Emulation is becoming the most popular thing on the Steam Deck. Games that were previously console exclusives, like the exceptional Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, are finding their new home on the Steam Deck. How can you play Breath of the Wild on the Steam Deck, well you need to follow the steps in this article to set up the emulator first. We will be using the WiiU emulator CEMU.
To play Breath of the Wild on the Steam Deck you need to first install EmuDeck and then configure Cemu (WiiU emulator) to play the game.
There are a lot of steps to make this game work on the Steam Deck so set some time apart and follow along.
Installing EmuDeck On The Steam Deck
EmuDeck is a hub where all types of consoles can be emulated tailored made for the Steam Deck. Not only can you play Breath of the Wild on an emulated WiiU but you can also play many other consoles of the past using this nifty piece of software. It is your perfect companion if you are into game emulation.
Related: Is Breath of the Wild DLC worth it?
Optional Action
To take advantage ofEmuDeck’sfull capabilities, wewill recommend an Expertinstallation later down the line, and for that, you will need to set up an account password for your Steam Deck.
In Desktop Mode, go toSystem Settings, thenUsersand selectchange password.
If you are not using a physical keyboard then you can always bring up the virtual keyboard on the Steam Deck by pressing the STEAM + X buttons.
Related: Steam Deck Vs. Gaming Laptop (The Ultimate Comparison)
Downloading EmuDeck
To downloadEmuDecklaunch the web browser and go toEmuDeck.com. At the top of the page, selectDownloadand thenDownload the app. Drag the downloaded file to your desktop and select [Move here]. Then close the browser.
EmuDeck Installation
Go back to the desktop and run “Install Emu Deck“. Click „Continue” and wait for the script to download the necessary files, then selectOK.
Now you have a choice of two installation modesEasy or Expert. We recommend choosingExpert as it allows you to take full advantage of Steam Deck’s capabilities including motion controls or changing the number of CPU threads which allows you to get better performance in some games.
Choose where you want to install the ROMs, presumably you will be using an SD card for this. We do recommend that you format the card before doing this.
You can then select the individual components you want to install. Enter the password you created earlier using the physical or on-screen keyboard.
In the next step, the installer will ask for a theme forEmuStation-DEif you have decided to install it, followed by a selection of emulators you want to use. Select the ones you want to play especially CEMU in this case.
Next, choose whether you want to usewidescreen hacks. Note that not all of them work perfectly and may cause problems.You can always disable them later from the emulator.
It is not important during initial installation, butEmuDeckwill ask you whether to keep the individual emulator settings or reset them to defaults.Pay attention to this when you make updates. Select OK.
Now wait for the installation and automatic configuration of all files, it may take a while.
If you are usingRetroArch Achievementsthen you can log in now.
EmuDeckhas been properly installed on your Steam Deck.
Related: How to Use Xbox Remote Play on Steam Deck (Easy Guide)
Cemu Emulator WiiU On Steam Deck
Now that Emudeck is installed on the Steam Deck and with it CEMU Emulator WiiU is on the device too, it is time that we install the games i.e. Breath of the Wild.
Sharing game ROMs, updates, and DLC files are illegal, so you will have to acquire them yourself. A simple Google search will lead you to sites that have these.
Installing Games for Cemu Emulator WiiU On Steam Deck
Once you have acquired the Breath of the Wild ROM you need to go toDesktop Mode. RunDolphin File Managerand go to the location you chose at the beginning of the installation ofEmuDeck.
You need to put the game folder in the following location; Emulation>roms>wiiu>roms. Move or paste the game into the roms folder. You need a file format supported by the emulator:.rpx .wud .wux .elf .iso .wad
For more info check the EmuDeck Wiki.
Installing updates and DLC for WiiU games
To avoid unnecessary problems, copy the update and DLC file folders to the location of theCEMUinstallation, which isEmulation>roms>wiiu.
If you do not do this then available space on the storage may be detected incorrectly.
When you are ready, runDolphin File Managerand go back to the location you chose at the beginning of the installation ofEmuDeck either SD Card or Internal. Findthe “Emulation”folder and go totools>launchers.
Here you will find shortcuts to all the emulators. Run“cemu.sh”. If the application starts, go to the next point. If nothing is happening, you need to editthe “cemu.sh”file and replace the line of code with KWrite like below:
“${PROTONLAUNCH}” -p ‘7.0’ -i 1 — “${CEMU}” “${@}”
Note: If it still doesn’t work then launch any game from Steam and force Proton Experimental. Make sure all its files are downloaded. Then go back to edit Cemu.sh and change the line of code to:
“${PROTONLAUNCH}” -p ‘ – Experimental’ -i 1 — “${CEMU}” “${@}” !!!
Run Cemu. In the upper left of the application, click on“File”and select“Install game title, update or DLC”.
Select the folder where the files are located, then go to“meta”and select“meta.xml”.
The whole process can take a while, so be patient. When a window confirming the successful installation appears, click“OK”and closeCEMU.
You can now go back to the“wiiu”folder and delete the files you have already installed.
Updating CEMU with EmuDeck
Once all of the upper steps are done successfully, we recommend doing aCEMUupdate.
Go to the desktop and run theEmuDeck Tool Updaterscript. From the list, deselect everything except theNintendo WiiU Emu. Choose the latest available version and click OK.CEMUwill now be updated.
Related: How to Install GOG Games on Steam Deck (Quick, Easy Guide)
Configuration of Cemu WiiU Emulator
EmuDeck’sdefault settings are very good and should work fine with most games. Before launching any game we do recommend that you check wiki.cemu.infoand seeing if the game requires any special changes. Do not make any changes to the settings if everything is working properly.
Graphics Packs in Cemu WiiU Emulator
CEMUhas an additional option, calledGraphic Packs.These are modifications that allow you to change the quality of the visuals, and gameplay settings, as well as turn on some hotfixes.
Go toOptionsand selectGraphic Packs. Click onthe Download latest community graphic packs button at the bottom of this window.
The name of the installed game should appear at the top of the window. Click on the “+” and expand all available options.For Breath of the Wild, you can go to Mods and select FPS++, and set the FPS Limit to 30FPS Limit.
You can also opt for the 60fps limit but the game doesn’t run smoothly on this setting and will stay around 40-50 fps so it is better that you go for a stable 30fps experience.
You can also select Cheats from this menu which will add interesting elements to the game.
Controls setup for Steam Deck
If you have installedEmuDeckin Expert mode then all control settings should be set correctly by default, including motion controls supported in selected titles. There is no need to change anything here. When you return to Game Mode, everything should work properly.
Related: Minecraft Steam Deck: Install, Performance, Mods, Controls
Steam ROM Manager
The final step in Desktop Mode isSteam ROM Manager. It is a program that will automatically add individual games and emulators to Steam with all the necessary commands.
Click on“Preview”,“Generate app list”and as the final step“Save app list”. You’re all set and once Steam is up and running, you can choose Breath of the Wild from the list. You can visit this site for more information on Steam ROM Manager.
Play Breath of the Wild
Return to Gaming Mode when all of the previous steps are done. You can find Breath of the Wild in the library under the“Non-Steam”tab.
You will have to get accustomed to the Nintendo controller buttons which are quite different from the Xbox layout.
With everything set up as we have guided you, you can enjoy Breath of the Wild on the Steam Deck with ease. It is a rather long-winded process but you have to set it up properly to make the game work and using this same method you can play other emulated games as well. Just a little bit of patience and now you have all these consoles you can play on essentially.
