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EmuDeck guide Citron Tips and Tricks

How to install this emulator

EmuDeck won't install nor provide this emulator, but it will help you set it up for ESDE or SRM, make sure you have your emulator in your emulators folder before going to Manage Emulator -> Reset settings to apply EmuDeck's configuration

$HOME/Applications/citron.AppImage Case sensitive

AppData/EmuDeck/Emulators/citron/citron.exe

How to Configure Gyro

Gyro for Citron requires SteamDeckGyroDSU. SteamDeckGyroDSU can be installed via EmuDeck, or it can be installed manually.

Visit SteamDeckGyroDSU to learn how to install and utilize SteamDeckGyroDSU.

How to Diagnose Gyro

Gyro with Citron on the Steam Deck can be a little finnicky. Prior to following the steps below, make sure you have already tried resetting Citron's configurations to EmuDeck's defaults in the EmuDeck application. If that still does not resolve the issue, you can take a look in the Citron settings and try to to set the gyro controls yourself.

Here's How

  1. Add Citron to Steam so you may open it in Game Mode
  2. You may add Citron to Steam by using the Emulators parser in Steam ROM Manager
  3. Install and configure gyro for the Citron shortcut in Game Mode
  4. Read the instructions on the SteamDeckGyroDSU page to learn how to install and utilize SteamDeckGyroDSU in Game Mode
  5. In Game Mode, on the Citron shortcut, click the Gear icon
  6. Select Properties
  7. Scroll down to Game Resolution
  8. Change it to 3840x2160
  9. Enable Set resolution for internal and external display
  10. In Game Mode, open Citron
  11. Click Emulation at the top, click Configure
  12. Click Controls on the left
  13. Make sure the emudeck profile is selected in the Profile drop-down menu in the top right
  14. Under Motion 1 at the bottom, click [Not Set] or sdl and shake your Steam Deck
  15. Click OK in the bottom right
  16. Exit out of Citron
  17. In Game Mode, on the Citron shortcut, click the Gear icon
  18. Select Properties
  19. Scroll down to Game Resolution
  20. Change it to Default
  21. Disable Set resolution for internal and external display
  22. Test gyro on a Nintendo Switch game using Citron in Game Mode
    • You may do so by opening the game through Citron directly, adding the game as a shortcut through Steam ROM Manager, or opening the game through ES-DE

How to Configure Gyro With External Controllers

Desktop Mode

  1. Switch to Desktop Mode
  2. Exit out of Steam
  3. You may exit out of Steam a couple of different ways:
    • Right click the Steam icon in your taskbar and click Exit Steam
    • Open Steam, click the Steam button in the top left, click Exit
    • Open a terminal (Konsole) and enter killall -9 steam
    • Do note that clicking the the X button in the top right of the Steam window will not exit out of Steam
  4. Your controls will switch to Lizard Mode. Use L2 to right click, R2 to left click, and the Right Trackpad to move the mouse
  5. You may also connect an external keyboard and mouse
  6. Click the bluetooth icon in the bottom right of your taskbar and connect your controller
  7. Right click anywhere on the blank space on your desktop and click Configure Display Settings
  8. You may also find this menu by opening System Settings and clicking Display and Monitor
  9. Click the Upside Down configuration under Orientation
  10. This setting will switch your Steam Deck to "Portrait Mode", hold your Steam Deck sideways for this section to navigate the various settings
  11. Open Citron
  12. Click Emulation at the top, click Configure
  13. Click Controls on the left
  14. Under Input Device, select your external controller
  15. Under Motion 1 at the bottom, click [Not Set] or sdl and shake your controller
  16. (Optional), you may also choose to save your layout as a unique profile. With this profile, you can choose to apply it on a per-game basis
  17. Click OK in the bottom right
  18. Exit out of Citron
  19. Right click anywhere on the blank space on your desktop and click Configure Display Settings
    • You may also find this menu by opening System Settings and clicking Display and Monitor
  20. Click the 90 Counterclockwise configuration under Orientation
  21. Switch to Game Mode

Game Mode

  1. In Game Mode, connect your controller
  2. Select your Nintendo Switch game
  3. On the Play screen, select the Controller icon to the right of the screen
  4. Select your controller tab at the top
  5. Click the Gear icon to the right, and click Disable Steam Input
  6. You may need to restart first for this setting to properly apply
  7. Your controller's gyro will now work for this selected game, repeat as needed for your other games

If your controller gyro does not work after the above steps, reset Citron's configuration in the EmuDeck application on the Manage Emulators page and try again.

