Best emulator for older PC games for steam deck?

[jakubgolaszewski96]

Hi,

Will i be able to run older pc games on my steam deck using a certain emulator like for example PCXS2? Or thats only for ps2 games?

Thank you!

[CJM]

Most recommend using "Bottles" to install a game under Proton and add it to Steam.

The Steam Deck uses Proton for PC games, new or old. Proton is built from W.I.N.E. which means "Wine Is Not an Emulator". Generally, you want to avoid using emulators for PC games, they are slower than Proton.

For DOS games there is DOSBox. If you're looking for something older than DOS games you might want to list a few examples.

PCXS2 is only for PS2 games.

[jakubgolaszewski96]

Thanks for response. Ill look into bottles for sure. The game im trying to install is “Shrek 2” strictly for pc as there is also a version for ps2 which i dont want. Its from 2004 i believe.

[Modern Retro Gamer (UK)]

Generally there's 4 eras of PC game and the solution varies depending on which era you're looking at.

1) MS-Dos (upto around 1996/7). Use the DosBox Emulator.

2) Win9X (95-02). The trickiest and most likely not to work.
A) Try using Proton by adding as non-Steam game.
B) Try using Bottles.
C) install Windows 95 in DosBox
D) 86Box emulator
E) old version of VirtualBox running WindowsXP with 3D acceleration

3) 32bit WinXP (01-10). Proton or Bottles should run it.

4) Modern 64bit era (2010+). Should run in Proton (add as non Steam game).

[CJM]

Originally posted by Linux Retro Gamer:

2) Win9X (95-02). The trickiest and most likely not to work.
A) Try using Proton by adding as non-Steam game.
B) Try using Bottles.

3) 32bit WinXP (01-10). Proton or Bottles should run it.

4) Modern 64bit era (2010+). Should run in Proton (add as non Steam game).

You're generally, right. However, I noticed that you keep mentioning Proton and Bottles as separate entities.

In order to add a "non-Steam" game, it seems to need to be installed first. Installing inside of Proton is a complicated command line affair, requiring the use of command line and an understanding of Wine/Proton prefixes.

From what I understand, Bottles is a GUI for setting up those Wine prefixes. It is "How" you use Proton to install non-Steam games. Bottles IS Proton, like Proton IS Wine.

And I Googled Shrek 2. Apparently it is a 2004, DirectX 9.0c, Windows XP game. Should work under Proton. It is not currently listed in the ProtonDB, so nobody has tried it yet.

It is listed as "Gold" under Wine 6.0.2
https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=7184&iTestingId=111693

[Modern Retro Gamer (UK)]

Experimenting I have seen differences between installing via Proton and using Bottles. I'll admit to not getting into the weeds with Proton command line options.

It's also true that Proton/Wine/Lutris/Bottles are different forks of the same thing, Wine.

So yes mentioned separately because when Proton, even Proton-GE, isn't playing nice for whatever reason I've seen Bottles work.

Installing in Proton *should* be as simple as add installer as non steam game, run, delete non steam game, add new non steam game pointing to exe in created prefix.

When that fails - try using Bottles.

Basically the advice is trickle down. Try one solution, then the next, then the next.

Mine was just general advice, non game specific. However that game not being listed in ProtonDB - I thought ProtonDB only referenced games in the Steam Store.