How To Back Up And Restore Your Steam Deck (2024)

After pouring over a hundred hours perfecting your island paradise in Valheim or finally defeating that brutally difficult boss in Elden Ring, the last thing you want is for all that glorious gaming progress to get unceremoniously wiped out. Trust us, you do NOT want to be left sobbing into your Steam Deck as you desperately try loading game saves that just aren't there anymore (don't ask us how we know).

With a few simple backup steps and restoration procedures, defending your Steam Deck data from even the most catastrophic storage issues only takes minutes. By this point, we've probably, very successfully sold you on the idea of backing up your data. So step forth, brave gamer, on a quest to defend against dastardly data loss (just read the guide below).

Updated on September 3, 2024, by Sai Vsr: In this update, we bring you some useful tips on avoiding common backup issues with your Deck.

Why Backups Are Important

Seriously though, as you play games on your Steam Deck, those games are saving data either in the cloud or locally on your device's internal SSD storage. This can include things like:

• Game save files that track your progression. Losing these means losing your place and having to start over.
• Custom settings like control configurations that you've dialed in just the way you like.
• Game mods and extra downloadable content.
• Achievements and unlockables earned through gameplay.

If something happens to your Steam Deck or its storage, all of that data could be lost forever if you don't have backups. So creating regular backups of your most-played games is just good practice to avoid catastrophic data loss.

Choosing A Backup Drive

The first step in keeping your Steam Deck game data safe is choosing a suitable backup drive. This needs to be an external USB drive with ample storage capacity for the amount of data you want to back up. Some good options include:

• High-capacity USB thumb drives: A 256GB or larger USB stick works great for on-the-go Steam Deck backups. Just plug it into the USB-C port and you're good to go.
• USB-C SSD drives: For max transfer speeds, a USB-C solid state drive is perfect for quick Steam Deck backup and recovery. Getting a 1TB drive should do the trick. Plenty of backup space there.
• Portable hard disk drives: Traditional spinning hard drives like portable HDDs offer larger capacities for cheaper. Just know transfer speeds may be slower.

No matter which option you choose, make sure your backup drive uses USB-C connectivity to plug right into your Steam Deck.

Backing Up Your Steam Deck Game Data

Once you've got your backup drive, it's time to preserve your current Steam Deck game data. It's fairly easy to get this done too. Here's what you need to do:

1. Plug your backup drive into the USB-C port on your Steam Deck.
2. Go to the Steam Deck User Interface and open the Steam Menu.
3. Select "Backup and Restore" > "Backup".
4. On the backup screen you can choose to back up ALL Steam Deck data or just data from individual games. Dealer's choice, really.
5. Choose the backup drive you plugged in as the location to save backup data.
6. Click "Backup" to start the process (the time it takes will totally depend on how much data you are backing up).
7. When it's all done and dusted, the system is gonna display "Backup Complete". You can take that as a sign to safely eject your backup drive. We did it, folks.

Recovering Your Steam Deck Game Data

Okay, no one ever wants to think about this...BUT if disaster ever strikes, and you lose access to your Steam Deck game data, you are absolutely sc- no wait, we just went through data backup. This means you can leverage your backups to bring that data back from the dead. Follow these steps to get that in order:

1. Make sure your backup drive is plugged into your Steam Deck's USB-C port.
2. Boot up your Steam Deck and open the Steam Menu.
3. Select "Backup and Restore">"Restore".
4. On the restore screen, select the backup file you want to restore from.
5. Pick which game data or full system data to restore.
6. Choose the backup drive where your backup is saved.
7. Click "Restore" to start recovering that backed up Steam Deck data.
8. Once finished, Steam will relaunch with your restored games and data now intact once more! Continue playing like nothing ever happened.

Denial for the win :)

Preventing Common Issues

Having problems with your Steam Deck backups can sometimes get so ugly that you may just end up chucking it down the trash compactor. But don't worry, that's what I'm here to prevent. Here's a few handy-dandy tips :

1. Check Backup Files: Make sure your backup drive isn't busted. Faulty drives can mangle files. Consider getting a nice SSD or sticking your stuff in the cloud - those tend to be more reliable. Also, every so often, try putting your backups back onto your Deck to check if they still work right. If the files get corrupted or altered somehow, this'll help you catch that early. Some backup tools even let you validate file integrity automatically with checksums and hashes, so that should be pretty helpful in monitoring things.
2. Keep An Eye Out For Failed Restores: Double-check your SteamOS and games are fully updated. Sometimes newer software doesn't work with older backup versions, leading to a failed restore. While you're at it, make sure the game version on your backup matches what's installed. If those don't line up, that could definitely cause issues.
3. Partial Backups: Verify all your game data and save files got backed up by checking the file size or checking backup logs if your software has them. Some backup tools can automate the process start-to-finish, helping ensure nothing gets missed.
4. Connection Troubles: If you're using an external drive, make sure it's firmly plugged into your Deck's USB-C port for max speed and reliability. Spotty connections can bork your backups like nothing.

Staying on top of software updates, matching game versions, regularly verifying backup integrity, and addressing connection issues can help avoid headaches down the road. Just take it step-by-step and you've got this!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I back up Steam Deck data to cloud storage services?

While the Steam Deck doesn't natively support cloud backup locations, you can utilize a cloud syncing service like Google Drive or Dropbox if you have their apps installed. Just make sure you have enough cloud storage to handle all your game data.

Do Steam Cloud saves protect all my game data?

Steam Cloud is great for syncing basic game progression and settings across devices, sure, but it has storage limits and also, not all Steam games fully support Steam Cloud. So backing up locally is still recommended for guaranteeing you have all game data protected.

What can I do if my backups aren't restoring properly?

If you run into issues restoring Steam Deck backups, first make sure the backup file itself is not corrupted. You can try restoring it to a different Steam Deck to check. Also, confirm you are picking the correct storage location for restoration. Lastly, double check that your OS and game versions match what the backup file expects to see. This should be a good place to start.