Steam Deck Not Working: How to Fix

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In this guide, we will discover: Steam Deck Not Working: How to Fix – Easy Beginners Guide

The Steam Deck is a handheld gaming device developed by Valve Corporation that allows users to play their favorite PC games on the go. The device runs on SteamOS, a customized version of Linux, and comes equipped with a powerful AMD processor, up to 16GB of RAM, and a 7-inch touchscreen display. It also features a built-in controller, as well as support for external controllers and keyboards.

Despite its advanced hardware and features, users may encounter issues with the Steam Deck not working properly. Some common issues include the device not turning on, not charging, or not connecting to Wi-Fi.

Steam Deck Keyboard Not Appearing

If the on-screen keyboard is not appearing on your Steam Deck, there are a few things you can try to troubleshoot the issue.

Make Sure The Virtual Keyboard Is Enabled

The Steam Deck’s virtual keyboard should be enabled by default, but there’s always a chance that settings can get changed accidentally. Here’s how you can make sure that the virtual keyboard is actually enabled.

If this feature is already enabled, you can try toggling it off, restarting your Steam Deck, then turning it back on. This offers a way to fix any random software bugs affecting your Steam Deck and its virtual keyboard.

Switch To Desktop Mode

Desktop Mode on Steam Deck refers to the ability of the device to switch from its default SteamOS interface to a full-featured desktop operating system, essentially turning the Steam Deck into a portable computer. However, it seems that if you find that the Steam Deck’s keyboard doesn’t you’ll need to switch over to Desktop Mode in order to get it fixed.

Press the Steam button on your Steam Deck.
Scroll down and select Power.
From the Power Menu, highlight and select Switch to Desktop.
Wait until your Steam Deck switches to Desktop Mode.

Quit the Steam app

After you’ve switched over to Desktop Mode on your Steam Deck, there are a few more steps that you need to take in order to get your keyboard working. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

It’s important to note that when accessing the System Monitor, you must select the Send Signal option. There’s a “close app” option available, but users have reported that this doesn’t work to make the virtual keyboard appear.

Steam Deck Keeps Verifying Installation

If you are facing an issue where your Steam Deck keeps verifying installation, there are a few steps that you can take to troubleshoot the issue.

Firstly, try restarting your Steam Deck by pressing and holding the power button until the device turns off, then press it again to turn it back on. This may help to resolve the issue if it is due to a temporary glitch or bug.

If that doesn’t work, some users have found the following steps will fix the issue.

Pause the game that you are currently playing.
Press the Steam button on your Steam Deck.
Select Home from the navigation menu.
Press and release the power button to put your Steam Deck to sleep.

And there are a couple of other ways to get your Steam Deck back in working order if you are still seeing the “Verifying Installation” screen.

If connected to a monitor or TV, unplug the Steam Deck from the display connection.
Press and hold the power button until your Steam Deck turns off. Then, turn it back on and see if it boots.

Check For an Update

Updating your Steam Deck is important to ensure that it runs smoothly and efficiently. Updating the device will not only fix any known bugs and issues, but it will also provide access to new features and functionality.

Press the Steam button on your Steam Deck.
Scroll down and select System.
Click the Check For Updates button.
If an update is available, click the Apply button.
Once the update is downloaded, click the Restart button.

When updating the Steam Deck, it’s important to keep the device connected to a power source during the update to avoid any potential issues. Once the update is complete, your Steam Deck will be running on the latest version of SteamOS and any associated software. It’s a good idea to periodically check for updates and install them as they become available to ensure that your device is always up-to-date and running smoothly.

Steam Deck Not Turning On

If your Steam Deck is not turning on, there could be several reasons for this issue. Thankfully, there are a few different steps you can take to get your Steam Deck to turn back on.

Force Restart Steam Deck

It might seem counter-intuitive to try and force restart your Steam Deck if it’s not turning on. However, this might help “jump start” your Steam Deck. The only suggestion we have before proceeding is to make sure that it’s plugged in to ensure that there is power coming to the device.

