Steam Deck: How To Run Sega Game Gear Games

This guide details how to install and use EmuDeck to play Sega Game Gear games on your Steam Deck, maximizing performance with Decky Loader and Power Tools.

Before You Begin: Essential Preparations

Before installing EmuDeck, ensure you've taken these steps:

• Enable Developer Mode: Navigate to Steam > System > System Settings > Enable Developer Mode. Then, in the Developer menu, enable CEF Remote Debugging. Restart your Steam Deck.

• Recommended Equipment: An A2 microSD card (or external HDD connected via dock) for storing ROMs and emulators is highly recommended. A keyboard and mouse simplify file transfers and artwork management. Remember to legally acquire your Game Gear ROMs.

Installing EmuDeck

Follow these steps to install EmuDeck:

1. Switch to Desktop Mode.
2. Download EmuDeck from its official website.
3. Select the SteamOS version and choose "Custom Install."
4. Select your microSD card (Primary) as the installation location.
5. Choose your desired emulators (RetroArch, Emulation Station, Steam ROM Manager are recommended).
6. Enable "Auto Save."
7. Complete the installation.

Quick EmuDeck Settings

Open EmuDeck, access Quick Settings, and ensure:

• AutoSave is enabled.
• Controller Layout Match is enabled.
• Sega Classic AR is set to 4:3.
• LCD Handhelds is On.

Transferring ROMs and Using Steam ROM Manager

Add your Game Gear ROMs:

1. In Desktop Mode, navigate to Primary > Emulation > ROMs > gamegear.
2. Transfer your ROMs to this folder.
3. Open EmuDeck, then Steam ROM Manager.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts, selecting the Game Gear parser and adding your games. Ensure artwork is correctly assigned before saving to Steam.

Fixing Missing Artwork

If artwork is missing or incorrect:

• Use the "Fix" function in Steam ROM Manager, searching by game title.
• Remove any numbers preceding game titles in ROM filenames, as this can interfere with artwork detection.
• Manually upload missing artwork via Desktop Mode, saving images to the Pictures folder and then uploading them through Steam ROM Manager.

Playing Your Games

1. Switch to Gaming Mode.
2. Access your Game Gear games via the Library > Collections tab.
3. Select a game and play.

Optimizing Performance: 60 FPS

To achieve a smoother 60 FPS experience:

1. Press the QAS button.
2. Select Performance.
3. Enable "Use per-game profile."
4. Set the Frame Limit to 60 FPS.

Enhancing Performance with Decky Loader and Power Tools

For optimal performance, install Decky Loader and the Power Tools plugin:

1. In Desktop Mode, download Decky Loader from its GitHub page.
2. Run the installer, selecting "Recommended Install."
3. Restart in Gaming Mode.
4. Access Decky Loader via the QAM, install Power Tools from the Decky Store.
5. Within Power Tools, disable SMTs, set Threads to 4, enable Manual GPU Clock Control, and set GPU Clock Frequency to 1200. Enable "Per Game Profile" to save settings.

Recovering Decky Loader After a Steam Deck Update

If a Steam Deck update removes Decky Loader:

1. Switch to Desktop Mode.
2. Download Decky Loader again.
3. Run the installer (select "Execute," not "Open").
4. Enter your sudo password.
5. Restart in Gaming Mode.

Enjoy your Game Gear games on your Steam Deck!