Make sure to use a compressed format for your GameCube games. The disc images are padded with junk data and a 1GB ISO can turn into a 50MB RVZ without losing anything. You can do this directly in Dolphin by right-clicking on a game and selecting "Convert file".
You can compress PS2 isos (and many other disc based systems) too as CHD or CSO. The effect isn't as dramatic as with GameCube games but it's still worth it usually.
What’s installing pirated games on it like? Mines has shipped.
I’ve seen some posts on Reddit, and it seems like a nightmare process (or they’re just making it difficult).
Can the games be installed on your PC and then moved to the deck?
What’s installing pirated games on it like? Mines has shipped.
I’ve seen some posts on Reddit, and it seems like a nightmare process (or they’re just making it difficult).
Can the games be installed on your PC and then moved to the deck?
It's about the same as installing windows games on Linux you don't have in steam.. Basically you just go to desktop mode, add the installer as a non-steam game, turn on the compatibility layer, launch it to install, then change the non-steam game shortcut to point to whatever it's supposed to point to.
What’s installing pirated games on it like? Mines has shipped.
I’ve seen some posts on Reddit, and it seems like a nightmare process (or they’re just making it difficult).
Can the games be installed on your PC and then moved to the deck?
Yes you can install them on your pc and move them to the deck, I used a usb stick to do that.
Issues is steam it's self is hit or miss if a game will work and you may need to try different proton to get it to work. But if you wish to added games that way, just the same as on pc, but must use steam deck desktop mode.
Now if you want to get pretty much all games working you want to install Lutris. It can be a bit of headache because for some people seems like there are extra steps. Also you need to use winetricks to get some games works, and can be a bitch to find the right thing you need.
I would recommend using Lutris because once you got it set up, higher chance the game will just work and it is much faster to add games to steam from that point on.
Another question. Which Micro SD Card are you lads using? I'm still not sure if I want to aim for a 256GB or go full 512GB but idea is to dump all emulation in there and use the internal 256 to cycle whatever game I want to play portably and cycle them out.
Also, started perusing on how to setup emudeck, seems pretty stupid proof for the most part but I'm not the saviest guy when it comes to Linux. Can I just plug un via USB an windows formatted external drive and just move folders or do I need a translator of sorts to keep all involved happy?
And a bit of a tougher question, applying mods or patches to games on the deck. Is this going into a very nasty rabbit hole and I'm better off playing on desktop if I want to fuck around or is it something that should be transparent since most mods are realistically just dumping files in specific places?
Another question. Which Micro SD Card are you lads using? I'm still not sure if I want to aim for a 256GB or go full 512GB but idea is to dump all emulation in there and use the internal 256 to cycle whatever game I want to play portably and cycle them out.
Also, started perusing on how to setup emudeck, seems pretty stupid proof for the most part but I'm not the saviest guy when it comes to Linux. Can I just plug un via USB an windows formatted external drive and just move folders or do I need a translator of sorts to keep all involved happy?
And a bit of a tougher question, applying mods or patches to games on the deck. Is this going into a very nasty rabbit hole and I'm better off playing on desktop if I want to fuck around or is it something that should be transparent since most mods are realistically just dumping files in specific places?
You can plug in a flashdrive (need either a hub or usb C flash drive though). IMO it's easier to turn on SSH on the deck and then use something like WINSCP if you're on windows.
For mods and patches:
If the mod or patch is a drag and drop or something simple, no problem.
If you're looking at something like Skyrim or Fallout, where you pretty much need a mod manager, it's harder. I haven't been able to get MO2 to work, but I got Vortex to work using steamtinkerlaunch.
Wrong
1. If you are stuck in pal regions many older games are 50hz, emulation is a easy way around this
2. Cost is cheaper, even if you own a PS2 and a good CRT, you still need buy games some of which are now very expensive or you need buy a harddrive or DVD-rs, with PC or steam deck you don't have that extra costs.
