If the name EmuDeck rings a bell, you're probably a Steam Deck owner looking for a simple and easy-to-use way to run emulators on your Steam Deck handheld. Now, one of the programmers behind that software suite is trying his hand at branded gaming hardware with the EmuDeck Machines project, and is currently seeking funding on IndieGogo.
The EmuDeck machines, of course, come with the EmuDeck software pre-installed to make it easy for users to “play retro games from the couch,” but they also promise that you'll be able to run games from Steam and other popular PC launchers via the Linux-based, gaming-focused Bazzite operating system. The vibe is definitely similar to Valve's own aborted Steam Machine effort years ago, albeit in a less “official” form.
“I used to be a PC guy, but in the last 20 years I switched to Mac and in the Apple ecosystem, choosing a computer is easy,” project lead DragoonDorise said in an email to Ars. “But then I wanted a gaming rig, so I started searching and boy oh boy was I lost. The PC industry seems to try to trick you at every turn, there are tons of options and it's hard to understand what's good and what's not. If you're tech savvy, it's not hard, you know what to buy and what to avoid. Then I got the idea that I made emulation easy with EmuDeck, why shouldn't I make hardware easy too?”
“The idea behind the EmuDeck machine is to make hardware as easy to use as EmuDeck made software,” DragoonDorise writes on the EmuDeck Patreon. “This is not aimed at tech-savvy people. It's for people who want a straightforward experience, just buy and play,” they added on Reddit.
What's inside?
The EmuDeck machines are available in two promised configurations. The low-end EM1 model gets you an Intel N97-based system with 8GB of RAM and no dedicated graphics card for an early bird price of $365. That's enough to run a game on the order of Hades at a smooth 60 fps and run emulators of PS2/Wii era systems.
Upgrading to the $676 EM2 gets you an overclocked Radeon 760M GPU and an upgrade to 16GB of RAM, promising smooth gaming performance for high-end games like Cyberpunk2077 And returnsays DragoonDorise, as well as support for PS3 and Xbox 360 emulators. When the Indiegogo project is fully funded, DragoonDorise also promises that an optional docking station will be available next year to equip the EM2 with the graphics power of the “Radeon 7600”.
Both models have 512GB of storage, which can be expanded with external USB hard drives and a Gamesir wireless controller. The whole thing comes in an 8.6-inch case that's clearly inspired by the Sega Dreamcast, with four USB ports in the places where the controller ports would normally be.
Conditional Buyer
Although DragoonDorise says they currently only have a “working prototype” of the EmuDeck machines, the IndieGogo project promises an ambitious timeline, with hardware expected to ship by December. “The only thing I'm missing right now is the case, I've already taken care of the rest,” DragoonDorise told Ars. “Where I'm going to get my components, cables, etc., that's all already reserved. And the times I posted in IGG are what my manufacturer told me. If there are any delays, I'll just be transparent with my backers.”
Should potential backers be concerned about a software programmer switching to hardware for the first time? “I have experience with distribution, as I used to run an online store where I sold hundreds of devices a month,” DragoonDorise tells Ars. “I've never been on the manufacturer's side, but you know what? When I started programming EmuDeck, all I knew about Linux was how to change directories and not much else, and it became a huge success because I cared about the project and believed it could be something that people would like to use. That's true, I put my heart and soul into it.”
Overall, though, DragoonDorise's comments make the EmuDeck Machines effort sound more like a fun hobby than an attempt to build an ongoing business. “This is a project I'm doing mostly for fun, just like EmuDeck,” they told Ars. “I built a mini-ITX PC… and thought, 'Hey, this is cool, let's do it,'” they wrote on Reddit. “I've always dreamed of[ed] to make a video console, so there's that,” they continued in another Reddit comment.
At the time of writing, the EmuDeck Machines initiative has raised nearly $13,000 in donations in just under 24 hours. But DragoonDorise tells Ars that he only makes $50 from each device sold, writing on Reddit that they are “not trying to get rich here, I don't even expect to make money. I do this because I think [it] is a fun project and I thought people would like it.”
In the comments on Patreon, DragoonDorise adds that they tried to make the machines affordable for customers, but that “Indiegogo takes a big cut… they'll make more money than me.”
For fans of the EmuDeck software, DragoonDorise also promises on Patreon that working on the EmuDeck Machines hardware “doesn't mean anything will change on the software side of EmuDeck, if anything it will be more features.” In fact, features like CloudSync, ROM Library, and the EmuDecky plugin were added to EmuDeck “because I envisioned the EmuDeck Machine with these features so many months ago,” they write, “and these are finally included in the regular EmuDeck for each of you.”
This article has been updated to add emailed responses from DargoonDorise.