EmuDeck Setup Guide

Complete walkthrough for installing and configuring EmuDeck on Steam Deck.

Before You Start

What You Need

• Steam Deck with storage space available
• ROM files for your games
• BIOS files for systems that require them
• Internet connection for downloading emulators
• Time - initial setup takes 15-30 minutes

Storage Options

EmuDeck asks where to store your files during setup. You can choose:

• Internal Storage: Faster loading, limited space
• SD Card: More space, slightly slower (negligible for most games)

Most people use SD card storage for ROMs since game collections can be large.

Downloading EmuDeck

1. Switch to Desktop Mode
   Hold the power button and select "Switch to Desktop" from the menu.
2. Open a Web Browser
   Firefox is pre-installed. Find it in the application menu or taskbar.
3. Go to the EmuDeck Website
   Navigate to emudeck.com
4. Download the Installer
   Click the Download button for Steam Deck/SteamOS. Save the file to your Downloads folder or Desktop.

Running the Installer

1. Find the Downloaded File
   Open your Downloads folder. Look for EmuDeck.desktop or similar.
2. Run the Installer
   Double-click the file. If prompted about running an executable, click Execute or Run.
3. Wait for Initial Setup
   EmuDeck downloads necessary components. This requires an internet connection.
4. Welcome Screen
   The EmuDeck interface appears. Read the welcome information and continue.
5. Choose Easy or Expert Mode
   Pick your installation type (see next section for details).
6. Select Storage Location
   Choose internal storage or SD card for your Emulation folder.
7. Wait for Installation
   EmuDeck downloads and configures emulators. This can take 10-20 minutes depending on your connection.
8. Complete Setup
   When finished, EmuDeck shows a summary. Your system is ready.

Easy Mode vs Expert Mode

Easy Mode

Recommended for most users. EmuDeck makes all decisions using sensible defaults:

• Installs all supported emulators
• Applies recommended settings for Steam Deck
• Configures controller mappings automatically
• Sets up Steam ROM Manager
• Enables safe default options

Expert Mode

For users who want control over every choice:

• Choose which emulators to install
• Pick between RetroArch cores and standalone emulators
• Configure aspect ratios, shaders, and bezels
• Set up cloud save providers
• Choose auto-save and auto-load options
• Configure per-system settings

Expert Mode Options Explained

Option	What It Does	Recommendation
RetroArch vs Standalone	Choose emulator type per system	Standalone for PS2, GC, Wii, PS3
Bezels	Decorative borders around 4:3 games	Personal preference
Shaders	CRT filters, scanlines, smoothing	Try CRT-Guest for retro feel
Auto-save	Automatic save states when exiting	Enable for convenience
Aspect Ratio	4:3 original vs stretched/widescreen	Original for authenticity
Gyro	Motion controls for compatible games	Enable for Wii, Switch, DS

Folder Structure

EmuDeck creates this structure in your chosen location:

Emulation/
    bios/               # BIOS files
    roms/               # Game files organized by system
        3do/
        arcade/
        atari2600/
        dreamcast/
        gb/
        gba/
        gc/
        n64/
        nds/
        nes/
        ps2/
        ps3/
        psp/
        psx/
        saturn/
        snes/
        switch/
        wii/
        wiiu/
        xbox/
        ... (many more)
    saves/              # Save files for some emulators
    storage/            # Emulator-specific data
    tools/              # Utilities and helpers

Adding Your Games

Using the File Manager

1. Open Dolphin File Manager
   Click the folder icon in the taskbar.
2. Navigate to the Emulation Folder
   On internal: Home > Emulation > roms
   On SD card: Devices > SD Card > Emulation > roms
3. Copy Games to Correct Folders
   PlayStation games go in psx, Nintendo 64 in n64, and so on.

Common Folder Names

System	Folder	Accepted Formats
PlayStation 1	psx	.bin/.cue, .chd, .iso, .pbp
PlayStation 2	ps2	.iso, .chd, .cso
PlayStation 3	ps3	Folder with EBOOT.BIN
PSP	psp	.iso, .cso
GameCube	gc	.iso, .rvz, .gcz, .ciso
Wii	wii	.iso, .rvz, .wbfs
Wii U	wiiu/roms	.wua, .wux, or folder
Switch	switch	.nsp, .xci
Nintendo 64	n64	.n64, .z64, .v64
SNES	snes	.sfc, .smc
NES	nes	.nes
Game Boy	gb	.gb
Game Boy Advance	gba	.gba
Nintendo DS	nds	.nds
Sega Genesis	genesis	.md, .bin, .gen
Dreamcast	dreamcast	.chd, .gdi, .cdi

Adding BIOS Files

Place BIOS files in the Emulation/bios/ folder.

Most Important BIOS Files

System	File(s)	Notes
PlayStation 1	scph5501.bin (or 5500, 5502)	Required
PlayStation 2	SCPH-XXXXX files	Required, multiple files
PlayStation 3	PS3UPDAT.PUP	Installed through RPCS3
Sega CD	bios_CD_U.bin, etc.	Required
Saturn	saturn_bios.bin	Required
Dreamcast	dc/dc_boot.bin	In dc subfolder, optional
Switch	prod.keys, firmware	In switch subfolder

See the complete BIOS Files Explained page for all systems and exact file names.