3. Can play at higher res making the games look better, and most emus also support texture replacements now. This just out right looks better especially so with newer TVs
4. Emus like Duckstation can do geometry correction, something the OG PS1 was unable to do
5. Save sates
6. With steam deck playable on the go
7. Faster Loading times
8. Widescreen mods, which work very well with PS2 and Gamecube games, and something you would expect if the games were ever remastered.
9. Can fix frame rate issues the old games may have had
10. Many emus let you speed the game up, which is great when you are hit with an unskippable cutscene or if you are grinding in a RPG
If you want a more accurate experience then sure original console with a CRT is the best way to go, and are the rare games that just not work well on emulation.
Don’t forget:
11. The convenience of being able to play all your games on one device with one or two controllers instead of having 10 consoles hooked up all at once, each with their own controllers and physical media that need to be swapped out.
And even though some games will certainly look better on a CRT, that’s where shaders come in to get something that’s at least close enough while maintaining the other benefits of emulation.
Another question. Which Micro SD Card are you lads using? I'm still not sure if I want to aim for a 256GB or go full 512GB but idea is to dump all emulation in there and use the internal 256 to cycle whatever game I want to play portably and cycle them out.
Also, started perusing on how to setup emudeck, seems pretty stupid proof for the most part but I'm not the saviest guy when it comes to Linux. Can I just plug un via USB an windows formatted external drive and just move folders or do I need a translator of sorts to keep all involved happy?
And a bit of a tougher question, applying mods or patches to games on the deck. Is this going into a very nasty rabbit hole and I'm better off playing on desktop if I want to fuck around or is it something that should be transparent since most mods are realistically just dumping files in specific places?
Using Samsung EVO Select 512GB microSDXC myself, use it for just the pirate games.
Yes you could do that do move games over, just make sure you have a usb to usb c adapter. Just a note you can't switch the microsd cards between steam deck and pc without reformatting it and losing all the data.
You can install mods and patches, however I've not done that myself so really can't answer to how easy or different it is. If you are doing it for pirate games, I would just do that on pc and move the whole thing over.
Using Samsung EVO Select 512GB microSDXC myself, use it for just the pirate games.
Yes you could do that do move games over, just make sure you have a usb to usb c adapter. Just a note you can't switch the microsd cards between steam deck and pc without reformatting it and losing all the data.
You can install mods and patches, however I've not done that myself so really can't answer to how easy or different it is. If you are doing it for pirate games, I would just do that on pc and move the whole thing over.
Thanks to you and filthypenguin for your clarifications.
Speaking of pirated games, what is the process to get them going on the Deck? Do I install them on windows and just drag the folder into the deck and that would work?
Thanks to you and filthypenguin for your clarifications.
Speaking of pirated games, what is the process to get them going on the Deck? Do I install them on windows and just drag the folder into the deck and that would work?
Thanks to you and filthypenguin for your clarifications.
Speaking of pirated games, what is the process to get them going on the Deck? Do I install them on windows and just drag the folder into the deck and that would work?
Desktop mode
Install Lutris
Download your pirated game
Run the setup file from within Lutris
If it's not working, Google the problem and usually there will be a Reddit thread or similar where some fucking nerd will tell you which Winetricks you need to fiddle with (also within Lutris)
Enjoy your free games.
OK, I had a bit of time so tried to installing some FitGirl repacks basically following the video guide above. Mixed bag.
One game (Stray) installed and worked no problem, at least the 10 minutes I spent messing with it.
Next one (Dead Space 2) refused to install and got a IsDone.dll error. This is apparently a RAM error and limiting it to 2GB should fix it but didn't for me. Game installed on two other PCs so not a problem with the files. Guess its just not going to work on deck.
Last one (Sekiro) was weird. Installed and ran fine in Lutris but running it in gaming mode through steam it refused to recognise the deck inputs as a controller no matter what config you chose. This is apparently a somewhat common issue with cracked games from what I could tell, some random reddit comment fixed it for me and now seems to work fine through the steam gaming mode
Go into steam big picture mode (this is important it has to be big picture mode in desktop mode).
