Running games on the Steam Deck can be a little extra obtuse given most mods and tutorials are aimed at Windows users. But it's very easy to do it on the Steam Deck as well. We just have a couple of extra steps.


Okay, it's not really that hard.

Besides, you're an SMT fan - you should be used to things that are obtuse and complicated, right? ;)

These instructions are aimed at a Steam Deck that's had little modification done to it and for a user that has little experience with Linux. These instructions could probably work on a general desktop Linux distro (Debian, Ubuntu, Arch (btw), or whatever) but this is predominantly aimed to make a Deck user with limited Linux experience be able to install the mod.

(Most of this can be done in Konsole, I know but I'm doing GUI instructions under the assumption that most people don't have a keyboard plugged into their deck and don't want to type on the on-screen keyboard)

These instructions will probably let you use any MelonLoader-related mod on the game but the only one I use (and thus know for-sure works) on the Steam Deck is the one this guide is for.

(These instructions are cribbed from here: https://melonwiki.xyz/#/README?id=linux-instructions but with tweaks for the Steam Deck's unique environment.)

Press the Steam button

Select Power

Select Desktop mode

On Desktop mode, click the Discover icon

Search for and install "Protontricks"

If SMT3: Nocturne is installed on your SD Card, go to Step 1A.

If its installed on internal storage, go to Step 2.

Follow these steps if the game is installed on your Deck's SD card

From the Discover store

Search for and install "Flatseal"

Once installed, run it (click "start", click Utilities, click Flatseal)

Find protontricks in the menu on the left and click it

Scroll down to Filesystem

Under "Other Files" click the icon of the folder with the plus sign

In the new box type (capitalization matters):

/run/media/deck


If it looks like the above, close Flatseal

Move on to Step 2

If you haven't run the game since installing it, do that and quit it.

If you have, then click the Start Menu > Utilities > Protontricks

If you get a message about "unable to access a folder", back up and do Step 1A.

Select Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster: 1413480 from the list

Select "Select the default wineprefix" and click Ok

Select "Install a Windows DLL or Component" and click Ok

Scroll down to dotnetdesktop6 and click the check box next to it and then click Ok


You'll get prompted to go through an installer for .NET. It may take a minute to appear depending on your internet speeds. There will be two installers. Just Next > Next > etc > Finish until you're through them and the Protontricks window is back

Once it's back, select Run Winecfg and click okay

Under the Applications tab of the window that appears, make sure Windows 10 is selected from the dropdown at the bottom

Under the Libraries tab, click the dropdown under New Override for Library

Scroll down to (or type)

Version

Click add


Should look like the above

Click Okay and then hit Cancel until Protontricks quits

That's the last Linux-specific thing you have to do

The rest of these instructions are the same for Windows as well so if, for some reason, you've read a Linux guide this far and you use Windows, you can use the following instructions for installing MelonLoader and the Graphical Configurator

Go here and download v0.6.1 of the mod

https://github.com/LavaGang/MelonLoader/releases/tag/v0.6.1

If you download version 0.6.2, it will not work (even on Windows). You NEED 0.6.1


Download MelonLoader.x64.zip (NOT the one that says Linux. This is a Windows game so we need the Windows version)


Unzip it into your SMT directory (open steam, right click the game, click Manage, click Browse Local Files)

Your SMT3 installation directory should look kind of like the following

(the mods folder may not be there yet for you)

Return to Game Mode and run the game once. A scary looking window with a bunch of text should appear, just wait. MelonLoader is setting itself up. It'll take a minute. Eventually the game will launch.

Exit out of it and return to Desktop Mode. (You may be able to do that initial setup IN desktop mode. the game crashed on me, but you can try it if you want)

Once back in Desktop Mode, download the Graphics Configurator from GameBanana

https://gamebanana.com/wips/69935

Copy the file (Nocturne Framerate Mod.dll) to the Mods folder inside your SMT3 game folder

Now you can go back to Game Mode and play the game at 60fps.

F10 is the default key for the speedhack. I bound that to one of the Deck's back buttons. F11 will uncap the framerate if you want to try and run it faster but it never seemed to get above 60fps for me on the Deck.

Congrats, you're done. You did it. I hoped this helped.