Press and hold the Power button for at least 12 seconds.
Once the Steam Deck is turned off (no fans spinning or anything on the screen), press and hold the Power button until you hear the boot sound.

It is important to note that a force restart should only be used as a last resort if all other troubleshooting methods fail. You should always try restarting your device through normal means before resorting to a force restart, as it may cause data loss or other issues.

Plug-in Your Steam Deck

We kind of jumped the gun a bit in the last section, but it should be pretty obvious to make sure that your Steam Deck is plugged in. If you have the Steam Deck connected to an external hub or dock, then try removing it and plugging in your charger directly to the Steam Deck.

Is Your Power Button Clean?

There are a lot of moving parts on the Steam Deck, and thanks to the portability offered by this device, there’s a chance that dust and debris will pile up. Some Steam Deck owners have found that their device wouldn’t turn on because debris had forced the Power button to stay constantly pressed in.

You should be able to just look and see if there’s anything in the way of the button functioning properly. But you can also try pushing it in to see if you can hear it click or feel it move.

Check Your Steam Deck Charger

While Valve includes a charger in the box, chances are that you might be using a different charger to juice up your Steam Deck. If you find that your Steam Deck isn’t turning on, we recommend trying to use a different charger. Or plug a different USB-C device into the charger to make sure if it’s working.

Steam Deck Not Charging

If you are experiencing issues with your Steam Deck not charging, there could be several reasons for this issue.

Use the Official Charger

Every Steam Deck ships with a 45W charger in the box, providing ample power to keep your device charged. However, there are so many great options for chargers, that we understand why you might want to use a different one. If you find that your Steam Deck isn’t charging, we recommend switching back to the one that Valve included, just to see if it’s the charger or if there’s something else going on.

Leave Your Steam Deck Plugged In

If the battery on your Steam Deck is completely drained, it may take a few minutes before the device begins to charge. If the battery has been fully depleted, you may need to charge it for a few hours before it turns on.

Check The Charging Port

Make sure the charging port on your Steam Deck is not damaged or obstructed. Dirt, debris, or dust may prevent the charging cable from making a proper connection, so clean the charging port if necessary.

Set Your Steam Deck to Shipment Mode

“Shipment mode” on Steam Deck is a mode that the device enters during shipping to protect the battery life. When in shipment mode, the Steam Deck is in a low-power state that preserves the battery life by disabling certain features and preventing the device from fully powering on. This mode is activated during the shipping process to ensure that the device arrives with a charged battery and is ready to use when it is received by the customer.

Power off your Steam Deck completely.
Press and hold the Volume Up button and Power button at the same time.
Continue holding until you see a Selection screen.
In the bottom right corner, select Setup Utility.
Navigate to the Power section.
Locate and select Battery Storage Mode.
Resume the startup process.

To exit shipment mode, you need to connect your Steam Deck to a power source using the included power adapter or a USB-C cable. The device will automatically exit shipment mode once it is charged to a certain level.

Steam Deck Not Connecting to WiFi

If your Steam Deck is not connecting to Wi-Fi, there could be several reasons why.

Check The Network

Ensure that your Steam Deck is within range of the Wi-Fi network and that the Wi-Fi signal is strong enough. Try moving closer to the router or access point to see if that resolves the issue.

Additionally, you’ll want to make sure that the Wi-Fi network that you are using is actually working properly. Try connecting to a different Wi-Fi network, or reset the router to see if that resolves the issue. You can also connect another device to the network to see if it’s just your Steam Deck, or the network itself.

Force Restart Your Steam Deck

Press and hold the Power button for at least 12 seconds.
Once the Steam Deck is turned off (no fans spinning or anything on the screen), press and hold the Power button until you hear the boot sound.

Turn Off WiFi Power Saving Mode

The “Wi-Fi Power Saving Mode” on Steam Deck is a feature that is designed to conserve battery life by reducing power consumption when the device is connected to Wi-Fi.

