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Steam! Now on your Couch! The Steamdeck Coming this Winter!
You'll enjoy Deck then - I don't mind a little tinkering here and there, at least. I just played Dragon Quest Builders 2, which is listed as explicitly Unsupported on Deck - all you have to do is turn on the Proton compatibility layer before launching and it plays just fine (quite well, actually, better than the Switch version lol).
Ys VIII (untested by Valve) and IX (Unsupported) run in compatibility mode, too. There are reports of occassional crashes using Proton compatibility, but they're supposedly rare.
I'm still mostly playing PS2 though, and that continues to be a fantastic experience.
I'm still mostly playing PS2 though, and that continues to be a fantastic experience.
Definitely wish I would have bought the 64gb one and just upgraded the SSD, which according to this video is very simple. Literally just requires a new SSD and a couple screwdrivers. Could have saved myself about $50 or $60. Oh well. Maybe I'll eventually buy a 1TB SSD if they ever come down in price and upgrade.
Not that mine is coming anytime soon, but how are you running emulators on the Deck? Just native SteamOS apps through a separate Windows install?
Becksworth
Aging Hipster Dragon Dad
Don't have mine yet, but I believe most PC emulators have linux versions accessible from the underlying Linux distros app repository you can just search for and download. Cemu/WiiU is apparently an exception, but the Windows version works well through Proton.
Becksworth's right - no Windows install at all. You boot into desktop mode from the power menu of the built in SteamOS, then go to Dolphin (which is a file browser/program installer thing, NOT the emulator also called Dolphin that you'll also be installing lol), go to Games, go to Emulators, and download and install the emulators you want. You don't even need to use a command line (which I've not used AT ALL on Steam Deck) or even the virtual keyboard to set up and configure these*. They are a bit fiddly, and you'll need to switch back and forth from desktop mode and "Games" mode (basically SteamOS/Big Picture mode) a few times to get them running properly, but it's doable (and thankfully the swapping between desktop/Games mode is pretty quick).
I've not used the Cemu/WiiU emulator, as I have a hacked WiiU and there aren't that many games I'd even want to mess with on that system anyway, so I didn't bother with it.
*EDIT: Except for setting up Wii controller profiles in the Dolphin emulator. To get the settings to save, I had to type a name into the field to save my settings. Presumably this would be the case for Gamecube, too, if you wanted to change the default settings for that system's controls, but I didn't so it worked right away just fine.
Alright so for Retroarch, don't bother with the desktop Linux version, I couldn't get it to work properly on my Steam Deck. However, downloading the version available for "purchase" (meaning, free) on Steam itself, I was able to download cores and get it working very well. I need to get bios files for Sega CD and Saturn and put them in the right place, still, but other than that everything loads and runs very very well. I have an actually portable Virtual Boy! lol. N64 runs great, too - F-Zero X runs at fullspeed with no audio issues, for example.
With this, the Steam Deck is my favorite device of all time. Not even just gaming device, just all around device. I adore this thing.
With this, the Steam Deck is my favorite device of all time. Not even just gaming device, just all around device. I adore this thing.
Becksworth
Aging Hipster Dragon Dad
I don't even have mine yet, and my backlog of games for it is getting out of hand.
Not my Steam library, that was already out of hand. I'm just talking games I want to put on it once I get my hands on it.
Not my Steam library, that was already out of hand. I'm just talking games I want to put on it once I get my hands on it.
Yeah, using a mouse made things much easier. USB-C hub works quite well. I was able to move files around with it as well, so I won't have to buy that program I was using on Windows after all lol.
Got the bios files where they needed to be and was able to boot up Sega CD and Saturn games. Sega CD runs great (as expected), and while I still have plenty of testing to do, Saturn seems to be alright as well. Panzer Dragoon 1 and Panzer Dragoon Saga seem to run pretty well as far as I can tell. It wouldn't boot Shining Force III, but I think I have a bad dump of it.
Got the bios files where they needed to be and was able to boot up Sega CD and Saturn games. Sega CD runs great (as expected), and while I still have plenty of testing to do, Saturn seems to be alright as well. Panzer Dragoon 1 and Panzer Dragoon Saga seem to run pretty well as far as I can tell. It wouldn't boot Shining Force III, but I think I have a bad dump of it.
madhair60
Video games
Damn, this is gonna rule. Dumb question how do you get roms onto it? Just SD card?
Becksworth
Aging Hipster Dragon Dad
You can, but it initially formats the sd card in a format that isn't a Windows standard so you either:
1) Use a Linux, Chrome OS or Android device to copy to the sd card (possibly a Mac might work too? I'm not sure.)
2) Set up the Linux subsystem on your Windows computer and copy them over using an file browser within that environment.
3) Use a 3rd party Windows file browser tool like Kazin was.
Alternatively you can hook an external drive to your Steamdeck and copy them that way.
1) Use a Linux, Chrome OS or Android device to copy to the sd card (possibly a Mac might work too? I'm not sure.)
2) Set up the Linux subsystem on your Windows computer and copy them over using an file browser within that environment.
3) Use a 3rd party Windows file browser tool like Kazin was.
Alternatively you can hook an external drive to your Steamdeck and copy them that way.
