About
Sonic Unleashed is a 2008 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega, originally released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and PS2. It debuted Sega's Hedgehog Engine and split play between high-speed daytime platforming stages and slower nighttime beat-em-up sections starring the transformed Werehog.
UnleashedRecomp is an unofficial static recompilation by the hedge-dev community team that ports the Xbox 360 version to modern PC and Linux, adding widescreen, uncapped frame rates and other enhancements. The original console release was never sold on PC storefronts, so the recompilation requires the player to supply their own game files.
Identity
Launch
- Binary
- UnleashedRecomp
- Needs files
- none beyond the binary
Runtime
- Runs as
- Native Linux
- Proton
- not needed
⚙ Setup notes
Overview: Unofficial static recompilation of the 2008 Xbox 360 game Sonic Unleashed to PC, by hedge-dev (the open-source UnleashedRecomp project).
Proton: Ships native Linux builds (a Flatpak is provided) that run well on the Steam Deck with no Proton — community reports treat it as a near-Verified handheld experience.
DRM: The recomp is only the engine — you provide your own game files at first-run setup.
Install: Do the install in Desktop Mode — the first-run file picker isn't reliably available in Game Mode. After install, add the UnleashedRecomp binary as a non-Steam game.
Controller: Full controller support (native; Steam Input correctly detects the controller type).
Display: Performance improves noticeably by manually pinning the Deck GPU clock to max in the Gamescope/Steam Deck performance menu.
Requirements: Needs an AVX CPU and a Direct3D 12 / Vulkan GPU (the Deck qualifies).
The one thing to know
Supply your own copy: The recomp is the engine only — it requires you to provide your own legally-owned Sonic Unleashed (Xbox 360) game files plus DLC, supplied during its first-run setup.
Proton: Use the native Linux build / Flatpak for the Deck (type native, no Proton); a Windows build also exists if you'd rather use Proton.
Install: Run the installer in Desktop Mode — the file picker can be missing in Game Mode. Binary is UnleashedRecomp; add it as a non-Steam game.
Controller: Works natively (Steam Input detects the pad type); if you play docked with an external controller the first-run file picker can be awkward with Steam Input disabled.
Display: For best framerate, pin the GPU clock to max in the performance menu.
Storage: ~6 GiB without DLC, ~10 GiB with.
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.