12 Steam Deck Tips Every Gamer Should Remember

The handheld console players have been dreaming about for years is now transport. I’m referring, in fact, to Valve’s Steam Deck, a conveyable handheld much like the Nintendo Switch that performs PC video games.

Despite working a Linux-based OS, the Steam Deck can play video games made for Windows due to a nifty compatibility layer referred to as Proton. Not solely that, however the Steam Deck is a full-blown PC, able to loading right into a desktop mode the place you’ll be able to browse the online, obtain apps, and stream music. You may even set up Windows 10 on the machine in case the default Steam OS feels too restricted.

With all the pieces occurring, the Steam Deck might be overwhelming at first. Thankfully, Valve included some neat shortcuts and options to ease you in. And with that, listed below are some ideas and methods each Steam Deck proprietor ought to bear in mind.

Upgrade the storage with a microSD card

Even when you splurged on the 512GB Steam Deck, you’ll in all probability run low on space for storing sooner or later. After all, sure triple-A Steam Deck-verified video games, like God of War (70GB) and NBA 2K22 (120GB), require a large quantity of storage. Those who bought the bottom 64GB Steam Deck might run into issues making an attempt to obtain only one title.

Fortunately, each Steam Deck model has a helpful microSD card slot on the underside for as much as 2TB of expandable storage. The secret is to seek out the microSD card with the quickest write speeds and largest capability that matches inside your funds. Consider manufacturers like SanDisk, Lexar, and Samsung.

Turn off adaptive brightness

Adaptive brightness is a type of options that sounds nice as an idea however not often works as marketed. I discovered the fixed brightness fluctuation to be too distracting and any battery life enhance didn’t make up for it. It didn’t take lengthy for me to disable the characteristic, and as soon as I had, it remained off all through the weeks I examined the Steam Deck.

If you could modify the brightness, you are able to do so from the fast settings or use the button combo trick described on the subsequent slide…

Change display screen brightness when you recreation

You’re mid-game, having fun with your Steam Deck within the stunning recent summer season air when the solar creeps from behind the clouds. All of a sudden, the 7-inch display screen is tough to see underneath such brilliant circumstances. Sure, you may open the fast settings and transfer that brightness slider to the fitting. But you’re in the course of a high-octane shootout; there’s no time for settings menus!

Thankfully, Valve agrees. It carried out a intelligent brightness adjustment shortcut you could rapidly use to brighten or dim your display screen in the course of a recreation. It’s a clumsy button combo, but it surely does the job: press and maintain the Steam button whereas shifting up (brighter) or down (dimmer) on the left toggle.

Wait to put in Windows 10

You can set up Windows 10 on the Steam Deck. Should you? It’s sophisticated. For now, I’d resist the urge. Valve launched Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPU drivers so the Steam Deck has the fundamentals wanted to obtain video games and play them on Windows. However, to do that, you’ll have to erase the Steam Deck, and since there isn’t a twin boot help, which means wiping Steam OS. Worse but, the Steam Deck’s audio system and headphone jack received’t operate as a result of Valve has, so far, offered solely bare-bones Windows help.

Then there’s the query of efficiency and stability. Not each Steam recreation runs on Linux, so that you may be tempted to obtain Windows as a workaround to get full entry to your Steam library or video games you personal on different shops (together with Xbox Game Pass video games). That sounds nice and all, however these video games haven’t been examined to play on the Steam Deck, so that you’ll be the guinea pig till different gamblers present extra information.

If you’re a tinkerer who considers the reward of downloading Windows onto the Steam Deck as being higher than the danger, then go for it. Most individuals, nonetheless, ought to stick to Steam OS.

Drop your graphics settings

Some video games simply received’t run on excessive graphics settings. Even these deemed to be “a great experience” on Steam Deck battle whenever you dial up the video settings. Control, for instance, stuttered on the console’s native 1280×800-pixel decision as hoards of Hiss-possessed enemies crammed the display screen. Dropping the decision right down to 720p mounted the body price drops with out sacrificing the visuals.

The essential factor to recollect right here is that the Steam Deck runs on a customized AMD chip with RDNA 2 graphics, not some high-powered GPU and discrete graphics card combo. Just preserve your expectations in verify and don’t get annoyed if a recreation doesn’t run completely on the default settings.