Go to the steam shortcut and under "Manage Shortcut" find where it says "Steam Input" and go to "Controller Options".
Under "Steam Input Per-Game Setting (requires game re-launch)" pick "Forced Off".
Make sure to set the steam controller to use standard gamepad controls.
Launch the steamdeck in game mode and play. It should let you use the controller buttons like normal now.
OK, I had a bit of time so tried to installing some FitGirl repacks basically following the video guide above. Mixed bag.
One game (Stray) installed and worked no problem, at least the 10 minutes I spent messing with it.
Next one (Dead Space 2) refused to install and got a IsDone.dll error. This is apparently a RAM error and limiting it to 2GB should fix it but didn't for me. Game installed on two other PCs so not a problem with the files. Guess its just not going to work on deck.
Last one (Sekiro) was weird. Installed and ran fine in Lutris but running it in gaming mode through steam it refused to recognise the deck inputs as a controller no matter what config you chose. This is apparently a somewhat common issue with cracked games from what I could tell, some random reddit comment fixed it for me and now seems to work fine through the steam gaming mode
Go into steam big picture mode (this is important it has to be big picture mode in desktop mode).
Go to the steam shortcut and under "Manage Shortcut" find where it says "Steam Input" and go to "Controller Options".
Under "Steam Input Per-Game Setting (requires game re-launch)" pick "Forced Off".
Make sure to set the steam controller to use standard gamepad controls.
Launch the steamdeck in game mode and play. It should let you use the controller buttons like normal now.
I'll try installing some of my GOG backups later, though I don't really own any GOG games that would play well with deck controls.
For pirated stuff, seems like everything is a repack? Other than fitgirl there's dodi I think, don't really know of any others. Are they all jank on Linux?
I'll try installing some of my GOG backups later, though I don't really own any GOG games that would play well with deck controls.
For pirated stuff, seems like everything is a repack? Other than fitgirl there's dodi I think, don't really know of any others. Are they all jank on Linux?
Only fitgirl. I usually just go to 1337x and download the thing with the most seeds, or the second most if the top one is fitgirl (usually it's a gog backup)
I got the 512gb model last week and have generally been impressed by the performance. It runs basically everything i've thrown at it. I have even managed to hack together reasonably comfortable controller profiles for some keyboard and mouse only games, which I was really not expecting. The first Deus Ex is chef's kiss. Even installed a few Total War games which are surprisingly playable (just need to rely on the zoom function to read text sometimes). I tested out MGSV on the thing and got so distracted by just playing the game that I realized the Deck really has lived up to its mission statement.
The Proton software running it all is something of a miracle and the innards powering the whole affair are punching well above their weight. But the hardware letdown for me is unfortunately a rather big one: the quality is pretty dogshit. My screen has some slight yellow light bleed at the top left, which Steam apparently refuse to RMA these days. Some retards on Reddit said loosing the screws and re-attaching the rear chassis might solve the issue, as the unit may be too tight or loose.
BIG FUCKING MISTAKE. I completely stripped one of the Chink-shit screws Valve are using and spent an entire night trying to get the fucker out (for anyone who faces a similar predicament, just use a #1 flat screwdriver to get a stripped one out, not Philips head). Getting the rear panel off was also a major bitch and I ended up scratching some of the plastic. It was all for nothing as well, since upon re-assembly it only improved my screen issue very slightly (at best, probably just a placebo improvement).
Moral of the story is don't take these things apart even if you can. Probably don't early adopt like I did if you can't live with minor LCD flaws. And Valve really needs to put out an OLED option because the actual performance of said LCD leaves a lot to be desired. I'd have happily paid the same price for a 256gb + OLED compared to 512GB + LCD.
To be fair, we're literally in the middle of that range now. It was a long-range ballpark, but now they've caught up to it, they can give a more specific answer.