That last option is probably the easiest - I'd look into getting a powered USB-C hub if you don't already have one, and plug a mouse into it, and then plug either a thumb drive into it, or use one of these, which along with my pile of Everdrives has been an absolute godsend for moving files from PC to various places.
Hopefully as time goes on, the various emulators are updated to make pathing easier. For Retroarch specifically, figuring out exactly where the bios files went was kind of a huge pain for systems like Sega CD and Saturn, though it was super easy for PS2 for some reason. Using a mouse today made it tolerable - I can't imagine using the trackpads to do all that.
The Steam Deck requires fiddling for emulators to work the way you want. It's fiddly.
EDIT: Also, there's a zip file out there called like "Retroarch bios file" that has like every bios file you could ever need, I'd recommend googling that and moving that to whatever folder you've set up as the pathing for bios files. That's eventually what I did since it didn't like the version of the Sega CD bios I originally had.
Hopefully as time goes on, the various emulators are updated to make pathing easier. For Retroarch specifically, figuring out exactly where the bios files went was kind of a huge pain for systems like Sega CD and Saturn, though it was super easy for PS2 for some reason. Using a mouse today made it tolerable - I can't imagine using the trackpads to do all that.
The Steam Deck requires fiddling for emulators to work the way you want. It's fiddly.
EDIT: Also, there's a zip file out there called like "Retroarch bios file" that has like every bios file you could ever need, I'd recommend googling that and moving that to whatever folder you've set up as the pathing for bios files. That's eventually what I did since it didn't like the version of the Sega CD bios I originally had.
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Sarge
hardcore retro gamin'
The nice thing for me is that I already have a RetroArch setup on the PS Classic (Autobleem + RetroBoot), so I should just be able to pull my BIOS folder over and have it all work like it should.
Does it read FAT32-formatted external drives? That's how I'd be pulling things over, since pretty much all my retro devices require it. It sounds like a yes based on your description?
Does it read FAT32-formatted external drives? That's how I'd be pulling things over, since pretty much all my retro devices require it. It sounds like a yes based on your description?
I believe so, yes - the micro sd card I was moving files to and from last night was FAT32 formatted, iirc. I'm pretty sure if Linux can read it, Steam Deck can (I was moving files around in desktop mode, fwiw - I have no idea how you'd do it in SteamOS, if that's even possible).
Sarge
hardcore retro gamin'
Yeah, I figure I'll need to kick over to desktop mode. And I'm definitely glad I picked up that hub - I set up the device using the system controls, and while it wasn't bad, it's still not as quick as mouse + keyboard.
Oh, right, yeah, that means it's in my hands. I like it so far, but have been busy with work so I haven't been able to do a lot with it yet. Hoping I can really put some extra time in by Sunday when my schedule gets more clear.
Oh, right, yeah, that means it's in my hands. I like it so far, but have been busy with work so I haven't been able to do a lot with it yet. Hoping I can really put some extra time in by Sunday when my schedule gets more clear.
Sarge
hardcore retro gamin'
You assume I know what I'm doing, anyway. 
I did just get RetroArch on there and use my standby test of Chrono Trigger. And I tried Brave Fencer Musashi just to see if I put my BIOSes in the right spot, which apparently I did. Noticed it doesn't give a menu shortcut by default, so fixed that up. I think I am going to throw a 256GB MicroSD in the slot and use that as my emulation storage spot.
First test game was Freedom Planet, seemed to work great, and then very briefly Skyrim because, I mean, it felt right. (I've only played it for two hours, haha.)
I will try to get the desktop version of RA installed - I took your advice and just went through Steam instead and got the DLC cores.
I did just get RetroArch on there and use my standby test of Chrono Trigger. And I tried Brave Fencer Musashi just to see if I put my BIOSes in the right spot, which apparently I did. Noticed it doesn't give a menu shortcut by default, so fixed that up. I think I am going to throw a 256GB MicroSD in the slot and use that as my emulation storage spot.
First test game was Freedom Planet, seemed to work great, and then very briefly Skyrim because, I mean, it felt right. (I've only played it for two hours, haha.)
I will try to get the desktop version of RA installed - I took your advice and just went through Steam instead and got the DLC cores.
PS1 is something I haven't tried yet - I recently modded a X-Station and a reset mod into my actual PS1, so I've played a lot of that system lately. How's it run? I mean, I assume very well since PS2 runs great lol
How are you liking the form factor now that you've got your hands on it? I find it very comfortable.
How are you liking the form factor now that you've got your hands on it? I find it very comfortable.
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Sarge
hardcore retro gamin'
I noticed that myself. Not ideal!
I like the form factor a lot. I wish the d-pad was a bit lower since I keep gravitating to the touch pad, but it feels fine to use, and I'm very picky about my d-pads.
PSX ran great, got some SotN rolling for a bit. I'm sure I'll burden it with more soon. I'm about to give PS2 a shot.
I like the form factor a lot. I wish the d-pad was a bit lower since I keep gravitating to the touch pad, but it feels fine to use, and I'm very picky about my d-pads.
PSX ran great, got some SotN rolling for a bit. I'm sure I'll burden it with more soon. I'm about to give PS2 a shot.