How to run emulators on the Steam Deck

The Steam Deck system is very suitable for emulators, and with a few tips and tricks you can learn how to run emulators on Steam Deck in just a few minutes. When Valve designed the Steam Deck, they knew that gamers would be interested in emulation to recreate their favorite gaming systems from years past and enjoy the timeless classics. That’s why Steam Deck lets you choose and run an emulator right out of the box.

Disclaimer: Emulation is a legal gray area as gaming ROMs are rarely available through legal sources. Digital Trends does not condone the illegal downloading of games you do not own, nor can we guarantee the authenticity and safety of any ROM files you download from unofficial sources.

How to run an emulator on Steam Deck

Step 1: Turn on your Steam Deck. When it’s running, hold down Power button in the upper right corner of the Steam Deck for a few seconds. When the menu opens, select Switch to desktop. This will restart Steam Deck in desktop mode, where you can make important changes. It’s usually easier to navigate Desktop Mode if you connect the Steam Deck to a larger monitor and mouse/keyboard, but it’s not entirely necessary.

Steam Deck applications.

Image used with permission of the copyright holder

Step 2: Steam Deck already has a lot of emulators waiting to be downloaded in the Discover app. But that’s where things get complicated quickly. Instead, we suggest using a shortcut, specifically the EmuDeck program. EmuDeck takes care of all the back-end details and will install and configure emulators — especially RetroArch, a front-end infrastructure that works well with Steam Deck and that we recommend for emulation. Go to this website and select Download the application start button. If following the links is inconvenient, the URL is: emudeck.com/#download.

EmuDeck installation button.

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Step 3: Open the EmuDeck file in desktop mode and run it to install the program. EmuDeck will open a wizard that will guide you through the setup process. Follow the instructions carefully. Finally, you will be prompted to run Steam ROM Manager, which EmuDeck should facilitate. When asked about overwriting emulators, you can choose to overwrite them all unless you have done a previous customization with the emulator listed.

Emudeck works on Steam Deck.

Retro Game Corps

Step 4: Select when prompted Reviewthen select Generate an application a list. EmuDeck will now work to create a library of classic games plus images and other important data. When done, select Save the application complete the process. This could take a few minutes or more, so be patient if the Deck seems to be working through it.

Step 5: Close your apps and select Return to game mode icon in the upper left corner. You should now see a new collection of Emulation s in your Steam library EmulationStation application ready to go.

EmulationStation in Steam Deck.

Image used with permission of the copyright holder

Step 6: If you are confused about managing ROM files, don’t hesitate to open Steam ROM Manager again and check configurations, compatibility and more. Remember, a lot of this is automated, but you can choose which emulated consoles you see, what they look like, what games you want, and more. EmuDeck should have done most of the work for you, but you still have customization options.

Steam ROM Manager.

Retro Game Corps

Step 7: If you plan to keep your ROMs on a separate SD card for easy cataloging, be sure to get an SD card, configure it for your Steam Deck, and label it properly so you know what’s waiting for you inside. SD cards using Ext4 or Btrfs file systems will be compatible with EmuDeck. Make sure the SD card is installed and ready to work before starting EmuDeck.

RetroArch menu.

Image used with permission of the copyright holder

Step 8: If your deck or external controller is behaving strangely or isn’t mapped correctly based on what you remember from the game, you can always change it. RetroArch, for example, has a Controls section in the settings where you can remap buttons and save your configuration for each game. A little tinkering can help.

Once you’ve got your favorite games up and running, why not try playing them on a big screen TV? Alternatively, switch to Steam Deck’s Desktop Mode for even more precise control.

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Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn

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