integration: Both use gog-dl to install and manage GOG games. Junk-Store also uses lgogdownloader.

Proton and Wine Management: Heroic manages its own Proton and Wine prefixes for games, while Junk-Store leverages Steam's built-in functionality to manage Proton prefixes.

Installation Interface: Games are installed via the Heroic interface, while Junk-Store uses a Steam-native interface for managing games.

Game Launching: Heroic uses its infrastructure around Proton and Wine to run games, whereas Junk-Store allows Steam to handle most of the process.

Junk-Store Compared to Lutris[edit | edit source]

Application Type: Lutris is a desktop application, while Junk-Store is a plugin for Steam.

Epic Games Integration: Lutris uses the native Epic Games Launcher, while both Junk-Store and Heroic use Legendary.

Game Management Interface: Lutris requires game management and installation from desktop mode, whereas Junk-Store operates in game mode with a controller interface, requiring fewer clicks to install a game.

Proton and Wine Management: Lutris uses Bottles to manage Proton and Wine prefixes for games, while Junk-Store relies on Steam's built-in functionality.

Extensibility: Both Lutris and Junk-Store are highly extensible, allowing users to add features as desired, provided they have the necessary skills and time.

Customization and Documentation: Lutris has extensive customization options developed over 15 years, while Junk-Store offers similar potential but lacks documentation and full implementation at this stage. Junk-Store is less that a year old, but the team is working as hard and as fast as possible to catch up.

Technical Expertise Required: Lutris requires more technical expertise compared to Heroic and Junk-Store.

Junk-Store Compared to Non-Steam-Launchers (NSL)[edit | edit source]

Launcher Integration: NSL uses the native launchers for all game stores, whereas Junk-Store uses Legendary for Epic and lgogdownloader and gog-dl for GOG, similar to Heroic.

Prefix Management: NSL installs each launcher in a proton prefix, either unique per launcher or shared across launchers, and relies on these launchers to manage games. Junk-Store creates a unique prefix for each game.

Shortcut Creation: NSL scans through each prefix post-installation to find installed games and creates Steam shortcuts. Junk-Store creates a shortcut immediately upon game installation, as it tracks installed games and uses metadata from the storefront to configure the game and install dependencies, similar to Heroic.

Per Game Settings: NSL does not allow per game settings due to all games being in the same prefix. Junk-Store isolates each game, allowing for individual Proton settings without risk of interference or corruption between games.

Game Management: Junk-Store directly manages games, whereas NSL outsources this task to the native launchers.

About Junk-Store? Installing & Running Junk-Store Support & Contribute
Not quite sure what Junk-Store is:
* Learn more about Junk-Store
* Junk-Store Contributors
Having issues, check out:
* Plugin FAQ
* Plugin Troubleshooting pages
* Check out our How to guides
Want to help the project grow?
* Check out ways to Support
* Check out ways to Contribute


Launcher Integrations
Epic Games gog (Ko-fi or Patreon)
* Epic FAQ
* Epic Troubleshooting
* Epic Games Known to Work
* Epic Games Known Not to Work
* GOG FAQ
* GOG Troubleshooting
* GOG Games Known to Work
* GOG Games Known Not to Work