I unlocked Steam Deck's powerful emulation chops — here's how you can, too (2024)

Steam Deck is arguably the best handheld gaming console out there right now. Not only does it allow you to take your Steam library with you on the move, but you can also run Xbox Games Pass on Steam Deck, or use it to play non-Steam titles from other launchers. It's also one of the most customizable open-source handhelds that lends itself to loading non-games apps and emulators.

That's right, emulation is a big part of Steam Deck, and you can easily turn Valve's handheld into one of the best retro gaming handhelds with the right emulator. It's easy to get overwhelmed with all the emulator options as a beginner, though, and it's crucial to know how to get started. I was able to set things up and get going with emulation on the Steam in just a few minutes, and here's how you can do it, too.

Choosing the right emulator for Steam Deck

There are plenty of options

Source: EmuDeck

Emulation is pretty big on Steam Deck, and many use it to indulge in retro games to get more usage out of it. As such, there's no shortage of emulators on the Steam Deck, and the one that's best for you essentially comes down to the kind of games you want to play. Some emulators for Steam Deck stickily support only certain platforms, while others function as full-fledged hubs supporting multiple systems.

It is recommended that you stick with an emulator aggregator of sorts, especially if you are new to the world of emulation on the Steam Deck. 'EmuDeck' is the first emulation suite that came to mind as a one-stop-solution that's easy to install and use on a daily basis. We'll install and use EmuDeck for the purpose of this tutorial, but below are a few other emulators that you may want to try on your Steam Deck, depending on what you want to play.

Cemu: This open-source Wii U emulator is perfect for those who want to play some classics like Mario and Zelda. Cemu gained a lot of ground in the emulation community for being one of the best options to play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

PCSX2: This is the go-to emulator for those who want to play PlayStation 2 titles, such as the original God of War and Metal Gear Solid titles. The best thing about this particular emulator is that it has a compatibility list that you can check to see if a particular game is playable on your Steam Deck or not.

MAME: This particular emulator is the perfect ally for your Steam Deck if you want to play the original arcade version of games like Tekken. It takes some effort to set up MAME on a Steam Deck, especially when it comes to getting the controls right, but it's worth the effort if you love spending time playing those kinds of games.

How to Install and use EmuDeck for emulation in Steam Deck

Easy to install with a step-by-step guide

There are plenty of reasons to pick EmuDeck over other emulators for Steam Deck, with one of the main ones being how easy it is to install and use it. EmuDeck is also highly customizable, and it provides access to a variety of emulators, letting you play all your favorite retro games from one place. What I also love about EmuDeck is that it has a neat and clean interface that helps you pick the right emulator, be it the RPCS3 emulator for PS3 games, Cemu for Wii U games, and others.

If you are wondering how to install and use EmuDeck on your Steam Deck, then simply follow the steps highlighted in the guide below.

The first thing you need to do is switch to the Desktop mode on your Steam Deck. To do it:

1. Press the Steam button and scroll down to power, and then select Switch to Desktop Mode.
2. Hold the power button and select Switch to Desktop Mode.

Now to the part in which you install EmuDeck. To do it:

1. Open the browser of your choice on the Steam Deck and search for EmuDeck.

   

2. Download the SteamOS version and copy it to the desktop.

   

3. Double-tap the setup file and then simply follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
4. Select the Steam ROM Manager and select Yes when prompted to close Steam.

   

5. Select Overwrite emulator unless you've previously customized an emulator on the list.

   

6. Select the emulators you want to see on your Steam library, and then hit the Preview button on the Parsers screen to generate a preview.

   

7. Select the ones you want to show up natively on your Steam library, and then select Save to Steam.

   

Doing so will populate all the emulators that you selected on your Steam Deck, complete with their box art and all the other available details. You can now go back to Gaming mode on your Steam Deck to see all the installed emulators on Steam.

EmuDeck will, of course, only import and show the ROMs that you've downloaded or transferred to your Steam Deck. You'll have to manually transfer the file to your Steam Deck's internal storage or the SD card to ensure it shows up on EmuDeck.

Turning Steam Deck into a powerful emulation device

As long as you've installed the emulator and copied the game files properly, you should have no issues getting EmuDeck up and running on your Steam Deck. You simply have to launch and play after the initial installation and setup process, and it doesn't get easier than that. You may have to tweak and change some settings to get the game working properly on your Steam Deck.

The amount of tinkering required will largely depend on the emulator and the game you're trying to run. Older games with much older control schemes may not map well on Steam Deck compared to relatively newer titles, so you may have to spend some time changing those settings or attach one of the best Steam Deck controllers to get them working. Similarly, you may have to iron out some visual settings, too, to ensure the game you're emulating looks good on Steam Deck. It's fairly easy to set everything up with EmuDeck and play your favorite classic games on the Steam Deck, though, so do give it a try.