How to Install Steam on Ubuntu 20.04

Gaming on Linux has been made easier and more accessible thanks to Steam. Steam is a cross-platform entertainment platform developed by Valve Corporation for purchasing and playing video games.

It gives you access to thousands of games and allows you to meet new people via social networking on its platform. The games are protected with DRM. Its an cross-platform application available for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and available in 28+ Languages.

Steam was launched as a standalone software client in September 2003 as a way for Valve to provide automatic updates for their games, and expanded to include games from third-party publishers. Valve’s PC gaming client offers a store, cloud saves, remote downloads, video streaming, and many other gamer-friendly features.

The platform also offers a small selection of other content, including design software, hardware, game soundtracks, anime, and films. By 2019, the service had over 34,000 games with over 95 million monthly active users. Loaded with titles and user-friendly features, Steam continues its reign as the best PC game store.

Pros:

• Huge game library
• Remote play and remote downloads
• Numerous game recommendation tools
• Video streaming
• Useful Big Picture mode
• Select film and software content

Cons:

• Poor customer service
• Busy interface
• Lacks built-in video-capture tools

This article explains two methods of installing Steam on Ubuntu 20.04.

Choose the installation method that is most appropriate for your environment.

Method 1: Installing Steam from Ubuntu Package Repository

The Steam is included in Ubuntu 20.04. Follow the step by step guide to install the application.

Step #1

Type the following command to enable Multiverse Repository.

$ sudo add-apt-repository multiverse

Step #2

Then update the apt sources.

$ sudo apt update

Step #3

Now execute this command to install the Steam package.

$ sudo apt install steam

At this step, you have successfully installed Steam on Ubuntu 20.04 system.

Method 2: Installing Steam using deb package

Installing Steam on Ubuntu is honestly straightforward. We’ll download and install the Steam .deb package from the official website.

Step #1

Type the following command to download the latest .deb package using wget command.

$ wget https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steam.deb

Step #2

Now type the following command to install the downloaded package.

$ sudo dpkg -i steam.deb

You can also use the apt command to install .deb files.

$ sudo apt install steam.deb

If you get a dependency error while installing the .deb packages, you can run the following command to fix it.

$ sudo apt install -f

You can update the Steam package through your desktop standard Software Update tool or by running the following commands in your terminal.

$ sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

That’s it, Steam has been installed on your Ubuntu System, and you can start using it.

Starting Steam

To launch the Steam client, open the Activities search bar, type “Steam” and click on the application icon.

You can also launch Steam from the terminal by typing below command.

$ steam

When you start Steam for the first time, it will open a new terminal and install the essential packages.

When prompted, type Enter to continue. The terminal will close, and Steam will update its self to the latest version.

This can take a few minutes. Once the update is complete, the Steam client will start. From here, you can log in to your Steam account or create a new one.

How to Uninstall Steam from Ubuntu 20.04

For some reason, If you want to uninstall Steam application, type the following command.

$ sudo apt remove steam

Conclusion

I hope that now you have a good understanding of How to Install Steam on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Focal Fossa.

If anyone does have any questions about what we covered in this guide then feel free to ask in the comment section below and I will do my best to answer those.