Valve Steam Deck LCD – Playnite Setup Guide for Windows 11

Welcome back to Joey's Retro Handhelds, everyone. Today, we will be working on Part 2 of my Windows on Steam Deck guide. My name is Joey.

To catch up, complete Part 1 if you still need to. In this tutorial, we will install Playnite as our front, which will open and arrange all our games from all marketplaces and emulators and instantly boot in when Windows starts. I'm displaying this on the screen so you can see what it looks like. Although there are many more, this is the default theme for Playnite. As I mentioned in my previous video, you may have a PS5, Xbox, Switch, or several other themes that look and feel amazing.

Let's get going.

Install your shop or your games wherever they are before we install Playnite. You may use Epic, GOG, EA, Steam, or anything else. Doing this now will make things easier. Since it's only Windows, I won't demonstrate any of this because I presume anyone can install Steam and games; this procedure couldn't be less; we must discuss Steam. Because of the way Steam Deck Tools work with it, you have choices with Steam, which may be problematic. A popup similar to the one I'm displaying on the screen may appear, and I'll include a link to this area of the Windows-written tutorial in the explanation. Three choices are available. You can utilize the Steam Deck as an Xbox 360 controller for Steam; I prefer this since it has excellent compatibility and doesn't cause any problems. Although it requires a lot more configuration, the second method, using Steam Input with Steam, will use Steam controllers. I don't know why you would disregard Steam, but it's a last resort. You can decide what works best for you by reading the written guidance or clicking the help option. Select the first option if you need clarification; it's the simplest and won't break anything.

We can proceed after that is finished, and you have either no games installed or several installed from each service.

Click the link in the description or go to Playnite. Link. After selecting the green "Download" button, select "Options." I'll put mine in the C drive after selecting Portable. You only need to choose the C drive to get started. Press Install.

Click Next after it has finished loading so that we can link Playnite to any provider where you have games. Although I'll be demonstrating Xbox GamePass and Steam, the procedures are essentially the same for each. If you don't want to do this for any reason, you can also decide not to.

Click "Connect Account" and then "Authenticate" for each integration. You control the other options. You can choose whether or not you want your entire library to be displayed in Playnite if you select Import Not Installed Games. After completing all the integrations, you will be taken to Playnite's desktop mode. Given that Playnite offers both desktop and fullscreen modes, this is crucial. The console-like interface I previously showed is called fullscreen, and it allows you to start all of your games using a controller easily. This mode is mainly used to make changes and take action.

Your games should begin to appear on the left once you notice an update at the top stating that you are importing games from your services.

After everything has been imported, let's quickly review how everything seems. Click the controller symbol in the upper left corner to switch to full screen mode. You can roam around with the controller to observe how the interface appears once Steam Deck Tools automatically switches to Xbox 360 controllers. Right-click the controller icon in the upper right corner, select Switch to Desktop Mode, or press the Windows button on the Steam Deck.

Although it is optional, let's get those titles to appear in the catalog for Gamepass subscribers. Click Generic under the Browse header after selecting Addons in the upper left corner of the controller. Locate and install the Game Pass Catalog Browser. To restart, click Save and Yes.

You should now see an Xbox icon on the left. Click on it to update your catalog. A minute or two will pass. The entire Gamepass library will then be displayed to you. Click on a game you like, then select Add to Playnite Library. These won't display in fullscreen mode, but they are shortcuts to the store. When you do, it will appear on the left side of your library. To improve organization, click the circle icon in the top bar next to the filter button. As you can see, the game I selected from Gamepass, Dead Cells, is greyed out, indicating that it is not installed. You may install it after clicking "install," which will direct you to the Microsoft Store.

Let's adjust a few Playnite parameters. Navigate to the upper left corner of the controller, select Settings, and select Minimize Playnite to System Tray. When your computer boots up, choose Launch in Fullscreen Mode to start Playnite. This will ensure that the Steam Deck launches in fullscreen mode immediately, giving you a console-like experience. You can choose to have Steam close automatically after you end a game by clicking the Auto close clients area. I chose this option because I don't want Steam to start up at startup, and I don't want it to run in the background while I'm not using it.

Before we discuss emulators, you should know how to add games that aren't part of a service. Furthermore, I won't inquire as to where you obtained them. Go to the upper-left controller icon, select "Add Game," and then select "Automatic Scanning." Navigate to the game folder by clicking the scan folder, then choose a folder. Playnite will go through that folder for executables; choose the right one, then click Add Games. Continue viewing if the thumbnail, title, and information are incorrect; I address how to correct it at the end of the emulator discussion.

