Newish to PS1-and-up emulation; loading emulators/games via Steam Big Picture on Steam Link; some questions about multiplayer and making them launch smoothly

[Nostalginaut]

I've only dinked around with emulators for older systems (mostly NES, SNES, Master System, and Genesis). Before today, I've really only opened a game using ePSXe to make sure it works, and then never actually played anything on it. I recently got some emulators for later consoles like PS2.


I mostly do this to limit the number of systems I still own/have plugged in/running. Most of my games would be running off of either the actual discs in my Blu-Ray drive, or from images I've ripped from them. A couple, I've downloaded because apparently the options I use to rip disc images are crappy or something? Who knows.


Anyhow, I usually run/stream these emulators from my computer via a Steam Link I have hooked up to an HD projector that winds up being some 112" and is glorious, even when the games aren't actually HD. Dragon Warrior looks fantastic, et cetera.


However, actually loading the games is a small pain in the butt; the computer is in another room, so running back and forth to switch games that don't hit the spot is meh, and selecting items from a Windows file menu using an xBox controller is...not-fun. Which brings me to my first (and by far most complicated) question:



1. Can I make direct shortcuts to launch specific games using an emulator, then load those shortcuts into Steam?

In order to run a game in Big Picture, you need to load it into your library as a "non-Steam game." I am fairly certain that you can load any executable or shortcut into your library (I have all my Origin, Battle.net, and GOG games loaded in to Steam, for example, so Steam shows what I'm playing even if it's not a Steam game).

However, is there any way to create a shortcut to, say, run my Secret of Evermore ROM with SNES9x without selecting it from a menu? And a separate one to run my Brain Lord ROM?


...what about shortcuts to launch PS1 or PS2 games using disc images?


2. Do most multiplayer games work by just connecting multiple controllers? Would these work even when streaming with a Steam Link?


I don't have a whole lot of them, but I thought it'd be neat to play some of our older games from our childhoods with my girlfriend on the big screen. I believe I did this with Secret of Mana some years back, directly from my computer, but what about if I connect 2 xBox 360 or Steam controllers to my Steam Link and want to 2p that way? Will those controllers (plural; I know using just one works with most of them just fine) still work with most emulators as 1p/2p controllers?

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

You may want to read the rules to the discussions as emulators are 1 thing we can not talk about or assist with.