Playing games as they were meant to be played is all fair and nice, but there is something about the prospect of modding games that seems to scratch a very specific itch with many gamers.
Modding games is extremely fun and opens up many doors for new experiences and mountains of new content to explore. Since the Steam Deck came out, many players have wondered if you can use both physical and virtual mods on the Steam Deck.
Let’s jump in and take a look.
Can I Use Mods On The Steam Deck?
Yes! Modding games on the Steam Deck is completely possible across multiple mediums, be it the Steam Workshop or Nexus Mods. There are some risks when it comes to it, but overall you can mod most games without any issues.
Can I Use Physical Mods On The Steam Deck?
While the developers of the console have stated that physical mods on the Steam Deck are technically possible, it is not recommended. Using physical mods can improve the performance of your console in some respects, but the risks outweigh the benefits.
Unless you’re a professional tech wizard who knows the ins and outs of both the hardware and software of the Steam Deck, go for it. Otherwise, it’s better to just use the console as is.
How Can I Use Mods On The Steam Deck?
At the moment, there are two official ways of using mods on the Steam Deck. One of them is to use official mods you can find on the Steam Workshop. The other way to mod your console is to use (verified) modding sites you can find online, such as Nexus Mods. Since the Steam Deck is essentially just a handheld PC, you can follow the same installation instructions as you would anywhere else.
How To Access Workshop Mods
The first method for downloading mods to your Steam Deck is simple and doesn’t take more than a few minutes. Here is how to do that:
- The first thing you have to do is to go to the official Steam Workshop page
- Search for any game you want to add mods to, and select the mod you want
- Once you have selected your mod, click on Subscribe
- After the mod is installed, you can just start up your game and the mod should be in the mods section of your game.
How To Use Nexus Mods
The process of getting mods on Nexus Mods is a bit different than on Steam, but it’s still simple. Here is what you have to do.
- First, you need to go to the official Nexus mods site and type in the game you want
- Once you have found the mod you want for your game, click on the Files section of the mod and download it, either manually or using Vortex, a mod manager
- Using Vortex, you can just add the mods you want to your game and start them along with the game
Can I Run Emulators On The Steam Deck?
Using emulators is a bit different than using mods because emulators are primarily just programs that allow you to run downloaded game files from other systems like the GameCube, Switch, as well as others. We’ve already mentioned that the Steam Deck acts as a PC, so you can use emulators without any issues.
What Are The Risks Of Using Mods On The Steam Deck?
When it comes to physical mods, there are numerous risks of damaging your console and you should not attempt to do it. In terms of virtual mods, we are certain that using the Steam Workshop is a safe medium for getting mods, but you should be careful when it comes to Nexus Mods because all of their content is community-made, meaning that maybe not all of their files are safe to use. Check everything thoroughly and you should not encounter any issues.
Wrapping Up
The Steam Deck is versatile and the fact that it can support various mods is convenient for all gamers that love to alter their games in some way. We hope that you are satisfied with the information provided and that you are going to take full advantage of the modding capabilities of the Steam Deck!
