Looking for the best Steam Deck startup movies? We’ve perused some of the best on the internet, so you don’t have to look at all of them for yourself.
The Steam Deck is a formidable piece of machinery. As a PC gaming handheld, the device is capable of playing your Steam library on the go, while also working as a portable PC. Like with any PC, your Steam Deck plays host to a whole load of customizable options.
Most notably, you can customize the startup movie that plays when you first boot up your handheld. Valve has a whole range of official startup movies to choose from on the Steam Points Shop, but there are only a select few available.
If you don’t have enough Steam points or don’t vibe with the movies featuring characters from the likes of Elden Ring and Hades, there isn’t much else on offer. That’s where custom startup movies come in.
Steam Deck fans the world over continue to create custom startup movies that put Valve’s offering to shame. Taking inspiration from TV and movies, and even other gaming consoles, there’s something for everyone.
To make wading through the myriad of custom Steam Deck startup movies out there easier, we’ve scoured the Steam Deck Repo website and shortlisted some of our top picks.
Looking to get started with the Steam Deck? Follow our ultimate guide for more.
1. MCU Style Intro
This ingenious startup movie cleverly recreates the iconic Marvel logo you’ll be more than familiar with if you’ve ever watched an MCU movie.
Instead of featuring the cast of characters from the likes of The Avengers, characters from well-known PC games flash on screen. Images from games like Celeste, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Final Fantasy VII appear to mirror the original Marvel opening.
Even the music is the same jingle as the one blasting through the movie theater speakers when you see an MCU movie in real life. At the end of this 29-second custom startup movie, the words ‘Steam Deck’ appear on screen, comically taking the place of the Marvel logo.
2. Mr. Burns – The Simpsons
If you’re of a certain age, chances are you’ll remember this iconic scene from The Simpsons.
In a Season Five episode entitled, “Lisa Vs. Malibu Stacy”, Lisa visits Mr Smithers’s home. While Mr. Smithers turns on his PC, Lisa is dumbfounded by his very questionable boot-up movie featuring Mr. Burns.
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Now, thanks to Steam Deck Repo user Guy Le Douche, you can match Mr. Smithers but on your Steam Deck. With this hilarious custom startup movie, you too can be greeted by Mr.Burns every time you boot up your handheld.
3. Anya loves the Steam Deck – Spy x Family
This is one for the anime fans. There’s a myriad of anime-inspired custom startup movies to choose from, but this Spy x Family movie is overwhelmingly adorable.
In this 13-second custom startup movie by Rodent Liberty, Anya returns home with her adopted spy dad Lord Forger, to watch television. With this clever edit, instead of watching her beloved spy TV show, she instead gets excited by the Steam Deck logo appearing before her.
With a Spy x Family game on the horizon, this Spy x Family custom startup movie feels right at home on the Steam Deck.
4. Valve GabeCube
Everybody loves a bit of nostalgia, and nothing gets those goosebumps going like old console boot-up movies. The Nintendo GameCube had a particularly iconic opening, and now you can have it as your Steam Deck startup movie.
This reproduction of the legendary GameCube opening was created by The0tterguy and is almost identical in every way.
However, instead of ‘Nintendo GameCube’ being present, this startup movie opts for something more clever instead. ‘Valve GameCube’, a pun on the name of Valve legend Gabe Newell, appears instead.
5. Persona 5
There already exists an official Persona 5 Royal startup movie on the Steam Points Shop, but you can never have too much Persona in your life.
This custom startup movie was created by animator JandroAlem and was inspired by the opening movie of the original Persona 5 RPG. It’s only 7-seconds long, but those 7 seconds are enough to get you hyped about turning on your Deck.
How to get Steam Deck custom start-up movies
There’s already a plethora of official start-up movies to choose from. However, setting up your Steam Deck to run custom startup movies is a great step in unlocking the full potential of your device.
If any of these custom startup movies have piqued your interest, downloading them to your Steam Deck is a straightforward process. We’ve put together a helpful guide to make setting up your handheld with a custom startup movie as easy as turning it on.