Linux Desktop - Recommended Software
The following software might enhance your RetroDECK or general gaming experience on Linux.
Emulation Management
Flips
Flips is a software that lets you patch romhacks IPS & BPS files onto the rom files.
JRomManager
A MAME and retro gaming rom manager.
This more complex application allows you to manage and verify your roms via .dat files.
RomM
RomM is a game library roms manager focused on retro gaming. Manage and organize all your games from a web browser.
Inspired by Jellyfin, allows you to manage all your games from a modern interface while enriching them with IGDB metadata.
Game & Software Clients/Installers
Steam
Steam is a software distribution service with an online store, automated installation, automatic updates, achievements, SteamCloud synchronized savegame and screenshot functionality, and many social features.
RetroDECK and Steam:
RetroDECK uses several of Steam's functions like Steam Input to do advanced controller profiles. It is not required to have Steam to use RetroDECK but launching RetroDECK from Steam will enchance your experience.
Steam exists as a Flatpak and or in most cases also as a built-in native installation that you can download for your distribution via built-in package managers. You need to check your distribution on how to download Steam.
We recommend the native version of Steam over the flatpak version as running RetroDECK in the Steam flatpak version you will need to open various permissions to get everything to work.
Lutris
Lutris is a separate interface to manage and play your games on Linux. It can integrate several different stores: GOG, Steam, Epic, Itch.io, Battle.net and more.
Minigalaxy
A simple GOG client for Linux. Minigalaxy lets you download, install and play your GOG Linux games without getting in your way.
Heroic Games Launcher
Heroic is an Open-Source Games Launcher. It supports launching games from the Epic Games Store, GOG and Amazon Games.
Bottles
Bottles lets you run Windows software on Linux, such as applications and games.
It introduces a workflow that helps you organize by categorizing each software to your liking.
Bottles provides several tools and integrations to help you manage and optimize your applications.
Prism Launcher
A custom client for Minecraft Java that allows you to easily manage multiple different installations of Minecraft at once and features easy mod management.
Game Streaming Applications
Greenlight
Greenlight is an open-source client for xCloud and Xbox home streaming made in Typescript.
Chiaki
Chiaki is a Free and Open-Source Software Client for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 Remote Play for Linux and other systems.
Moonlight
Moonlight allows you to play your PC games on almost any device, whether you are in another room or miles away from your gaming rig.
Sunshine
Sunshine is a self-hosted game stream host for Moonlight. Offering low latency, cloud gaming server capabilities with support for AMD, Intel, and Nvidia GPUs for hardware encoding.
Steam Link
The Steam Link app allows you to stream games from your other computers.
Just plug in a controller, connect to a computer running Steam on the same local network, and start playing your existing Steam games.
Other software
BoilR
BoilR will show games from other games platforms in your Steam library. It uses the Steam 3rd party shortcuts feature and does not require you to set up anything. You can also use BoilR to download custom art manually and automatically from SteamGridDB. It is already in Flathub.
ProtonUp-Qt
Install and manage Wine- and Proton-based compatibility tools for both Steam, Bottles and Lutris.
Flatseal
Flatseal is a graphical utility to review and modify permissions from your Flatpak applications.