Desktop Mode may be Linux but it closely resembles the Windows 10 desktop, with a taskbar, a pseudo-Start menu, and windowed apps, so working everything out is straightforward enough.

Still, this is easily done by hitting the Windows key, typing in ‘display’ and selecting Display Configuration when it shows up the settings screen itself makes it easy to apply the required tweaks.įrom there, you’re pretty much good to go. By default, SteamOS will treat the Deck’s screen as the primary display and the monitor as a secondary, so it takes a trip into the Display Configuration settings to swap those around. There’s also a touch of setup left to do once you’re all connected and entered into Desktop mode. You can use an unpowered hub that’s leeches off the Deck’s battery, but given how quickly it drains from full to flat even without a bunch of desktop-grade peripherals poking out of it… don’t. This will both ensure you’re not limited to 30Hz (in other words, 30fps) and keep the Deck’s battery topped up. Specially, you should use a hub or dock that can output video at 60Hz, and supports 45W power delivery. That’s still true, but truly getting the most out of the Deck as a desktop device requires a more discerning taste in hubs (even if you don’t need the official Steam Deck dock, which launches this summer).

Using the Steam Deck as a desktop: setup and essential kitįirst of all, mea culpa: in my Steam Deck review I said any old USB-C hub would suffice for connecting a mouse and keyboard. What I’ve found is that the Steam Deck can do a respectable impression of a budget desktop – that’s just not the reason you should ever buy one. To find out, I’ve spent hours running games and installing apps in the Deck’s dedicated Desktop Mode, which is accessible any time by simply holding down the power button and selecting it from the restart options. But how well does the Steam Deck work as a desktop PC, really? Valve’s use of the Linux-based SteamOS alone makes it less of a 1:1 equivalent to a Windows system, and its AMD APU was designed to handle the onboard display’s 1280x800 resolution – not 1080p and above.

With the right tools, then, you can plug into a monitor, add a mouse and keyboard, and get playing as if it were a (somewhat) conventional gaming rig.

Half the point of the Steam Deck is that it’s portable, but the other half is that it’s a PC.

Diablo 2 steam controller