Steam Deck owners continue to find new and creative ways to make the most out of the device. However, a Reddit user has taken the portable PC to new heights, creating a setup capable of playing light gun games.
The aptly named LightGunFanatic posted footage of themselves playing a series of light gun games with the Steam Deck, on the device’s subreddit. The cavalcade of classics includes the likes of Alien 3: The Gun, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The House of the Dead, Virtua Cop 2, and Time Crisis 3.
Kudos to LightGunFanatic for putting this setup together, as light gun games are notoriously difficult to get working on modern hardware. In the past, games like Time Crisis 3 would need a CRT TV or monitor to work, as LCDs are incompatible with the technology. However, the Redditor was cleverly able to put together a modern light gun setup through the power of Batocera.linux installed on the Steam Deck, and a fancy Sinden branded light-gun.
While running light gun games through the Steam Deck looks intricate, LightGunFanatic states that it’s “very easy” to put together. The real trouble is the cost of the setup, including a Steam Deck dock, microSD card, and the light gun itself. The one on show here is a Sinden, which costs £89.99 (approx. $115), or £139.99 (approx. $180) if you want the version with recoil. While that’s a high price to pay for a plastic gun, it feels worth it for just how good it sounds within the video.
LightGunFanatic’s footage not is not only giving me new ideas for what to do with my own Steam Deck, but it’s making me incredible nostalgic for the days of playing Time Crisis 3 on the PlayStation 2. While the Steam Deck is perfect for playing through your Steam back catalog, it truly seems like the possibilities are endless for the Valve handheld.
Check out our list of the best Steam Deck accessories if you want to get more creative with how you use your Valve handheld.