Game Boy Classics on the Go: Experience Nostalgic Gaming on Steam Deck

This guide details how to install EmuDeck and play Game Boy games on your Steam Deck, optimizing performance with Decky Loader and Power Tools. The Steam Deck, with its PC-like capabilities, offers unparalleled customization for retro gaming.

Before You Begin:

Ensure you have:

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

Enable Developer Mode:

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

Install EmuDeck:

1. Connect your keyboard and mouse.
2. Download EmuDeck via a browser (DuckDuckGo or Firefox recommended) from the official website. Choose SteamOS and select 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 are recommended). Click Continue.
6. Enable Auto Save.
7. Complete the installation.

Quick Settings (EmuDeck):

1. Open EmuDeck and select Quick Settings.
2. Enable AutoSave, Controller Layout Match, Bezels, Nintendo Classic AR, and LCD Handhelds.

Add 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:

1. Open EmuDeck and select Steam ROM Manager.
2. Close the Steam client (if prompted).
3. Disable Toggle Parsers.
4. Select the three Game Boy tabs, then Add Games.
5. After adding games, select Save to Steam.
6. Wait for completion, close Steam ROM Manager, 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.

Customize Game Colors (RetroArch):

(Not all games support this)

1. Launch a game.
2. Open the RetroArch menu (Select + Y buttons).
3. Go to Core Options > GB Colorization.
4. Choose Auto or Off.

Using Emulation Station:

1. Press the Steam button.
2. Open Library > Collections > Emulators > Emulation Station.
3. Select Game Boy and launch your game. The RetroArch menu (Select + Y) also works here.

Install Decky Loader:

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

Install Power Tools Plugin:

1. Access the Decky Loader store via the QAM.
2. Search for and install the Power Tools plugin.

Power Tools Settings:

1. Launch a Game Boy game.
2. Open Power Tools via the QAM.
3. Turn off SMTs, set Threads to 4.
4. Open the Performance menu, enable Advanced View.
5. Enable Manual GPU Clock Control, set GPU Clock Frequency to 1200.
6. Enable Per Game Profile.

Restoring Decky Loader After a Steam Deck Update:

1. Switch to Desktop Mode.
2. Re-download Decky Loader from GitHub.
3. Execute the installer (don't open).
4. Enter your pseudo password (create one if needed).
5. Restart your Steam Deck.

Enjoy your enhanced Game Boy experience on your Steam Deck! Remember to always obtain ROMs legally.