Much like a run-of-the-mill gaming PC, Valve’s Steam Deck handheld is a highly customizable piece of kit, allowing s with the technical know-how to tweak its settings, hardware, and software, including creating unique custom intro startup videos. Billed as a platform for avid PC gamers to carry their Steam libraries with them wherever they go, the Steam Deck is a marked change from other closed console platforms.

Valve has placed particular emphasis on the fact that s can do almost anything they like with their Decks, and s appear to have taken Valve up on that promise. With a thriving community running emulators and even introducing Game Boy cartridge compatibility on Steam Deck, creating custom startup intro videos seems almost quaint. However, it’s arguably an excellent step for s looking to make their Steam Decks their own.

How To Install Custom Startup Intro Videos For Steam Deck

Although Valve has touted the Steam Deck’s customizability, s should still be careful when tweaking hardware and software and keep backups. Valve has issued warnings against opening Steam Deck due to the risk of fire or electrocution in the past. While it seems highly unlikely that swapping in a custom startup intro video poses many risks, Steam Deck s should still exercise due caution when tweaking their handhelds.

Creating and installing a custom Steam Deck startup intro is fairly simple compared to running the Steam Deck as a Wii U gamepad. According to Kotaku, the process has a few prerequisites that s should be aware of. Any custom startup intro files should use the .webm file format and can only be up to ten seconds long. However, s can convert videos to .webm using video conversion programs such as Handbrake to prep their files for Steam Deck.

Start by accessing the Steam Deck desktop. Valve has outlined how to get to the desktop on Steam Deck in a new Steam Deck Dock for convenience, although the Steam Deck trackpad and an on-screen keyboard will work just as well.

Then open up the SteamOS file explorer and hit Ctrl-H to view hidden files before navigating to ~/.steam/root/config. In this folder, s should create a folder named uioverrides and another folder named movies inside it. From there, it’s a simple process of renaming the video file to deck_startup.webm and then just dragging and dropping the prepped .webm file into the folder. s should see their custom startup intro play on the next boot.

Source: Kotaku, Valve