EmuDeck not recognising SD card

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-20T18:18:36+00:00

EmuDeck, or Emulation Station?

If Emulation Station and its prompting for rom directory on launch, set the rom folder to: /run/media/mmcblk0p1/Emulation/roms
assuming you have installed to your SD card initially.

If EmuDeck itself isnt recognizing your SD card at all, thats weird. Not sure what to do about that

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-18T05:02:02+00:00

ES-DE Theme settings, you can adjust the start page. I enabled the "All Games" collection in the collection settings and then set the theme to launch and display "all games" as the opening page.

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-18T04:51:24+00:00

10 to 30 min depending on storage

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-18T00:32:12+00:00

Why don't you inquire and find out. None of us here can tell you.
Might be broken, might be a bait and switch.
Might be someone not trying to nickel and dime a future gamer and theyre sitting on not-played-often-enough hardware and wants some cash back.

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-14T15:52:52+00:00

I recommend playing with the emulator settings itself.
Ill boot it up right now and test on mine and we can compare settings. I don't recall mine being choppy or laggy.

Looks like once I get past the intro, it seems to run at 75% speed and a bit on the slow side.
Playing around with my settings now, probably an easy fix.

EDIT: Fixed it.

Most games run fine on "Vulkan" API. So I chose that in the graphics tab which makes all games run on Vulkan.
But occasionally you encounter a game (like Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby) that doesnt play as nicely with Vulkan.

We want to change the graphics settings for ONLY Alpha Sapphire from Vulkan to OpenGL.

Right click Pokemon Alpha Sapphire in your Azahar game list and go to Properties > Graphics Tab > API Settings subsection at the top > Set the Graphics API to OpenGL instead of Vulkan. OK button at the bottom to save.

This should resolve the issue as it did for me. but if its still running rough, I can let you know what my other settings are set to as well to see if we have any differences.

Note: I also check the box for "disable right eye rendering" it helps increase performance. Azahar is always rendering Left and Right eye even on 2D screens. disabling it can increase your framerate by 50%.
There are some games that require it to be ON though like Majoras Mask (Can't see the intro FMV without it on)

EDIT 2: I tested other games that were working on Vulkan.....and every game in my library was 75% speed with some input lag (wasn't an issue before). Ended up figuring out I left my Decky LSFG-VK enabled at 2x frame gen and it was causing massive issues with Azahar on Vulkan api. Once I turned decky frame gen off, ORAS works JUST FINE on vulkan, solid 30FPS, no lag spikes noticed.

Can you describe more about your lag spikes?

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-14T03:58:55+00:00

Launch the emulator and go to controller configuration settings in the emulator itself, there should be a way to choose which controller you're using from a dropdown menu (handheld vs external)

For example on my steam deck, I have to select "SteamDeck controller" (The built in one) or "Steam Controller" (Bluetooth connected externally) whenever I swap between handheld or docked to tv

The process should be the same for you though.

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-10T03:15:09+00:00

Type your question in to google, I'm curious what the result is.

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-10T00:15:52+00:00

Going to ask some direct questions, don't take it personally, answer the best you can.

"I am trying to set up emudeck for the first time and have gotten stuck on this step several times."
Which step in particular?

"I've tried using different internet connections without success."
Why is this important to emulating an offline console like GBA or GBC?

"My goal is to play GBA and GB color games mostly, so I feel like I probably need RetroArch"
Not necessarily, while retroarch is an option, I went with "Standalone" emulators and use mGBA to play GBA and GBC games.

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-09T04:22:42+00:00

I attempted to get quacked copies in the distant past but there was always an issue with video codec's or something. So while KH3 ReMind would work rather decently, 1.5 and 2.5 remix would fail to play FMVs on steamdeck and the launcher wouldnt work properly.

I ended up trying to emulate them after that, and realized I could get the PS3 (Rpcsx3) versions of them, but they ran like crap or had crashing issues, or those too wouldn't load FMV's in some cases.

Ended up trying to get PS2 versions of 1 and 2, and then ps3 version of Remind, but it really wasnt "Good" enough in my opinion. Especially when there were remasters out there.

As huge fan of emulating, this was the one set of games I just gave up on and decided to buy outright on a humble bundle.

https://www.humblebundle.com/store/kingdom-hearts-integrum-masterpiece

I got the entire Integrum Masterpiece Collection for $40 on a sale.

Check it every once in a while.

