How do you improve the Steam Deck download speeds? If you’re sick of slow game downloads, a fan of the Steam Deck has some advice on how to fix this issue on Valve’s portable. Don’t let the tech jargon put you off, either, as it doesn’t take a tech whizz to follow these six simple steps.
Despite being one of the best handheld gaming PCs, the Steam Deck can often struggle with download speeds. The Steam Deck OLED largely fixed this problem with the addition of WiFi 6E, but for LCD models, we’ve got a fix to get your games playable sooner.
Reddit user Gawdamn69 has given step-by-step instructions on what you can do to improve said speeds on your Steam Deck. One of these steps is to put your device in desktop mode, which is much easier – and cooler – when using the best Steam Deck dock.
We have tested this ourselves, and it’s easy enough to reverse the steps if you encounter any hiccups. Essentially, it’s a your-mileage-may-vary kind of situation, as some comments point out other limitations.
You may not see a huge improvement if you have weak internet at home anyway, and those running anything but the best Steam Deck SD card or SSD might have other issues that slow download speeds.
Here’s how to improve download speeds on Steam Deck:
- Go into ‘Settings’ > ‘Downloads’ and set ‘Limit bandwidth to:’ to any number above 1,000
- Put the Steam Deck into ‘Desktop Mode’ by pressing the Steam button, selecting ‘Power’ and then choosing ‘Switch to Desktop’
- On the ‘Linux Desktop,’ click on the Wi-Fi logo, find your internet connection, click the left trackpad, and select ‘Configure Wi-Fi Settings’
- Under the ‘Wi-Fi Section Mode,’ go to ‘Infrastructure’ > ‘BSSID’ > ‘Restrict to device’ > set it to wlan0
- Under ‘iPv4’ > ‘Auto’ > set ‘Other DNS’ to 8.8.8.8
- Restart the device
After that, it’s just a case of starting a download and testing to see if the solution offers better download speeds overall. The user says they’ve seen significant improvements, but it’s not a guarantee for everyone.
Even though the Steam Deck is a highly praised portable gaming PC, it’s by no means perfect. Thankfully, there are people out there who seem to have a good handle on things. From fixing loud fan bursts to warning against filling up the SSD, you’ve always got a helpful community who can offer up advice to hopefully get the most out of the portable powerhouse.
If you’re after some inspiration for what to play next, check out our guide to the best Steam Deck games that Valve has given a verified rating to.