CEMU

Bayonetta 2 is one of the best slashers of recent years. It still holds up surprisingly well in terms of gameplay and combat mechanic. The upcoming release of the Bayonetta 3 a good excuse to revisit the series. The first game runs brilliantly on Steam Deck, but unfortunately, Bayonetta 2 is exclusive to Nintendo WiiU and Switch.

Of course you can still play this title on Steam Deck using CEMU emulator with improved graphics and stable performance. Below you will find a tutorial on how to install and configure Bayonetta 2 on Steam Deck.

I. How to install CEMU to play Bayonetta 2 on Steam Deck

First, go to Desktop Mode. Now you have a lot of options, but I personally recommend the EmuDeck script – it’s a collection of emulators along with pre-defined settings. How to install EmuDeck: https://greatondeck.net/emulation-on-steam-deck-with-emudeck-complete-guide/

You can also download CEMU and run it with forced Proton, but EmuDeck is much easier.

I have installed EmuDeck on a memory card, so in my case CEMU  launcher can be found here: /run/media/mmcblk0p1/Emulation/tools/launchers/Cemu.sh

In the case of the CEMU emulator, you do not need bios files, etc. Games work right off the bat.

II. Install Bayonetta 2 on Steam Deck

Dump your Bayonetta 2 and put file in (your emudeck location)//Emulation/Roms/WiiU folder.

Run Steam Rom Manager to create shortcut to the game and CEMU Emulator in your Steam Library.

III. CEMU Configuration for Steam Deck

Run Cemu from CEMU  (…)/Emulation/tools/launchers/Cemu.sh

Go to Options>Graphics and check “Async shader compile”. In Overlay tab you can disable annoying “shader compile” notifications.

IV. Bayonetta 2 – Steam Deck Graphic Quality Preset – 60FPS /20-25W

Go to Options>Graphic Packs. Download lastest community graphics paks.

Find Bayonetta 2 on Game List and Set

1. Enhancements – Contrasty /optional/ – set preferred preset if you want; I like “Colorful” one
2. In Mods mark 60FPS Cutscenes and Force Maximum LOD
3. Turn on Dynamic Shadows (Vulkan) and Portal in Workarounds tab
4. In Graphic tab:
   – Resolution: 1600×900 (works like supersamling)
   – Shadow Quality: high
   – Anisotropic Filtering: 16x
   

V. Bayonetta 2 – Steam Deck Battery Life Preset – 60FPS /15-20W

1. Enhancements – Contrasty – set preferred preset if you want; there is no performance hit
2. In Mods don’t mark 60FPS Cutscenes and Force Maximum LOD
3. Turn on Dynamic Shadows (Vulkan) and Portal in Workarounds tab
4. In Graphic tab:
   – Resolution: 1280×720 (or 960×540 if you want less power usage)
   – Shadow Quality: low or medium
   – Anisotropic Filtering: 16x – no performance hit

When you are ready, go back to Gaming Mode and launch the game – you will find it in the Library in the Non-Steam category. Have fun!

If you can’t wait for the (unconfirmed) re-release of The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker HD on Nintendo Switch then I recommend playing it on Steam Deck with Cemu. The WiiU game works fantastic. Great performance (stable 30FPS) with very nice graphic. Stuttering related to shader cache is practically non-existent when Async is enabled. Let’s better start from the beginning.

How to get Cemu on Steam Deck?

First, go to Desktop Mode. Now you have a lot of options, but I personally recommend the EmuDeck program – it’s a collection of emulators along with pre-defined settings. You can download it here with full instructions: LINK

You can also download Cemu directly from Discovery, but this is an option for advanced users.

IMPORTANT! During the final step of installing Steam Rom Manager, select EMULATORS so CEMU will appear as a separate application in Steam. You will need this for advanced game settings configuration.

Remember to disable the Steam app before saving app list.

The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker HD – Steam Deck – game configuration, best settings guide

1 – Don’t turn on Steam yet. There will be a constant problem with the on-screen keyboard when you configure the emulator settings. Instead, go to the Discovery app and then find your folder with EmuDeck installed.

I installed the whole thing on a memory card, so in my case it’s Primary>Emulation>Tools>Launchers>Cemu.sh

Run Cemu.sh

2. Go to Options>Graphic and make sure everything looks like this:

3. Now go to Options and Graphic Pack. Click “Download lastest community graphic packs” and find The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD on the list.

4. In section Enhancements you can:

– Set colors and contrast with Contrasty (I like Colorfull preset, but you can even use Gamecube inspired one!)

– Change Negative Texture LOD (not recomended – game uses simple antialiasing, changes will make image too sharp on small screen)
– no SSAO if you want to disable ambient occlusion for better battery life

5. Graphic
– Resolution – by default, the game runs at 1080p and reaches 30FPS with no issues. However, I recommend lowering the resolution to 1600×900 (supersampling on Deck’s screen) or 1280×720 for better battery life

– Shadow Resolution – recommend High 200%

6. Leave MODs menu without changes

7. In Workarounds turn on FPS Slowdown and Picto-Box Fix

DONE! Now you can go back to Gaming Mode and enjoy the game.

Wind Waker HD Gameplay on Steam Deck. Vulkan, Async, 900p with 200% shadows and colorfull contrasty – almost perfect 30FPS.
Without recording, battery life exceeds 2h with these settings.

The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker HD on Steam Deck – Cemu Emulator – best settings guide. Emulators on Steam Deck. WiiU Games.