awesome-steamdeck

A curated list of awesome things regarding Valve's Steam Deck.

General Guides

• Wagner's Tech Talk Steam Deck Guide
• Mike Royal's Steam Deck Guide
• Steam Sale Schedule - Dates for all known Steam sales

Which Steam Deck Should I Buy?

• *NEW* Steam Deck 256GB LCD, 512GB OLED, 1TB OLED
  • Dave2D's OLED Screen comparisons
    • The 1TB OLED Etched Glass diminishes some of the benefits of an OLED screen
    • The OLED versions have longer battery life vs. the LCD version
    • The 512GB OLED model seems to be the model to get, particularly if you plan to do an SSD Upgrade
  • Steam OLED Reddit Megathread
• The Glossy vs. Etched Glass Debate (1st Generation)
  • 64/256GB Glossy Screen vs. 512GB Etched Glass Screen
    • RetroGameCorps's 64GB vs 512GB Model Comparison - Indoors
    • NerdNest's Outdoor Comparison
    • Tech Nuovo's Outdoor Comparison
• Speed Differences of Internal Storage Options (1st Generation)
  • Tech Nuovo's 64GB eMMC vs. 256GB/512GB SSD vs microSD Speed Comparison
• Limitations of the 64GB Model (1st Generation)
  • 64GB Steam Deck and the Shader Cache
  • Semi-OK Hack to Move Shader Caches to microSD

Accessories

• Storage (internal SSD)

  • Internal SSD Upgrade
    • iFixit SSD Replacement Guide
    • Tech Thusiast's Guide on How to Upgrade the SSD
    • Lawrence Yang's (Valve Designer) Warning on 2242-sized Upgrades
  • PSA: Remove your microSD Before Opening Your Steam Deck
  • eBay Search for "M.2 2230 SSD" Drives
    • Popular brands: Kioxia (Toshiba), Kingston, Western Digital, SK Hynix
    • tl;dr - Make sure that it is a single-sided M.2 2230 form factor SSD
  • Steam Deck Recovery Instructions - Link to recovery image can be found here

• Storage (external microSD)

  • microSD Card Specs Guide
  • Infographic on microSD Specs
  • Steam Deck Tech Specs - UHS-I controller
  • Popular brands: Lexar Play, Samsung EVO and PRO, Sandisk Extreme
  • tl;dr - Get a reputable U3 A2 UHS-I microSD card

• Screen protector

  • For 512GB owners - Screen Protector Pros & Cons
  • amFilm Screen Protector (Glossy)
  • MagGlass Matte Anti-glare Etched Glass Screen Protector
    • Before and After Off-angle
    • Before and After Head-on
    • MagGlass Comparison Pictures
  • tl;dr - Divided opinions on whether people like the matte glass protector and how it affects color and clarity

• Case

  • tomtoc Carrying Case - Larger Pouch with Shoulder Strap
  • MVRPDXC Sling Bag-style Case
  • Daydayup Carrying Case
  • JSAUX Carrying Case

• Chargers and Docks

  • Steam Deck Charging Info - Everything you need to know about charging your Steam Deck
  • ACEFAST GaN 65W Charger Dock - Combo charger and mini-dock with USB-C, USB-A, and 4K/HD HDMI
  • Anker Nano II 45W Charger - The tiniest charger for your Steam Deck
  • JSAUX Dock - 3 USB-A port
  • KUNSLUCK Stand Base - Just a stand, not a dock with silicone padding
  • Anker USB-C Travel Hub
  • 90 Degree Rear-facing USB-C Adapter

• Power Banks

  • Baseus Power Bank - 65W 20,000mAh - TSA/Airplane safe
  • Baseus Power Bank - 65W 30,000mAh - Not TSA/Airplane safe

• Controllers

  • How to Connect an External Controller
  • Aftermarket hall-sensor stick options and known issues
    • Hall Effect Joysticks - What is it and Why Does It Matter
    • ElecGear Replacement Joystick - requires soldering, but functionally better than the GuliKit
    • GuliKit Hall Sensor Replacement Joystick v2 - no solder drop in replacement sticks, but known issues with a square outer deadzone

Software Setup

• Non-Steam Game Installers

  • Heroic Games Launcher - The best Epic Games and GOG game launcher installer
    • Steam Deck Install Documentation
    • Epic Games Fixes
      • Celeste - Black Screen Fix
      • Fall Guys - enabling Epic Online Services and EasyAntiCheat
      • Red Dead Redemption 2 - Social Club Error Code 18
    • tl;dr Use this for Epic Games and GOG-based games
  • Lutris - General Purpose Game Launcher
    • Dexerto Guide to Installing Lutris
    • tl;dr Use this for everything else like Origin Games and Amazon Prime Gaming
  • GDLauncher - Best Minecraft launcher supporting Vanilla, Fabric, Forge and FTB builds
    • Gardiner Bryant's Guide to Install Minecraft on your Steam Deck
  • NonSteamLaunchers - Up and coming script to install many non-Steam Launchers under 1 Proton prefix

• Steam Setup

  • MonroeWorld's Guide to Setting All Five Custom Artwork for Non-Steam Games
    • SteamGridDB - Grid, Hero, Logo, Icon Assets