Post-Configuration

To restore the default Steam Deck controls:

  1. Open Citron
  2. Click Emulation at the top, click Configure
  3. Click Controls on the left
  4. Under the Profile drop-down menu in the top right, select emudeck
  5. The EmuDeck configured controls should now auto-populate
  6. Select Steam Virtual Gamepad 0 under Input Device
  7. Click OK in the bottom right
  8. Exit out of Citron

(Optional) To restore Steam Input:

  1. Select your Nintendo Switch game
  2. On the Play screen, select the Controller icon to the right of the screen
  3. Select your controller tab at the top
  4. Click the Gear icon to the right, and click Enable Steam Input
  5. You may need to restart first for this setting to properly apply
  6. The controls will be reverted to Steam Input and the Steam Deck controls will be restored

How to Optimize Performance (Power Tools)

Visit Power Tools to learn how to optimize performance using Power Tools.

How to Configure Multiplayer

Multiplayer for Citron is configured out of the box, no additional configuration is needed.

You may need to re-arrange the controller order in Game Mode for your controllers to function as expected. See How to Re-Arrange the Controller Order for more information.

How to Install Mods

Mod Resources

This list is not comprehensive

Preface

For Citron's instructions on how to install mods, see: https://citron-emu.org/help/feature/game-modding/

The folder structure of a mod is important. It should generally look like the following:

mod_directory
  - exefs
  - romfs
  - romfs_ext

A few examples:

# Blur Removal Mod for The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Blur Removal
  - exefs
      - Zelda-Links Awakening v1.0.1 - DOF.pchtxt

# 60 FPS Mod for The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Stable-60fps-v2
  - exefs
      - 1.0.0.pchtxt

# Faster Battles Mod for Pokemon Brilliant Diamond

Faster Battles
  - romfs
      - Data
         - StreamingAssets
             - AssetAssistant
                 - Battle
                     - battle_masterdatas

Tutorial

  1. In Desktop Mode, open Citron
  2. Right click a game you intend on modding
  3. Click Open Mod Data Location
  4. Visual Reference:
  5. Place your mod folder in the opened folder
  6. You may need to extract the mod first
  7. Visual Reference:
  8. In Citron, right click the same game, open Properties, click the Add-Ons tab
  9. Check the box to the left of your mod(s)
  10. Visual Reference:
  11. Your mod is now installed

Special Game Configurations

Some games will take additional setup, requiring mods or an extensive alteration of settings. The EmuDeck Community Creations page collects these configurations in one centralized location.

To submit or view special game configurations, see Special Game Configurations.

Current List of Special Game Configurations

  • The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

How to Set Up Early Access

EmuDeck 2.1 added an option to enable Citron (Early Access).

Here's how to set it up

  1. Open EmuDeck
  2. Click the Manage Emulators button
  3. Click Citron
  4. Click Setup Early Access
  5. Enter your token
  6. Whenever you launch Citron, it will now use the Early Access version

How to Roll Back Citron to an Older Version

Preface

Your ROMs launch using a script created by EmuDeck, citron.sh in Emulation/tools/launchers.

The script launches the corresponding emulator in /home/deck/Applications and specifically looks for two traits:

  • The most recently downloaded version of the emulator in /home/deck/Applications, based on the file/release date.
  • The emulator name at the beginning of the file. Anything after the emulator name is ignored.
  • For example, if the latest version of the emulator is 1351 and you would like to downgrade to 1349. When you download version 1349, you could rename it to EMULATORNAME-1349.AppImage, and EmuDeck's script will ignore the -1349 in the file name, allowing you to record which versions of the emulator you are using through the file name.

How to Roll Back Citron

  1. Download the version of the emulator you would like to use from Citron's GitHub: https://github.com/citron-emu/citron-mainline/releases
  2. Move the downloaded emulator from Step 1 to /home/deck/Applications
  3. (Optional) Rename or delete the original emulator file
  4. Right click the newly downloaded emulator, click Properties, click Permissions, check Is executable
  5. Your games will now launch using the version of the emulator you downloaded

How to Select Between Citron and Ryujinx in Game Mode

If you are using Steam ROM Manager and would like to run some games through Citron and others through Ryujinx, you may use Steam ROM Manager's exception manager to selectively run your games in your preferred emulator.

For further instructions, see Steam ROM Manager: How to Hide ROMs on a Per Parser Basis.

If you are using ES-DE, you may use ES-DE's alternative emulators feature to select on a per-game basis which to run through Citron and which to run through Ryujinx.

For further instructions, see ES-DE: How to Select a Different Emulator on a Per-Game Basis.

How to Configure Language Settings

UI

  1. In Desktop Mode, open Citron
  2. At the top, click Emulation, click Configure
  3. On the left, click the General tab
  4. Click the UI tab
  5. To the right of Interface Language, select your preferred language in the drop-down menu

In-Game

  1. In Desktop Mode, open Citron
  2. At the top, click Emulation, click Configure
  3. On the left, click the System tab
  4. Click the System tab
  5. To the right of Language, select your preferred language in the drop-down menu