The Steam Deck plus a $30 USB-C dock keeps saving money for people who would have otherwise built a $1000 gaming PC. SteamOS 3 has quietly become a competent Arch-based Linux desktop, and once you plug the Deck into a monitor and a controller, the delta versus a “real” living-room console shrinks fast. The trick is picking the right handful of apps to install in desktop mode. Do that, and the docked Deck runs your Steam library, your emulators, your Epic and GOG games, and your PlayStation and Xbox streaming through one interface.
We tested seven apps that make a docked Steam Deck usable as a desktop, tuned specifically for SteamOS and validated on Deck OLED hardware.
What to look for
- SteamOS support. SteamOS wipes /usr on every update. Anything you install has to live in /home or set itself up as a Flatpak.
- Gaming Mode compatibility. Apps you install in desktop mode should surface cleanly in Gaming Mode’s “Non-Steam” tab.
- No custom kernels. Anything that requires kernel modules or DKMS will break on the next SteamOS update.
- Multi-controller support. Docked play often means a real Xbox or DualSense controller instead of the Deck’s built-in inputs.
- Automatic launcher-detection. Apps that see a new Epic install and add a shortcut without asking save a lot of clicks.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Cost | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decky Loader | Plugins that stay in Gaming Mode | Yes | Free | Very high |
| EmuDeck | Retro emulation in one installer | Yes | Free | Very high |
| CryoUtilities | Performance tuning tweaks | Yes | Free | High |
| HHD (Handheld Daemon) | Better controller and TDP control | Yes | Free | High |
| ProtonUp-Qt | Managing Proton and Wine builds | Yes | Free | High |
| Heroic Games Launcher | Epic, GOG, Amazon libraries | Yes | Free | Very high |
| Chiaki | PlayStation Remote Play in Gaming Mode | Yes | Free | High |
The apps
1. Decky Loader — Best for plugins that stay in Gaming Mode
Decky Loader is a plugin runtime for Gaming Mode itself. Once installed, you can add plugins like PowerTools (fine-grained TDP control), CSSLoader (custom themes), MetaDeck (metadata for non-Steam games), and dozens more without ever leaving the Steam UI.
Where it falls short: Some plugins are half-finished. A bad plugin can hang Gaming Mode until you delete it from desktop.
Pricing: Free and open source.
Platforms: Linux (SteamOS).
Download: Decky Loader
Bottom line: The first thing to install on a fresh Deck. Everything else feels incomplete without it.
2. EmuDeck — Best for retro emulation in one installer
EmuDeck installs and configures every major retro emulator (RetroArch, DuckStation, Dolphin, Cemu, RPCS3, Ryujinx, PPSSPP, PCSX2) plus a scraper for cover art. It sets up controller profiles for both handheld and docked play, and it drops shortcuts into Gaming Mode automatically through Steam ROM Manager.
Where it falls short: You still need to source your own game files, which the app cannot help with.
Pricing: Free.
Platforms: Linux (SteamOS), also Windows and macOS.
Download: EmuDeck
Bottom line: The single fastest way to turn a docked Deck into a mini retro console.
3. CryoUtilities — Best for performance tuning tweaks
CryoUtilities is a script pack that applies well-known performance tweaks to SteamOS: larger swap file with tuned swappiness, HugePages configuration, and system optimisations that reduce shader compilation stutter. Every tweak reverts cleanly with one click.
Where it falls short: Not a big win on the Deck OLED, which already has better memory management. Original LCD Deck sees the biggest gains.
Pricing: Free and open source.
Platforms: Linux (SteamOS).
Download: CryoUtilities
Bottom line: Free performance for older Deck LCD hardware. Skip on OLED unless you want peace of mind.
4. HHD (Handheld Daemon) — Best for better controller and TDP control
HHD is a userspace controller-emulation and power daemon for handheld gaming PCs. On Deck it exposes finer TDP control, better haptics for docked controllers, and an overlay you can call up mid-game.
Where it falls short: Overlaps with PowerTools. Some users pick one or the other.
Pricing: Free and open source.
Platforms: Linux (SteamOS and other handheld distros).
Download: HHD
Bottom line: For Deck users who want deeper control over the input stack and TDP curves.
5. ProtonUp-Qt — Best for managing Proton and Wine builds
ProtonUp-Qt is the GUI everyone uses to install Proton-GE, Luxtorpeda, and other community Proton forks. It also manages Wine builds for Heroic and Lutris, so the same tool covers every launcher on the Deck.
Where it falls short: Nothing critical. It does one job.
Pricing: Free and open source.
Platforms: Linux (SteamOS), Windows.
Download: ProtonUp-Qt
Bottom line: Install it and pick Proton-GE for any game that struggles with stock Proton.
6. Heroic Games Launcher — Best for Epic, GOG, Amazon libraries
Heroic Games Launcher brings your Epic, GOG, and Amazon Prime Gaming libraries onto the Deck, and it drops shortcuts into Steam so Gaming Mode can launch them like native Deck titles. Cloud saves for supported Epic titles work here too.
Where it falls short: Some titles that use always-online DRM behave better on Windows.
Pricing: Free and open source.
Platforms: Linux (SteamOS), Windows, macOS.
Download: Heroic Games Launcher
Bottom line: The obvious pairing with Steam. Between them you get 90% of your PC library.
7. Chiaki — Best for PlayStation Remote Play in Gaming Mode
Chiaki is an open-source PS4 and PS5 Remote Play client that works on Linux, and it slots into Gaming Mode via Chiaki-Streamer. Docked and paired with a DualSense, you can stream your PS5 to the Deck-connected monitor with lower latency than the official PS Remote Play app.
Where it falls short: Setup requires pairing keys pulled from a linked PSN account.
Pricing: Free and open source.
Platforms: Linux (SteamOS), Windows, macOS.
Download: Chiaki
Bottom line: For anyone who wants PlayStation Remote Play inside SteamOS’s Gaming Mode.
How to pick the right one
Decky Loader, EmuDeck, ProtonUp-Qt, and Heroic Games Launcher are the four every Deck should have installed. Add CryoUtilities on original Deck hardware for a small but noticeable performance bump, or skip on OLED. Install HHD if you want to poke at controller and TDP settings past what PowerTools gives you. Install Chiaki if you own a PS5 you also want to stream from. Skip anything that requires custom kernel modules or that has not been updated for SteamOS 3.
FAQ
Will these apps survive a SteamOS update? Everything in this list is either a Flatpak, a script that lives in /home, or a userspace daemon. None of them should break on a system update. The only exception is Decky Loader, which occasionally needs a reinstall click after major SteamOS versions.
Can I install Windows on my Steam Deck instead? You can, but you lose Gaming Mode and most Deck-specific optimisations. For a docked-desktop use case, SteamOS with these apps is a better fit than Windows for almost everyone.
Is EmuDeck legal? The emulator installers are legal. Downloading commercial ROMs you do not own is not. EmuDeck does not source game files.
Does docking the Steam Deck run games at higher resolution? Yes. Docked mode lets you output 1440p or 4K to the connected display, and the GPU will scale the target resolution up in Gaming Mode. Frame rates will drop; that is a trade you make.
