16 Incredible Steam Deck Custom Start Animations

The Steam Deck is one hell of a milestone in the history of handheld gaming consoles, something of an evolutionary peak. Reddit user TareXmd’s “Handheld History” custom boot animation celebrates that progress with a quick, smoothly animated trip from Game Boy all the way through to the Deck.

This one cycles through all the classics. But yes, I hear you typing away frantically, where is the Vita? Well, TareXmd has provided an alternate version that features Sony’s tragically ignored handheld in their Google Drive folder, alongside a few other versions that have some different sounds and animation timing.

Reddit user Blank-Face-Soda-Boi has the perfect boot animation if you’re a Steam Deck user and a Dragonball Z fan. Short, simple, and fun!

Here’s another one that’s sure to please anime fans. Reddit user MatPaget put together this Cowboy Bebop boot animation. Check out their Reddit post to hear the audio for this, and for their Frasier animation as well!

There are many classic console boot animations, but few with the sheer style of GameCube’s distinctive opener. This one from Reddit user The0tterguy, branded “Valve GabeCube,” features that nostalgic sound many of us know and love.

Now you can hear Metal Gear Solid’s colonel screaming Snake’s name every time you turn your Deck on. You might want to think twice if you’re gonna be booting your Deck up in public though, as you’ll likely get some looks.

Of course there’s a War Games boot animation. This specific file is two seconds over the 10 second limit, but the important parts still fit in that 10-second window. I’ll allow it.

The opening of Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” is either one of the best Steam Deck boot vids, or the worst one. Best because, well, it’s a music video from an album that is one of the greatest musical achievements of the 20th century—even if some of the mix choices don’t play well with the hearing damage I’ve sustained over the years. Worst because, well, now I want to hear the song.

If you’re in the mood for coffee and a cherry pie that’ll kill ya, there’s really no better custom boot animation option than this spin on Twin Peaks. But if people around you start speaking in reverse, I can’t help you.

Ah, yes. The soundtrack that for many of my generation meant “you’ll have nightmares tonight.” The X-Files’ opening is a perfect way to inject some spooky into your Steam Deck startup.

If I never have to hear the blaring horns of the original opening Star Wars crawl again, it’ll be too soon. I greatly prefer the more recent one Disney has been sticking in front of its various shows. This modern Star Wars opening bit makes for a killer Steam Deck boot animation.

I too like to cause problems for absolutely no reason. Enjoy the spirit of being a pain in the ass with this Untitled Goose Game Steam Deck boot animation.

Though it may remind you of a Pipboy, don’t go strapping that bulky Steam Deck to your forearm. But thanks to the efforts of trentwebr, your Steam Deck can at least boot up just like the classic Fallout personal computer. No straps required!

Cyberpunk 2077 is somewhat of an aesthetic mess from time to time. Maybe that’s appropriate for the genre. Its cyber visualizations are, however, wonderfully well realized and perfect as a Steam Deck boot animation.

If you’re like me and dearly miss the XMB, this PlayStation 3-themed boot animation will satiate some of that nostalgic hunger. It loses a few points for not being the original PS3 animation, but it’s still too good not to include here.

Alright, here’s how to actually install these things.

Setting a custom boot animation on Steam Deck is slightly more involved than just accessing a menu option, as you’ll need to dive into the file structure in desktop mode. But it’s quite easy. The basic gist is you tweak a setting on the desktop, create two folders, and paste in a .webm file. That’s basically it.

As for the OS version, no need to be on the beta channel. As long as your Deck is updated to at least SteamOS 3.3.2, you’re good to go.

Reveal hidden files in Desktop mode

Switch to Desktop mode and open up an instance of “Dolphin.” No, not the GameCube / Wii emulator. Dolphin is SteamOS’s file explorer, similar to Windows Explorer or macOS’s Finder.

Hit the sandwich icon in the upper right of the window and turn on “Show Hidden Files.” (Ctrl+H is a quick shortcut to accomplish this as well.)

Create the custom animation folder

After you have Hidden Files on, navigate to ~/.steam/root/config and create a folder called “uioverrides.” Yes, there are two Rs.

In that folder, create a “movies” folder. You’ll drop the custom boot video of your choice in there.

Prep your video

Steam Deck custom boot animations require a .webm video, preferably one similar in resolution to the Deck’s 1280x800 screen. If it isn’t already, rename the file “deck_startup.webm”. The boot animation won’t work, otherwise. Also, note that Steam Deck boot videos can only be 10 seconds long, at most.

All that’s left is to reboot your deck and enjoy your new animation! If it doesn’t work, review the steps above.

That’s all there is to it. Now that you know how, go ahead and install your own favorite Steam Deck boot animation. Beyond the 16 I’ve shared here, more and more are appearing every day, so go wild.