Steam Deck Tips And Tricks: Get More From Your PC Gaming Handheld

Key findings

• Use Steam Deck shortcuts to quickly access features like screenshots, force quit games, and adjust brightness.
• Set a lock screen PIN to prevent others from accessing your Steam Deck and playing with your library.
• Stream games from your gaming PC to Steam Deck over Wi-Fi for more storage and increased productivity.

The Steam Deck has remained one of the best portable gaming consoles since its launch in early 2022, and now that the OLED version is available, it doesn't look like that's going to change anytime soon.

Changes

How to add non-Steam games to your Steam library

Since every other company has its own launcher these days, you quickly find that your PC gaming library is spread across multiple apps.

Steam Deck not only makes PC gaming affordable and portable, it also makes it a great choice. There's so much you can do with Steam Deck that we keep coming back. These are some of the best Steam Deck tips and tricks we've discovered while playing.

Use Steam Deck shortcuts

To view a list of useful Steam Deck shortcuts, press and hold the Steam button for a few seconds. Some of the most useful shortcuts are:

• Screenshot : Steam key + R1.
• Force quit game : Press and hold Steam key + B
• Show keyboard : Steam + key
• Increase brightness : steam button + left stick up.
• Lower brightness : steam button + left stick down.
• Enter key : Steam key + right control pad.
• Tab : Steam button + cross down.
• Esc : Steam key + left control pad.
• Show cursor : Steam button + trackpad / right joystick (right trigger for left click).
• Right click : Steam key + L2.
• Left click : Steam key + R2.
• Magnifying glass : steam button + L1.

Give your Steam Deck a lock screen PIN.

If you don't want family or friends accessing your Steam Deck and disrupting your library, there's good news: you can add a PIN.

To enable PIN setting, go to Menu -> Settings -> Security . Set a PIN that you remember and choose whether you need it when you wake up or turn on Steam Deck, when you log in, when you switch to desktop mode, or any combination of the three.

Steam deck in hibernation mode

Between gaming sessions, you don't need to completely shut down your Steam Deck console or exit the game you're playing.

Instead, you can easily pause and resume your game by putting your Steam Deck to sleep while playing, then turning it back on for the next session and continuing from the same point.

To put Steam Deck into sleep mode, simply press the power button and then press it again to wake it up from sleep mode.

Stream games to your Steam Deck

There is another way to solve the Steam Deck space problem: using Steam's Remote Play feature (e.g. Steam Link).

If you have a good gaming PC with the Steam client and Steam games installed, you can stream games from your PC to your Steam Deck over your home WiFi.

Changes: How to stream games to your Steam Deck

This has two advantages: firstly, you don't have to install games locally on Steam Deck, and secondly, you can take full advantage of the additional processing power of your gaming PC for higher frequencies, more frames and better performance. Experience. .

It's easy to do: all you need to do is make sure both devices are working and connected to the same network, then click the "Hold" button for the corresponding game in your Steam Deck library.

Turn on night mode to avoid eye strain.

Steam Deck's Night Mode can help prevent eye strain and help your eyes and brain get some rest before bed.

It works by reducing the frequency of blue light emitted from the Steam Deck screen. It may look a little orange when you first activate it, but your eyes should quickly get used to it and will probably thank you for it (or would thank you if they had the chance).

To enable Night Mode in Steam Deck, go to Menu -> Settings -> Display . From here, you can set a time for Night Mode to turn on automatically , or turn it on immediately and set a Night Mode tone .

Adjust Steam Deck performance options

To change the performance of the Steam Deck, press the three-dot menu button and go to the Battery section.

Try changing the frame rate and refresh rate in performance settings to make the game smoother or extend battery life. Lower frame rates and refreshes should increase battery life, but decreasing them too much can cause the game to become too choppy. You can also try FSR as a scaling filter and reduce resolution to improve gaming performance; Try different combinations until you find what works for you.

If you only want to make changes for a specific game, you must check the “Use profile for every game” box before making changes.

Remap the controls and use the rear paddle shifters.

To remap in-game controls:

1. Click on the Steam button
2. Select driver settings
3. On the next screen, press A to select controller settings.

On this screen you will see a map of the current controls. However, you also have the option to add more by clicking on “Controller Settings”.

Now you can remap the various controls. Another advantage is that you can remap the back petals to your liking.

The rear blades are rarely used at all. There are four pallets labeled L4, L5, R4 and R5. You can assign them to game controls and use them for more comfortable gaming.

Adjust the screen brightness

To decrease the brightness of the Steam Deck, click the three dots button on the right side of the Steam Deck to open the options menu and adjust the brightness slider .

Although there is a temptation to increase the brightness to the maximum, we recommend reducing it.

Changes: Steam Deck OLED: What's new and should I update?

One of the complaints people have about Steam Deck is its battery life. Without some adjustments, it is easy to drain the battery of a portable device in two to three hours with the LCD version, and not much longer with the OLED version.

Reducing the brightness is a step towards extending your pleasure.

Buy a microSD card

SanDisk 512GB Ultra microSDXC

The SanDisk Ultra microSDXC is a great option for easily upgrading your Steam Deck storage.

We highly recommend purchasing a microSD card (or more) so you can easily access more games. Games don't load as quickly as NVMe SSDs, but it's always nice to have extra storage without a huge additional cost.

Steam Deck is available in different storage sizes: 256GB for the original LCD version and 512GB or 1TB for the new OLED version.

Changes: The best microSD cards: A small device that allows you to significantly expand your storage

Although it's theoretically possible to replace (and upgrade) internal storage, this isn't an option for many people.

