Known Issues: Global
This article documents global issues affecting hardware, devices, dependency software, and operating systems.
For component-specific issues, refer to the Troubleshooting section of the relevant component guide.
Linux Desktop Issues
| Topic |
Issue |
Solution |
| KDE Discover: Incorrect Flatpak Version |
KDE Discover may display an incorrect Flatpak version due to a caching issue. |
Refresh the cache by opening Discover → Settings and toggling Flathub off and on. |
Steam Issues
| Topic |
Issue |
Solution |
| Steam Remote Play: Black Screen |
Steam Remote Play may display a black screen when streaming non-native Steam applications, including RetroDECK. |
Use Moonlight + Sunshine as an alternative streaming setup; see the Software Recommendations section. |
| Topic |
Issue |
Solution |
| RetroDECK Hotkeys |
Hotkey support varies by emulator, with some offering partial or no support. |
RetroDECK aims to integrate as many emulator hotkeys as possible into the Hotkey System and patch emulator-specific hotkeys as support becomes available. |
| Missing Radials on Linux Desktop |
Steam radial menus may render behind the game window or Steam Overlay. |
The issue has been reported to Valve. |
| Who Is Player 1? |
The Steam Deck or a docked controller may incorrectly be assigned as Player 1. |
Use Steam's Reorder Controllers feature to assign the correct player order. |
| Desktop Layout Conflicts with Game Layout (Linux Desktop) |
Steam Desktop Layout may override Game Layout, causing controller input conflicts. |
Either disable Desktop Layout via Steam → Settings → Controller → Desktop Layout → Edit → Disable, or apply the RetroDECK layout via Steam → Settings → Controller → Desktop Layout → Edit → Apply RetroDECK Layout for your controller. |
Steam Deck-Specific Issues
| Topic |
Issue |
Solution |
| Emulator GUI Scaling |
Emulator interfaces may appear cramped or extend beyond the screen in Game Mode due to resolution scaling. |
Exit RetroDECK, open Steam → RetroDECK → ⚙️ → Properties → Shortcut, set Game Resolution to 1920×1080, enable Set resolution for internal/external display, apply the required emulator changes, then restore the resolution to Default. |
| New SD Card Problems |
New SD cards may cause errors, file-transfer failures, or incorrect reported capacity. |
Use reputable brands, avoid special characters in the SD card name, format via Steam → Storage → Select Card → Y → Format Drive, and test suspected counterfeit cards with tools such as f3. |
| Slow Bleeding-Edge Emulators (XEMU, RPCS3, etc.) |
Games may run slowly due to emulator maturity or hardware limitations. |
Check the relevant emulator documentation and game-specific resources for available optimizations. Performance may improve as emulator development progresses. |
| Games Stuck at 30 FPS / Slow Fast-Forward |
A system-level frame-rate limit may have been set accidentally. |
Open [...] → Power Menu and ensure Framerate Limit is not set to 30 FPS. |
| Poor Performance When Docked |
High external-display resolutions, particularly 4K, can significantly reduce performance. |
Set Steam → Properties → Shortcut → Game Resolution to 1920×1080 and enable the Set resolution for internal/external display option. |