How to Play Sega Game Gear Classics on Steam Deck

This guide details how to install and use EmuDeck to play Sega Game Gear games on your Steam Deck, maximizing performance with Decky Loader and Power Tools.

Before You Begin: Essential Preparations

Before installing EmuDeck, enable Developer Mode on your Steam Deck:

1. Press the Steam button, go to System > System Settings, and enable Developer Mode.
2. Navigate to the Developer menu, then Miscellaneous, and enable CEF Remote Debugging.
3. Restart your Steam Deck.

Recommended: An A2 microSD card (or external HDD with a dock) for storing ROMs and emulators, a keyboard and mouse for easier file management, and legally obtained Game Gear ROMs.

Installing EmuDeck

Install EmuDeck:

1. Switch to Desktop Mode.
2. Download EmuDeck from their website.
3. Choose the SteamOS version and select "Custom Install."
4. Select your SD card as the primary installation location.
5. Choose your desired emulators (RetroArch, EmulationStation, Steam ROM Manager are recommended).
6. Enable "Auto Save" and complete the installation.

Quick Settings: In EmuDeck, enable AutoSave, Controller Layout Match, set Sega Classic AR to 4:3, and turn on LCD Handhelds.

Transferring ROMs and Using Steam ROM Manager

Transfer your Game Gear ROMs to /emulation/roms/gamegear. Then use Steam ROM Manager:

1. Open Steam ROM Manager in EmuDeck.
2. Close the Steam client when prompted.
3. Select the Game Gear icon, then "Add Games" and "Parse."
4. Verify artwork and save to Steam.

Fixing Missing Artwork

If artwork is missing:

• Use the "Fix" function in Steam ROM Manager, searching by game title. Remove any numbers preceding the game title in the ROM filename if the manager fails to find the correct artwork.
• Manually upload missing artwork: Find the image online, save it to your Steam Deck's Pictures folder, and upload it through Steam ROM Manager.

Playing Game Gear Games

Access your Game Gear games in Gaming Mode through the Library > Collections tab. Adjust performance settings (QAM button > Performance) to 60 FPS to improve gameplay.

Installing Decky Loader and Power Tools

For enhanced performance:

1. Switch to Desktop Mode.
2. Download Decky Loader from GitHub and install using the recommended method.
3. Restart in Gaming Mode.
4. Install the Power Tools plugin through the Decky Loader store.
5. In Power Tools, disable SMTs, set Threads to 4, enable Manual GPU Clock Control (set to 1200 MHz), and enable Per-Game Profile.

Fixing Decky Loader After a Steam Deck Update

If a Steam Deck update removes Decky Loader:

1. Switch to Desktop Mode.
2. Download Decky Loader again from GitHub.
3. Run the downloaded file (choose "Execute," not "Open").
4. Enter your sudo password.
5. Restart your Steam Deck.

Enjoy your Game Gear games on your Steam Deck!