Steam Deck (Decky)

The Decky plugin adds a Punktfunk panel to the Quick Access Menu (the … button), so you can find a host, pair and stream without leaving Gaming Mode.

The plugin launches the Linux app; it has no settings of its own. In Desktop Mode, run the app directly. Both share one identity and one list of hosts.

Before you start

1. Install Decky Loader.

2. Install the Punktfunk client, in Desktop Mode:

   flatpak install --user https://flatpak.unom.io/io.unom.Punktfunk.flatpakref

   A native punktfunk-client (a sysext, a distro package, your own build) works too. With both installed the Flatpak wins; set PF_DECKY_CLIENT=native in the plugin's environment to change that. The client must be v0.22.0 or newer.

3. Run a Punktfunk host on your network.

Install the plugin

1. Open the Quick Access Menu → the plug icon (Decky) → the gear → turn on Developer Mode.
2. Open the Developer tab and choose Install Plugin from URL.
3. Paste https://unom.io/pf-decky and confirm.

The Punktfunk panel appears right away. That link is the stable channel; for canary builds or a pinned version, see Release Channels.

Use it

Open the Punktfunk panel from the Quick Access Menu.

• Hosts lists the hosts on your network and the ones you saved. Refresh rescans. A lock means the host hasn't let this Deck in yet.
• Tap a locked host and choose Request access or Use a PIN instead…. See Request access, or pair with a PIN. After that, the host connects silently.
• Tap a host to stream fullscreen. A sleeping host is woken first once the client knows its MAC address.
• ▸ Preset name under a host streams it with that preset. Pin presets in the Punktfunk app; the panel only shows them.
• Open Punktfunk opens the app's console: add a host by address, pair, browse a host's library, and change settings.

The plugin also puts a Punktfunk entry in your Steam library. It opens the same console.

Request access

Tap the host → Request access. The stream opens and waits; it starts once someone approves the Deck in the host's web console. With no approval in about three minutes it gives up.

The host must be advertising on your network. A host you added by address offers the PIN only.

Stream from Steam's Play button

On a game's page, press ▾ beside Play. Hosts with that game in their library are listed with a small Punktfunk mark. Pick one and Play becomes Stream, even when the game isn't installed on the Deck. Pick This device to hand the button back to Steam. The panel's Punktfunk in Steam's Play menu switch turns this off.

Controls while streaming

• Leave: hold L1 + R1 + Start + Select for about 1.5 seconds, or quit the game from the Steam overlay.
• The Steam and … buttons open the Deck's own menus. To press them on the host, hold Select, or use Host menus in the panel while a stream runs. To send them raw instead, set Open Punktfunk → Settings → Steam / guide button to Send to host.
• Steam Input. The plugin installs a Steam Input layout called Punktfunk. With Steam Input on, the touchscreen reaches the host as real touch and the Deck is a standard gamepad. With Steam Input off, the host gets a full Steam Deck pad (paddles, both trackpads, gyro) and the touchscreen stops working as touch. Set it per game: game page → ⚙ → Controller Settings.

Updating

When the plugin or the client has an update, the panel shows Update Punktfunk at the top. Tap it; nothing leaves Gaming Mode. A client the plugin can't update (a sysext, a nix profile, a source build) shows the update command instead.

The plugin follows the channel you installed it from. If the button never appears, install the plugin from the same URL again; Decky replaces it in place.

To update the Flatpak client from a terminal: flatpak update, without sudo.

Troubleshooting

For host-side problems, start at Troubleshooting.

The panel says "Update the Punktfunk client"

The client is older than v0.22.0. Tap Update Punktfunk in the panel, or update it in Desktop Mode.

The panel says "Punktfunk isn’t installed"

The plugin found no client on the Deck. Install the Flatpak in Desktop Mode.

No hosts listed

The host isn't reachable over mDNS. Check it runs on the same network and tap Refresh. For a VPN or another subnet, add it by address in Open Punktfunk.

Pairing fails

The PIN was wrong or had run out. Click Pair a device in the host's console again and retry, or use Request access.

Request access isn't offered

The host isn't advertising on this network. Use the PIN.

The stream launches but doesn't take focus

Start it from the panel, not by launching the client yourself.

A host is missing from a game's ▾ menu

The host must be paired and online, and have the game in its library as a Steam title. Open the panel once to rescan, then reopen the game page. Check that Punktfunk in Steam's Play menu is on.

Play stays green after picking a host

Reopen the game page.

Hidden entries named after games pile up

Each game streamed from its page has one. Panel → About → Remove game shortcuts.

The stream is stuck, black or won't close

Panel → About → Force-stop, then start it again.

The Punktfunk library entry is gone

Panel → About → Recreate library shortcut.

Uninstalling

1. In the panel, tap About → Remove game shortcuts.

2. Remove the plugin: Quick Access Menu → plug icon → gear → Plugins → Punktfunk → Uninstall.

3. Remove the two non-Steam entries named Punktfunk (one is hidden): in your library, Manage → Remove non-Steam game from your library.

4. To remove the client too, in Desktop Mode:

   flatpak uninstall --user --delete-data io.unom.Punktfunk

   Delete ~/.config/punktfunk as well to forget this Deck's identity and saved hosts.

5. On the host, unpair the Deck.

The Steam Input template stays behind at ~/.local/share/Steam/controller_base/templates/punktfunk.vdf; delete it if you like.

The plugin source is clients/decky.