DroidDeck vs GameHub

GameHub is GameSir's app for running Steam PC games on Android, and it is the best known of the bunch. DroidDeck is a newer, open-source alternative that runs Valve's own Steam client. The main trade-offs are openness, device support and convenience.

At a glance

Sources: DroidDeck README · GameHub source. Checked 2026-10-15.

Who makes them, and why it matters

GameHub comes from GameSir, a company best known for game controllers. The app is closed source, and it is distributed through the Google Play Store as well as an APK, which makes it the easiest of these apps to install. Press coverage describes GameHub as building on Winlator, using code derived from Pluvia (an unofficial open-source Steam client), and running games through a Proton-based compatibility layer.

DroidDeck is a community project with its source code, build scripts and release notes on GitHub under GPL-3.0. It runs Valve's ARM64 Steam client in Big Picture mode and Valve's ARM64 Proton rather than its own launcher. Anyone can read what it does, and the project's README credits the open-source work it builds on.

Privacy

After GameHub's release, users and reporters pointed to the tracking libraries and broad permissions in the official app. That led to GameHub Lite, a community-modified version that strips analytics such as Umeng and Firebase and removes permissions such as location and contacts, according to its GitHub project. GameHub Lite is not made by GameSir, so using it means trusting whoever modified it.

DroidDeck's README says logs are kept app-private and only leave the device as a scrubbed zip when you choose Share logs. We have not audited either app's network traffic; our is DroidDeck safe page explains what we know and what we have not checked.

Devices

GameHub runs best on Snapdragon devices too, but GameSir has added support for Mali GPUs and MediaTek Dimensity chips, and claims performance comparable to Adreno in some DirectX 9 to 11 games on recent Dimensity chips. Treat that as the vendor's claim until independent testing confirms it. DroidDeck supports Adreno 730 or newer and Adreno 8xx, with Adreno 6xx experimental, and does not run on Mali, Xclipse or PowerVR. If you own a MediaTek or Exynos phone, GameHub is the one of these two you can try. Everyone else can check their model on the DroidDeck device checker.

The Steam experience

GameHub presents your Steam library inside its own interface and downloads games into its storage. DroidDeck shows Steam itself, in the Big Picture mode used on the Steam Deck, with Steam's store, library, friends and settings, and lets you switch Proton versions per game the way Steam does. Since 0.4.0, DroidDeck can also add GOG, Epic Games and Amazon Games titles to Steam. If you want the app to feel like a Steam Deck, DroidDeck is closer; if you want a simple launcher, GameHub is simpler.

Which should you pick?

• DroidDeck if you have a supported Snapdragon device, prefer open-source software, and want Valve's Steam client and Proton.
• GameHub if you want a Play Store install with no developer settings, or your phone has a MediaTek or other non-Adreno GPU.

To try DroidDeck, get the APK from GitHub as explained in the DroidDeck download guide and follow the install guide. You can also compare it with GameNative and Winlator.

DroidDeck vs GameHub FAQ