Split-screen game launcher for Linux / SteamOS adds support for multiple keyboards and mice

PartyDeck is a free and open source split-screen game launcher for Linux / SteamOS, and the latest release sounds great. I mentioned it in a previous GamingOnLinux article back in May.

It allows you to run up to 4 instances of a game, supporting both Native Linux and Windows games via Proton. It sets it all up for you, with sandboxing to ensure each instance only sees the control inputs assigned to it and positions the game windows around your screen for you.

Pretty clever stuff, and now with the 0.5.0 release even supports multiple keyboards and mice. You can also now add multiple devices per instance, and there's been a few UI adjustments.

Highlights from the GitHub:

• Runs up to 4 instances of a game at a time and automatically fits each game window onto the screen.
• Supports native Linux games as well as Windows games through Proton.
• Handler system that tells the launcher how to handle game files, meaning very little manual setup is required.
• Steam multiplayer API is emulated, allowing for multiple instances of Steam games.
• Works with most game controllers without any additional setup, drivers, or third-party software.
• Now works with multiple keyboards and mice!
• Uses sandboxing software to mask out controllers so that each game instance only detects the controller assigned to it, preventing input interference.
• Profile support allows each player to have their own persistent save data, settings, and stats for games.
• Works out of the box on SteamOS.

See more on the GitHub page.