While it is a bit of an ethical grey area, Steam Deck makes for an absolutely amazing emulator especially when you're using EmuDeck. While you could install a Windows 11 dual boot and use Yuzu, Suyu, Sudachi, or Ryujinx, EmuDeck is a lot more efficient and easy to use straight from Steamos.

Takeaways:

  1. How to use Yuzu on Steam Deck
  2. How to use Ryujinx on Steam Deck
  3. Can to use Suyu on Steam Deck?
  4. Can to use Sudachi on Steam Deck?

Does EmuDeck Support Suyu & Sudachi?

EmuDeck currently does not include Suyu or Sudachi as part of its default emulator package. However, EmuDeck includes the official versions of Yuzu and Ryujinx, which are the most widely supported and stable emulators for Nintendo Switch. You can manually install and configure Suyu or Sudachi if you prefer these alternatives, but they will require a bit more manual setup. In this guide will be skipping them as Yuzu and Ryujinx are essentially the same thing (The original Forks).

How to Install EmuDeck on Steam Deck Guide.

In order to install EmuDeck on Steam Deck to use emulators like Suyu, Yuzu, Sudachi, Ryujinx, etc you'll need to do the following.

  • Press the Steam button to open the quick access menu

  • Scroll down and select Power.

  • Choose Switch to Desktop. This will boot you into the desktop mode of SteamOS.

  • Once in Desktop Mode, click on the Discover app icon (blue shopping bag) in the taskbar.

  • Alternatively, you can open Firefox or Chrome from the desktop.

  • Go to the EmuDeck website

  • Click Download Installer.

  • Save the file to your Downloads folder.

  • Open the Dolphin File Manager (the folder icon on the desktop).

  • Navigate to your Downloads folder.

  • Right-click the EmuDeck installer and choose "Run as program" or "Execute".

Standard Mode: This is the recommended option for most users. It automatically configures emulators, controls, and other settings optimized for the Steam Deck.

Custom Mode: If you want to manually choose the emulators you want to install and customize their settings, choose this mode.

  • EmuDeck will ask where you want to install your emulators and ROMs.

Recommended: Install on a microSD card if you have one, to save space on your internal storage.

  • The installer will automatically download and install various emulators, including Yuzu and Ryujinx.

  • It will also install necessary configurations, such as control layouts optimized for the Steam Deck.

EmuDeck How to set up Games

EmuDeck creates folders for your game ROMs in the directory you specified (e.g., on your microSD card or internal storage). The folder structure will look like this:

Emulation/roms/ → Inside this directory, you’ll find subfolders for each console/emulator, like switch/ for Yuzu or Ryujinx.

IMPORTANT: Keep your ROMs properly organized in these subfolders to ensure they are detected correctly by EmuDeck and its emulators.

Add Games to Your Steam Library (via Steam Rom Manager)

EmuDeck will automatically install and configure Steam Rom Manager.

  • Run Steam Rom Manager from the EmuDeck installer interface or manually from the desktop.
  • Click Preview at the left sidebar.
  • Then click Generate App List.

This scans your ROM folders and adds the games as “non-Steam games” to your Steam Library.

  • Once completed, click Save App List.
  • Return to Game Mode

  • After setting everything up, double-click the Return to Gaming Mode shortcut on your desktop.

  • When you return to Game Mode, your emulated games will now appear in your Steam Library under the Collections or Non-Steam games section.

Important EmuDeck House Keeping Rules.

  1. Keep Your Emulators Updated
  2. EmuDeck installs both Yuzu and Ryujinx, but these emulators receive frequent updates.
  3. To update the emulators:
  • Switch to Desktop Mode and run the EmuDeck installer again to update them.
  • For Yuzu and Ryujinx, you can also open them in Desktop Mode and manually check for updates within the emulator itself.

ROM Folder Structure

  • Make sure you place your ROMs in the appropriate folders that EmuDeck creates (e.g., place Switch ROMs in the switch folder).

  • Avoid renaming or changing the folder structure, as this might break the path links used by Steam Rom Manager.

Performance Tweaks for Yuzu & Ryujinx

Yuzu: For best performance, use the Vulkan graphics backend. You can change this setting by opening Yuzu, navigating to Emulation → Configure → Graphics, and switching to Vulkan.

Ryujinx: Open Ryujinx and head to Options → Settings → System and enable Vulkan for better performance.

Keep in mind that performance can vary between emulators and games. Test both Yuzu and Ryujinx to see which emulator works better for each game.

Avoid Overclocking by Default

The Steam Deck offers excellent performance for most Switch games without the need for overclocking. But if you decide to overclock (via third-party tools like PowerTools or the Decky Loader plugin), do so carefully, as it can increase battery drain and thermal stress on the system. Personally, I wouldn't risk using an overclock on Steam Deck though.

Save Space with Game Compression: Switch games can take up a lot of storage space. You can compress your ROMs (to .NSZ or .XCZ formats) to save space without affecting performance. Emulators like Yuzu can handle these compressed formats easily.

EmuDeck comes with pre-configured controls, but you can further customize them in Game Mode by pressing the Steam button and adjusting the layout per game. You can also set up per-game control configurations if needed. From my experience, most games seem to get configured well by default but you may still want to tweak things.

Things to Avoid when Using EmuDeck on Steam Deck

Fooling around with the default EmuDeck configuration isn't the best idea for 99% of people. While customization is possible, making changes to emulator configs might lead to performance issues or broken setups. If you have a microSD card, install EmuDeck and your ROMs there. This helps to keep your internal storage free for other purposes and also avoids Steam Deck slowdowns due to low available space. Running games directly from a USB drive: While it’s technically possible, running games from slower storage devices like USB drives can result in poor performance. Use a fast microSD card instead.