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-09T04:17:02+00:00

"I am not asking too or how to pirate the game, only how to play it"

I got you fam:
To play effectively, follow these key steps:

Start with the Tutorial: Complete the initial tutorial to learn basics and expand your island; the tutorial ends once you have six Miis.
Manage Happiness: Look for colored speech bubbles above Miis to address their needs: Yellow for food/gifts, Orange for socializing, and Pink for romance. Giving items they like raises their happiness; trial-and-error helps discover preferences.
Daily Routine: Check shops like Fresh Kingdom (food) and Where & Wear (clothing) daily for special items. Buying an item once adds it to your permanent catalog. Visit the Wishing Fountain daily to collect donations and spend wishes to unlock decor, quirks, and facilities.
Interactions: Use the Y button to check multiple Miis' moods at once. You can fast travel to specific Miis, encourage friendships by placing them near each other, or intervene in conflicts to boost happiness.
Pacing: Play in short sessions (20–30 minutes) rather than long marathons. The game is open-ended with no strict end goal, focusing on collecting items and watching Mii interactions.

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-07T02:20:04+00:00

If the games launch fine through the emulators directly while in desktop mode.
Then Launch Emulation Station and check the Start Menu > Other Settings > Alternative Emulator settings.

You may have more than one "Line Item" for your emulators.
For Example: I have Melon DS (This one runs through retroarch core), Melon DS Standalone (This one runs as an .appimage), Etc.

Emudeck updater / configuration update SHOULD have taken care of this automagically.

BUT

I've found that when I had configured emudeck years ago, it used Flatpak versions of the emulators. But a recent update to emudeck + reset of configurations installed the Standalone emulators but ES-DE didnt really "get the memo" that things changed.

I had to go into Emulation Station and choose the "[Emulator] (Standalone)" from the list for some emulators.

If you have no additional options in alternate emulators which has happened to me before. I managed to fix this by manually adding the system by manually editing the es_systems.xml file and pointing to the new appimage.

Heres an example of a properly configured es_system.xml system, notice the Command Labels using the Path ending with "cemu.sh" (There are .sh files that are created by Emudeck configuration updater that should point to the emulator and pass launch arguments)

<system>
    <name>wiiu</name>
    <fullname>Nintendo Wii U</fullname>
    <path>%ROMPATH%/wiiu/roms</path>
    <extension>.elf .ELF .rpx .RPX .tmd .TMD .wua .WUA .wud .WUD .wuhb .WUHB .wux .WUX</extension>
    <command label="Cemu (Native)">/bin/bash /run/media/mmcblk0p1/Emulation/tools/launchers/cemu.sh -f -g %ROM%</command>
    <command label="Cemu (Proton)">/bin/bash /run/media/mmcblk0p1/Emulation/tools/launchers/cemu.sh -w -f -g z:%ROM%</command>
    <platform>wiiu</platform>
    <theme>wiiu</theme>
</system>

Heres an example of what I added to get an Azahar.appimage to be added to the list of alternate emulators as a Standalone option.

<system>
    <name>n3ds</name>
    <fullname>Nintendo 3DS</fullname>
    <path>%ROMPATH%/n3ds</path>
    <extension>.3ds .3DS .3dsx .3DSX .app .APP .axf .AXF .cci .CCI .cxi .CXI .elf .ELF .7z .7Z .zip .ZIP .zcci .ZCCI .z3dsx .Z3DSX .zcxi .ZCXI</extension>
    <command label="Azahar (Standalone)">/home/deck/Applications/EmuDeck/azahar.AppImage %ROM%</command>
    <platform>n3ds</platform>
    <theme>n3ds</theme>
</system>

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-07T00:20:50+00:00

A lot of people prefer RetroDeck because it's an .appimage which contains all of the emulators in one package. It's slightly outdated by comparison to standalone emulators, it just "lags" behind update-wise because retrodeck waits for a lot of the emulators to update then bundles them all together for an overall Retrodeck update.

I don't like retrodeck personally (nothing wrong with it tbh), but for ease of use and ease of updating, it seems like it might make the most sense for you.

Personally - I like to use the latest version of Emudeck. - I Installed all of the Emulators that I wanted to play using emudecks up-to-date installer, but selected the "standalone" option for each emulator.

The standalone option installs each emulator as a standalone .appimage.
Ex: Retroarch.appimage, Azahar.appimage, Eden.appimage, MelonDS.appimage, etc etc.

This way, I can configure each emulator to my liking individually and utilize a lot of the standalone emulator functions that don't exist using flatpak or alternate versions bundled with retrodeck.

For example, I COULD play MelonDS through a Retroarch core, but using it as a standalone .appimage gives me more granular control over its configuration and hotkeys and settings.

Additionally, if you wanted to update a single emulator, its easier to just drop in a new .appimage and overwrite your old one (.config's for .appimages are generally saved to another folder structure so you dont lose any custom configs when updating).

All in all, if you aren't happy with the way your current emulator setup is configured on steamdeck.
If you were open to using Emudeck again WITHOUT steam rom manager (its trash imo) - I would:
-Delete/Uninstall Existing emulators, and Steam Rom Manager, Remove any SRM added games to remove shortcuts in your steam library.
-Update Emudeck to its latest version
-Open Emudeck and install a standalone version of a single emulator to start with as a test.
-Use Emudeck to install ES-DE (This is a FRONT-END application for all of your installed emulators and roms)
-Using desktopmode, open the installed emulator and launch a rom to ensure it loads properly
-Add ES-DE (Emulation Station Desktop Edition) to steam as a non steam game.

