If you have a Windows gaming handheld or a Steam Deck, then you've probably already heard of EmuDeck. If you don't have one, though, you can actually still make use of it on your Windows-based PC to quickly and easily get started with emulators, complete with Steam integration. While it might be obvious to some people, there's nothing stopping you from installing and using it on a regular PC, and the EmuDeck installer will even give you the option to configure it just for a regular PC if you want to use it for that. We highly recommend it if you want to play some old games!

Installing EmuDeck on a Windows PC

It's the same as a handheld, just easier

If you want to install EmuDeck on your Windows PC, it's really easy. Simply go to the EmuDeck website, download the Windows installer, and choose all of the emulators that you want and what configurations you want to use. It's the exact same process as installing EmuDeck on a handheld, except the difference is that you can use a mouse and keyboard to navigate, making it significantly easier.

Once you've installed EmuDeck, you can use the Steam ROM Manager to add all of your emulators and your games to your Steam Library. They'll show up and be playable like normal games, and your friends will see you in a non-Steam game of whatever game it is that you're playing. For example, if you were to play Super Mario Bros on the NES, your friends would see that you're in Super Mario Bros, but Steam would also say that it's a non-Steam game.

Why you should use EmuDeck on your PC and how to use it

The best collection of emulators, hands down

EmuDeck is the ultimate emulation suite available. While it is primarily designed for devices like the Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go, it is compatible with any Windows-based system. Initially developed for the Steam Deck, EmuDeck now supports Windows and Android. It downloads and configures numerous emulators, integrating seamlessly with Steam ROM Manager to allow you to add games to your Steam library.

After installing EmuDeck, you can open the folder containing your games. By default, this folder is located in the root directory of the drive where EmuDeck was installed. For example, if installed on the C: drive, the files would be in C:\Emulation. This location may vary, but you can always access the folder directly from within EmuDeck. You can then launch Steam ROM Manager, which will shut down Steam, scan for games in their respective folders, and add them.

Once added, your games and emulators will be recognized natively in Steam. You can launch them as non-Steam games, and your friends will see you playing them. EmuDeck is easy to set up, quick to configure, and compatible with any Windows machine. You don't need a gaming handheld, as EmuDeck includes a configuration option specifically for installation on a Windows PC.

EmuDeck makes it easy to set up emulators and takes the hard work out of needing to set up everything individually. It even keeps your emulators up to date and can refresh your configuration files for you fi something goes wrong. If you don't consider yourself particularly techy (or just want an easy way to play those old games) then EmuDeck is almost certainly the best option. In fact, if you're even building an older retro console out of a mini PC, then EmuDeck can be a great help in getting you up and going too, especially if you're opting to use Windows instead of something like Batocera. While it's aimed at gaming handhelds, it makes setting up emulators in general super easy, even if you don't want the Steam integration either. You can just skip that part in the setup.

As a warning, EmuDeck no longer has Citra or Yuzu as a result of their discontinuation following Nintendo's lawsuit, but you can still emulate a ton of other fantastic systems anywhere you can bring a gaming handheld with you. It's really worth giving a try and can save you a lot of headaches and pain of setting up emulators manually.