About
Banjo-Kazooie is a 1998 collect-a-thon platformer developed by Rare for the Nintendo 64, starring bear-and-bird duo Banjo and Kazooie as they navigate Gruntilda's lair to rescue Banjo's sister Tooty. The game is widely considered one of the defining titles of the N64 era.
Banjo: Recompiled is an unofficial static PC port built using the N64Recomp framework with the RT64 renderer. Static recompilation produces a native port without relying on decompiled source (the project borrows only headers and a few functions from the decomp effort). The recomp ships native binaries for Windows, Linux, and macOS, bringing the game to modern hardware with widescreen/ultrawide support, high/uncapped frame rates, instant loading, analog camera control, and other quality-of-life enhancements. As with all static recomps, players must supply their own legally-owned North American / US 1.0 ROM dump.
Identity
Launch
- Binary
- BanjoRecompiled
- Needs files
-
- Banjo-Kazooie N64 ROM dump (North American / US 1.0)
Runtime
- Runs as
- Native Linux
- Proton
- not needed
⚙ Setup notes
Recomp: Banjo: Recompiled is an unofficial static recompilation of Banjo-Kazooie (N64) built on the N64Recomp framework with the RT64 renderer, developed by the BanjoRecomp team. Unlike past decomp ports it is not built from decompiled source — static recompilation bypasses the need for it (the project only borrows headers and a few functions from the decompilation). It accepts only the North American / US 1.0 ROM. Version 1.0.1 was released January 29, 2026.
Install: Steam Deck users should use the Linux build or Flatpak — no Proton required. Native builds are available for Windows, Linux (including a Flatpak), and macOS. Extract the Linux build, then in Desktop Mode right-click the BanjoRecompiled executable and "Add to Steam" (or, for the Flatpak, install the local bundle and add it to Steam).
Display: The game requires a GPU supporting D3D12 (Shader Model 6) / Vulkan 1.2 or higher (Metal Argument Buffers Tier 2 on macOS); the Steam Deck's RDNA2 GPU qualifies.
Controller: Controller support is native (configurable in the in-game/recompile menu). Analog (right-stick) camera control is supported when enabled — a major improvement over the original N64 game.
Note: A separate HarbourMasters port called Lighthouse (with planned online co-op) is expected July 2026 and will be a distinct recipe when released.
The one thing to know
Supply your own copy: This is a static recompilation (not an emulator) using the N64Recomp framework — the engine is the recomp, but the game data comes from your own legally-owned Banjo-Kazooie N64 ROM dump, supplied at first-run setup. The project accepts only the North American / US 1.0 ROM (other formats are auto-converted if it is the correct version).
Install: Use the native Linux build or Flatpak on Deck (type = 'native', no Proton needed). Add the BanjoRecompiled executable as a non-Steam game from Desktop Mode.
Display: GPU must support Vulkan 1.2 minimum; the Steam Deck RDNA2 GPU qualifies.
Controller: Analog camera control works natively with a controller.
Note: A separate HarbourMasters port called Lighthouse — which adds online co-op and is planned for July 2026 — is a distinct project and will have its own recipe when it releases.
Community guides
Write-ups and threads from people who got this (or a similar) game running. deckport links to them — it doesn't reproduce them.
Get the artwork
deckport never hosts game images. Open this game on SteamGridDB, pick
the cover / hero / logo / icon you like, and drop them into the
game folder under .deckport-art/ before you push it to the
Deck. The importer files them under the right names automatically.
Run it on your Deck
Two files: the one-time importer (deckport.py) in your
Deck's home folder, and this game's install helper. Copy the game
into ~/Games and run the helper with Steam closed — it
writes the recipe (binary, launch options)
and registers the shortcut with artwork.