β-Ga2O3 films prepared by metal organic deposition (MOD) on (000l) sapphire substrates, have been developed for ultraviolet photodectors. The structural, surface, optical properties of MOD derived β-Ga2O3 films depending on growth temperatures were investigated. As growth temperature increased, the crystallinity of β-Ga2O3 films enhanced, crystallite size and surface roughness increased. The optical band gap of β-Ga2O3 films maintained within 4.8–4.9 eV at different growth temperatures. Metal–semiconductor–metal ultraviolet photodetectors based on MOD derived β-Ga2O3 films were successfully fabricated, demonstrating the responsivity of 0.76 A/W at 20 V and the upper limits of the rise and decay time of 50 and 30 ms, respectively, indicating a promising low-cost approach for Ga2O3-base photoelectronics applications.