About
Slippi is a fork of the Dolphin GameCube emulator that adds rollback netcode to Super Smash Bros. Melee, enabling online play against players worldwide. It is the dominant platform for competitive and casual Melee online play. A native Linux AppImage is available from slippi.gg. The Competitive Smash Decker tool (github.com/the-outcaster/competitive-smash-decker) automates the full Steam Deck setup including Slippi installation, controller configuration, and Melee ISO verification. An official Deck guide is available at theoutcastersnotebook.com. Requires a Melee v1.02 ISO (NTSC-U or NTSC-J).
Identity
Launch
- Binary
- Slippi_Online-x86_64.AppImage
- Needs files
-
- Super Smash Bros. Melee GameCube disc image — v1.02, NTSC-U (DOL-GALE-0-02) or NTSC-J (DOL-GALJ-0-02); the 20XX Hack Pack also works. PAL is incompatible (desyncs).
Runtime
- Runs as
- Native Linux
- Proton
- not needed
The one thing to know
Supply your own copy: Requires a Super Smash Bros. Melee GameCube ISO — version 1.02, NTSC-U or NTSC-J (PAL is incompatible) — deckport links nothing.
Easiest setup: Use the Competitive Smash Decker tool (GitHub: the-outcaster/competitive-smash-decker) for the easiest all-in-one Steam Deck setup, covering Slippi install, controller config, and ISO verification.
Install: Run the Slippi Launcher in Desktop Mode once; it installs the netplay AppImage to ~/.config/Slippi Launcher/netplay/Slippi_Online-x86_64.AppImage. Add that AppImage as a non-Steam game.
Controller: Not native gamepad in Game Mode — Dolphin reads the Deck's built-in controls as Microsoft X-Box 360 pad 0, so you must (re)configure the controller profile after switching from Desktop Mode to Game Mode. A real GameCube controller/adapter on a separate port is recommended for competitive play.
Vulkan/Game Mode crashes: If the AppImage crashes on launch in Game Mode with the Vulkan backend, add --no-sandbox to the launch options (Ishiiruka issue #378) or switch the graphics backend to OpenGL.
Account: Requires a slippi.gg account for online ranked play.
Related: Project+ (a Brawl-based mod with its own netplay) uses a similar Deck setup and is a separate recipe.
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.