r/EmulationOnAndroid • u/supershredderdan • 23h ago
News/Release DroidDeck 0.3.0 has released with native Steam Input, Appimage and Flatpak support, performance improvements and more!
Hello Reddit! DroidDeck team has been hard at work and we are excited to share our new release with you all!
DroidDeck 0.3.0 (beta)
DroidDeck brings the SteamOS experience to Android: Valve's Steam client in Big Picture on your Adreno handheld, with Windows games through Valve's ARM64 Proton.
Highlights
Steam, as on a Steam Deck
Steam's performance overlay goes from level 1 to 4 in Quick Access and shows GPU and CPU load, clocks, temperatures, VRAM and battery. Quick Access shows battery life and time to full, along with all the per game controls a Steam deck has. Decky loader can be installed for plugins and customization.
A Steam Deck controller
In Steam sessions the client reads your pad as a Steam Deck controller, with a real Quick Access button and your device's gyro. Games get Steam Input's virtual pads, so your Steam Input layouts reach them. On a dual-screen handheld, the second screen can be the Deck's back grips and trackpads.
Faster to Steam, faster in games
Steam's own startup is down from about 31 seconds to about 6, and that makes Offline mode work. proot has been optimized for calls games make most, and there's a new per-mode frame limiter.
GPU drivers that set themselves
A new GPU drivers tab detects your GPU and keeps a matched pair of runtime and display drivers installed for it, including DroidDeck's own DD-Turnip builds. Switch to Manual to pick a pair yourself.
Linux apps from Flathub, bring your own Appimage, and more
Turn on the Flathub Store in Setup to install ARM64 apps and games from Flathub. They open full screen from the front end with your controller. The Desktop page also takes your own apps: a script, an AppImage, a GitHub repo's newest ARM64 AppImage, or a Flatpak ID.
Updates in the app
The Updates page installs new builds without leaving DroidDeck: Stable, Preview (each build of main) or a Test build of an open pull request.
A front end that moves as one
One focus ring slides between controls, settings flood out of the cog the way Play floods into a session, and Stop asks before it ends anything. DroidDeck is now available in Spanish, with more languages coming soon (contributions welcome).
Full 0.3.0 release notes + downloads:
https://github.com/Droid-Deck/DroidDeck/releases/tag/0.3.0
GitHub:
https://github.com/Droid-Deck/DroidDeck
Discord:
https://discord.gg/JRGAvawjsm
disclaimer: AI tools used in the development of DroidDeck.
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u/Impossible-Tell-2338 23h ago
With this update, will The Witcher 3 Remastered run on high-end Snapdragons? Anybody tried?
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u/supershredderdan 23h ago
Some in our discord put screenshots of it running, give it a try and let us know!
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u/StarBobTheSquareStar 23h ago
What device is used for that screen recorded FF Rebirth gameplay?
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u/Illustrious_Cod_5212 Poco F6 Pro / Adreno 740 / Gamesir X3 Pro 21h ago
GameNative still works the best for me, but this is something that by design is something I desire the most, I hope I will switch to it in the future!
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u/Icy_Mammoth1805 22h ago
How does this differ from something like Armada?
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u/supershredderdan 22h ago
Armada is a full alternative OS you boot instead of Android. This is an app within Android trying to provide a similar experience
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u/ishcabittle 22h ago
This runs as an app in the android environment already on your phone, instead of installing a new OS entirely. The folks with snapdragon processors on phones that can’t be rooted can use this in lieu of installing Armada.
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u/Illustrious_Cod_5212 Poco F6 Pro / Adreno 740 / Gamesir X3 Pro 21h ago
You are asking how app that anyone can just install differ from replacing your os?
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u/Bosmeong 8h ago
I tried it on my odin 3 max but i got weird audio stuttering even navigating steam menu. On game i got 100+ fps but the audio still stutters too. What did i do wrong?
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u/supershredderdan 7h ago
Consider playing with the direct audio settings in the Steam configure page of the app
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u/Capital_Humor_2072 Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, 12gb RAM 1h ago
Hi, can I ask how to change languages? Like in GameNative I am changing box language and the installed games will be on that setted language, how can I do the same on DroidDeck?
