Steam Deck: How To Run Game Boy Games

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Steam ROM Manager

1. Reopen EmuDeck and select Steam ROM Manager.
2. Close the Steam client (if prompted).
3. Disable "Toggle Parsers."
4. Select the three Game Boy tabs and click "Add Games."
5. After adding games and cover art, select "Save to Steam."
6. Wait for the completion message and close Steam ROM Manager.
7. Return to Gaming Mode.

Playing Game Boy Games On The Steam Deck

1. Press the Steam button.
2. Open your Library.
3. Go to the Collections tab.
4. Select your Game Boy collection and launch a game.

Customize The Game's Colors

Many Game Boy games offer colorization options despite the original system's limitations. You can adjust these via RetroArch:

1. Launch a game.
2. Press the Select button (two squares above the left analog stick) + Y button to open the RetroArch menu.
3. Navigate to Core Options > GB Colorization.
4. Choose "Auto" for automatic colorization or "Off" for original monochrome.

Using Emulation Station For Game Boy Games

Emulation Station provides an alternative launching method:

1. Press the Steam button.
2. Open your Library > Collections > Emulators > Emulation Station.
3. Select the Game Boy icon and launch your games.
4. The RetroArch color options (Select + Y) also work here.

Install Decky Loader On The Steam Deck

For optimal performance, install Decky Loader and Power Tools:

1. Switch to Desktop Mode.
2. Download Decky Loader from its GitHub page.
3. Run the installer and choose the Recommended Install.
4. Restart the Steam Deck in Gaming Mode.

Installing The Power Tools Plugin

1. Access the Decky Loader Quick Access Menu (QAM).
2. Open the Decky Store and install the Power Tools plugin.

Power Tools Settings For Emulated Games

1. Launch a Game Boy game.
2. Open the Power Tools menu via QAM.
3. Disable SMTs and set Threads to 4.
4. In the Performance menu, enable Advanced View.
5. Enable Manual GPU Clock Control and set the GPU Clock Frequency to 1200.
6. Use Per Game Profile to save settings for individual games.

Restoring Decky Loader After A Steam Deck Update

Steam Deck updates may sometimes cause Decky Loader incompatibility. To restore:

1. Switch to Desktop Mode.
2. Re-download Decky Loader from its GitHub page.
3. Run the installer, choosing only the "Execute" option.
4. Enter your pseudo password (create one if needed).
5. Restart the Steam Deck in Gaming Mode.

Enjoy your enhanced Game Boy experience on the Steam Deck's larger screen!