Nexus Mods has confirmed plans to bring native SteamOS support to its Vortex mod manager in 2026, a move that will significantly simplify modding on the Steam Deck and upcoming Steam Machine hardware.
The announcement appeared in a recent Nexus Mods roadmap update, where the company outlined a renewed focus on Vortex following the cancellation of its Nexus Mods App earlier this month. While that app was originally intended to expand Linux support, Nexus Mods has now opted to consolidate its development efforts into Vortex, which has historically been Windows-only.
Once SteamOS support is implemented, Vortex will run natively on Valve’s Linux-based operating system, allowing Steam Deck and Steam Machine owners to install and manage mods without relying on unofficial scripts, manual file transfers, or other community workarounds. Those methods, while functional, have often been fragile—especially for heavily modded games that depend on complex load orders and interlocking dependencies.
Vortex is currently used by more than 1.4 million modders each month, making it one of the most widely adopted mod management tools on PC. Linux users, however, have largely been excluded from that ecosystem. Nexus Mods says the upcoming update is intended to close that gap, at least...
