If I buy on steam does that give me a new account, or can I log into my existing?

richo262 · November 2025

From time to time I have given consideration to moving to Steam for convenience.

I dual boot linux, and Proton makes it possible. I just add my ESO as a non-steam game and it works fine. I've often wondered if I buy the base game on Steam, will that allow me to log into my existing account? Purely for convenience, I have talked myself out of a steam purchase as Proton works with non-steam games, and its only a few extra steps.

With options like GameHub and the possible upcoming Steam / Android solution potentially making playing Steam games on Android possible I've been thinking of buying ESO on steam again. Can I log into my existing account (purchased straight from ZOS) via Steam?

Gabriel_H · November 2025

richo262 wrote: »

From time to time I have given consideration to moving to Steam for convenience.

I dual boot linux, and Proton makes it possible. I just add my ESO as a non-steam game and it works fine. I've often wondered if I buy the base game on Steam, will that allow me to log into my existing account? Purely for convenience, I have talked myself out of a steam purchase as Proton works with non-steam games, and its only a few extra steps.

With options like GameHub and the possible upcoming Steam / Android solution potentially making playing Steam games on Android possible I've been thinking of buying ESO on steam again. Can I log into my existing account (purchased straight from ZOS) via Steam?

Technically ... sort of. You'd have to launch it from the .exe and then input your existing account. Launching it through Steam uses the steam account.

Edit: The other option is to do what you are already doing - " I just add my ESO as a non-steam game and it works fine"

richo262 · November 2025

Gabriel_H wrote: »

richo262 wrote: »

From time to time I have given consideration to moving to Steam for convenience.

I dual boot linux, and Proton makes it possible. I just add my ESO as a non-steam game and it works fine. I've often wondered if I buy the base game on Steam, will that allow me to log into my existing account? Purely for convenience, I have talked myself out of a steam purchase as Proton works with non-steam games, and its only a few extra steps.

With options like GameHub and the possible upcoming Steam / Android solution potentially making playing Steam games on Android possible I've been thinking of buying ESO on steam again. Can I log into my existing account (purchased straight from ZOS) via Steam?

Technically ... sort of. You'd have to launch it from the .exe and then input your existing account. Launching it through Steam uses the steam account.

Edit: The other option is to do what you are already doing - " I just add my ESO as a non-steam game and it works fine"

Thanks for clarifying. That is unfortunate.

What I am doing will continue to work for linux. It won't work with GameHub, and may not work (yet to be confirmed) with Steam Frame. Gamehub (and possibly Steam Frame in the future) pairs with your steam account and allows for Steam games to played on your phone. I'm unaware of any method to add non-steam.

tincanman · November 2025

You'd have to link your existing eso account to your steam one via your eso account (web) page - the faciity is down at the bottom of the main page somewhere, I think. Otherwise the two accounts would be separate and unique.

How do I link my ESO account to my Steam account?

You might also get prompted when you launch the steam version but it's trivial to link via your account webpage.

richo262 · November 2025

tincanman wrote: »

You'd have to link your existing eso account to your steam one via your eso account (web) page - the faciity is down at the bottom of the main page somewhere, I think. Otherwise the two accounts would be separate and unique.

How do I link my ESO account to my Steam account?

You might also get prompted when you launch the steam version but it's trivial to link via your account webpage.

Thanks, does it matter what version I buy? Or do I have to rebuy all the content again?

tincanman · November 2025

Just buy the cheapest for the steam one - once linked it's your 'original' and now singular main account regardless of which launcher you use.

SeaGtGruff · November 2025

I think Steam should let you create a new user name and password if you wish-- without deleting your old one-- and then you can switch between them. I've never done that, but I assume it's primarily designed so different family members can log into Steam on the same computer and play their own games.

Anyway, what you might could do is create a new Steam user name and password which are the same as your ESO user name and password, then switch to that user when you want to log in and play ESO on Steam. I'm not sure about content, but since your content is associated with your ESO user name, I would think that it would carry over automatically.

I mention this as a possible alternative to linking your existing Steam and ESO accounts, since I'm not sure how that works as far as logging in through Steam.

tincanman · November 2025

If you keep them separate then your new and distinct steam account will only have whatever content that comes with the steam version you bought.

Linked together, with one account, that account will have everything you've bought for your original account. Regardless of how you log in (steam or eso launcher) it will be that singular account you log into with all content as described.

Thus, you buy the cheapest (usually 'base') game version for steam, since you probably will already have most content you want on your main account. Thereafter(and while steam/store versions remain linked), any additional stuff you buy can be done via eso store or steam and will be added to that singular, linked account, although if you buy from steam you might have to launch/log-in with the steam version for the new content to propagate immediately into and be available via your eso standalone launcher/exe.

/disambiguate

lillybit · November 2025

I got the premium content pass on steam (which includes the base game) because it was on sale there, having previously just had the PC version. I had to download it again through steam and then just logged in with my usual username and password. I think there were other steps it asked me to do, but nothing so complicated that I remember them!