A little over a year ago, we learned that EmuDeck was working on a storefront for homebrew games for a variety of retro consoles. Now, the initial EmuDeck Store experiment has been revamped to offer a cleaner interface and experience.
At the time of this writing, there are a total of 95 games or game demos available for download from the EmuDeck Store. With the exception of just one game, Glory Hunters, all of them are free to play and are available across consoles ranging from the NES to even the N64. Of those, the most popular homebrew system would appear to be Genesis, surprisingly enough.
Traditionally, homebrew games for retro consoles have largely been available via dedicated itch.io landing pages, directly from the developer, or from GitHub. EmuDeck Store isn’t looking to replace any of those options, but instead, is yet another avenue for games to be downloaded. Considering that EmuDeck is an integral part of any x86 gaming handheld setup, having a dedicated homebrew store in the app is just another feather in the cap.
But what about those who don’t use EmuDeck but want to enjoy new homebrew games? Well, you can just head over to the EmuDeck Store website and download the games or demos that you want to try out.
If the game is free to download, it’s as simple as picking the game, clicking the Get button, and then clicking the Download Now button once the link has populated. From there, you can just toss it into the appropriate ROM folder and be on your way. In the event that you want a paid game, you’ll need to create an account so that you’ll be able to re-download the game without worrying about paying for it again.
As for developers, it’s pretty easy to get your homebrew game listed on the EmuDeck Store. There’s a dedicated “How It Works” page with the necessary steps to follow. But basically, you’ll create an account, upload your game and game details, and then wait for the review process. Best of all, you can make changes and updates to your game even after it’s been published to the storefront, without needing to re-submit it as if it were brand new.
Be sure to head over and check out the EmuDeck Store and see what games might pique your interest, then let us know which ones you’ve found!