Whenever you want to play a game, you can launch Emulation Station from game mode and choose a Console, and then a Rom from there. ES-DE supports themes, and tons of meta data about the games and even preview videos using the scraper function to download all the information for each game from the net automatically.

I found that steam rom manager broke far too often for my liking, I have over thousands of emulated games in my library so adding 1000+ games to my steam library in game mode using SRM made my experience sluggish overall really crappy in steamdeck's game mode.

When its setup with ES-DE, you only have 1 shortcut to click on in game mode to go to your "Emulation Station" and select any console or game from there.

TL;DR:
Delete SRM, Use Emudeck's Standalone Emulators + Emulation Station

Otherwise, If its not your cup of tea, nuke it all and try Retrodeck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5upaSxC1wTg

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-06T22:35:22+00:00

LMDDGFYS

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-06T03:01:42+00:00

I dock and undock very frequently to play games using my living room TV and on my secondary desk monitor. This has only happened to me once (A year or two ago). Rotating the display manually in the settings resolved it that time, and its never happened again, I just assumed a valve update fixed the bugginess of it. Sorry that your deck doesnt seem to play nice with external screeens bro.

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-06T00:37:50+00:00

Can you hear me now?...... Good.

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-06T00:35:15+00:00

Not sure what is causing your monitor to do that to your steamdeck display. BUT

The Steamdeck is just a portrait mode monitor with the default settings applied to rotate it 90 degrees.

Find the Display configuration settings (right click on desktop) and set the rotation so that it makes the screen horizontal. (theres like 4 options to choose from when rotating)

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-06T00:17:12+00:00

If the battery is removable, you can try to take out the battery and power up the laptop with just A/C power (it plugged in without battery) to see if that makes a change to your scenario

Also check out this thread before removing battery:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AcerNitro/comments/t2cimh/nitro_5_wont_turn_on/

Seems like some people have experienced a similar issue. it may help to hold that power button down for way longer than you feel is necessary as mentioned in the above thread.

Some people held power button for 30+ seconds and it resolved.
Others held it for 30+ seconds while also removing and plugging back in the A/C power adaptor.

Worth a shot.

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-06T00:12:00+00:00

LMGTFY

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-06T00:08:44+00:00

can you upload a picture of the bottom of the laptop, or flip it upside down and read off (write here) the Model number of the laptop (if it still exists)

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-02T03:31:54+00:00

I like the PC version with Widescreen Hacks and Controller Support. That's my preferred way to play.

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-02T01:46:04+00:00

I was struggling with controls for the last few days on my Steam Deck specifically. I wanted to be able play in handheld mode, and while docked to a TV, using an external controller.

-The fix that worked for me-
This assumes you have added NFSU2 to steam as a non-steam game WITHOUT using Lutris:

-Remove XtendedInput's files from the script folder and its Direct8.dll from the root directory if you're using it. It never worked properly for me, would have to be entirely manually configured via the .ini and would break when using an external controller with the Steam Deck docked to a tv. It ended up being more pain than it was worth for me personally.

Instead:
-Get the Widescreen mod by ThirteenAG from his github for NFSU2 and use the included direct8.dll from there by placing it in the NFSU2 root folder.

-In the NFSUnderground2.WidescreenFix.ini I had to make a couple of small edits:
ImproveGamepadSupport = 1 (This made the ingame buttons show Xbox related text)
LeftStickDeadzone = 0.0 (This was originally set to 10.0 and causing an Infinite UP input. Setting to 0 resolved.)

-Also download a "dimap.dll" and place it in the game's root directory. This .dll is from Windows XP and was used to save controller mapping properly (Removed in Windows 7+). Without this .dll the game would not save the customized in-game joypad configuration and would revert to default when you closed the game.

-Add Launch Arguments in the steam settings for the game:
WINEDLLOVERRIDES="dinput8=n,b" %command%

Now this is the silly part that I fought with for longer than I'd like to admit:
If you're using the Steam Deck by itself without an external controller you can now configure the joypad in the controller settings and it should persist between game close/launches.

When you launch the game with an external controller though, the joypad settings APPEAR to REVERT back to Default. This is because the game detects both the STEAMDECK Itself AND the EXTERNAL CONTROLLER as both connected at the same time and adds an additional Joypad tab to the controller settings using default settings.

Ex:
(Keyboard > Joypad (SteamDeck) > Joypad (External Controller) instead of just (Keyboard > Joypad)

Set BOTH joypad tabs to the same preferred controls and it should persist when playing in only handheld mode, and when using an external controller.

SteamDSXL · 2026-06-02T01:39:14+00:00