Help: Fixing WeMod Freezes on SteamOS Game Mode

Issue Overview

WeMod may freeze your Steam Deck when activating cheats using custom hotkeys while in SteamOS Game Mode. This issue can cause the device to freeze entirely, sometimes with an audio glitch or black screen.

Symptoms

• Steam Deck crashes after pressing custom keybinds.
• Unable to recover from freeze without a hard reboot (holding power button for 3 seconds).

Games Affected

• Fields of Mistria (other games may also have similar issues).

Possible Fixes

1. Use Desktop Mode

If possible, run WeMod in SteamOS Desktop Mode. Desktop mode allows more control over WeMod, including the ability to use cheats via mouse clicks instead of hotkeys.

Steps:

1. Switch your Steam Deck to Desktop Mode.
2. Launch the game in borderless windowed mode or use a KDE desktop shortcut to simulate a borderless window.
3. Activate cheats via mouse clicks in WeMod.

If you cannot switch the game to borderless mode, use a KDE shortcut (e.g., Alt + Space) to access KRunner or window management tools.

2. Gamescope Command (Force Windowed Mode)

For games like Fields of Mistria that lack a windowed mode, you can use Gamescope to force the game to run in windowed mode.

Steps:

1. Install Gamescope.

2. Add the following launch command in Steam for the game:

   /home/$USER/wemod-launcher/wemod gamescope -w 1920 -h 1080 --fullscreen -r 60 -- %command%
   

   • Adjust -w and -h for resolution, and remove --fullscreen if needed.
   • This gives full control over the game window, potentially avoiding the freeze.

3. Use External Keyboard

Connecting an external keyboard allows more keybinding options, potentially avoiding conflicts between WeMod hotkeys and Steam Deck's controller.