The Steam Deck's versatility is part of why it's been appealing to so many people. It's a great place to play all of your favorite games, but that's not all that it can do. It's basically a computer, and that means you can install applications such as Spotify or Discord on it. You can go even further and turn your shiny new Steam Deck into an emulation machine thanks to EmuDeck. You can check out games from many old consoles, including:
- Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 2
- Nintendo DS
- Nintendo 3DS
- PlayStation 1
- NES/SNES
- GameBoy
- GameCube & Wii
If you want to emulate your favorite games on your Steam Deck, then read on!
What you'll need to install EmuDeck on your Steam Deck
- An internet connection: This is a must for setting up EmuDeck. It pulls emulators from the internet and pre-configures them for you, so there's a lot that it needs to download.
- (Optional) A keyboard: Installing any non-game apps on your Steam Deck is easier if you have a keyboard, especially just for typing in your browser to navigate to the website. It's not a must, though, because you can just hold the Steam key and press X simultaneously to bring up an on-screen keyboard.
Step 1: Switch to Desktop Mode
The first thing you'll need to do to install EmuDeck on your Steam Deck is to switch to desktop mode.
- Press the Steam button and scroll down to power, and then select Switch to Desktop Mode.
- You can also bring up this menu by holding the power button.
Once you're all set up, It should look like the picture below.
Step 2: Download EmuDeck
You'll need to navigate to the EmuDeck website on your Steam Deck.
- Either type in emudeck.com into your browser or look on Google for EmuDeck.
- Click Download at the top.
- Click Download installer.
Wait for it to download. It's a tiny file, so should be quick.
Step 3: Install EmuDeck
Once you have the EmuDeck desktop file downloaded, you'll need to do the following.
- Move the EmuDeck.desktop file to your desktop.
- Execute the file by double-clicking it.
- Wait for it to finish processing.
Once it finishes processing, you should see the EmuDeck installer. Choose custom install.
Step 4: Configure your EmuDeck install
Installing EmuDeck is a pretty simple process, but you'll still need to configure a ton of options if you choose to do a custom installation. Those options include:
- Where to install EmuDeck
- What emulators to get
- Which emulators will be pre-configured
- The aspect ratio of your games
- Screen flicker
There's a ton to choose from, so be sure to read through carefully and select what you want. Be aware as well that consoles like the PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo Switch will require you to import your own BIOS and key files, respectively.
Step 5: Add your games to Steam
Once you have all of your games set up and ready to go, you'll want to add them to your Steam library so you can access them easily. The simplest way to do this is through Steam Rom Manager, which is part of EmuDeck.
- Launch Steam Rom Manager from the games section of your installed apps.
- Click Preview.
- Click Generate app list in the bottom left.
- Once it generates the list, click Save app list.
You can now return to gaming mode from your desktop. Your games should now be added to individual emulator collections!
Emulation makes the Steam Deck even better
I've been using the Steam Deck a lot, and emulation is only something that I've only just begun experimenting with. Still, it's a great way to play older classics on the go, and you'll be able to play games no matter where you are. There are a lot of handhelds, but Steam Deck does emulation the best right now. Steam Deck is, overall, an incredibly versatile system for pretty much any console or handheld released before the PlayStation 4. Even PlayStation 3 games work to a degree, though that's more of a work in progress.
Be sure to let us know what games you're playing!