Steam ROM Manager

Steam ROM Manager (SRM) is what adds your games to Steam with artwork. This is a key feature of EmuDeck.

Running Steam ROM Manager

1. Open EmuDeck
   Run the EmuDeck application from your desktop or applications menu.
2. Click Steam ROM Manager
   Find it in the Tools section of EmuDeck.
3. Close Steam
   SRM will prompt you to close Steam. This is required. Click Yes.
4. Preview
   Click the Preview button. SRM scans your ROM folders and finds games.
5. Wait for Artwork
   SRM downloads artwork from SteamGridDB. This can take a while for large collections.
6. Fix Missing Artwork
   If a game has wrong or missing artwork, click on it and search for alternatives.
7. Save to Steam
   When satisfied, click "Save app list." Your games are added to Steam.
8. Restart Steam
   Open Steam again. Your games appear in the library.

Parsers

SRM uses "parsers" to find games. Each system has its own parser. You can enable or disable parsers to control which systems appear in Steam.

Quick Settings

EmuDeck includes a Quick Settings menu for common adjustments without running the full installer.

Accessing Quick Settings

1. Open EmuDeck
2. Select Quick Settings
3. Toggle options as desired

Available Quick Settings

Setting	What It Does
AutoSave	Create save states automatically when exiting games
Bezels	Show decorative borders around 4:3 games
Controller Layout per System	Use different Steam Input layouts per emulator
Sega Filter	Apply composite/CRT shader to Sega games
LCD Handhelds Filter	Apply LCD shader to GB, GBA, etc.
CRT 2D Filter	Apply CRT shader to 2D games
CRT 3D Filter	Apply CRT shader to 3D games

Included Emulators

EmuDeck installs and configures many emulators. Here are the main ones:

RetroArch

A multi-system emulator frontend with cores for:

• NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy, GBA, DS
• Genesis, Master System, Game Gear, 32X, Sega CD
• TurboGrafx-16, Neo Geo, Atari systems
• PlayStation 1, PSP (cores available)
• And many more retro systems

Standalone Emulators

Emulator	System	Notes
DuckStation	PlayStation 1	More accurate than RetroArch core
PCSX2	PlayStation 2	Best PS2 emulator available
RPCS3	PlayStation 3	Demanding, check compatibility
PPSSPP	PSP	Fast and polished
Vita3K	PS Vita	Still maturing
Dolphin	GameCube, Wii	Excellent compatibility
PrimeHack	Metroid Prime Trilogy	Dolphin fork with mouse/gyro
Cemu	Wii U	Great for Zelda, Mario
Ryujinx	Switch	Actively developed
melonDS	Nintendo DS	Accurate DS emulation
Citra	Nintendo 3DS	Development ended 2024
mGBA	Game Boy Advance	Very accurate
Flycast	Dreamcast	Standalone option
Xemu	Original Xbox	Growing compatibility
MAME	Arcade	For arcade games
ScummVM	Point-and-click games	Classic adventure games

Updating EmuDeck

Updating EmuDeck Itself

1. Open the EmuDeck application
2. If an update is available, it will prompt you
3. Follow the prompts to update
4. Re-run Quick Settings if prompted

Updating Individual Emulators

Standalone emulators installed as Flatpaks update through Discover:

1. Open Discover in Desktop Mode
2. Go to the Updates section
3. Update available applications

RetroArch cores update within RetroArch:

1. Open RetroArch
2. Go to Online Updater
3. Update Core Info Files, then Update Installed Cores

Cloud Saves

EmuDeck supports cloud save synchronization through several services.

Supported Services

• Emudeck Cloud Save (built-in option)
• Dropbox
• Google Drive
• OneDrive
• Box
• Nextcloud
• SFTP

Setting Up Cloud Saves

1. Open EmuDeck
2. Go to Tools, then Cloud Saves
3. Select your provider
4. Authenticate with your account
5. Choose sync options

Tips and Best Practices

General Tips

• Run Steam ROM Manager after adding games. New games will not appear in Steam until you do.
• Use compressed formats. CHD for disc games, RVZ for GameCube/Wii saves significant space.
• Keep EmuDeck updated. Updates often include compatibility fixes and new features.
• Check emulator settings. Each emulator has its own configuration you can tweak.

Troubleshooting Tips

• Game not showing up? Check the ROM is in the correct folder with correct file extension.
• Game crashing? Verify BIOS files are present and correctly named.
• Wrong artwork? Use Steam ROM Manager to manually select correct images.
• Controls wrong? Check Steam Input configuration in the Steam overlay.

Performance Tips

• Plug in for demanding games. PS3, Wii U, and Switch emulation benefit from full power.
• Lower resolution if needed. Dropping from 2x to 1x native can help on tough games.
• Close background apps. Every bit of performance helps.
• Use game-specific settings. Some games need special configuration to run well.