Home EmuDeck announces its first hardware product – no Steam Deck or ROG Ally required to play retro classics anymore

EmuDeck announces its first hardware product – no Steam Deck or ROG Ally required to play retro classics anymore

TL:DR

  • EmuDeck is launching its first hardware product, the EmuDeck Machine, a mini-PC designed for retro gaming that connects directly to a TV or monitor.
  • The EmuDeck Machine will run Bazzite, a Linux OS similar to SteamOS, and comes in two versions: the €299 EM1 and the €609 EM2, with the EM2 offering significantly better hardware.
  • Shipping begins in December, with both configurations preloaded with EmuDeck and bundled with a GameSir Nova Lite controller.

The team at EmuDeck, the popular retro gaming installer for handheld PCs, is to release its first hardware product, removing the need for Valve, Lenovo, or Asus gaming hardware, and providing a solution that can plug directly into a TV or monitor.

The EmuDeck Machine as it will be known is an upcoming, crowdfunded mini-PC that will run Bazzite, a Linux OS that operates identically to the SteamOS found on the Steam Deck.

The design of the machine is reminiscent of Sega’s Dreamcast console with four USB ports for controllers on the front panel.

The EmuDeck Machine comes in two configurations, the EM1 and EM2 with considerably differing price points. The entry-level EM1 will cost €299 / £257 / $322, while the EM2 is much more expensive at €609 / £512 / $675, reflecting a dramatic boost in the hardware internals.

The Machine is a mini-PC that is pre-loaded with Bazzite and can be connected to your Steam account just like on a Steam Deck and can be used in an emulation set-up in exactly the same way as EmuDeck will be pre-installed and configured to run alongside Steam, allowing you to play your retro games from the Steam Library.

The IndieGogo page is open about setting expectations for both machines in terms of the kinds of titles that will be playable. Games such as Cyberpunbk 2077 and Elden Ring will simply not be playable on the EM1 but if all you want is a simple solution to play your PlayStation 2 collection via PSXS2 then the lower-spec device will be suitable.

Below are the specs and benchmarks for both machines. Shipping for both units is expected to begin in December of this year and the console will be bundled with a GameSir Nova Lite controller.

 

EM1 EM2
CPU Intel N97 AMD Ryzen 8600G
GPU Intel Radeon 760M Overclocked
USB 2 USB 2.0 + 2 USB 3.0 2 USB 2.0 + 2 USB 3.0 + 1 USB C
RAM 16GB DDR5 4800MTS 16GB DDR5 6000 MTS
SSD 512GB NVME 512GB NVME
Wifi Wifi 5 AC Wifi 6 AX
User upgradeable No (Odroid MB) Yes
Hades 60 FPS +200 FPS
CyberPunk 2077 Not playable 61 FPS
GTA V Not playable 110 FPS
Red Dead Redemption 2 Not playable 42 FPS
The Last of US Not playable 60 FPS
Doom Eternal Not playable 80 FPS
Counter Strike 2 Not playable 200 FPS
Elden Ring Not playable 60 FPS
Forza Horizon 5 Not playable 88 FPS
Returnal Not playable 37 FPS
FFXVI Demo Not playable 45 FPS
Cemu 60 FPS 60 FPS
PCSX2 60 FPS 60 FPS
RPCS3 Not playable 40 – 60 FPS
Xenia Not playable 40 – 60 FPS
Dolphin 60 FPS 60 FPS
Gaming Benchmarks: 1080P LOW FSR Balanced when available. Average fps

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Paul McNally
Gaming Editor

Paul McNally has been around consoles and computers since his parents bought him a Mattel Intellivision in 1980. He has been a prominent games journalist since the 1990s, spending over a decade as editor of popular print-based video games and computer magazines, including a market-leading PlayStation title published by IDG Media. Having spent time as Head of Communications at a professional sports club and working for high-profile charities such as the National Literacy Trust, he returned as Managing Editor in charge of large US-based technology websites in 2020. Paul has written high-end gaming content for GamePro, Official Australian PlayStation Magazine,…

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