Steam Deck Optimization Guide

This guide contains descriptions of settings and utilities for safely improving the performance, and useful information for advanced Steam Deck users. All settings supported LCD and OLED versions.

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• Basic
  • Gaming Mode
  • Desktop Mode
  • Switch Modes
  • Shortcuts
• Pre-Settings
  • Developer Mode
  • Beta Channel
  • Root Password
  • Enable SSH
• Homebrew
  • Decky
• Tweaks
  • SteamOS optimization
  • CryoUtilities
  • VRAM
  • BTRFS
  • 40 FPS
  • ProtonUp-Qt
• Enhanced
  • Locale
  • Protontricks
  • Cabextract
• In-Game Settings
• References

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Basic

Gaming Mode

This is an optimized mode for launching your games, similar to Big Picture on PC.

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Desktop Mode

In this mode, SteamOS is installed (based on the Arch Linux distribution with KDE Plasma as the desktop environment), and you have the full PC experience — connect keyboard/mouse/devices, install any apps, use a console, and many more...

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Switch Modes

By default, your Steam Deck loads on Gaming Mode.

To switch to Desktop Mode, follow these steps:

1. Press the Steam button and select Power
2. Scroll and click Switch to Desktop
3. Restart your Steam Deck when prompted

To return to Gaming Mode:

• Restart your Steam Deck
• Double-click the Return to Gaming Mode icon on Desktop

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Shortcuts

To show the keyboard on Desktop Mode and Gaming Mode, use the Steam + X button combination.

Tip

Hold the Steam button on Gaming Mode to see a list of all available shortcuts.

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Pre-Settings

Developer Mode

To access certain advanced settings, you need to enable Developer Mode:

1. Switch your Steam Deck to Gaming Mode
2. Press Steam button and select Settings
3. Scroll down and click Developer
4. Enable Developer Mode

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Beta Channel

Now, one thing you are going to want to do is move to the beta channel. The reason is that Valve is constantly pushing out updates and new features, and being in the beta channel ensures you get all the latest updates as they're released.

To enable the Beta Channel, follow these steps:

1. Switch your Steam Deck to Gaming Mode
2. Press Steam button and select Settings
3. Scroll up and click System
4. Change System Update Channel to Beta
5. Change OS Update Channel to Steam Deck Beta
6. Restart your Steam Deck when prompted

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Root Password

By default, the Steam Deck user is shipped with no password. This is a secure setting that prevents access via SSH and can't be used to run commands via sudo for installing homebrew apps.

To set the password, follow these steps:

1. Switch your Steam Deck to Desktop Mode
2. Open the application menu and select System
3. Run the Konsole app

Type this command and hit Enter:

passwd

Type your new password (typed characters do not appear on the screen!) and hit Enter. After retyping the password, hit Enter again.

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Enable SSH

SSH allows you to remotely interact with your Steam Deck, so you can transfer games from another Windows/MacOS/Linux computer directly to your Steam Deck. You can also do helpful things like install mods, manage game configs, keep tabs on running processes, and other fun maintenance things.

To enable SSH, follow these steps:

1. Switch your Steam Deck to Desktop Mode
2. Open the application menu and select System
3. Run the Konsole app

This would make the SSH server start at boot:

sudo systemctl enable sshd

After that, run this command to start the server immediately:

sudo systemctl start sshd

Now, on your computer, you should be able to access your Steam Deck terminal with this command and type password:

ssh deck@steamdeck.local

Tip

If your router is not catching up with the domain name, you must type the Steam Deck's IP address manually instead of the steamdeck.local.

You can easily check the IP address by typing ip addr on the Konsole app.

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Homebrew

Decky

Decky Loader is a homebrew plugin launcher for the Steam Deck. It can be used to stylize your menus, change system sounds, adjust your screen saturation, change additional system settings, and more.

To install Decky:

1. Switch your Steam Deck to Desktop Mode
2. Open Firefox and go to https://deckbrew.xyz
3. Download the .desktop file into your Desktop
4. Double-click the Install Decky icon on Desktop
5. Enter your password when prompted

Alternatively, you can install Decky via console:

curl -L https://github.com/SteamDeckHomebrew/decky-installer/releases/latest/download/install_prerelease.sh | sh

...and go to Decky:

1. Switch your Steam Deck to Gaming Mode
2. Press the ... button
3. Select Decky
4. Install plugins ^preview

Recommended plugins:

• AutoSuspend – automatically suspend on low power
• DeckSettings – browse recommended game settings
• HLTB for Deck – show game lengths according to HowLongToBeat
• ProtonDB Badges – show tappable ProtonDB badges on your game pages

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Tweaks

These are basic settings for additional optimization.

