Steam Deck: How To Run Game Boy Games

Unleash Retro Gaming on Your Steam Deck: A Guide to Playing Game Boy Games with EmuDeck

The Steam Deck's versatility extends beyond modern titles; with EmuDeck, it transforms into a powerful retro gaming machine. This guide details installing EmuDeck and playing Game Boy games, optimizing performance with Decky Loader and Power Tools, and troubleshooting post-update issues.

Pre-Installation Checklist:

Before beginning, ensure you have:

• A fully charged Steam Deck.
• An A2 microSD card for game and emulator storage.
• Legally obtained Game Boy ROMs.
• A Bluetooth or wired keyboard and mouse (recommended for easier navigation).

Enabling Developer Mode:

1. Press the Steam button.
2. Navigate to System > Developer Mode and enable it.
3. Enable CEF Debugging within the Developer menu.
4. Power > Switch to Desktop Mode.

EmuDeck Installation (Desktop Mode):

1. Connect your keyboard and mouse.
2. Download EmuDeck via a browser (e.g., DuckDuckGo, Firefox). Choose Steam OS and the free download.
3. Select Recommended Settings then Custom Install.
4. Choose your SD card (Primary) as the installation location.
5. Select desired emulators (RetroArch, Emulation Station, Steam ROM Manager recommended).
6. Enable Auto Save.
7. Complete the installation.

Quick Settings Optimization:

Within EmuDeck, access Quick Settings and enable:

• AutoSave
• Controller Layout Match
• Bezels
• Nintendo Classic AR
• LCD Handhelds

Adding Game Boy Games:

1. Use Dolphin File Manager to access your SD card (Primary > Emulation > ROMs > gb).
2. Ensure ROMs are correctly named (.gb extension).
3. Transfer your Game Boy ROMs to the gb folder.

Steam ROM Manager Integration:

1. Open EmuDeck and select Steam ROM Manager.
2. Close the Steam client (if prompted).
3. Disable Toggle Parsers.
4. Add your Game Boy games.
5. Save to Steam.
6. Exit EmuDeck and return to Gaming Mode.

Playing Game Boy Games:

1. Press the Steam button.
2. Open Library > Collections.
3. Select your Game Boy collection and launch a game.

Customizing Game Colors (RetroArch):

In-game, use (Select + Y) to access RetroArch's Core Options > GB Colorization. Enable Auto for automatic colorization or Off for original monochrome. Note: Not all games support colorization.

Emulation Station Alternative:

1. Library > Collections > Emulators > Emulation Station.
2. Select the Game Boy icon and launch your games.
3. RetroArch commands (Select + Y) also function here.

Installing Decky Loader:

1. Switch to Desktop Mode.
2. Download Decky Loader from its GitHub page.
3. Run the installer and choose Recommended Install.
4. Restart your Steam Deck in Gaming Mode.

Installing and Configuring Power Tools:

1. Access Decky Loader via the Quick Access Menu (QAM).
2. Install the Power Tools plugin from the Decky Store.
3. Launch a Game Boy game.
4. Access Power Tools via QAM.
5. Disable SMTs, set Threads to 4.
6. In the Performance menu (Enable Advance View), enable Manual GPU Clock Control and set GPU Clock Frequency to 1200.
7. Enable Per Game Profile to save settings per game.

Restoring Decky Loader After a Steam Deck Update:

1. Switch to Desktop Mode.
2. Re-download Decky Loader from GitHub.
3. Run the installer (Execute only).
4. Enter your pseudo password (create one if needed).
5. Restart your Steam Deck in Gaming Mode.

Enjoy your enhanced Game Boy experience on your Steam Deck!