One gamer has used the Steam Deck to create an impressive emulation of the Nintendo 3DS. While the Steam Deck was released by Valve at the beginning of 2022 as a portable gaming PC with access to the Steam library, it also can be used to emulate other consoles.
While this is not the first time a gamer has posted about video game emulation on Reddit, this recent build made by rising_tony stood out. In a 35-second clip shared on the platform, the Reddit user showed off their portable emulation of the 3DS using the Steam Deck. The video started with the gamer playing what appeared to be The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. Impressively, the clip revealed that they had managed to attach a second screen to the top of the Steam Deck, creating a more authentic 3DS experience.
During the video, rising_tony showed off some of the functionality of their 3DS emulator using the Steam Deck. They revealed that Link could be controlled using the left analog stick. Furthermore, the bottom screen, which included a map and other menus for the game, reacted to touch controls similar to an actual 3DS. This custom emulation designed by rising_tony even featured motion controls, as the video showed them moving the system around, causing the image on the top screen to respond appropriately.
In addition to the video, rising_tony provided a thorough breakdown of the process of making the impressive 3DS emulator in the comments section of the Reddit post. Some of the highlights of the design included using an eight-inch Samsung tablet for the second screen, which connected to the back of the Steam Deck with a type of mount. In addition, they said that they used SteamDeckGyroDSU for the controls. They also credited another Reddit user named piegoose, who had created a similar build and had inspired them to make their 3DS emulator using the Steam Deck.
Many gamers have been intrigued by this emulation of the Nintendo 3DS achieved by rising_tony, as the post has already gained over 3K upvotes. In the comments section, many gamers have offered ideas for improving the already impressive emulator even further, such as proposing other ways of connecting the second screen. One gamer even suggested using stereoscopic 3D in Citra to add a 3D effect to the gameplay.
It will be interesting to see what types of emulation fans show off using Valve's portable PC in the coming months. In addition, the company recently announced production of new Steam Deck units had been proceeding better than expected. Hopefully, this means that those still waiting to get the system will get theirs soon.