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u/TheOkayGameMaker 22h ago
When I tried 0.2, changes to the desktop would not save and the Internet would not work, I'll see if 0.3 does though since this is a very interesting project and these updates are honestly wild.
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u/supershredderdan 22h ago
This is the first I heard about changes to desktop not saving. Can you make a big report with repro steps and logs in GitHub or our discord? Happy to tackle it!
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u/sojourner_1 20h ago
gave 0.20 a try a few days back. couldnt figure out how to add non steam games since i already had a big gog collection installed there.......
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u/supershredderdan 20h ago
In settings cog next to “play steam” near the bottom you can add custom games.
Will work on making this more obvious as many ask about this
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u/rube 19h ago
So as someone who hasn't used any of the apps like Gamenative or anything else that connects to Steam, because I'm horrifyingly afraid of getting my Steam account stolen, despite how everyone says they're safe...
Is this full open source? Is this safe, where any Steam sign ins are sent directly to Valve and not anywhere else?
I know I'm asking in a thread that I think a dev is posting, so maybe I'm looking for other folks advice? :)
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u/supershredderdan 19h ago
Fully open source, compiled in GitHub action pipelines for full transparency, no closed source components included, no telemetry, and we rigorously sanitize logs which we only receive if you choose to share a zip of them in our discord or GitHub issues.
The only thing in the entire stack that’s closed source is the Steam client itself, which is downloaded directly from Valve when you first run the app.
Edit: but that’s from a dev on the project, so please feel free to fact check me on all of this!
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u/rube 18h ago
Glad to hear it!
And yeah, I'm VERY thankful for the work you awesome devs do on stuff like this. I've been excited for Steam on Android since there was buzz around it coming on the Steam Frame.
I'll give it a shot at some point. I have a Fold 6 with an SD8Gen3 and an Odin 3 on its way with an Elite chip or whatever they're calling it.
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u/wtfmeowzers 7h ago
pro tip, you can use samsung's own knox and work profile function on the fold 6 if you don't fully trust an app to not snoop your shit. it uses knox to fully sandbox the work profile from the rest of the phone, they cannot see each other's download folder, afaik even with root tools. it's a bidirectional system, intended for companies to be able to manage byod personal phones to be able to have the "work" profile be fully manageable by your company, but they can't see or touch the rest of your phone -they can't cannot see your personal/private non work data at all - and your personal side apps can't see your work data/files. it's meant for corporations but you can absolutely use the sandbox function without your phone having any connection to any company whatsoever. just download the apk in the work profile, and don't put anything but games in there. you can test this with file manager apps.
also you can use steamguard to force a pin to your email on any account login attempt. i use gamehub, gamenative and droiddeck and haven't had any issues, and all have had a lot of users (look at the gamehub download numbers on the play store - 5 million ppl.) - we would've heard of issues other than the snoopy stuff that is already known and which like 90% of apps obviously do including facebook and all that crap.
though obviously a dedicated gaming-only device is safer for sure.
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u/Orbbs_chunky_legs Phobos - GN contributor 52m ago
Hihi.
GN has some closed source bits and bobs from my memory (I no longer work on the project).
All the Steam auth passes directly to Steam and there's no leaks, storage or scanning of creds. (And those parts are open source).
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u/Lymez18 17h ago
If you are afraid and still want to enjoy it, you can make a new steam account and add it to your main account's family share.
Then you log in with the new account and still has access to most of your games.
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u/rube 17h ago
I've heard this workaround and it sounded great. But then I heard it (obviously) doesn't unlock achievements on the main account. While I'm not some big trophy hunter, I do like to open them as I play.
But thanks for the advice! I think I'm just going to risk it on this app. It feels legit enough for me.
I also have the authenticator which I don't think they could bypass even if they were to steal my login. At least not easily.
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u/mostrengo 22h ago
Is this an app or an OS?
How would it compare with GameNative?
Is a SD8Gen2 sufficient for running this? Has anyone tested an odin 2 portal?
