A new plugin for the Steam Deck allows us to change Game Mode to different console interfaces, making it feel like a PSP, PS3, Xbox 360, and more.
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Back when the Decky Plugin Framework was first launched, I was pretty amazed at what it could do. What really got me was CSS Loader, where we could change the theme of the UI. I remember one of the first ones I fell in love with was a Persona theme. Some of these completely changed how the UI looked, but it still retains the usual structure. However, it looks like that’s going to change, as there’s a new project that is bringing over console interfaces to the Steam Deck.
I’ve been seeing lots of instances here and there of brand new themes that are completely changing how the home screen, and it’s extremely impressive. I was first introduced to this when I saw the PS Vita theme from Hooandee, but there are many more incredible consoles I would love to see emulated, including the original PSP style. That’s exactly what benderthemes does; despite some reservations, it’s still pretty awesome.
Created by Kaal31 and AI, this Decky Loader plugin allows us to change the game mode interface to other consoles. Specifically, we have PlayStation and Xbox consoles, ranging from PS2 to PS5 and Xbox to Xbox 360, as well as some extra unique ones here and there. I found it extremely interesting, and we’re talking about it, but before I go into it more, it’s worth noting that this plugin was created by AI. It doesn’t say it anywhere on the page, but the author admitted to it in a Reddit post about it. Still, I found it interesting enough to try and write about, but it needs transparency.
This plugin is quite simple. Once it’s installed, which we need to do manually by downloading it from GitHub and installing it, we just pick and choose which console we want to emulate. These can be switched in real time, and are pretty extensive. Not only does it change how we see the game showing up, but it can even organize collections and the Steam store in different ways to keep it more faithful to the console. It’s emulating. I was pretty shocked when I first saw it, but I do like seeing the PSP and different versions of the Xbox 360’s home screen.
Not all of the themes are great; I wasn’t a huge fan of the PS Vita one, but there are many better ones that are worth checking out.
I do worry about recommending it because of the heavy AI coding, but it’s an interesting project that could give more attention to what is possible for customization. I would love to see custom themes that can completely change the interface in every single way, while still keeping it accessible and enjoyable to use. Time will tell if something like that is created, but for now, we have benderthemes.
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