Alright, let's discuss emulators. I want to avoid repeating myself, but since we have Windows, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of installation and configuration tutorials for emulators. Instead of demonstrating the entire procedure, I will include links to tutorials for the main widely used emulators in my description. I will, however, discuss significant updates to each emulator and a crucial point you should be aware of. Let's begin with that. If you selected the option I suggested previously, all games and emulators will recognize the Steam Deck as an Xbox 360. This is partially accurate. While you don't have a game running, you're usually in Desktop mode. To switch between Desktop and Xbox 360 while not in a game or emulator, right-click on the taskbar with the screen or controller icon. This is crucial because you should set this to Xbox 360 before starting the emulator when you're ready to configure controls for any emulators you plan to install. I'll give you an example. Dolphin seems disconnected when I try to configure the controller in desktop mode (only because I've configured it; it wouldn't show if you opened it for the first time). If you have tried mapping controls now, Dolphin would assume you are a keyboard and mouse. Closeout, select Xbox 360, and then reenter to see XInput working correctly, along with an additional controller option. Thus, keep this in mind when configuring all of your emulators.

What are you saying now, possibly in a panic? Must I complete this for every game I own before launching it? And the response is no. For standard games, pressing and holding the three dots during load brings up our menu with all our settings. "Controller" appears at the very bottom. You can switch between the Xbox 360 and the desktop by navigating to it with the Dpad and pressing left or right. This must only be done once because Power Control saves per app setup. Some games require you to do this once and never again, while many games will merely set it automatically.

As promised, let me discuss any emulator-specific settings you should adjust to improve your Playnite experience. Make sure the emulator truly knows where your ROMs are by adding them as a directory for each emulator you can. This is the most important thing you can do. Then, set up controller settings and enable almost all of them on fullscreen. The configuration file contains Xenia's full screen. The remaining options will depend on personal preference. To avoid an obnoxious popup when attempting to depart the emulator, you should eliminate the confirm on exit option for nearly all of them. Additionally, as it becomes bothersome, I turn off the check for updates at startup. Not much else needs to be said; as I mentioned, read or watch the instructions for each emulator and make adjustments as you go.

How can we import the games into Playnite now that our emulators are configured and displaying? Navigate to the library, controller icon, emulator configuration, and Playnite desktop mode. Select the emulator you wish to add (I'll add Xenia). Click Import at the bottom, then scan the folder. Click import after selecting the folder. At the bottom, click Save. So, add them in and repeat this step for all your emulators. Let's get the games in now that Playnite understands which emulator to utilize for that kind of game. Add game, emulated game, and controller icon. After that, select "Add Scanner" and edit the following fields: Choose an emulator (I use Xenia), select a profile (I use Canary, which is usually the only profile; for Retroarch, this will be the core you're using), click the scan folder button, and locate your ROMS for that emulator (I use my Xbox 360 directory). Click save as auto-scan configuration and give it a name. The last thing we want is for this to search for new games automatically if we add them. Xbox 360 was my choice. Allow it to scan; some disc-based systems will require some time. After that, a panel like mine will appear, and you can click import. The games should now be visible in your library.

One final action to take. Let's get the games to appear as a separate category in Playnite fullscreen now that we have the emulator set up and connected for Playnite to run. Many options to filter your collection will appear on the right once you click the filter button at the top, which resembles a funnel. Select the platform you wish to filter by going to Platform; that would be Xbox 360. I currently have just one game installed; however, the Xbox 360 games have just filtered my whole collection. Now select a name by clicking the Save icon on the right. To display as a quick filter, I'll pick Xbox 360 and check the second box. What did that accomplish, then? You can see the Xbox 360 symbol and filter at the bottom that we can choose to see only Xbox 360 games. Let's go back to fullscreen mode and forget I used the Switch theme when I recorded this.

Essentially, repeat this procedure for every emulator and game you own. You may now wonder why some of your games need the proper title, information, thumbnail, and other details. You can easily see this in desktop mode by clicking the grid icon at the top, which will display your library in thumbnails. Since Rhythm Paradise Megamix isn't there, right-click and select Edit. Next, select the IGDB option and download metadata at the bottom. This now functions as a search. It can be erratic at times; for instance, Pokemon need that accented e to be located. However, in this instance, the option I require is visible, so click it and select it. Choose to import that data when prompted. Next, select "Save." We have a thumbnail now, which is ideal.

That's about it. You can now accomplish almost anything. Go to the fullscreen themes section of the Playnite forums or click the link in my description to see what themes are available for installation if you wish to switch up your theme. You can install one straight from Playnite using the desktop mode, controller icon, addons, and fullscreen explore section themes when you discover one you like. You may also install many other extensions, such as SuccessStory for accomplishments or the HowLongToBeat extension, among many others. You're capable of falling down a giant rabbit hole.

Nevertheless, for everyone else, you ought to now have a flawless Windows configuration. Have fun with your games. As previously mentioned, the WindowsOnDeck subreddit and its Discord are excellent places to ask questions and get additional updates. All of these sites and Bald Sealion's excellent Windows instruction are included in my explanation.