Steam Deck · Plugins & customization

Decky adds a plugin menu to Game Mode. Start with its stable release and install plugins through the built-in store.

1. In Desktop Mode, open Decky's official site, download the installer, and follow its stable-release installation instructions.
2. Return to Game Mode, press the three-dot Quick Access button, and select the Decky plug tab.
3. Open the store icon, search for the plugin's exact name, and select Install.
4. Open the installed plugin from the Decky tab. Check Decky and plugin updates after Steam client changes.

PowerTools is advanced manual tuning, with no guaranteed FPS gain. ProtonDB Badges shows community reports, separate from Valve's Deck Verified rating.

Use CSS Loader for interface themes and SteamGridDB for game artwork. Both install through Decky's store in Game Mode.

1. Open Quick Access, select the Decky plug tab, and open its store. Install CSS Loader and SteamGridDB.
2. Open CSS Loader from the Decky tab, browse its theme collection, and enable the theme you want to try.
3. For artwork, open a game's context menu from your library or its settings cog, then choose Change Artwork.
4. Browse SteamGridDB's images or select a local image. Check the result in your library before changing other games.

Try one interface theme at a time so you can identify and disable it if a Steam update changes the layout.

TabMaster customizes your library tabs. HLTB for Deck adds completion-time estimates to game pages.

1. Install TabMaster and HLTB for Deck from Decky's stable plugin store in Game Mode.
2. Open TabMaster in Quick Access. Add or edit a tab, then choose a collection, installed-game, or platform filter for the titles you want to see.
3. Reorder or hide tabs as needed, then return to the library and check the result.
4. Open a game page to see its HowLongToBeat estimates. Use View Details to inspect the source listing, and adjust the bar's appearance in the HLTB plugin menu.

Completion times are community estimates. HLTB data can become temporarily unavailable when its upstream service changes.

Filelight maps folders in Desktop Mode. Storage Cleaner shows per-game cache and compatibility-data usage through Decky.

1. Install Filelight from Discover in Desktop Mode. Scan your home folder or the drive you want to inspect.
2. Explore larger segments of the ring map to identify the folders using space. Review their paths and contents before making changes.
3. For Game Mode inspection, install Storage Cleaner through Decky's stable store, then open it from the Decky tab.
4. Read the per-game shader-cache and compatibility-data sizes. Leave cleanup actions untouched while you identify the data and check your backups.

Compatibility folders can contain saves and settings. Shader caches may regenerate after removal, so clearing them is not a permanent storage saving.

Pair a device once in Steam Settings, then use the Bluetooth plugin as a Quick Access shortcut.

1. Open Steam Settings, select Bluetooth, enable it, and pair your headphones or controller using the normal Steam interface.
2. Open Quick Access with the three-dot button, select Decky, and install Bluetooth from its stable plugin store.
3. Open Bluetooth in the Decky tab and select your already paired device to reconnect it.
4. Check that the controller or headphones work in your game. If the device is missing, return to Steam Settings and confirm its pairing.

The plugin connects existing pairings; it does not replace initial device pairing in Steam Settings.

Use manual pause first so you can check how a game behaves before enabling focus-based automation.

1. Install Pause Games from the stable Decky store, launch an offline game, and save your progress.
2. Open Quick Access, select Decky, then open Pause Games to see its running-game list.
3. Select the game icon with the pause symbol to stop it. Select its play symbol to resume, then check controls and audio.
4. If manual pausing works, optionally enable Pause on focus loss. Test switching apps and turn the option off if the game freezes or loses input.

This stops running processes; it does not save their state to disk or release their RAM/VRAM. Network sessions may time out while paused. Save frequently.

Audio Loader uses a curated Pack Manager to install sound packs for the Steam interface.

1. Install Audio Loader from the stable Decky store, then open it from the Decky tab in Quick Access.
2. While connected to the internet, open the plugin's Pack Manager and browse the available sound packs.
3. Install a pack and select it in Audio Loader. Navigate the Steam menus to check its sound effects.
4. Try one pack at a time. Return to Audio Loader to disable or change the selected pack if you want different menu sounds.

Menu sound packs are separate from game audio. Use the plugin manager rather than manually copying theme folders.

Animation Changer manages installed startup animations and can choose a different one each boot.

1. Install Animation Changer from Decky's stable plugin store and open it from Quick Access.
2. Open its animation browser, choose a startup animation from SteamDeckRepo, and install it.
3. Select the installed animation in the plugin. Check Steam Settings > Customization if a different Startup Movie overrides it; follow the project's current setting instructions.
4. Restart the Deck when convenient to check the result. Enable randomization only if you want to rotate through your installed animations.

The built-in browser supplies startup animations. Suspend-animation configuration is a separate advanced feature described by the project.

Start with manual update checks before deciding whether you want background automation.

1. Install AutoFlatpaks from Decky's stable plugin store and open it from Quick Access.
2. Keep automatic upgrading disabled initially. Run a manual check for available Flatpak updates.
3. Open the package manager to review the apps and runtimes. Select the updates you want, start the queue, and keep the Deck awake until it finishes.
4. Choose a check interval and notification style if useful. Enable upgrading without user interaction only if you want automatic updates.

The plugin requires root permissions and currently supports system-installed Flatpaks only. It updates Flatpak apps and runtimes, not SteamOS or Steam games.

Quick Launch opens installed apps in Game Mode and can create Steam library shortcuts.

1. Install the desktop application you need in Desktop Mode and check its normal setup first.
2. Return to Game Mode and install Quick Launch from the stable Decky plugin store.
3. Open Quick Launch from Decky's Quick Access tab, choose an installed app, and launch it.
4. Close that application before opening another through the plugin. Use the plugin's shortcut action if you also want the app listed in your Steam library.

The author reports limited maintenance and support for one application at a time. If it stops working after a Steam update, add the application to Steam from Desktop Mode instead.