English | Deutsch

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Twitch4SteamDeck

Ad-free Twitch client for the Steam Deck with Big-Screen UI, full gamepad control, and VOD playback with resume.

Features

• Live Streams — Ad-free playback via Streamlink + hls.js (HTML5 video, no external player)
• VOD Playback — Watch recordings with automatic resume at last position
• VOD Chapters — Browse and jump to chapters within VODs
• Direct Stream Start — Press A on any stream card in Browse/Top Streams/Category to start immediately without leaving the browse view
• Gamepad Control — Full control via Steam Deck controller or Xbox gamepad, including Gaming Mode (reads /dev/input/js* directly, bypasses Chromium sandbox limitations)
• Big-Screen UI — 10-foot interface optimized for TV/deck; fills the screen on Steam Deck and on external TVs when docked (React + Electron)
• Twitch Login — Device Code Flow with QR code (no browser required)
• Following — Live status and overview of followed streamers
• Category Browser — Browse Twitch categories and top streams
• Language-Filtered Streams — Top streams filtered by German/English
• Account Screen — User profile, app version, logout
• VOD History — Local SQLite database with playback history and progress
• Hardware Decoding — GPU-accelerated video via Chromium's built-in VA-API on Steam Deck
• Quit Dialog — Confirm quit via Xbox/Start button

Architecture

Electron (Main Process)
  ├── Auth          -- Twitch Device Code Flow + token management (Electron safeStorage)
  ├── Helix Client  -- Twitch API (followed channels, streams, VODs, categories, chapters via GQL)
  ├── Playback      -- Streamlink --stream-url → HLS URL → IPC event to renderer
  ├── Gamepad       -- Linux joystick API (/dev/input/js*)
  └── History       -- SQLite (better-sqlite3) for VOD history + resume

Electron (Renderer)
  ├── React UI      -- Screens: Login, Following, Browse, Category, Channel,
  │                    StreamList (DE/EN), Settings, Account
  ├── VideoPlayer   -- hls.js <video> wrapper (forwardRef, imperative handle)
  └── AppShell      -- Global playback overlay for direct stream start

Installation (Steam Deck)

flatpak install --user twitch4steamdeck.flatpak
flatpak run tv.twitch4steamdeck.App

Finished Flatpak bundles include everything (incl. Streamlink and Twitch integration) — no further setup required.

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Build yourself (developers)

Prerequisites

• Node.js >= 20
• npm
• Windows: Streamlink installed at %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Streamlink\bin\streamlink.exe
• For Flatpak build: WSL2 (Ubuntu) with flatpak, flatpak-builder, librsvg2-bin

Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/<user>/twitch4steamdeck.git
   cd twitch4steamdeck
   

2. Register your own Twitch app at https://dev.twitch.tv/console/apps:

   • OAuth Redirect URLs: http://localhost
   • Client Type: Public

3. Create .env:

   cp .env.example .env
   

   Enter the Client ID from step 2 into .env:

   MAIN_VITE_TWITCH_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id_here
   

   The Client ID is embedded into the app at build time. End users installing a finished Flatpak do not need to register their own Twitch app.

4. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

Development

npm run dev

Starts Electron with Hot-Reload (electron-vite). Open DevTools with Ctrl+Shift+I.

Build

Desktop (AppImage)

npm run package

Creates a Linux AppImage under dist/.

Flatpak (Steam Deck)

The Flatpak build must run in WSL2 on the Linux filesystem (not under /mnt/):

# Copy project to Linux filesystem
cp -rp /mnt/c/Projekte/twitch4steamdeck ~/twitch4steamdeck
cd ~/twitch4steamdeck

# Run full build (incl. streamlink, Electron)
bash flatpak/build-flatpak.sh

The script handles automatically:

1. Install Flatpak runtimes (freedesktop SDK 24.08, Electron2 BaseApp)
2. npm install + rebuild native modules (better-sqlite3 for Linux x64)
3. electron-vite build
4. Generate Streamlink Python deps
5. Run flatpak-builder
6. Create Flatpak bundle and transfer via SCP to Steam Deck

