About
OpenMW is a free, open-source reimplementation of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind's engine, supporting all original content plus engine-level enhancements like arbitrary resolutions, distant land, and its own scripting and modding ecosystem. Development began around 2008 and the project reached feature-complete status for the base game in 2013, with continuous improvements since. It requires the player's own Morrowind data files, which remain available for purchase on Steam, GOG, and the Bethesda launcher. OpenMW-CS (the bundled editor) and TES3MP (multiplayer fork) extend the platform further. It is widely considered the definitive way to play Morrowind on modern hardware.
Identity
Launch
- Binary
- openmw
- Needs files
-
- Morrowind.esm
- Morrowind.bsa
Runtime
- Runs as
- Native Linux
- Proton
- not needed
⚙ Setup notes
Build: Native Linux build. Download the latest openmw-*-Linux-64Bit.tar.gz from the OpenMW releases page or install via Flathub (org.openmw.OpenMW).
Display: The Flatpak has had framerate issues in Gaming Mode on some Deck firmware — the standalone tarball is generally more reliable.
Setup: After extraction, run openmw-wizard to point it at your Morrowind data files (Steam installs them to steamapps/common/Morrowind). Once configured, add openmw-launcher as a non-Steam game, or add openmw directly if you want to skip the launcher.
Luxtorpeda: Can automate the whole process — install Luxtorpeda via ProtonUp-Qt, then launch the Morrowind Steam entry and it downloads and pre-configures OpenMW automatically.
Controller: Basic gamepad support has been built in for years, but 0.50 was the big leap — enable the Controller Menus option in the launcher for a proper controller-navigable in-game UI (inventory, character sheet, potion brewing, etc.). 0.51 (current stable) carries this forward.
The one thing to know
Supply your own copy: Requires Morrowind data files (Morrowind.esm + BSAs) from your own purchase — Steam/GOG/Bethesda.
Display: Flatpak build has had framerate regression in Gaming Mode on some Deck firmware; prefer the standalone tarball or Luxtorpeda.
Requirements: OpenMW 0.50 requires glibc 2.38 (SteamOS 3.5+ should satisfy this).
Setup: Morrowind.esm and Data Files must be pointed at correctly via openmw-wizard or the launcher config before the game will start.
Community guides
Write-ups and threads from people who got this (or a similar) game running. deckport links to them — it doesn't reproduce them.
- steam Perfect OpenMW 0.50 on Steam Deck (with mods) — Steam Community ↗
- steam Simple OpenMW setup with Steam — Steam Community ↗
- gamingonlinux How to setup OpenMW on Linux / SteamOS and Steam Deck — GamingOnLinux ↗
- steam Modernizing Morrowind / Improving Controller Support Mid-2025 (Uses OpenMW) — Steam Community ↗
- steam Integrate OpenMW with Steam (Linux) — Steam Community ↗
- openmw Install Game Files — OpenMW official docs ↗
Get the artwork
deckport never hosts game images. Open this game on SteamGridDB, pick
the cover / hero / logo / icon you like, and drop them into the
game folder under .deckport-art/ before you push it to the
Deck. The importer files them under the right names automatically.
Run it on your Deck
Two files: the one-time importer (deckport.py) in your
Deck's home folder, and this game's install helper. Copy the game
into ~/Games and run the helper with Steam closed — it
writes the recipe (binary, launch options)
and registers the shortcut with artwork.