How to get Max Payne working on Steam Deck

Without tweaks Max Payne crashes when loading a level with a jpeg error. This guide shows you how to install a fix for that error and several other fixes created by the community + optional high resolution Textures.

Prerequisites

• A Steam Deck
  
• Max Payne downloaded & launched at least once
  
• The Max Payne 1, Complete FixPack downloaded from: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1633394421

Steps

1. Boot into desktop mode on the Steam Deck
   
2. Make sure the Complete FixPack installer is located at:
   

   /home/deck/Downloads/MP1-Fixpack v1.2023.1.exe

   If you need to use a different location or the file name is different you will need to edit the command in step 4!
   
3. Open the Steam properties for Max Payne
   
   
4. Change launch options to:
   

   "/home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Proton 7.0/proton" run "/home/deck/Downloads/MP1-Fixpack v1.2023.1.exe" ; # %command%

   
   
5. Launch Max Payne and the Complete FixPack installer should launch instead.
   
6. Select the below as the install folder:
   

   Z:\home\deck\.steam\steam\steamapps\common\Max Payne

   This will be on a different drive letter if you have installed the game to an SD card!
   
   
7. High resolution textures can be unticked if you do not want them (they will add 1GB to your install size and make loading screens take 10-20s longer.)
   
8. Untick the following under Support files:
   
   • Older DirectX verions support (ms-dxwebsetup)
     
   • Visual C runtime (ms-vcredist)
   
   
9. Complete the installation.
   
10. Change launch options to:
    

    -skipstartup

    This is to skip the game's intro movie which doesn't work on Steam Deck (no story cutscenes are affected).
    
    
11. Set an appropriate controller binding (you can skip this if using mouse & keyboard)
    
    
    
12. Launch Max Payne & max out the options because why not
    
    Click the High option at the bottom and then don't forget to change:
    
    • Anisotropic filtering
      
    • Texture Colour Depth
      
    • Antialiasing
    
    
13. Test that the game works by loading the tutorial level.
    
    
    
14. If it works you can delete the Complete FixPack installer in your downloads to save 0.5GB
    
15. Set launch options to the below to skip the launcher every time you boot the game.
    
    
16. Done!

Extra info

1. Save games can be found at
   

   /home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/12140/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/Documents/Max Payne Savegames

2. To remove these changes you will need to change Max Payne's launch options to the below then launch the game and complete the removal. After that clearing the launch options will leave you with a vanilla game.
   

   "/home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Proton 7.0/proton" run "/home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Max Payne/unins000.exe" ; # %command%

Thanks

darkje for creating & assembling the Complete FixPack.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1633394421
The creators of the numerous fixes included within the Complete FixPack

[Geweth]

If you are experiencing an issue when pressing the Launch button after adding launch options does not work , it is likely because you do not have the /Proton 7.0 folder specified in the launch command.

Solution:

Check which version of Proton is located in the /home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/ folder, and if the version is different, modify the launch command accordingly.

For example, if there is a /Proton 8.0 folder instead of /Proton 7.0 folder, the launch command should be:
"/home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Proton 8.0/proton" run "/home/deck/Downloads/MP1-Fixpack v1.2023.1.exe" ; # %command%

[Government Cheese]

excellent guide and game! running great my steam deck now. i played the original and mp2 when they both were released and its areal blast from the past

[Juke Nukem]

Although those were just the bare basics and everyone is free to experiment with mods to make the game more up to current standards. I highly suggest getting {LINK REMOVED}ThirteenAG's widescreen fix which is super easy to install (download > unpack > copy to folder) and you can set some cool things in the .ini, like using the game's own library for save files instead of an obscure access path and fullscreen mode for the comics (enabled by default, can be toggled with F2 in-game). If you do, you'll also need to use the following launch option: WINEDLLOVERRIDES="d3d8.dll=n,b" %command%

The full command: WINEDLLOVERRIDES="d3d8.dll=n,b" %command% -skipstartup

These - and more - are included in the above guide, I merely summarized it for people like me who want to enjoy this classic game as close to its original form as possible and without much hassle.

Have a nice day!

[Juke Nukem]

I'd like to extend my heartfelt thank you for this guide! It's really thorough, but I found getting the game to work on Deck is much simpler and involves fewer steps than that:

1) First, you'll need a clean install of Max Payne (obviously) and to go into desktop mode

2) Then you'll need a fix for the JPEG error which is described here in detail, but you only really need a modified rlmfc.dll (also included there) with which to overwrite the one in the base library ( /home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Max Payne/ )

3) You have to set the -skipstartup launch option for the game to start at all which - and I can only refer to your excellent guide - does nothing else but disables the intro cinematic, the in-game cutscenes are luckily unaffected (I would never have figured this out on my own so thanks again!)

And that's it, Max Payne now runs on your Deck!

[5L0TH]

@nicheian
Double check your launch options, if you've followed the guide they should be:
-skipstartup -nodialog

[nicheian]

I can't get this working at all on steam deck using these instructions. When I hit launch it just goes back to the play option. Nothing loads up. Can you help please? I adore this game and would love to play on steam deck

[tarasis]

at Terance, the author of the fix pack mentions that can happen. best to just run at medium

thanks for guide, found after i already installed the fixpack ffs (I did it using winecfg and valves default wineprefix, then found folder containing game and let it install). not noticed a stretched widescreen, will investigate tomorrow. and add the launcher options you mention.

[Terance Herance]

When I try to load the game with the highest setting it crashes and tells me I was out of video ram

[p1nhead]

I just use emu deck and run ps2 build of the game.

[xawesomecorex]

disregard everything I just said. I had to reinstall the game and after putting the launch command in full the fov wasn't working again. However, I figured out the problem and have a solution for anyone else who has this problem.

In the scripts folder you need to rename all the files so that they're in lower case. In coding, and the linux environment, punctuation matters, because lower and uppercase can mean different things depending on the script.

So, for example if you have an app running that needs mangohud.conf and you have it spelled MangoHud.conf the app won't work.