Why you need a backup before anything goes wrong

A backup on your Steam Deck saves your game progress, controller settings, and installed games so you can restore them if the device fails, gets lost, or needs a factory reset. Without a backup, you lose hours of progress and have to reinstall everything from scratch. Steam Deck backups are straightforward because most of your data lives in the cloud already — but your local save files and custom configurations need manual protection.

The fastest method is to back up to an external USB drive or SD card. This takes 30 minutes to a few hours depending on how many games you have installed, and you only need to do it once before something breaks. If you back up regularly, you can restore to any point in time.

Key Takeaways

  • Steam automatically syncs your save files to the cloud, but local-only saves and controller settings require manual backup to an external drive.
  • The easiest backup method is to use a USB drive or microSD card plugged into your Steam Deck, then copy your entire home folder to it.
  • You can back up individual games by copying their folders from ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata and ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common.
  • To restore after a reset or device replacement, copy your backed-up folders back into the same locations and launch Steam to re-sync your library.

Prepare your external storage and connect it

You need a USB drive or microSD card with at least as much free space as the data you want to back up. If you have 50 GB of games installed, use a drive with at least 60 GB free. Plug the drive into one of the USB-C ports on the bottom of your Steam Deck, or insert a microSD card into the slot on the right side.

Once connected, the drive appears on your desktop. If it does not, open the file manager (the folder icon in the taskbar), and the drive should show in the left sidebar under "Other Locations". Right-click the drive and select "Open as Root" so you have permission to copy system files — this is necessary because Steam Deck runs Linux and some folders require elevated access.

Back up your entire home folder for a complete restore

The simplest backup copies your entire home folder, which contains all your game saves, controller mappings, and Steam settings in one place. Open the file manager, press Ctrl+H to show hidden files, then navigate to your home directory (usually /home/deck). Right-click the folder and select "Copy".

Navigate to your external drive in the file manager, right-click the empty space, and select "Paste". This copies everything — expect it to take 1 to 3 hours if you have many games. Once done, you have a complete snapshot. If your Steam Deck ever fails, you can restore by copying this folder back to a fresh installation.

This method is safest because it preserves folder structure and permissions. The downside is that it takes longer and uses more space than backing up only what you need.

Back up only your save files and controller settings

If you want a faster backup that takes less space, copy only the folders that contain your saves and settings. Open the file manager, press Ctrl+H, and navigate to ~/.local/share/Steam. You will see two folders you need: compatdata (which holds Proton save files for most games) and config (which holds your controller mappings and Steam settings).

Right-click compatdata, select "Copy", then paste it onto your external drive. Repeat for the config folder. This backup is much smaller — usually 5 to 20 GB depending on how many games you play — and takes 15 to 30 minutes.

When you restore, copy these two folders back into ~/.local/share/Steam on your Steam Deck, overwriting the existing ones. Your saves and controller settings return when ready. Your games themselves are not backed up this way, so you will need to reinstall them from Steam, but they read faster the second time because Steam caches them locally.

Back up individual games you care about most

If you only want to preserve specific games, you can copy just those folders. Navigate to ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common and find the folder for the game you want — it is usually named after the game (for example, Baldur's Gate 3 or Elden Ring). Copy that folder to your external drive.

Also copy the corresponding folder from ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata — it has the same name but with a number appended. Both folders together contain the game and its saves. This method is fastest if you only care about a few games, but it requires you to remember which games you backed up.

Restore your backup after a reset or replacement

If you reset your Steam Deck or get a new one, plug in your external drive and open the file manager. If you backed up your entire home folder, copy it back to /home/deck and overwrite the existing folder. If you backed up only compatdata and config, copy those two folders back into ~/.local/share/Steam.

After copying, restart your Steam Deck. Launch Steam and let it sync with the cloud — this re-downloads your game library list and verifies your saves. Your progress and controller settings return to exactly where you left them. If you backed up individual games, copy their folders back into the same locations, then launch Steam to re-register them in your library.

The restore process takes as long as the backup did, depending on drive speed and the amount of data. USB 3.0 drives are much faster than USB 2.0, so if you back up frequently, a newer drive saves time.

Schedule regular backups so you do not lose progress

A single backup protects you from device failure, but if you play regularly, back up every few weeks so you never lose more than a few hours of progress. You can keep multiple backups on the same external drive by renaming each one with a date — for example, steam-backup-jan-15 and steam-backup-feb-1.

If your external drive is large enough, you can keep backups from the last month without deleting old ones. This way, if you discover a corrupted save file weeks after it happened, you can restore from an older backup instead of losing that progress forever. Most people find that backing up once a month is enough unless they are playing a game with frequent progress milestones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to back up my games themselves or just my saves?

You only need to back up your saves and settings. Steam stores your game library in the cloud, so when you sign in on any Steam Deck, your game list downloads automatically. You can reinstall any game by launching Steam and clicking "Install". Backing up the game folders themselves saves reinstall time, but it is not necessary for progress.

What if I back up to a microSD card instead of a USB drive?

A microSD card works the same way as a USB drive. Insert it into the slot on the right side of your Steam Deck, open the file manager, and copy your folders to it. microSD cards are slower than USB 3.0 drives, so backups take longer, but they are more portable and take up less space in your bag.

Can I back up to a cloud service like Google Drive or Dropbox instead?

Steam Deck does not have built-in cloud backup tools like a phone does. You can manually upload your backup folders to a cloud service using the file manager, but it is slower and more complicated than using an external drive. Most people find a USB drive simpler and faster.

Will my backup work if I switch to a different Steam Deck model?

Yes. Your saves, settings, and game list are tied to your Steam account, not the hardware. When you restore your backup on a new Steam Deck and sign in, everything syncs back. The only exception is if you heavily modified system files outside of Steam — those changes may not carry over.

How much space do I actually need on my external drive?

If you back up your entire home folder, you need as much space as your Steam Deck's storage plus 10 percent extra. If you back up only saves and settings, you typically need 20 to 50 GB depending on how many games you play. Check how much space your Steam Deck is using by opening Settings, then System, then Storage.