The Steam Deck is one of the most marvellous advancements in portable gaming. Where the PSP once stood, the Steam Deck and the Nintendo Switch now stand. The Steam Deck, in particular, has the power of a compact PC with a portable form factor that allows you to play various games on the go. It also has a dock and USB connectivity for when you want to plug into an external monitor and continue gaming. There is one fatal flaw with the Steam Deck, however. Its software and use are buggy sometimes, which can lead to it not recognizing USB devices entirely. If this is a problem you are encountering with your portable gaming device, consider reading this guide until the end.
This is a known issue that has been around since the Steam Deck was released. Due to unknown reasons, the deck seems to not be able to recognize any USB connections, including HDDs or USB hubs. Although there isn’t any definite reason for this issue to occur, there are a bunch of workarounds that have worked for many.
Steam deck not recognizing USB drive: How to fix it?
So, the Steam Deck is essentially a portable PC. It has a touchscreen interface like some modern laptops have, but the core of the Steam Deck is running on Linux. Normally, this would not be an issue. However, some issues do pop up from time to time.
What seems to be the issue?
The issue might be related to the OS of the Steam Deck. SteamOS tends to malfunction every now and then, and these issues have to be fixed by the developers themselves. While there has been no official statement regarding the same, players have reported that there is nothing wrong with the hardware. If that’s the case, here are some workarounds for you to try:
1). Use another dock
If possible, use another Steam Deck Dock than the one you are using and connect the USB devices to it to check whether the issue persists. While you are at it, consider disconnecting and reconnecting the USB devices a couple of times.
2). Force Software Update
A force software update might be the only workaround effective for this issue. This can be done by switching to the Beta Version or the Stable one. To switch from beta to stable and vice versa, follow these steps:
- On the Deck, begin by pressing the Steam button.
- Head over to the System tab in the Steam Settings menu.
- Here, under the Beta Participation section, select the System Update Channel as either Beta or Stable.
- After doing so, restart your Deck, and then check whether this fixes the issue.
3). Update Steam Deck
Ensure that your Steam Deck is running on the latest version available. More often than not, such issues are results of software conflicts and an official update will most likely fix the issue for good. Well, at least that’s what worked for JayOreo.
4). Ensure USB Hub is properly connected
If you are trying to connect a USB hub to your Steam Deck and it is not being recognized, consider ensuring that the hub is connected properly. As stated by ELBarnacles, you will need to plug your USB hub into your handheld device, and then plug your Deck’s charger, that is connected to an outlet into your USB hub. Doing so will give the USB Hub power to run and be recognized by the Deck.
5). Restart the Steam Deck
You might want to consider restarting the Steam Deck if, despite trying these workarounds, the issue persists. A restart might solve any existing software issues the handheld had that may be restricting the Deck from recognizing the USB devices.
6). Reset BIOS Settings to Default
This issue can also be the result of some tweaks made to the Deck BIOS settings. So, if you have made some adjustments in the BIOS menu, consider booting into BIOS and resetting the adjustments to default. After this, try connecting an USB drive and then check whether the issue persists.
7). Reach out to support
If none of these methods work for you, you might want to consider talking to Valve support. You can even send your Steam Deck for replacement.
Well, this is how you can deal with the USB drive not recognizing issue in Steam Deck. If you found this guide helpful and would like to read more, make sure to visit Android Gram daily.