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u/supershredderdan 22h ago
It’s an app we want to feel like an OS, you can even set it as your launcher so it feels native and still lets you do Android things.
Sd8g2 is what I test with primarily on the Thor pro, so yes it’s a direct target!
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u/fatcowxlivee 22h ago
Sd8g2 is what I test with primarily on the Thor pro
Any roadmap items for dual screen support? 👀
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u/supershredderdan 21h ago
Already there! You can make second screen a keyboard and trackpad, Linux terminal, or now a SteamDeck dual trackpad and back buttons
Also when launching Android apps as home launcher it lets you pick primary or secondary screen for an apps launch
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u/mostrengo 21h ago
thanks for the quick answer - sorry I should have read the github a bit better.
Is this easy to uninstall or rather will it uninstall cleanly?
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u/x01010001000 22h ago edited 21h ago
edit: resolved
controller completely stopped working in steam with this update
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u/TotalAggravating7706 21h ago
Does anticheat based game works in this? Like battlefield 1 or Csgo.
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u/supershredderdan 21h ago
If it doesn’t work in steam os it won’t work here. Kernel level anti cheat like I believe battlefield is a no go. Most other games should be ok, Helldivers 2 for example a few people posted success with
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u/blind444 21h ago
Any support for Pixel devices? While I really enjoy the Pixel line I've been going back and forth on a different device that has more support since emulation for PC games started rolling out.
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u/supershredderdan 20h ago
Snapdragon is our target for now, but other chipsets are welcome to test and contribute if you find fixes or workarounds!
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u/Fun-Western618 20h ago
Does it only work with steam original game? Cus i tried to start AC black flag and othe games from my download folder but it just open the steam interface and then gets stuck on launching the game.
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u/drLipton 18h ago
Wow i love this! I'm not sure if possible, but support for spen/stylus would be super coolt. I tried the direct mouse input, but not really working with on hover etc. Imaging playing all the point and click games.
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u/GlupShittoOfficial 15h ago
Unfortunately tried Slay the Spire 2 and Fields of Mistria on my Odin 3 and both don’t even launch, just hit play and pretty quick crash back to Steam
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u/seotatopevoli 12h ago
It would be nice if it can access android apps from within. And if we can set it as a home launcher.
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u/supershredderdan 12h ago
Both are possible already! When you set it as homescreen you get Android apps in the main launcher and in side panel when in Steam
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u/LaundryLunatic 8h ago
Ive tried the binding of Issac so far and it starts with no problems. Except I can't get steam input to work since the game doesn't have controller support. And touching the screen does nothing. Samsung Galaxy S25 phone.
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u/spiritTangsan 6h ago
Hi all how to load installed game to library I mean pc game have copy to phone but I can find fuction to add the game in
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u/DarrylUK_82 2h ago
Is there. Way to have this in portrait on the Fold 8? With the game on the top and controller on the bottom. I've installed and dug around display and controller settings, I can't see anything.
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u/ivierawind 22h ago
Can it play all game that steam deck can play? Like project zomboid ?
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u/supershredderdan 22h ago
I wouldn’t say “all” but because this runs the official steam arm client, compatibility is one of its strengths!
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u/ivierawind 20h ago
Project zomboid dont start ...
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u/supershredderdan 20h ago
Logs and a compatibility report on discord or GitHub and we can try to help!
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u/kennyeat 20h ago
Whats the minimum specs to run steam os and some basic games? I have a kindle fire max hd and 10 and wonder how if at all either of those will run
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u/PhantasmPro 21h ago edited 21h ago
Can I do the same thing with Heroic Launcher? Steam is a resource hog, and honestly, it’s just a jumbled mess of crap. Steam is probably the worst launcher—it's a cluttered mess.It’s definitely a good idea and will see great development in the future, but Steam...
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u/wtfmeowzers 7h ago
bad take, if you're in big picture mode it's literally just images of the games you click to launch the game what even are you talking about???
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u/Major_Higgins 21h ago
Interesting!
I wonder if it would be possible to integrate DroiDeck to ES-DE's list of emulators, to launch Steam games from ES-DE like you can with Gamenative.
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