SteamOS optimization

Collection of SteamOS tweaks to improve Steam Deck performance by A.T.B.

To apply tweaks:

1. Switch your Steam Deck to Desktop Mode
2. Open the application menu and select System
3. Run the Konsole app

Run script via console:

curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/denis-g/steam-deck-optimization-guide/master/scripts/steamos_optimization.sh | sh

Enter your password when prompted.

CryoUtilities

Scripts and utilities to enhance the Steam Deck experience — swap tuner, memory parameters and storage manager optimized.

Note

At the moment CryoUtilities is not actually for SteamOS version 3.6 and higher ^details.

Old guide:

Compare results:

To install CryoUtilities:

1. Switch your Steam Deck to Desktop Mode
2. Open Firefox and go to https://github.com/CryoByte33/steam-deck-utilities#install
3. Download the .desktop file into your Desktop
4. Double-click Install CryoUtilities icon on Desktop

Alternatively, you can download installer CryoUtilities on Desktop via console:

curl -s -L "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CryoByte33/steam-deck-utilities/main/InstallCryoUtilities.desktop" -o "$HOME/Desktop/InstallCryoUtilities.desktop"

And run the CryoUtilities installer:

1. Open the application menu and select Utilities
2. Run the CryoUtilities app
3. Enter your password when prompted
4. Select Recommended Settings

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VRAM

By default, the Steam Deck uses 1GB of VRAM. This means the CPU will use the remaining 15GB of RAM. The GPU can use more than the 1GB reserved, but priority will always be given to the CPU.

Compare results:

To change the VRAM size needed to run UEFI (aka BIOS):

1. Turn off your Steam Deck
2. Hold the Volume Up (+) button and turn on Steam Deck
3. Wait for UEFI to load
4. Click Setup Utility icon
5. Click Advanced tab
6. Scroll down and select UMA Frame buffer Size
7. Set it to 4GB
8. Click Save and Exit

Warning

Games not compatible with this setting:

• Red Dead Redemption 2

Important

This setting reset to default after the UEFI update.

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BTRFS

Btrfs with its transparent compression and deduplication capabilities can achieve impressive storage gains but also improve loading times because of less data being read. It also supports instant snapshotting which is very useful to roll back to a previous state.

Compare results:

Caution

Before installation read all information on the repo about this tweak and potential problems like a free space available, and can't go back to ext4 after the conversion process, flatpak issues...

To install SteamOS-Btrfs:

1. Switch your Steam Deck to Desktop Mode
2. Open Firefox and go to https://gitlab.com/popsulfr/steamos-btrfs#desktop-installer
3. Download the .desktop file into your Desktop
4. Double-click this icon on Desktop
5. Enter your password when prompted
6. When your Steam Deck reboots wait the conversion process will end (it's not frozen! don't reboot!)

Alternatively, you can install SteamOS-Btrfs via console:

t="$(mktemp -d)"
curl -sSL "https://gitlab.com/popsulfr/steamos-btrfs/-/archive/main/steamos-btrfs-main.tar.gz" | tar -xzf - -C "$t" --strip-components=1
"$t/install.sh"
rm -rf "$t"

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40 FPS

Although 60 FPS provides the best gaming experience, it's not always feasible due to the game's inability to sustain it or the draining of battery life. In such cases, a lower option like 30 FPS is preferred. While 40 FPS may appear closer to 30 FPS, it's not the case.

• 60 FPS – game refreshes every 16.7 ms
• 40 FPS – game refreshes every 25 ms
• 30 FPS – game refreshes every 33.3 ms

By doing the math, one can see that 40 FPS is precisely in the middle between 30 and 60 FPS. The quicker a game updates, the more improvement there is in input lag, leading to a smoother visual experience. ^{Digital Foundry Test}

To set the Framerate Limit:

1. Switch your Steam Deck to Gaming Mode
2. Press the ... button
3. Select Perfomance
4. Scroll down and set the Framerate Limit to 40
5. Set the Refresh Rate to 40

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ProtonUp-Qt

ProtonUp-Qt is a simple and great way to manage the likes of GE-Proton (previously known as Proton GE), the Luxtorpeda compatibility tool for Native Linux game engines and more.

Install ProtonUp-Qt:

1. Switch Steam Deck on Desktop Mode
2. Open application menu and select Utilities
3. Run Discover app
4. Type on searchbox proton
5. Select ProtonUp-Qt and click Install

Alternatively, you can install ProtonUp-Qt via console:

sudo flatpak install flathub net.davidotek.pupgui2 -y

For install latest Proton version:

1. Open application menu and select Utilities
2. Run ProtonUp-Qt app
3. Click Add version, select latest version, and click Install

Now, if you need to change the Proton version for a game, you can do so in three ways.

