Chiaki-ng in Steam Deck Game Mode – Full Setup Guide
To run chiaki-ng in Steam Deck game mode, add it as a non-Steam game pointing at the Chiaki-launcher.sh script inside the Flatpak config folder, set up a Steam controller layout, and add cover art. Game mode gives you the couch-friendly fullscreen experience plus HDR support; desktop mode stays easier for first-time setup and troubleshooting.
New to chiaki-ng on Deck? Start with our Steam Deck & Linux install guide to get the Flatpak installed first.
Option 1: Use the Built-in “Create Steam Shortcut” Button (Easiest)
Chiaki-ng ships with a Steam shortcut creator: open the app, look for the Steam shortcut button (there is also a “remind me later” option in the setup popup). It reuses your existing Steam app IDs, so you won’t lose custom artwork or Proton prefixes if you re-create the shortcut later. If the automatic route works for you, skip to controller layout below.
Option 2: Add It Manually as a Non-Steam Game
- Switch to Desktop Mode.
- Open Steam → Games → Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library.
- Click Browse and navigate to the launcher script (enable “show hidden files” — the path starts with
.var):/home/deck/.var/app/io.github.streetpea.Chiaki4deck/config/Chiaki/Chiaki-launcher.sh - Select it, click Add Selected Programs, then rename the entry to Chiaki-ng (right-click → Properties).
Chiaki-launcher.sh is the entry point the chiaki-ng developers provide for Steam integration — it handles the Flatpak environment so the app launches correctly from game mode.Configure the Controller Layout
In game mode, select the chiaki-ng shortcut → Controller icon → pick a layout. Practical starting points:
- Gamepad with mouse trackpads — good default: sticks and buttons behave like a controller, trackpads act as a mouse for the chiaki-ng UI.
- Map Steam + X (or a back grip) to the on-screen keyboard toggle for typing your PSN Account ID during registration.
- If you stream shooters, enable gyro here — see our gyro & motion controls guide.
Add Cover Art
Right-click the shortcut in your Steam library → Manage → set a custom icon, logo, hero and grid artwork. Because chiaki-ng reuses existing Steam app IDs when creating shortcuts, your artwork survives re-creation. Five minutes of polish makes it feel like a native Deck app.
Game Mode vs Desktop Mode
| Game Mode | Desktop Mode | |
|---|---|---|
| Experience | Fullscreen, controller-driven, couch-friendly | Windowed, mouse/keyboard friendly |
| HDR | Yes — HDR works under gamescope (Deck OLED shines here); see HDR guide | No — desktop session is SDR |
| Best for | Daily play sessions | First install, registration, troubleshooting |
| Suspend/resume | Deck sleep may drop the stream — expect to reconnect | Same; reconnect after sleep |
Tips for a Smooth Setup
- Streaming to others? Enable the streamer option in chiaki-ng settings to hide sensitive info (account IDs, IPs) from the UI.
- Wake your PS5: automated wake/sleep was added for Windows and macOS builds; on Deck, community feedback varies — keep your PS5 in rest mode with “Stay Connected to the Internet” and “Enable Turning On PS5 from Network” checked, and treat Deck wake-from-sleep as to be verified on your own setup.
- Laggy stream? Game mode itself adds negligible overhead — latency almost always comes from the network. Work through our lag & latency fixes, and if you’re serious about Deck streaming, a docked, wired setup is the biggest single upgrade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need desktop mode to install chiaki-ng?
Only for the one-time install — grab Chiaki4deck from the Discover store (or flatpak install flathub io.github.streetpea.Chiaki4deck) in desktop mode. After that you can do everything, including streaming, from game mode.
Where exactly is the Chiaki-launcher.sh file?
/home/deck/.var/app/io.github.streetpea.Chiaki4deck/config/Chiaki/Chiaki-launcher.sh. It’s inside a hidden folder (.var), so enable “show hidden files” in the file picker when browsing for it.
My controller doesn’t work right in desktop mode.
Update chiaki-ng to the latest stable release — upstream fixed the Deck desktop controller-mode quirk. For actual play sessions, use game mode with a proper Steam controller layout configured per the steps above.
Can the Deck boot straight into a chiaki-ng stream?
Not with one toggle: chiaki-ng has no “auto-connect on launch into a session” kiosk mode. The closest setup is pinning the game-mode shortcut to your favorites so it’s one click away after boot.
Does game mode add latency compared to desktop mode?
No meaningful difference — gamescope’s overhead is negligible next to network latency. If your stream lags, the cause is your Wi-Fi or router setup, not the mode. See our latency guide.