[Discussion] Emudeck and other Emulators on the Steam Deck

Emudeck is heavily discouraged and unsupportorted by a good number of emulator dev teams for refusing to cooperate with them. Emudeck builds configuration files for you, not shying away from not recommended settings and causing issues in some emulators and games.

Also, some emulators have their source code edited and the changes are not documented/not public.

Any good alternative to try? Can you post some link about this issues??
- the closest alternative is RetroDeck
- Unfortunately I don't have an external link about it, can only pin point a quite lenghty conversation and support request I had with a couple of the PCSX2 developers that happened in their Discord server. You can jump to the start of the conversation (if you are in the PCSX2 Discord server) using this link.
  
  The conversation started after I asked them for support for the render window not taking the whole screen when attached to a 4:3 monitor, and told me about why they don't support at all PCSX2 installs made my Emudeck. Duckstation appears to also not support Emudeck for the lack of cooperation from the project.
- you could give emuze a try: https://github.com/bmsuseluda/emuze
  
  i worked on it for about 2 years and released it a few days a go. it is a passion project of mine. maybe you like it 🙃
From your comments, it seems disingenuous to say a good number of emulator devs when it's really only PCSX2 (and I'm not sure where that statement on refusing to cooperate originated from, which is unfortunate to see). Based off the Discord link you shared, I think you accidentally went into the conversation without a lot of key information (which can be found on EmuDeck's wiki and GitHub repo).

EmuDeck downloads the AppImage of PSCX2 not the Flatpak. EmuDeck configures only a few things with PCSX2 (namely the renderer which was recently fixed and should now be removed in the config, file paths, and big picture mode). In addition to those, controls and hotkeys are also configured.

To be synchronous with PSCX2's recommendations, that renderer should be flipped back to auto from vulkan, the big picture flag removed, and the paths to use symlinks instead. Other than those 3 items, there are no real erroneous configurations (that I'm aware of) that should be in disconnect with what PCSX2 wants. These configs shouldn't affect performance at all. I may PR these 3 items sometime soon, but again these don't cause any issues in the games themselves.

The PCSX2 auto-updater you mention being broken works completely fine, I don't know why it doesn't work on your end. Anyway, I'm not sure of any major conflict with other dev teams. And hopefully a PR with the above fixes should get EmuDeck back in good graces with PCSX2.

And to re-affirm, it's really important to go into a support conversation understanding the tools you are using, the Discord conversation linked is sort of a hot mess of misinformation (since PCSX2 likely doesn't use EmuDeck to use their own emulator, the user should know what they're using to best receive support).
I've not had any problems with it and I found it super easy to setup and use

I recommend retrodeck. They seeme to really care about emulating. And the devs really talk to pieople all of the time. They need help with more devs to support their work.

The steam deck can handle every game on every system from the PS2 and back, most games on the switch and PS3, smattering of Xbox and 360 and everything on PC barring the most graphically intensive AAA titles. Recommendations on that potential scope can go on forever.

If you like Zelda there are a few titles regarded as "must play" in the series, including Ocarina of Time, Link to the Past, Twilight Princess and many more in the "A" tier of Zelda titles. You've got probably years of play time just in those.

I would just like to throw in that that PC port of OoT is maybe the best way to enjoy that game on deck. The only downside is no retro achievement support.
- How can you play it? I've never beat OoT and I'd love to do it on the deck.
It kindof starts to snag in the GCN/PS2 era. Smash Bros Melee never gets to an adequate point for me, and Soul calibur 2 usually is fuzzy with slowdown on the windmill-esque level.

I don't think I was able to get soul calibur 3 to work too well. The dreamcast version of PSO is much smoother than the GCN version, though GCN version is generally good enough.

Dreamcast/N64/Playstation era I'd say is the sweet spot where games aren't going to have many issues that they wouldn't have elsewhere.

What's the difference between emudeck and retrodeck? I've been using retrodeck and enjoying it quite a lot.

As I recall, retro deck installs an emulation hub that you go into, and then choose what to emulate.

Emudeck installs a bunch of individual emulators and configures them, and also sets up roms so they show up as standalone games in your library. The end result is the games feel like steam games, and you rarely have to mess with anything showing them to be emulated titles.
- Emudeck also installs EmulationStation. You can choose to access your games and not by integrating then into Steam. Just like Retrodeck.
- Fubarberry
  
  RetroDECK is a flatpak application that builds in a variety of emulators and systems into one app you can download from flathub.
  
  We are also working on the "Add to Steam" function. You can read more about it in the links posted in other replies in this thread :)
- I may have to check out emudeck then. I'm not sure if retrodeck can do that too, but I like the idea of it treating roms as standalone games in my library. I might end up running some games as part of retrodeck, and some from emudeck.
From my experience Retrodeck tends to lose the config files a lot during updates. So far I'm yet to experience that with Emudeck.

EDIT: Apparently it was a bug and it's been fixed almost a year ago, see the dev reply below. Don't let my comment discourage you from choosing RetroDECK!
- Greetings, RetroDECK dev here, this was a known issue that was solved on 0.6.2b (15/03/2023), now we are on 0.7.5b and that bug is only a memory. Please let us know if you encounter any issue related to your config if you will decide to try RetroDECK again. Thanks a lot for your patience :)
Not a contest, really. Post the link I'll check that too 👌. What retro game you play??
- It's in the Discover app, just do a search for it! I like the fact that it has a scraper for getting box art, game metadata, etc.
  
  As for what I've been playing, recently finished Jet Set Radio Future and I've been playing Luigi's Mansion and Super Mario Sunshine, along with some og Animal Crossing (I love that the villagers have no problems with insulting you).

Emudeck was my main reason for picking up a steam deck. Figured I could get an archive of retro games, and then build up a library of indie games over time.