Gamepad Layout

Button	Context	Function
A	Browse / Top Streams / Category	Start stream directly (full-screen overlay)
X	Browse / Top Streams / Category	Open channel page
A	Following	Open channel page
A	Channel page	Play live stream / confirm
A	During playback	Pause / Resume
B	During playback	Stop
← / → (D-Pad)	During playback	Seek ±30s
LT / RT	During playback (VOD)	Seek ±5min
LB / RB	During playback (VOD)	Previous / next chapter
B	Navigation	Back
D-Pad / Left Stick	Navigation	Navigate
LB / RB	Navigation	Switch tabs
Xbox / Start	Navigation	Quit dialog

Security

• Twitch tokens are stored encrypted in the OS keystore (Electron safeStorage) and never end up in the build or repository
• Client ID is a public identifier (Public App) and not a secret
• .env, out/, dist/ and userData/ are excluded in .gitignore

Tech Stack

Component	Technology
Framework	Electron 33 + electron-vite
UI	React 18 + TypeScript
Video	hls.js 1.6 (HTML5 <video> in Renderer)
Stream URL	Streamlink 8.2.1 (Windows dev) / 6.11.0 (Flatpak) via --stream-url
Database	better-sqlite3
Gamepad	Linux joystick API (/dev/input/js*)
Packaging	Flatpak / electron-builder (AppImage)
HW Decoding	Chromium VA-API (automatic on Steam Deck)

License

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Twitch4SteamDeck

Werbefreier Twitch-Client fuer das Steam Deck mit Big-Screen-UI, voller Gamepad-Steuerung und VOD-Wiedergabe mit Resume.

Features

• Live-Streams — Werbefreie Wiedergabe ueber Streamlink + hls.js (HTML5-Video, kein externer Player)
• VOD-Wiedergabe — Aufnahmen ansehen mit automatischem Resume an der letzten Position
• VOD-Kapitel — Kapitel in VODs durchsuchen und direkt anspringen
• Direkter Stream-Start — A-Button auf einer Stream-Karte in Durchsuchen/Top-Streams/Kategorie startet den Stream sofort als Vollbild-Overlay, ohne die Browse-Ansicht zu verlassen
• Gamepad-Steuerung — Volle Bedienung per Steam Deck Controller oder Xbox-Gamepad, auch im Gaming Mode (liest /dev/input/js* direkt, umgeht Chromium-Sandbox-Limitierungen)
• Big-Screen-UI — 10-Foot-Interface optimiert fuer TV/Deck; bildschirmfuellend auf dem Steam Deck und auf externen TVs im Docking-Betrieb (React + Electron)
• Twitch-Login — Device Code Flow mit QR-Code (kein Browser noetig)
• Gefolgte Kanaele — Live-Status und Uebersicht der gefolgten Streamer
• Kategorie-Browser — Twitch-Kategorien und Top-Streams durchsuchen
• Sprachgefilterte Streams — Top-Streams gefiltert nach Deutsch/Englisch
• Account-Ansicht — Nutzerprofil, App-Version, Abmelden
• VOD-Verlauf — Lokale SQLite-Datenbank mit Wiedergabe-Historie und Fortschritt
• Hardware-Decoding — GPU-beschleunigte Videowiedergabe ueber Chromiums eingebaute VA-API auf dem Steam Deck
• Quit-Dialog — Beenden per Xbox/Start-Button bestaetigen

Architektur

Electron (Main Process)
  ├── Auth          -- Twitch Device Code Flow + Token-Verwaltung (Electron safeStorage)
  ├── Helix Client  -- Twitch API (gefolgte Kanaele, Streams, VODs, Kategorien, Kapitel via GQL)
  ├── Playback      -- Streamlink --stream-url → HLS-URL → IPC-Event an Renderer
  ├── Gamepad       -- Linux joystick API (/dev/input/js*)
  └── History       -- SQLite (better-sqlite3) fuer VOD-Verlauf + Resume

Electron (Renderer)
  ├── React UI      -- Screens: Login, Following, Browse, Category, Channel,
  │                    StreamList (DE/EN), Settings, Account
  ├── VideoPlayer   -- hls.js <video> Wrapper (forwardRef, imperative handle)
  └── AppShell      -- Globaler Playback-Overlay fuer Direkt-Stream-Start

Installation (Steam Deck)

flatpak install --user twitch4steamdeck.flatpak
flatpak run tv.twitch4steamdeck.App

Fertige Flatpak-Bundles enthalten alles (inkl. Streamlink und Twitch-Anbindung) -- keine weitere Einrichtung noetig.

