How to play Xbox games on Steam Deck

The original Xbox game console was powerful at the time of its release. Cross-platform gaming looked better on Microsoft's hardware than the PlayStation 2 and GameCube, and it was home to some classic games. Let it be Hello series or games that require a hard drive and were developed for PC, for example Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind. The machine has a valuable library with many titles that are not backwards compatible. Xbox users can take advantage of a Steam Deck with the EmuDeck app to play your favorite Xbox games.

Updated on December 12, 2024. By Michael Llewellyn: Although they are retro, Xbox games can be complex and difficult to run with decent performance. EmuDeck developers suggest installing the Power Tools plugin via Decky Loader. This guide has been updated to detail the steps to install a program and plugin that will improve the performance of your emulated Xbox games. It also includes steps to restore Decky in case a Steam Deck update breaks the app.

Before running emulators on Steam Deck

• Connect the Steam Deck to the mains or make sure it is fully charged.
• An microSD card A2 to install EmuDeck and games. Alternatively, if you only plan to use the Xbox emulator on your TV screen, you can connect an external hard drive/solid state drive with a docking system for the Steam Deck.
• Legit Xbox ISO and BIOS.

Activate developer mode

• Click Steam button.
• Open it system menu and turn on Developer mode.

• Find and open a new one The developer menu and enable CEF debugging.
• Press the Steam button, select Power.
• Switch to desktop mode.

Download EmuDeck for Steam Deck

• Click Steam button under the left trackpad, select Power option, and switch to Desktop mode.
• Use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse or a wired device connected to the Steam Deck Dock.
• Download EmuDeck in desktop mode using your browser.
• Scroll down the page to find the download icon and double-click to launch the installer.
• Click on the “Recommended settings” option and select Custom installation.
• Select the SD card image with a name Primary to install emulator and games.
• You can choose individual emulators or all. Called Xbox Emulator Xem, also choose Retro arch and Emulation station.
• Make sure you choose Steam ROM Manager. This adds the emulated games with their covers to the Steam Deck library.
• On the next screen Turn on Auto Save.
• Skip ahead and select To finish to complete the installation.

Move the BIOS and ROM to their correct folders

The trickiest aspect of this guide is making sure the correct BIOS files are placed in their respective folders. Without them, the Xemu emulator will not detect the games and they will refuse to launch.

Place the BIOS in the desired folders

You will need to retrieve the BIOS files from your Xbox, but the file names you will need and the location of the root files are listed in the table below.

Place the ISO files in the correct folders

Xbox games are .iso files that need to be placed in the correct folder so that the Steam ROM manager can recognize them and add them to the Steam Deck library.

Adding Xbox games to your Steam library

With all the BIOS and files in place, it's time to use the Steam ROM Manager to make your favorite Xbox games part of the Steam library.

• Open EmuDeck again.
• On the left menu bar, click Steam ROM Manager.
• Click yes to close the Steam client and press Next.
• Turn off analyzers on the analyzers screen.
• Click and highlight Xbox Xemu emulator, so it stands out in white.
• Choose Add games and the Steam ROM manager will start downloading and adding the skin.
• Choose Save to Steam after loading the covers.
• Wait for the “Ready to add/remove entries” box to appear and close the Steam ROM Manager.
• Exit EmuDeck and Return to game mode from the desktop background.

Fix and fix Xbox artwork in SRM

Fix missing artwork

There are times when the Steam ROM Manager may not find the correct skin for your Xbox games. Use the following steps to fix the cover.

• Click on Fix it icon.
• Enter the name of the game in the fix cover and title search bar.
• Select one of the game covers and click inside it.
• Click on Save and close.

Loading missing illustrations

You can also upload your own artwork if the Steam ROM Manager doesn't detect the artwork.

• Open Desktop mode.
• In the browser, enter the name of the game and click Pictures.
• Save the cover art in your Pictures folder. in Steam Deck desktop mode.
• With the covers saved, open the EmuDeck program.
• Run it Steam rom manager.
• Instead of Fix, click on Download.
• Open it Folder with pictures – where you saved the image – select a new cover image.
• Choose Save and close.

Play Xbox games on Steam Deck

You can now with BIOS, Iso files and covers switch back to Steam Deck game mode and play your Xbox titles from your library.

• In game mode, tap Cf button.
• Choose Library.
• Open it Collections and click on new Xbox window.

Some Xbox games may have compatibility issues with the Xemu emulator. Be sure to visit the Xemu website and refer to the compatibility page for an up-to-date list.

• Choose a game and to play

Emulation station

Another way to run original Xbox games on Steam Deck is to use Emulation Station. Use the following steps to play games with Emulation Station:

• Click Cf button and select Library.
• Open it Collections tab.
• Click on Emulation square and open Emulation station.
• Choose Xbox icon.
• Choose and play your Xbox games using the emulator.

Install Decky Loader for Steam Deck

Xbox games can be more difficult to run compared to other retro titles, but with Decky Loader and the Power Tools plugin, you can get even better performance for games like Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire. Follow these steps to install them on Steam Deck.

• Optionally connect a keyboard and mouse for easy navigation.
• When you are in game mode, press the Steam button, Powerand Switch to desktop mode.
• In desktop mode open a browser. Browsers can be downloaded from the Discovery Store.
• In your browser of choice, go to the Decky Loader GitHub page.
• Find it big download icon and click it to start downloading.
• Once the download is complete, double-click on the launcher and select Recommended to install.
• After the installation is complete, restart Steam Deck in game mode.

After installing Decky Loader, you can install Power Tools through Decky Loader by following the instructions below.

• When Steam Deck is in game mode, tap Quick access menu button under the right trackpad.
• Select new plugin icon at the bottom of the QAM.
• Open the store icon at the top of the Decky Loader menu.
• In the Decky Store, type or scroll down the alphabetical list to find Electric tools plugin and install it.

Power tool settings for emulated games

• Click the Steam button, click library, and play an Xbox game from your Non-Steam library.
• Open deck loader, and select Electric tools menu.
• In power tools, Turn off SMT.
• Adjust Themes slider up to 4.
• Press the QAM button and o open the Performance menu by selecting the small battery icon.
• Enable advanced viewing.
• In the new drop-down menu, switch Manual GPU clock control is enabled.
• Increase GPU clock speed to 1200.
• Then choose For game profile to save these settings for individual games.

Fix for Decky loader after Steam Deck update

Due to major Steam Deck updates causing conflicts with third-party applications such as Decky Loader, you should use the recommended fix below to get your applications and plugins back to their proper state.

• If you are still in Game modepress the Steam button to access the power options and then switch to desktop mode.
• Open your browser in desktop mode.
• Open the Decky Loader GitHub page and click Download icon.
• Choose Execute and make sure you avoid the selection Open.
• Enter yours sudo password on a tip.
• If you haven't already set a sudo password, follow the on-screen instructions to set a new one. Choose a password that is easy to remember and save it so you can install more apps in the future.
• After installation, shut down Steam Deck and restart it in game mode.
• Click on QAM button will restore your Decky Loader, settings and plugins to their previous state.

Games will run better with these settings. There may be occasional drops between transition screens, but Steam Deck users will generally experience improved performance. That's all it takes to play and run Xbox games on Steam Deck using the library or Emulation Station.