How To Run Sega CD Games in Steam Deck

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Sega CD, also known as the Mega CD, was a peripheral for Sega Megadrive and Genesis that allowed more complicated games to be played on the system. Though it never came to be the success of the company, it indeed had given a hint at what the future of CD gaming could offer with respect to features like full-motion video sequences and more. Beyond the cutscenes, the Sega CD offered an experience that was a big change in the MIDI sounds of old gaming cartridges, all thanks to its CD format and its improved audio quality. Even ports like Batman Returns from the Megadrive or Genesis got enhanced for the Sega CD. Others utilized voiceovers, full-motion video cutscenes, and included Snatcher and Luna Silver Star Story. For some retro game fun back to the 90s on the Sega CD, the Steam Deck has various apps that can help you do so, such as EmuDeck. This tutorial will show you how to do it.

Developer Mode and Recommendations Before Installation

For the Steam Deck to support EmuDeck upgrades, make sure to turn on Developer Mode and CEF Remote Debugging before installing.  

Developer Options  

Power on the steam board.  

The Steam Menu is available via the click of a button on the Steam button.  

Under the System menu, you can turn on the Developer Mode.  

In the Developer menu, start CEF Remote Debugging Off.

Press the Steam button to open up the power menu. Bring it to the desktop. Required and Recommended Hardware

A micro SD card class A2 or better, with an EmuDeck and game install file on it.

Insert SD card into Steam Deck and format it.

Original Sega game CD ROMs and motherboard drivers.

A keyboard and mouse will make transferring files and installing easier. Format an SD Card

Insert the micro SD card.

Start Steam again, and under the Steam menu, select Storage.

Format the SD card.

Install EmuDeck on Your Steam Deck

Press the Steam button.

Under the options, go to Desktop Mode. Then select Power.

Using the Discovery Store, install a web browser. Open the newly installed browser and download EmuDeck.

Go to the download menu and select the download for the Steam OS version.

Start the installer and select the Custom tab. '

Click the SD card icon.

And finally, click on Steam Deck.

Select Emulation Station, RetroArch, MelonDS, or Steam ROM Manager. Or check them all to install the emulators and save them for later.

Then click Next for a few screens to get to Finalize and start installing.

Ensure Sega CD Files are Saved in the Right Folder 

You can finally organize your ROMs and BIOS files on the Steam Deck.

Transfer BIOS Data Files 

Head to Desktop Mode and start the Dolphin File Browser application.

Choose the SD card with the Primary label.

Step 1: Locate the Emulation folder. 

Click on the BIOS option then add your BIOS files.

The Art of Sega CD Rom Transfer 

Primary open. 

Then open the emulator. 

Open the ROMs menu. 

Either segaCD or megaCD will open the folder. 

Move your Roms to that directory. 

Use Steam ROM Manager to Install Your Roms 

Finally, after you have added your Sega CD ROMs into the Library, you can now boot these up in Steam Deck's Gaming Mode and play them as if this is the real deal.

Start EmuDeck.  

From the left panel prompt select "Yes" to open the Steam ROM Manager.  

Click the "Next" button.  

Run your mouse over the two Nintendo DS windows.  

To continue with adding your games click the Add Games. Then click Parse.  

The Steam ROM Manager prepares your games and their covers.

Added to the Library are your Sega CD ROMs, you can launch them via Gaming Mode of Steam Deck and start playing them as if they were the real thing. 

Launch the EmuDeck.

Click "Yes" when it asks you if you want to open the Steam ROM Manager, launching in the left panel.

Click "Next." Hover over the two Nintendo DS windows.

First, head over to Add Games. Next, click on Parse. 

The Steam ROM Manager will prepare your games and their covers. 

Make Up for Lost Covers

Most of the time, the Steam ROM Manager will grab all your covers and fill them in nicely within the Steam Deck's Gaming Mode and library. Some weird and wonderful or foreign titles sometimes don't make an appearance, though. Here are the steps to rectify any missing covers:

Select Fix if any of the covers are missing.

In the Fix Artwork and Title search window, start typing the name of the game.

Scroll down the sidebar until you find a game cover that suits your taste. 

Make sure the Cover is highlighted in white-click on it to do so. 

From there, in the upper right of the Steam Rom Manager click the "Save and close" button. 

Add the Covers You Have Downloaded

If the SRM can't detect your covers, then it will ask you to upload them. Go to Google Images and search the cover art for your game. Then simply follow the on-screen instructions.

Next click the "Upload" button.

Click the spot where you'd like to place your picture.

Click Save and Close then

Remember to leave SRM and go back to Gaming Mode.

Playing Sega CD Games Using the Steam Deck

Now you can launch the Sega CD games and play them in Steam Deck Gaming Mode.

Click the Steam button.

Now Select the Library.

Head to the Collections page.

Your Sega games will be opened from the Sega CD folder.

Emulation Software

You would of course have hopefully installed Emulation Station above, great way of managing your games and playing them in a diff library layout.

Click the Steam button.

Select the Library.

From the drop-down menu select "Non-Steam"

Play when you see Emulation Station.

Due to its nicely-annotated CDs, Emulation Station is where you'll want to go for multi-disc games. For this example, however, we're going to take a head-on approach to the Sega CD section of RetroPie and do it right. Fire up RetroPie and get to the main menu: Select Paper Scraper Select TheGamesDB in Scrape From Select Sega CD from the list of systems in Scrape These Systems Click Start.

The Emulation Station program is going to look for your duplicated games with metadata and cover art in its menu. All set. Now you should be able to play all your Sega CD games on the Steam Deck with EmuDeck. Just install and fire up the application.

That is all you need to know regarding how to run Sega CD games in Steam Deck; we hope this has been a great help.