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A game launcher for the couch, TV and Steam Deck

Console mode plays your whole library with a controller and no mouse, on Linux and Windows. It has an on-screen keyboard and, on Linux, an in-game overlay.

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Updated November 4, 20264 min read

Heronite's console mode: a carousel of the games in progress with Control in focus between Brotato and Crash Team Racing, its store, play time and status underneath, and tabs for All, Installed, Favourites and Playing.

How do I turn on console mode?

  • Open it from the command palette (Ctrl K) or the ☰ menu.
  • Start Heronite with the --console option, for example in a Steam shortcut or a gaming session.
  • In Settings → Console mode, choose off, ask or on to open it at startup or when a controller connects.

What do the controller buttons do?

The hints at the bottom of each page match your controller, with Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo or Steam Deck button pictures. For the Nintendo layout, swap A and B in the theme’s controls.

Controller Action
A (south) Confirm
B (east) Back
X, Y Actions shown on screen
LB / RB Switch tabs
D-pad, left stick Move
Right stick Scroll
Start or Guide Menu

With no gamepad, the keyboard acts as one:

Key Acts as
Arrows Move
Enter or Space A
Esc or Backspace B
X, Y X, Y
Q / E LB / RB
PgUp / PgDn Scroll
M or F1 Start (menu)
Tab Select

How do I browse and play games from the sofa?

The first tab is usually Home. It shows the game you will continue over its art, with shelves like Continue playing and Favourites. Press A for its page, X to play and Y to search.

Heronite console mode Library tab showing a grid of game covers with Show, Sort, Status and Search filters at the top and button hints for Details, Install, Search, Home and Menu at the bottom.

The Library tab lists your whole Collection as covers.

A game’s page has these rows:

  • Play, Status, Favourite, Game settings and Playtime
  • Back up saves, with Ludusavi installed

Details such as score, developer and last played sit to the right.

Heronite console game page for ELDEN RING with a list of Play, Status, Favourite, Game settings, Playtime and Back up saves (Ludusavi), and a details panel with score, developer, last played and features.

ELDEN RING’s game page in console mode.

Which layouts and tabs does console mode have?

Console mode has up to four tabs, each with its own layout and its own games. The layouts are:

  • Shelves
  • Spotlight
  • Cinema
  • Dashboard
  • Grid
  • Wheel
  • Carousel
  • Series X

A tab shows all games, only installed ones or only favourites, or filters by one status, store or platform.

How do I change the look of console mode?

Choose one of seven themes (Minimal, Classic, Cinema, Pulse, Arcade, Hub, Living room). Then change any of these live or in Settings → Console mode:

  • Covers, tile shape and size
  • Background: the game’s art, a blurred cover, screenshots or a picture of your own
  • Accent colour, fonts, interface size and the clock
  • Button pictures
  • The menu (sidebar, grid, dock or rail) and the game pages

How do I share a theme?

Export your theme to a .heronite-theme.json file and import it on any PC. A background picture goes inside the file. Post yours in Discussions. The theme format lists every field; all are optional.

Can I type without a keyboard?

Yes. Console mode has an on-screen keyboard and a Power menu. The Menu button opens the main menu from any page.

How do I start console mode from Steam Deck Gaming Mode?

  1. In Desktop Mode, download Heronite-x86_64.AppImage and make it executable.
  2. In Steam, choose Add a Game, then Add a Non-Steam Game, and select the AppImage.
  3. In Heronite’s Properties, type --console in Launch Options.
  4. Return to Gaming Mode and start Heronite from your library.

The Steam Deck guide has every step in detail.

How do I use the in-game overlay and Replay (beta, Linux)?

Turn the overlay on in Settings → Overlay. The Guide button then opens a panel over the game. It sets volume, microphone and FPS limit, and takes screenshots and journal notes.

Buttons Action
Guide Open or close the panel (Super G on the keyboard)
Guide + RB Screenshot
Guide + ↑ / ↓ Volume
Guide + Y Mark a moment
Guide + X Save the replay

Replay is off by default; turn it on in Settings → Replay. It keeps the last seconds of play, recorded on the GPU by gpu-screen-recorder.

The overlay needs a Wayland session whose compositor supports layer-shell, such as KDE Plasma, Hyprland or Sway. It does not work on GNOME or X11.

Next: Console mode docs.

Questions

Is Heronite a Steam Big Picture mode alternative?

Yes. It puts games from every store, emulators and your own programs in one controller-friendly interface, on Linux and Windows.

Does console mode work with PlayStation and Nintendo controllers?

Yes. The button hints show Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo or Steam Deck pictures to match your controller.

Does console mode work with a keyboard?

Yes. Arrow keys move, Enter confirms and Esc goes back. See Console mode.

Does console mode make Heronite heavier?

No. It is part of the same native Rust app and loads only when you turn it on.