How to fix Metal Gear Solid Master Collection on Steam Deck

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection on Steam Deck gets a community fix, but to apply it, you will need to jump through some hoops. Here’s how to do it.

When Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection was released on Steam Deck, fans were dismayed at the fact that MGS 2: Sons of Liberty and MGS 3: Snake Eater simply did not run. But, thanks to the community, a fix has been found.

A comment on a GitHub page under the Proton project for the game states that both games will crash whenever you enter a cinematic cutscene. Considering Hideo Kojima‘s cutscene-based proclivities, this is a huge problem. Then, a user states “got it to work using a copy of xaudio2_9.dll with the main exe and using the launch option WINDLLOVERRIDES=“xaudio2_9=n” %command%”.

It appears that the root of the issue is related to a missing audio DLL, which somehow does not make it when installed on a Steam Deck. To remedy this, you’ll need to pilfer a file from Windows and set up some launch options, or wait for a Proton update.

How to run Metal Gear Solid Master Collection on Steam Deck

1. Head to [OS Drive Letter]:Windows\System32 folder on a Windows PC.
2. Search for “XAudio2_9.dll” file within the folder and transfer it to a storage device.
3. Connect the storage device to your Steam Deck.
4. Boot your Steam Deck in Desktop mode and go into the installation folder for MGS2 and MGS3. Do this by clicking “Properties” on each game in Steam and then heading to “Installed Files” and clicking “Browse”.
5. Paste the “XAudio2_9.dll” file in the game folder containing your .exe files.
6. Open Steam and click on “Properties”, then head to “General” on the launch options for MGS 2 and MGS 3.
7. Under the “General” tab, paste “WINEDLLOVERRIDES=“xaudio2_9=n” %command%“.

This should then boot the DLL file whenever you launch each title on Steam Deck. You can then boot the games as normal on Steam Deck, for all of your Tactical Espionage Action. Just be aware that the PC ports for both titles are still not fantastic, and it’s likely that additional fixes will need to be made by the developer, or in a Proton update to make it a fully smooth experience.

An alternative way to enjoy both titles can be found with some quick configuration of Emudeck, however.