• General Game Performance

  • CryoByte33 Explaining Performance Boosts with swapfile, swappiness, and VRAM mods post-SteamOS 3.3.2
    • CryoByte33's CryoUtilities - User-friendly scripts to adjust swapfile, swappiness, and TRIM
    • Increase Your swapfile Manually
    • CyroUtilities 2.0 Announcement
    • Remember to update UMA Frame buffer size after SteamOS 3.5
  • Why the 40fps Hype is Real - The frametime and power consumption sweet spot
  • Steam Deck HQ Game Settings
  • ShareDeck Game Settings
  • Reddit Thread on Various Games
  • ProtonDB - Crowdsourced game compatibility reports

• Windows

  • How to Install Stock Windows on Steam Deck
  • What is tiny11? - An Alternative Stripped Down Version of Windows 11
    • Official tiny11 ISO Download Link
    • tiny11builder - Build Your Own tiny11 image
  • Steam Deck Tools - Fan Control, Performance Overlay, Power Control for Windows

• Emulation

  • EmuDeck

    • RetroGameCorps's EmuDeck Guide
    • Wagner's Tech Talk EmuDeck Guide
    • Steam ROM Manager - Managing ROMs in Steam
    • Flatseal - Allow File System Access Outside of Flatpak Sandboxes
    • Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, etc. via EmuDeck's Cloud Services Manager - Streaming services in Game Mode

  • Emulator-specific

    • Cemu - Wii U Emulator
      • Cemu - Enable Gyroscope for Wii U
      • Shandell Explains's Wii U USB Helper Guide
      • Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 40fps Guide
    • PS1 and PS2 - Where to Install BIOS files
    • RPCS3 - PS3 Emulator
      • DJ Hero turntable support
    • ScummVM
      • ScummVM - How to add ScummVM games to EmulationStationDE
    • Nintendo Switch Emulation
      • Alexwpi Game's Yuzu vs Ryujinx Emulators Performance Test in 50 Games - Updated 2023
      • Yuzu - Nintendo Switch Emulator
        • OhNoItsAlexx's Yuzu Emulator Guide
        • Yuzu Games Compatibility List
        • pinEApple Yuzu Early Access Builds - The latest yuzu EA builds
        • YuzuUpdater.sh - A script to update yuzu to the latest version
        • Connecting Joy-Cons in Yuzu
      • Ryujinx - Nintendo Switch Emulator
        • Mr. Sujano's Ryujinx Emulator Guide
        • Ryujinx Games Compatibility List
    • Definitive Guide to Every Sonic Game
    • Nintendo GameCube and Wii Emulation
      • DolphinBar - Wiimote to USB wireless sensor bar
        • Using DolphinBar with Steam Deck - The easiest way to connect Wiimotes to your Steam Deck
      • Using 2 Candles Instead of a Sensor Bar to Get the Wiimotes to Work | Link 2 - This is not a joke
      • How to Create a Mii/Run the Mii Channel - Create Miis to be used in games, you can also transfer your Miis via Wiimotes from your original Wii consoles
      • Use Audio Stretching to Fix Audio Stuttering

  • General Emulation Performance Fixes

    • Stuttering Audio - Wrong FPS fix
    • Stuttering Audio - CPU SMT fix

  • Steam Deck Emulation Games Database

• Utilities

  • Decky Plugin Loader - All plugins installed in the Decky Marketplace
    • Animation Changer - Download, manage, and randomize boot/suspend animations from SteamDeckRepo
    • AutoFlatpaks - Manage Flatpaks within gaming mode
    • Battery Tracker - Track battery usage over time with graphs
    • Game Theme Music - Play theme songs on your game pages
    • PowerTools Plugin - Adjust CPU and GPU limits
    • SteamGridDB - Manage Steam artwork from within gaming mode
    • Storage Cleaner - Manage shader cache and compatibility data
    • vibrantDeck - Adjust screen saturation / vibrancy
  • ProtonUp-Qt - Install and manage multiple versions of Proton-GE
  • Shader Cache Killer - Allows you to manage Shader Caches stored in your internal storage. Handy for 64GB owners who are running out of space on their Steam Deck.
  • File Transfer to/from Steam Deck
    • (Easy) Warpinator/Winpinator - dedicated file sharing application installed on the Steam Deck and Windows PC
    • (Medium) Remote Samba Share - Steam Deck accessing remote servers via SMB
    • (Medium) Mount ext4 Filesystems on Windows with WSL2 - Good for mounting ext4-formatted microSDs on Windows
    • (Hard) SyncThing | Config - Automatically sync folders on Steam Deck and remote machines

• Developer / Linux Tools

  • popsulfr's Advanced Steam Deck Tips and Tricks
  • Distrobox - Use any Linux distribution inside your terminal.
    • GamingOnLinux's Guide to Distrobox on the Steam Deck
  • Rwfus - Use pacman on the Steam Deck without losing packages when the next update comes out
  • Automatically update installed flatpaks - setup systemd timers to update flatpaks

Miscellaneous

• Hardware Tips and Tricks
  • Toggling Desktop-oriented and Gamepad-oriented Controls - Useful for swapping to a controller layout when in desktop mode
  • Touchpad Circular Scrolling - no need to flick up/down repeatedly, just scroll iPod wheel style
  • Installing an AirTag in your Steam Deck
    • Foxxhound29's tweak to insulate the airtag - Some folks recommend kapton tape instead of electric tape