Emulate Game Boy Titles Seamlessly with 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 exceptional customization for retro gaming.

Before You Begin:

• 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. Go to System > Developer Mode and enable it.
3. Enable CEF Debugging in the Developer menu.
4. Switch to Desktop Mode.

Install EmuDeck:

1. Connect your keyboard and mouse.
2. Download EmuDeck from its website, selecting SteamOS and a free download.
3. Choose Recommended Settings and then Custom Install.
4. Select your SD card as the Primary installation drive.
5. Choose your desired emulators (RetroArch, Emulation Station, Steam ROM Manager are recommended).
6. Enable Auto Save.
7. Complete the installation.

Quick Settings (EmuDeck):

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 under Removable Devices).
2. Navigate to Emulation > ROMS > gb.
3. Transfer your .gb ROMs into this folder. Ensure correct filenames.

Use Steam ROM Manager:

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.

Play Your Games:

1. Press the Steam button, go to Library > Collections.
2. Select your Game Boy collection and launch a game.

Customize Game Colors (RetroArch):

(Not all games support this)

1. In-game, press Select + Y to open the RetroArch menu.
2. Go to Core Options > GB Colorization.
3. Enable Auto or Off for color customization.

Use Emulation Station:

1. Go to Library > Collections > Emulators > Emulation Station.
2. Select Game Boy and launch your games. 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. Run the installer and choose Recommended Install.
4. Restart your Steam Deck.

Install Power Tools:

1. Access Decky Loader's Quick Access Menu (QAM).
2. Go to the Decky Store and install the Power Tools plugin.

Power Tools Settings:

1. Launch a Game Boy game.
2. Open Power Tools via QAM.
3. Turn off SMTs. Set Threads to 4.
4. In the Performance menu (QAM), enable Advanced View.
5. Enable Manual GPU Clock Control and 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. Run the installer (Execute only).
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 use legally obtained ROMs.