I have to do some troubleshooting to get PS1 and PS2 games working, but that is probably just getting bios files. Just downloaded so many games that I am working through that even when something doesn't work immediately I have more than enough options to be entertained.

I want to try God of war 1 and 2. Maybe even the 3 if the ps3 emulator can run it.
I'm unsure of the viability of this suggestion but epsxe has always netted good results for me (Ps1, android). I'd like to think installing it on Steam wouldn't be too problematic.
- epsxe is extremely old by now and not updated. Your current best choice is Duckstation

Last I heard breath of the wild ran MUCH better using the Wii u version in cemu, that's how I originally set mine up and it runs great, and some mods make it even better. That said if you're on switch make sure you're not running it in docked mode, it's capped at 30. I believe both yuzu and ryujinx let you set that on a global or per game basis. Then tears of the kingdom is only on switch :) hope this helps!

I love emudeck and emulation on the deck. The Metroid prime trilogy using primehack is SEXY

Should i disable "docked mode" somewhere?
- Yup in the controls menu if I remember right (there is a quick toggle key for it but I can't remember what that is)

I suggest Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island from SNES. Amazing game with a killer soundtrack.

Touch Fuzzy, Get Dizzy

Metroid Prime Remastered plays almost flawlessly on the Deck. Definitely worth trying either for the nostalgia, or because you missed one of the best GameCube games.

The Prime hack trilogy is also very fun, (but a Wii game).

I also really enjoy ~~Zelda a Link to the past~~ Links Awakening, it also works almost perfectly if you use a newer version of Yuzu.

I mean, there used be a webapp that let you run snes rom files from your Google drive (forgot what it's called), so I have no doubt that a link to the past could run on anything
- I'm talking about the Switch remaster of the game. While the Gameboy or SNES versions work, OP asked about Switch games so I only focused on those.

I haven't been able to get Xbox 360 to work. I really want to play forza horizon 1

That would be sick, but Forza barely works with Xenia on my PC with decent specs lol

Like many others, I highly suggest Retrodeck instead of EmuDeck. Not only it is a flawless experience, but having it all packaged in a flatpak means it won't scatter files around for every emulator which are then hard to clean up (like EmuDeck does, usually).

But is easy to create a .flatpak rom from an original iso?
- You got it a bit confused! Flatpak is not a way to store roms, but a way to deliver the software (RetroDeck) onto your device. Retrodeck, once installed, will create a "retrodeck" folder in your steam deck filesystem, which will again contain folders for roms.
  
  All you need to do at that point is to place rom files inside already existing folders for their own systems (psx, psp, etc). Those files can be of many filetypes. For example, psx roms can be in chd, cue/bin, iso, etc
  
  It is as straightforward as it can get!

Did you try Breath of the Wild on cemu?Itbelievei the steam deck can do >30fps in it.

I used Yuzu, 30fps are good enough for now. Just curious about the controls. The action, jump and fight button are mapped a bit differently from the one on the steams games, it seems that B is mapped instead of A (maybe just a Switch thing).

Edit

Yep, different position. I'll fix it later.
- There are mods for TOTK to display and use the deck layout (or Xbox controller or whatever).
  
  That mod surely exists for BOTW.
- Do you like turn based JRPGs? You can play Person 3, 4 and 5 on Yuzu. Performance is the same as the switch.

Gameboy advance: advance wars & advance wars2

Maybe someone can help me out. I have EmulationStation installed and for GBA and 3DS games, it works perfectly. Zero complaints. The issue is for some reason N64 games won't work after r a Steam Deck update. Without fail, every single time I update my Deck, N64 games refuse to open. I have no idea where to start troubleshooting.... I've been able to install an N64 game, add it to Steam, play it in Gaming mode and everything works fine. Just refuses to let me open any N64 game after an update.

-emulation station is just the frontend and doesn't do any emulating itself. Did you mean emu deck?

-that's why I always preferred retro deck, which installs as a flat pack over the discover app (basically a form of an "app store") and isn't impacted by any steam deck updates
I had a game break on me after an update. Turned out on investigation the game was using proto experimental and somethin that stopped. I reverted to latest numbered Proton release and it started working again.

Good luck

"Install this blob of data that you just download from this random URL" isn't something I'm ever going to do on any computer I own. Doesn't Emudeck support something more reasonable like a flatpak?

Hello, RetroDECK is a flatpak.

RetroDECK: What is RetroDECK?
Flatpacks are very restrictive by design. While this is a good thing in many cases, it makes it very difficult for tools like EmuDeck to work properly. For example, automatically installing other applications (in this case: emulators) isn‘t easily possible. This would make a flatpak version of Emudeck pretty much useless.

While I understand your concerns, I think installing an AppImage which has been built on Github from open source code just isn‘t all that risky.
Tell me more about flatpack. It is a Rom extension? The file i ~~downloaded~~ used was .Xci, played with Yuzu
- Flatpak is the technology that the package manager in desktop mode uses to install software
- flatpak is a universal packaging format for linux, and every flatpak app is containerized for improved security
  
  as a bonus you can easily remove almost all traces of an app when you uninstall so there aren't any annoying leftover files, like you would on Windows

I .. kof! ...find, God of War HD collection (1 and 2 remaster.) for ps3. Which ps3 emulator work best on the Deck in your opinion?

The PSP emulator PPSSPP works the best. Potentially, this would be the better choice for this game.

Otherwise, IIRC RPCS3 is the best PS3 emulator. I just find it janky to get it performing well (For Skate 3, at least)

I loved it until it randomly stopped working and I never figured out why. Uninstalled, reinstalled and still won’t even open.

Also, the uninstall wiped my library so that was annoying.