To save money, we bought the 256GB model and found that we could only load the console with four games. Of course, this depends on what you install, but Forza Horizon 5, for example, takes up over 100GB of storage space.

Installing a microSD card is a good way to solve this storage problem.

Check out some game guides.

To find the manual for the game you are currently playing, click the Steam button and select Manuals .

Steam Deck really simplifies most of your portable gaming tasks, such as: B. changing performance settings and game controls.

The same thing happens with game instructions. By browsing these player-submitted game guides you can get the help you may need to beat that boss or level or find that hidden area.

Of course, there are tons of travel guides online, but the easiest way is to click a few buttons and find the perfect guide right before your eyes.

Adjust your graphics settings and optimize your game

If you try playing on Ultra settings, you'll probably find that Steam Deck doesn't work as well as you'd like. Try reducing the graphics a bit. We didn't always find it necessary, but switching to high settings can provide smoother operation when needed.

The advantage here is that it still looks good since it still has a small screen.

As PC gamers, we are used to simply launching our games and basking in the beauty of the visual delights.

If you have access to a gaming PC, you can use the Remote Play streaming feature mentioned above to run Steam Deck games at high graphics settings without taxing your GPU.

However, the Steam Deck's capabilities are slightly different than a full-fledged gaming PC, so some adjustments may be required.

With the best gaming settings, multiple resources are available to maximize performance and extend battery life. These are proven settings for any game that are worth trying if you want to get the best gaming experience without having to figure it out yourself.

ShareDeck and Steam Deck HQ are two customization sites that help you optimize your gaming settings.

Connect other devices to Steam Deck via Bluetooth or USB.

Thanks to its Bluetooth capabilities, the Steam Deck can work with a variety of devices including mice, keyboards, and headsets. So if you need more precise control, you can easily connect these devices.

Tap the Settings button , then scroll to turn on Bluetooth . Now you can easily connect and use your device. It also works with many devices.

Changes: How to use Bluetooth headphones with Steam Deck

You can also consider connecting devices via USB to a USB hub that connects via USB-C. Simply plug the hub into the Steam Deck's USB-C port and you'll have several additional ports for connecting peripherals (or maybe even a TV or monitor).

Check for Steam Deck updates

Valve regularly creates updates to Steam Deck to improve functionality and user experience.

We recommend checking Steam Deck regularly for updates. To do this, click on the Steam button on the left and select “Updates” . When the update is ready, an exclamation mark will appear in System Settings .

Some of Valve's Steam Deck updates included significant improvements. Originally, one of our complaints about the Steam Deck was that the fans were too loud, but Valve released a patch that made them much quieter.

Check game compatibility for your Steam Deck.

Once you have a Steam Deck in hand, you can pretty easily see which games are performing well. The ones in your library are already marked as:

• Checked
• interpreted
• Unsupported
• Stranger

We've found that the list of games you can play can grow quickly. So it's worth checking out your library for new games.

Changes: How to find out which games work with your Steam Deck

The Steam Deck Store also offers you compatible games, so you can be sure your game will work before purchasing.

Just because a game is marked as “unsupported” doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. We've seen several games that only required a few controller changes to run. So if you already have the game and want to play it, don't let this label stop you from giving it a try.

Force Quit if your Steam Deck is frozen.

If you find that your Steam Deck has frozen while playing, you can force stop it by simply pressing a few buttons. Pressing the Steam button and the B button at the same time will exit any problematic game.

Desktop navigation in desktop mode

To access Desktop Mode on Steam Deck, press the Steam button and select “Switch to Desktop” to “On”.

Desktop mode gives you the full desktop experience: you can surf the web, send email, move files, and even install applications, just like you would on a laptop or PC.

Install Epic Games on your Steam Deck.

If you've exhausted your Steam games catalog or just want to play more, don't worry because you can also install Epic Games on your Steam Deck. This might sound a bit blasphemous, but if you don't mind doing it yourself, it's pretty easy.

Changes: How to Install Epic Games on Your Steam Deck

This also has obvious advantages, as Epic regularly offers games in its store. Installing Epic Games on your Steam platform is a bit tedious, but we have written a guide to help you (link above).

Upgrade your Steam Deck's internal storage.

Karsar MP600 Mini

This NVMe PCIe Gen 4 x4 drive is the perfect size for your Steam Deck and is also a great way to upgrade it.

Another way to improve your Steam Deck is to upgrade your internal storage. The Steam Deck uses a compact NVMe solid-state drive that's relatively easy to upgrade, but requires a few steps and a few hours.

You'll need the right tools (not just a screwdriver) and a lot of patience to open it, but using the larger NVMe M.2 2230 drive will allow you to boot faster than if you use your storage with a single MicroSD card would expand. .

Upgrading your Steam Deck SSD will require you to reinstall Steam OS and reinstall all of your games.

We did this with the Corsair MP600 Mini, increasing the storage from 256GB to 1TB relatively easily, and now we can store a lot more games and load them quickly.

Customize your Steam deck

Steam Deck is a rather modest device and is unlikely to stand out from the crowd if you have several such devices at home.

If you just want to make your device look a little different, you can visit Dbrand and find some amazing skins to personalize your device. The company created a fun Nintendo Switch skin called Switchdeck, but there are plenty of other styles as well.

You can also try different on-screen keyboard themes for your Steam Deck. To do this, go to Menu -> Settings -> Keyboard and you can choose between different styles and themes. You can also purchase additional styles from the Steam Points Store.

The most useful Steam Deck features you may not have known about