When Wi-Fi Power Saving Mode is enabled, the Steam Deck will periodically turn off the Wi-Fi radio to conserve power. This can result in a slight delay when connecting to Wi-Fi networks or accessing the internet.

Press the Steam button on your Steam Deck.
Scroll down and select Settings.
Highlight and select System.
On the right side, navigate to the System Settings section.
Click the toggle next to Enable Developer Mode.
If prompted, restart your Steam Deck.
From the Steam Deck Settings panel, scroll down and select Developer.
On the right side, scroll down to the Miscellaneous section.
Click the toggle next to Enable Wifi Power Management to the Off position.
When prompted, restart your Steam Deck.

While this feature can help to extend the battery life of your Steam Deck, it may also impact the performance and speed of your internet connection.

Steam Deck Not Recognizing SD Card

The Steam Deck comes in three storage options: 64GB eMMC, 256GB NVMe SSD, and 512GB NVMe SSD. Depending on your gaming library and the size of the games you want to install, the built-in storage may not be sufficient. An SD card allows you to expand the device’s storage capacity, so you can store more games and media files.

However, if you are trying to play a game or access files located on the SD card, only to be met with an error, there might be something going on with your card.

Reboot Your Steam Deck

As is the case with pretty much every device out there, the first recommendation we have is to reboot your Steam Deck. The steps are easy enough, as you just need to press and hold the power button for a few seconds. When the Power Menu appears, navigate to the bottom of the menu and select Shutdown.

Check Your SD Card

This one might not be as easy if you don’t have an extra computer with you. But if you are experiencing issues with the SD card, you can try to insert it into another device to see if it’s recognized. If not, then you’ll likely want to replace it with a different mode.

In the event that you find yourself needing to get a new SD card, make sure it’s an A2/V30 card with U3 speeds. The card also needs to be UHS-I, as that’s what is supported by the Steam Deck.

Format the SD Card

When Valve developed the Steam Deck, the company managed to implement quite a few options without needing to access Desktop Mode. This includes being able to format SD card on Steam Deck, and here’s how you can do so:

Depending on the size of the SD card that you are using with the Steam Deck, you might have to wait a bit before the formatting has been completed. However, once it’s finished working its magic, you’ll be able to use the SD card on Steam Deck to install more games, use Windows, and more.

Steam Deck Update Error

There could be several reasons why you may encounter a Steam Deck update error. It’s definitely a frustrating error, especially when you tried to sit down for a gaming session, only to be met with an error preventing that from happening.

Check How Much Storage You Have

If your Steam Deck is running low on storage space, it may prevent updates from installing. Ensure that you have enough storage space available before attempting to update.

Go to the main menu by pressing the Steam button on your Steam Deck.
Select Settings from the menu.
Scroll down to Storage and select it.
You will now see the storage capacity of your Steam Deck, as well as the amount of space currently being used and the amount of free space remaining.
You can also view the storage levels of individual apps on the right side of the app or game listing.

This will allow you to check the available storage space on your Steam Deck and see how much space is being used by various apps and games. If you are running low on storage space, you may need to delete some files or uninstall apps or games to free up space.

Update From Desktop Mode

This method isn’t really recommended, but if you are trying to get your Steam Deck updated, you can do so from Desktop Mode. The steps listed below are more for those who have installed Linux apps or emulators that need to be updated in order to be accessed via the standard SteamOS interface.

Press the Steam button on your Steam Deck.
Scroll down and select Power.
From the Power Menu, highlight and select Switch to Desktop.
Wait until your Steam Deck switches to Desktop Mode.
Once in Desktop Mode, click the Discover (app store) icon in the bottom left corner of the taskbar.
Scroll to the bottom of the sidebar.
Click Update.
From the Updates page, click the Refresh button in the top menu bar.
If there are any applications that need to be updated, click the Update All button in the top right corner.

Occasionally, we’ve found that you might run into issues if there are too many apps trying to be updated at the same time. The Updates page within Discover is broken into two sections; Applications and System Software. We recommend updating anything under the System Software section first, before updating any other apps.