"How to Play Game Boy Games on Steam Deck"

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Steam ROM Manager

With your games in place, use Steam ROM Manager to integrate them into your Steam library:

• Open EmuDeck and click on Steam ROM Manager in the left panel.
• Confirm to close the Steam client and click "Next."
• On the Parsers screen, turn off Toggle Parsers.
• Click on the three Game Boy tabs and select "Add Games."
• Once the games and their cover art are added, select "Save to Steam."
• Wait for the "Done adding/removing entries" message, then close Steam ROM Manager and return to Gaming Mode.

Playing Game Boy Games On The Steam Deck

Now that your games are added, you can easily play them:

• Press the Steam button.
• Open the Library and navigate to the Collections tab.
• Select the Game Boy section and choose a game to play.

Customize The Game's Colors

Some Game Boy games include color options, which you can customize through RetroArch:

• Launch a Game Boy game.
• Press the Select button (with two squares above the left analog stick) and the Y button to access the RetroArch menu.
• Go to Core Options, then GB Colorization.
• Choose "Auto" for color or "Off" for a more authentic Game Boy experience.

Using Emulation Station For Game Boy Games

While you can launch games from the Steam Library, Emulation Station offers an alternative:

• Press the Steam button.
• Navigate to the Library, then the Collections tab.
• Select the Emulators section and choose Emulation Station.
• Scroll to the Game Boy icon and press the A button to launch your games.
• The RetroArch commands (Select + Y) work within Emulation Station as well.

Install Decky Loader On The Steam Deck

To optimize your Game Boy gaming experience, install Decky Loader and the Power Tools plugin:

• In Gaming Mode, press the Steam button and switch to Desktop Mode.
• Open a browser and go to the Decky Loader GitHub page.
• Click the Download icon to start downloading.
• After the download, double-click the launcher and select Recommended Install.
• Restart your Steam Deck in Gaming Mode once the installation is complete.

Installing The Power Tools Plugin

With Decky Loader installed, add Power Tools for enhanced performance:

• In Gaming Mode, access the Quick Access Menu (QAM) and find the plugin icon.
• Click the store icon to access the Decky Store.
• Search for and install the Power Tools plugin.

Power Tools Settings For Emulated Games

Optimize your Game Boy games with Power Tools:

• Launch a Game Boy game from your library.
• Access the QAM and select Power Tools.
• Turn off SMTs and set the Threads to 4.
• Return to the QAM, go to the Performance menu, and enable Advanced View.
• Turn on Manual GPU Clock Control and increase the GPU Clock Frequency to 1200.
• Enable Per Game Profile to save these settings for each game.

Restoring Decky Loader After A Steam Deck Update

Major Steam Deck updates can sometimes break compatibility with third-party apps like Decky Loader. Here’s how to restore it:

• Switch to Desktop Mode via the Steam button and Power menu.
• Open a browser and return to the Decky Loader GitHub page to download it again.
• After downloading, select only the Execute option and enter your pseudo password when prompted.
• Create a pseudo password if you haven’t already, choosing a strong and memorable one.
• Restart your Steam Deck in Gaming Mode to ensure Decky Loader and its plugins are restored.

With these steps, you're now equipped to enjoy Game Boy games on your Steam Deck with optimized settings. The larger screen of the Steam Deck makes it an ideal platform for reliving these classic titles.

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