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steam-headless

Steam Headless is a containerised gaming desktop with Steam and Sunshine pre-installed.

  • Game Servers
  • Other
  • Tools & Utilities
Steam Headless is a containerised gaming desktop with Steam and Sunshine pre-installed. See the Steam Headless documentation for setup, GPU configuration and troubleshooting: https://steamheadless.com/docs/installation/host-preparation/Unraid WARNING: Host networking supports one Steam Headless container only. To run more than one, use macvlan networking and configure unique hostname values and appdata paths for every container.

Platform availability

Available on 2 of 9 platforms

  • Unraid
  • TrueNAS
  • Umbrel (not listed)
  • ZimaOS (not listed)
  • Proxmox (not listed)
  • Helm (not listed)
  • Mac (not listed)
  • Windows (not listed)
  • Linux (not listed)

Health score?A 0-100 score computed nightly from four factors: maintained (40%: recent commits and steady activity), popular (25%: GitHub stars, log scale), easy to install (20%: platforms, install notes, setup guides, Docker image) and light to run (15%: minimum RAM, ARM support). When the source code has been checked, a fifth factor, security check (20%: automated scan for committed secrets, unsafe desktop-app settings, known-vulnerable dependencies and project hygiene; any serious finding caps it at 20), is added. Factors without data are left out and the rest are rescaled.

73/100 Good

Maintained
86last commit 8 days ago
Popular
744,845 GitHub stars
Easy to install
452 install platforms, install notes, Docker image
Light to run
No data

Based on 3 of 4 factors.

Availability: platform listings confirmed today, links checked 11 days ago

GitHub stars
4,845
Open issues
11
Last commit
2026-10-05
Latest release
0.2.0
License
GPL-2.0
Activity
rising

Checked 7 days ago - source: GitHub (Steam-Headless/docker-steam-headless)

Resources & Compatibility

ARM (e.g. Raspberry Pi) is not supported.

Checked 14 days ago - source: Docker Hub image tags and published docs

First-install notes

  • Install the right Steam package Install the Steam Python package with the client extras if you need SteamClient login. Using only the base package when client features are needed can leave required dependencies missing and make login break. source
  • Add your Steam Web API key If you use the Web API examples, put your Steam Web API key into the WebAPI key setting before running calls. Without a valid key, the Steam API calls will not work. source
  • Enter working Steam login details For one-off login scripts, enter a real Steam username and password at the prompts. Missing or wrong details stop the script from logging in, so keep your account info handy. source

Fetched 14 days ago - each note links to its source

Alternatives (12)

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  • GOG GALAXY - Connect GOG GALAXY 2.0 with multiple platforms and unite all your games and friends scattered across them in one powerful app.
  • GOG.com - Digital store offering DRM-free classics and new PC titles with no client needed, 30-day returns, curated content, regular updates, and ext…
  • Game Jolt - A community platform for gaming, anime, cosplay, and fandom.
  • Google Play Store - Official Android marketplace for apps, games, books, movies, and more accessible via Android devices and web browsers with user reviews for…
  • Heroic Games Launcher - Heroic is an Open Source Game Launcher for Linux, Windows and macOS (10.15+, won't work properly on High sierra and older versions).
  • Hydra Launcher - Game launcher offering integrated BitTorrent downloads, automatic repack scraping from trusted sources, update notifications, and support f…
  • Lutris - Lutris is an open source gaming platform for GNU/Linux.
  • Playnite - Open-source game library manager unifying PC and emulated titles from platforms including Steam, GOG, and Origin with customizable plugins…
  • Steam - Steam(https://store.steampowered.com/) is the ultimate destination for playing, discussing, and creating games.
  • Ubisoft Connect - A multi-platform ecosystem connecting players globally with cross-progression, rewards, and cross-play, accessible via desktop and mobile,…

Checked yesterday - source: AlternativeTo

Common questions

Where should I store files and the game library so they survive container updates?

Store anything you want to keep in the home directory or a Docker container mount you specify, because files outside the home directory are not persistent. For the Steam games library, mount it to /mnt/games and add that path in Steam.

How do I use my host’s X server instead of having Steam Headless start its own X server?

Set DISPLAY=:0 and MODE=secondary. Optionally set HOST_DBUS=true and mount /run/dbus:/run/dbus:ro to use the host dbus process.

Why does Steam Remote Play treat the container as being on a different network?

Create a custom network and assign the container its own IP for Steam Remote Play. Without that, Steam routes the traffic through the internet because it thinks the host is on a different network.

How can I install additional launchers or applications after setup?

Create a script in ~/init.d ending with .sh to run at container startup, or use the WebUI under Applications > System > Software to install launchers such as Lutris, Heroic, or EmuDeck.

Do I need to recreate the container after installing the Unraid uinput plugin?

Yes, recreate the Steam Headless container after installing the uinput plugin so the new module is detected.

Answers sourced from forums.unraid.net, github.com

Community

Collected 9 days ago - public community threads