Via the ProtonUp-Qt app:

Warning

Close the Steam app before changes!

...or change via the Steam app:

...or change on Gaming Mode:

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Enhanced

Locale

Some third party apps or games must be launched with the specific locale and not language running on your system.

For example, japanese apps must be launched with JA-JP locale:

1. Switch your Steam Deck to Gaming Mode or Desktop Mode
2. Select your app or game
3. Go to Settings
4. Change Launch Options to LANG=ja_JP.UTF-8 %command%

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Protontricks

This is a wrapper script that allows you to easily run Winetricks commands for Steam Play/Proton games among other common Wine features, such as launching external Windows executables. This is often useful when a game requires closed-source runtime libraries or applications that are not included with Proton.

Install Protontricks:

1. Switch Steam Deck on Desktop Mode
2. Open application menu and select Utilities
3. Run Discover app
4. Type on searchbox proton
5. Select Protontricks and click Install

Alternatively, you can install Protontricks via console:

sudo flatpak install flathub com.github.Matoking.protontricks -y

Sometimes it is necessary to install or update software in a container with a specific game.

For example, update the old Uplay Launcher to the new Ubisoft Connect for the correct launch of the game:

1. Open application menu and select Utilities
2. Run Protontricks app
3. Select your game and click OK
4. Select Install an application and click OK
5. Scroll down, select Uplay and click OK
6. Next > Next > Finish and wait when application install

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Cabextract

Cabextract is Free Software for extracting Microsoft cabinet files, also called .CAB files.

For install cabextract into your system:

1. Switch Steam Deck on Desktop Mode
2. Open the application menu and select System
3. Run the Konsole app

Type this command and hit Enter:

sudo steamos-readonly disable

Enter your password when prompted. Also needed to type all the below commands:

sudo pacman-key --init
sudo pacman-key -u
sudo pacman-key --populate
sudo pacman -S cabextract

After is completed type this command and hit Enter again:

sudo steamos-readonly enable

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Alternatively, it is needed to install cabextract for a specific game. For example, this is needed to fix skipping all cutscenes and videos in Darksiders: Warmastered Edition.

1. Switch Steam Deck on Desktop Mode
2. Open Firefox and go to https://gitlab.com/steevyp/mf-installcab_steamdeck
3. Download the .zip source code archive file into your Downloads directory
4. Extract the .zip file

Alternatively, you can download .zip and extract the file via console:

curl -s -L "https://gitlab.com/steevyp/mf-installcab_steamdeck/-/archive/main/mf-installcab_steamdeck-main.zip" -o "$HOME/Downloads/mf-installcab_steamdeck-main.zip"
unzip -o "$HOME/Downloads/mf-installcab_steamdeck-main.zip" -d "$HOME/Downloads"

1. Open the application menu and select System
2. Run the Konsole app

Type this command and hit Enter:

PROTON="$HOME/.steam/root/steamapps/common/Proton 8.0" && \
WINEPREFIX="$HOME/steam/root/steamapps/compatdata/462780/pfx" ./install-mf-64.sh -proton

And wait when application install.

1. Copy mfplat.dll to installed game directory
2. Switch your Steam Deck to Gaming Mode
3. Change the Proton version to 8.0 for a game

Alternatively, you can copy mfplat.dll file via console:

cp "$HOME/Downloads/mf-installcab_steamdeck-main/mfplat.dll" "$HOME/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Darksiders Warmastered Edition/mfplat.dll"

Note

462780 is ID for Darksiders: Warmastered Edition game.

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In-Game Settings

● Anti-Aliasing

If possible, set it to FXAA or TAA. SSAA or MSAA are mostly not recommended because they consume a lot of power.

● Screen Space Reflections

Reduce all reflections to the lowest possible settings. They are usually expensive to process.

● Ambient Occlusion

This one is a bit tricky, as it is heavily dependent on the algorithm used. Try playing with the settings to see what works best for your game.

● Tessellation

Turn it off, as many game engines and developers misuse it, causing a lot of stress on the GPU. It won't be missed on an 800p screen.

● Shadows

Shadows can also be very resource-intensive, depending on how they are rendered. This is another setting you should try lowering first.

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References

Official:

• Steam Deck Support
• Steam Deck FAQ
• Steamworks Steam Deck FAQ

Community:

• CryoByte33 FAQ
• r/SteamDeck
• PCGamingWiki
• Steam Deck Guide
• protondb

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_{Steam Deck illustration created by ApeWTF. All screenshots from opened internet resources. All rights reserved.}