Check for software program updates

I can’t depend what number of software program updates Valve launched between the time I obtained the Steam Deck and the embargo date for the evaluation. Dozens. Things have slowed down since however you’ll be able to count on many extra software program updates within the months and years forward. Keep an eye fixed out for the yellow exclamation mark over the settings gear icon indicating {that a} new software program model is on the market to obtain.

Don’t purchase untested video games

This nearly goes with out saying: if a recreation isn’t verified for Steam Deck, assume it received’t be playable. At least, that’s what I encountered in my testing. You can obtain the sport, but it surely may not even open. It’s not like Valve is pulling a quick one on us; add a recreation to your cart that isn’t verified and a brilliant yellow warning seems, stating your recreation “may not function properly on Steam Deck.” My recommendation? If you already personal a recreation, go forward and attempt to play it; you’ll be able to all the time uninstall it later. If an unverified recreation isn’t already in your library, don’t purchase it hoping it’ll run on the Steam Deck.

Configure the buttons

The Steam Deck has so many buttons. You ought to make the most of them! Especially these rear paddle buttons, which aren’t all the time programmed in video games as a result of they aren’t usually discovered on an ordinary controller. That doesn’t imply you’ll be able to’t use them.

Remapping the rear buttons can provide you a bonus when taking part in sure video games, like first-person shooters or aggressive titles like Fortnite. They may also act as paddle shifters whenever you’re racing in Forza Horizon 5. To remap the set off buttons, press the Steam button then transfer proper twice to tug up the controller button map. Here, you’ll be able to assign the rear buttons to any motion.

Access the shortcuts checklist

Hold Steam + A. I do know, fantastic isn’t it?! In case you aren’t following alongside, holding the Steam + A keys brings up a shortcut overlay with all of the hotkeys you could successfully navigate Steam OS. It critically offers you the button combos wanted to make use of a cursor and left- and right-click buttons straight out of your controller—no mouse wanted.

I’ll go into considered one of these button combos in additional element within the subsequent slide.

Force stop with Steam + B

Things are going to crash. Games, apps, the console itself— the Steam Deck is a first-generation product that’s a number of updates away from being secure. The Steam Deck works, sure, but it surely’s additionally a rushed mess that expects homeowners to have some endurance and understanding. Or if endurance isn’t your factor, you may use the Steam + B button combo to power stop video games which can be performing up. Just maintain these two buttons and no matter recreation you’re taking part in will shut down, bringing you again to the primary Steam OS display screen.

I don’t need to overstate the Steam Deck’s issues. It wants work, sure, however recreation crashes are more and more uncommon. Still, it’s good to have a fast out when issues inevitably go flawed.

Connect a controller or mouse/keyboard

You can navigate Steam OS (or your OS of desire) on the Steam Deck utilizing solely the controller, however that’s no approach to dwell. The console has a Bluetooth radio so that you can join wi-fi peripherals like a gaming mouse and keyboard. Pairing my Lenovo ThinkPad TrackPoint keyboard and Logitech Bluetooth mouse to the Steam Deck was easy and made it a lot simpler to navigate the desktop mode once I wanted to browse the online. And since I want utilizing a console controller to the Steam Deck’s controls or perhaps a mouse and keyboard, I hooked up my PS5’s DualSense to the Steam Deck through Bluetooth (you too can go wired) and used it as a substitute.

Use the FPS limiter

Baked into the fast settings menu is an FPS limiter with 15 fps, 30 fps, and 60 fps choices. This setting purposefully throttles the console the second you hit these designated body charges. Why would you restrict efficiency? Mainly to protect battery life and cut back fan noise. A recreation working at 15 fps doesn’t expend as a lot energy as if it calls for full energy to hit 60 fps.

You received’t need to dial down the body depend for each recreation, however dropping from 60 fps to 30 fps shouldn’t destroy your gameplay as long as you aren’t taking part in a fast-action recreation. As for the 15 fps limiter, that choice is greatest for extending battery life when taking part in slow-moving titles just like the turn-based technique Civilization VI.