Electron applications don't work when added to steam on Steam OS, works when run directly and works on windows

[GNUGradyn]

Hello. I am trying to develop an electron application for use on the steam deck. I've put together this minimal demo project [github.com] to demonstrate the issue. Packaging the project with electron-forge and then running it in desktop mode works just fine. However, if you add the executable as a non-steam game and try to run it from steam, steam will think it is running, but it is not. This problem does not exist on Windows 10.

Testing on windows (works):
1: Make sure you have nodejs with npm installed on windows
2: clone the project above
3: install dependencies from npm via

npm install --include=dev

4: package the project with

npm install --include=dev

This will create a build in the

out\steamdeck-electron-example-win32-x64

directory.
5: run the steamdeck-electron-example.exe file in the completed build
Notice this works as expected
6: add this exe as a non-steam game to steam and launch it via steam
Notice this also works as expected

Testing on the steam deck (does not work):
1: Make sure you have nodejs with npm installed on a linux machine. This can be a separate machine from the steam deck and you can copy it over later if you want
2: clone the project above
3: install dependencies from npm via

npm install --include=dev

4: package the project with

npm install --include=dev

This will create a build in the

out/steamdeck-electron-example-linux-x64

directory. If you did not build this on the deck, copy this build onto the deck now
5: run the steamdeck-electron-example file.
Notice this works as expected
6: Add this executable as a non-steam game and launch it via steam
In desktop mode, steam will report the application is running, but the application will not actually launch
In game mode, steam will just load forever and you will have to reboot the deck

[GNUGradyn]

Calling the electron application with --no-sandbox works around the issue

[alienav]

Thanks for the update.
Have you learned what caused this?
Also, do you experience 99% GPU usage for no apparent reason in your Electron app?

[Glacius]

Bump

[alienav]

Update regarding the 99% GPU issue.
The heavy GPU usage isn't really there, the overlay is just not redrawn every frame, but only on webpage redraw - which makes it show like it's constantly under heavy load.
There are ugly workarounds for this on the web, such as drawing an invisible rectangle on a top layer over the whole page to force the overlay to redraw.

Still would also like to have more info on the original issue.

[Foxhoundn]

Originally posted by GNUGradyn:

Calling the electron application with --no-sandbox works around the issue

THANK YOU! This fixed it all - it's also incredible that the `maker-zip` makes executables that work on it's own platform without 0 tweaking, incredible.

Always bet on JavaScript (TypeScript in my case lol)