Heroic Games Launcher v2.5.0 is out now for managing GOG and Epic Games Store, this new release has some pretty exciting features like sideloading.
The first big new addition is the Downloads Manager, allowing you to queue up many downloads. You can't yet change the download order, but it's a great start for a very useful feature.
You can also now sideload anything. Heroic is no longer just for GOG and Epic Games. This means you can add any game or application on your PC, to launch inside Heroic. Not just that, Heroic is also now a Wine manager, allowing you to add and install various Windows-only games, launchers and more. It will even use SteamGridDB to pull in app images if it finds one for it.
HowLongToBeat data was also added to game pages, if it can find it. So as you go through your library, you can see how long it might take you to play through. Another useful addition.
Other improvements include:
- An option to automatically add new game installs to Steam.
- Custom Theme support.
- Notify you if the installed game is not available (e.g. from a drive not plugged in).
- Show unsupported games - like Star Wars Squadrons on Epic not being supported as it needs EA app.
- Improved performance in the UI in general, so some pages load without any delay now like the Game Page and the Install Modal.
- Better online/offline system so Heroic can handle better when no network is available.
- GamePad navigation was redone so now the Library Cards do not show any button and also the commands were changed to work exactly like the SteamOS for better familiarity.
- Changelog will now be shown after Heroic is updated (or by clicking on Heroic Version on Sidebar), so you will be aware of all new features for that new release.
- Login Screen was redesigned for a more modern look.
- Added two new themes: Nord Light and Nord Dark.
- It is now possible to force an installation even if Heroic detects no space left on the device.
- Heroic will show a warning in case you are not logged in to a store and try to access it from the sidebar.
- Updated Legendary and Electron to the latest versions.
Here's a little demo of how useful it is on Steam Deck:
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The comments on this article are closed.
slaapliedje Nov 29, 2022
Wtf is app sideloading on Linux? All it really means on Android/iOS is to install something outside of the Google/Apple store. It isn't like this hasn't always been a thing in computer land.
Does this feature just add shortcuts for stuff installed via apt/dnf (for example)?
Does this feature just add shortcuts for stuff installed via apt/dnf (for example)?
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Quoting: slaapliedjeWtf is app sideloading on Linux? All it really means on Android/iOS is to install something outside of the Google/Apple store. It isn't like this hasn't always been a thing in computer land.It's explained right there in the article. Adding and installing things from outside Heroic.
Does this feature just add shortcuts for stuff installed via apt/dnf (for example)?
3 Likes, Who?
fearnflavio Nov 29, 2022
Quoting: slaapliedjeWtf is app sideloading on Linux? All it really means on Android/iOS is to install something outside of the Google/Apple store. It isn't like this hasn't always been a thing in computer land.
Does this feature just add shortcuts for stuff installed via apt/dnf (for example)?
This means that Heroic stops being only an Epic and GOG games launcher to a more general games/app launcher.
This is useful if you want to, for instance, add not supported launcher to Heroic, native or not. Some examples could be the Ubisoft and EA apps, itch IO, some games that you have downloaded on your machine, etc.
It won't find anything automatically on your machine, if that is what you mean, you will need to add it from there.
Another example is to use a CLI tool like Nile to download your Amazon games and add it to Heroic.
Might be a useful feature to some people and others might never use it as well. but it is good to have this possibility.
4 Likes, Who?
slaapliedje Nov 29, 2022
Quoting: Liam DaweYeah, I think the term being used here is odd. I mean I guess if you think of Heroic as it's own OS, it'd make sense.Quoting: slaapliedjeWtf is app sideloading on Linux? All it really means on Android/iOS is to install something outside of the Google/Apple store. It isn't like this hasn't always been a thing in computer land.It's explained right there in the article. Adding and installing things from outside Heroic.
Does this feature just add shortcuts for stuff installed via apt/dnf (for example)?
There have been a few times I've tried getting something to work in Heroic, but failed, but it worked great in Lutris. Which is a shame as the interface for Heroic is nicer. I'll have to give the new version a shot.
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Sideloading just means third-party. In this case, not from Heroic directly. It fits fine IMO.
1 Likes, Who?
fearnflavio Nov 29, 2022
Quoting: Liam DaweSideloading just means third-party. In this case, not from Heroic directly. It fits fine IMO.
Exactly, we could not think of a better name to describe it.
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Vasya Sovari Nov 29, 2022
I managed to get one game sideloaded into Steam. Which then wouldn't launch. Two other games refused to side-load at all.
So.. work in progress.
So.. work in progress.
0 Likes
Honestly I agree with the others, sideloading usually refers to "not this". Apparently, Wikipedia even has an entry backing that up...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sideloading
All that said, I can see why it's not entirely off-base to use here either, but the confusion it would cause also isn't unreasonable. Using it here makes it sound like Heroic is an ecosystem itself, which it isn't; though if you use a flatpak it might be...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sideloading
All that said, I can see why it's not entirely off-base to use here either, but the confusion it would cause also isn't unreasonable. Using it here makes it sound like Heroic is an ecosystem itself, which it isn't; though if you use a flatpak it might be...
1 Likes, Who?
slaapliedje Nov 30, 2022
Quoting: fearnflavioHa, maybe call it third party? 😜 side-loading, used to have some effort be made to get things installed, like adb and a usb cable, at least that is how I always think of it as. If you are just throwing software in there, it isn't side-loading, as that requires something off to the side... to load it.Quoting: Liam DaweSideloading just means third-party. In this case, not from Heroic directly. It fits fine IMO.
Exactly, we could not think of a better name to describe it.
0 Likes
slaapliedje Nov 30, 2022
Quoting: dibzHonestly I agree with the others, sideloading usually refers to "not this". Apparently, Wikipedia even has an entry backing that up...Thanks! I tend to think terms matter, and using one term for another just confuses matters. If Heroic added being able to load off of a 3ds with a cartridge in it over a USB cable, then I would consider it Sideloading.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sideloading
All that said, I can see why it's not entirely off-base to use here either, but the confusion it would cause also isn't unreasonable. Using it here makes it sound like Heroic is an ecosystem itself, which it isn't; though if you use a flatpak it might be...
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