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Selbst bauen (Entwickler)

Voraussetzungen

• Node.js >= 20
• npm
• Windows: Streamlink unter %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Streamlink\bin\streamlink.exe
• Fuer Flatpak-Build: WSL2 (Ubuntu) mit flatpak, flatpak-builder, librsvg2-bin

Einrichtung

1. Repository klonen:

   git clone https://github.com/<user>/twitch4steamdeck.git
   cd twitch4steamdeck
   

2. Eigene Twitch-App registrieren auf https://dev.twitch.tv/console/apps:

   • OAuth Redirect URLs: http://localhost
   • Client Type: Public

3. .env anlegen:

   cp .env.example .env
   

   Die Client-ID aus Schritt 2 in .env eintragen:

   MAIN_VITE_TWITCH_CLIENT_ID=deine_client_id_hier
   

   Die Client-ID wird beim Build in die App eingebettet. Endnutzer, die ein fertiges Flatpak installieren, brauchen keine eigene Twitch-App zu registrieren.

4. Abhaengigkeiten installieren:

   npm install
   

Entwicklung

npm run dev

Startet Electron mit Hot-Reload (electron-vite). DevTools oeffnen mit Ctrl+Shift+I.

Build

Desktop (AppImage)

npm run package

Erzeugt ein Linux-AppImage unter dist/.

Flatpak (Steam Deck)

Der Flatpak-Build muss in WSL2 auf dem Linux-Dateisystem ausgefuehrt werden (nicht unter /mnt/):

# Projekt auf Linux-Dateisystem kopieren
cp -rp /mnt/c/Projekte/twitch4steamdeck ~/twitch4steamdeck
cd ~/twitch4steamdeck

# Kompletten Build ausfuehren (inkl. Streamlink, Electron)
bash flatpak/build-flatpak.sh

Das Script erledigt automatisch:

1. Flatpak-Runtimes installieren (freedesktop SDK 24.08, Electron2 BaseApp)
2. npm install + native Module rebuilden (better-sqlite3 fuer Linux x64)
3. electron-vite Build
4. Streamlink Python-Deps generieren
5. flatpak-builder ausfuehren
6. Flatpak-Bundle erstellen und per SCP aufs Steam Deck uebertragen

Gamepad-Belegung

Taste	Kontext	Funktion
A	Durchsuchen / Top-Streams / Kategorie	Stream direkt starten (Vollbild-Overlay)
X	Durchsuchen / Top-Streams / Kategorie	Kanalseite oeffnen
A	Du folgst	Kanalseite oeffnen
A	Kanalseite	Live-Stream starten / Bestaetigen
A	Waehrend Wiedergabe	Pause / Fortsetzen
B	Waehrend Wiedergabe	Stop
← / → (D-Pad)	Waehrend Wiedergabe	±30s springen
LT / RT	Waehrend Wiedergabe (VOD)	±5min springen
LB / RB	Waehrend Wiedergabe (VOD)	Vorheriges / naechstes Kapitel
B	Navigation	Zurueck
D-Pad / Left Stick	Navigation	Navigieren
LB / RB	Navigation	Tab wechseln
Xbox / Start	Navigation	Quit-Dialog

Sicherheit

• Twitch-Tokens werden verschluesselt im OS-Keystore gespeichert (Electron safeStorage) und landen weder im Build noch im Repository
• Client-ID ist eine oeffentliche Kennung (Public App) und kein Geheimnis
• .env, out/, dist/ und userData/ sind in .gitignore ausgeschlossen

Tech-Stack

Komponente	Technologie
Framework	Electron 33 + electron-vite
UI	React 18 + TypeScript
Video	hls.js 1.6 (HTML5 <video> im Renderer)
Stream-URL	Streamlink 8.2.1 (Windows-Dev) / 6.11.0 (Flatpak) via --stream-url
Datenbank	better-sqlite3
Gamepad	Linux joystick API (/dev/input/js*)
Packaging	Flatpak / electron-builder (AppImage)
HW-Decoding	Chromium VA-API (automatisch auf Steam Deck)

Lizenz