What do you get when you combine a love for retro gaming with a passion for the ill-fated Steam Machines? The answer is EmuDeck—a nostalgic yet modern mini-console that’s turning heads in the gaming community. Developed by the creator of the popular Steam Deck app of the same name, EmuDeck promises to bring the simplicity and convenience of retro gaming to a whole new level.
EmuDeck takes its design cues straight from the golden age of gaming, with a look heavily inspired by the iconic SEGA Dreamcast. The front panel, featuring four USB ports, and the circular top section reminiscent of a disc tray, all pay homage to the console era. But don’t let the retro aesthetics fool you—underneath the hood, EmuDeck is powered by some solid modern hardware.
The entry-level model of EmuDeck is built around Intel’s N97 chip, a quad-core processor clocked at up to 3.6 GHz. While it might not be the latest in gaming tech, it’s more than capable of handling classic titles with ease. For those looking for a bit more power, there’s an AMD Ryzen 5 8600G variant, paired with an overclocked Radeon 760M GPU, providing enough muscle to run modern games at decent framerates, even if you need to dial down the settings to 1080p at low detail.
On the memory front, the basic Intel model comes with 8 GB of RAM, while the AMD version doubles that to 16 GB, ensuring smooth performance across a variety of gaming scenarios. The developer, Rodrigo Sedano, who’s managing this project as a side gig, has gone the extra mile to provide detailed benchmarks, so users can choose the configuration that best suits their gaming needs.
What makes EmuDeck truly stand out is its software. It runs on a custom operating system called Bazzite, a fork of SteamOS based on Fedora Linux. The system comes preloaded with the EmuDeck app, which automatically installs and optimizes all the major emulators, making it easier than ever to jump into your favorite retro games. And since the components are standard, off-the-shelf mini-PC parts, the console is easy to maintain and upgrade.
Sedano has launched an Indiegogo campaign to fund EmuDeck, with plans to ship the first units by the end of the year. The pricing is competitive, starting at around €360 for the Intel version and €760 for the AMD version. For those eyeing even more performance, a docking station is in the works that will allow the AMD model to connect to an external discrete GPU, though that project will begin once the main campaign is complete.
EmuDeck is more than just a nod to the past; it’s a fully-fledged, modern take on retro gaming, built by a fan for fans. Whether you’re a die-hard collector or just someone who wants to relive the classics, EmuDeck might just be the perfect blend of old and new.