Steam Deck is a useful system to play your games wherever you want. The system has a plethora of tools to make this possible, but everyone knows that plugins make the process smoother and more elegant. Steam Deck actually has a variety of plugins that help with its performance if you know where to look. Here are some of the best Steam Deck add-ons currently available to users.
1. Deck loader
Decky Loader is the best experience to download addons on Steam Deck. Most of the plugins mentioned in this guide have an easy installation process by simply installing that plugin first. Some even need this plugin.
Decky Loader is used to style menus, change system sounds, adjust screen saturation, change additional system settings, and install and monitor additional plugins.
To install Decky Loader, download it from github via desktop mode on your Steam Deck. Run the installer and use your administrator password or a temporary password to continue. Choose between the latest version or the preview version, then return to game mode.
Related: Can you emulate Gamecube games on Steam Deck?
2. Grabadora Bridge
Decky Recorder is a plugin for gamers who want to keep track of their gaming sessions. Allows you to stop and start a recording session of your current screen with Steam Deck audio. It is based on the Recapture-Plugin for Crankshaft plugin manager.
Please note that this plugin is still a work in progress. Recordings longer than 30 minutes are not saved properly, and starting a recording while connected and streaming to a 4k monitor will cause your rig to hang.
To install Decky Recorder, download it from Github via desktop mode. The easiest way to install it is to first install Decky Loader and use its store. Just hit the Steam Deck menu button, open Decky Loader and find it in the store.
3. Bridge configuration
Decksettings is a nifty little tool that allows you to navigate Steam Deck game settings to optimize its performance. Lists recommended settings to use in the Steam Deck and supports sending notifications when you open a game with reported settings.
This plugin will allow you to search for reports for any Steam game in your library and optionally allow you to search for games outside of your library. The developers also want to allow the app to automatically detect the best settings for the games you open.
To install Decksettings, first install Decky Loader and open your store. Just hit the Steam Deck menu button, open Decky Loader and find it in the store, then click install to add it to your plugins.
4. Audio charger
If you want to be able to customize your audio sound effects on your Steam Deck, this is the plugin for you. Audio Loader lets you replace Steam UI sounds with custom audio files to tailor what you hear to what you want.
You can power plugin options by placing music or sound pack.json files in the /home/deck/homebrew/themes folder. The plugin provides packages through a package manager, but you can also manually add them to the folder, although the developers don’t recommend this.
To install Audio Loader, download it from Github via desktop mode. The easiest way to install it is to install Decky Loader first and use its store. Just hit the Steam Deck menu button, open Decky Loader and find it in the store.
5. How long to beat
How Long to Beat is an addon that shows you the duration of games in your Steam library. The time to win the game appears above the play button in your games and lists different times based on specific goals.
The plugin can even estimate how long it will take you to conquer your current game, and also lets you compare your completion times with other players. The plugin lists categories for main story, main story plus extras, and completion time.
To install How Long to Beat, download it from the How Long to Beat website. The easiest way to install it is to first install Decky Loader and use its store. Just hit the Steam Deck menu button, open Decky Loader and find it in the store.
Related: How to Install Google Chrome on Steam Deck
6. ProtonDB Logos
The ProtonDB Badges plugin gives the Steam Deck a compatibility rating from the ProtonDB website on every game in the Steam store. The rating system will tell you if the game is absolutely horrible to certify the official Steam Deck compatibility ratings. He’ll also explain why each game gets the rating it gets and warn you of specific things to keep in mind if you choose to play the game on your Steam Deck anyway.
To install ProtonDB Badges, you must first use the method to install it by installing Decky Loader and using your store. Just hit the Steam Deck menu button, open Decky Loader and find it in the store.
Related: Top 10 Games to Play on Steam Deck
7. CSS loader
Have you ever looked at the Steam Deck UI and thought it could be prettier? CSS Loader is a plugin that will allow you to customize the appearance of Steam Deck’s user interface. You can use this plugin to change fonts, color schemes, and a variety of other settings.
To install CSS Loader, download it from Github via desktop mode. The easiest way to install it is to first install Decky Loader and use its store. Just hit the Steam Deck menu button, open Decky Loader and find it in the store. You can now install themes through the Manage Themes options in the plugin menus.
8. Bridge FAQs
GameFAQs might not be the definitive way to get game guides these days, but it’s still a useful tool on its own. DeckFAQs allows you to view game guides for your Steam and non-Steam games from the GameFAQs website. It supports both rich text and plain text guides and is very useful when you get stuck in a game to resolve the point where you have been stuck for some time.
To install DeckFAQs, you need to use the method to install it: Install Decky Loader first and use your store. Just hit the Steam Deck menu button, open Decky Loader and find it in the store.
9. Driver Tools
Controller Tools is a useful plugin that displays the connection type, current battery percentage, and state of charge of your controllers connected to the Steam Deck. It is compatible with almost all major controllers, including PlayStation, Xbox, and even the Nintendo Switch Pro controller. Optionally, you can change the lights of supported controllers, turn off remote controllers, and toggle controller vibration.
To install Controller Tools, download it from Github via desktop mode. The easiest way to install it is to first install Decky Loader and use its store. Just hit the Steam Deck menu button, open Decky Loader and find it in the store.
10. SteamGridDB
SteamGridDB is a Steam Deck plugin that allows you to edit all game artwork in your Steam library without entering desktop mode. Most games on Steam come with predefined images for their icons, images, and banners. This plugin adds a switch artwork button to each game in the library, allowing you to cycle through different images to customize the look of each game.
To install SteamGridDB, you need to use the method to install it: Install Decky Loader first and use your store. Just hit the Steam Deck menu button, open Decky Loader and find it in the store.
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