Despite being one of the most popular handheld consoles in the market, Valve’s Steam Deck is no stranger to frustrating errors. While the device certainly tops the chart if we consider convenience and accessibility, these errors really undermine the playing experience. Especially recently, players have been facing strange issues with their Deck regarding the shutdown. While some players are unable to shut down the Deck as it gets frozen, some players are having trouble with the device shutting down randomly. Naturally, these issues have left the players frustrated and searching for fixes. If you’re trying to play on your Deck but it continues to shut down suddenly, your search for fixes ends here. In this guide, we’ve shared everything on how to fix the issue with Steam Deck shutting down randomly. So, continue reading this piece till the end to find out the potential workarounds.
With the rapid pace of life that only keeps getting busier, handheld consoles have stormed into the market. Owing to the convenience they offer, these devices have become quite a popular choice among players. Among these handhelds, Valve’s Steam Deck holds a special place. At least as of today, it is one of the best-selling handhelds in the market. Thus, it’s understandable that when the Steam Deck malfunctions, it becomes a significant headache for users. It’s particularly frustrating if you’re playing a game and your device shuts down randomly. This can seriously damage your playing experience. We understand if you’ve been frustrated by this issue with your Steam Deck and are looking for fixes. So, how do you fix it if Steam Deck keeps shutting down randomly? Let’s find out!
Steam Deck Shutting Down Randomly: How to Fix?
Multiple players have reported that they faced a hard time with Steam Deck as it kept shutting down without a visible cause. Most players have also noted that this happened even when their Deck was fully charged. This begs the question: how do you actually fix this problem?
As it appears, this particular issue with the Steam Deck is likely an issue with the WiFi Power Management setting or the device firmware. Unfortunately, we don’t have any official fix for the issue as of yet. However, don’t lose hope. There are a few workarounds that you can try to fix this problem. All of them are listed below:
Fully Charge the Deck
Of course, it goes beyond saying that the device needs to have enough battery if you want it to work properly. For that, you should ensure that your Deck is fully charged. We also recommend using the authorized charger for charging your device to avoid any issues. If your device has enough battery but still continues to encounter this issue, follow the next workarounds.
Disable WiFi Power Management
Reddit user SlowMotionPanic shared that you can try and solve this issue by disabling WiFi Power Management. To do this, follow these steps:
- Press the Steam button on your Deck when you’re in Gaming mode.
- Go to Settings and open System.
- Scroll down and locate the option to enable Developer mode. Toggle it on.
- Press left on your DPad/stick to navigate the column on the left side.
- Scroll down and go to the Developer option at the bottom of your screen.
- Scroll down again and locate the Miscellaneous section.
- Locate the option that says “Enable WiFi Power Management“. Uncheck the box corresponding to it.
- Restart your Deck and start using it normally. See if the issue persists.
Switch to a 5GHz WiFi Connection
Although it might seem unrelated, consider switching your WiFi connection to fix this issue. Try using a 5GHz connection instead of a 2.4GHz one. This can help you overcome the random shutdowns, as Reddit user VeryJazzyMan shared. Try this out and see if it works out for you.
Connect to a Better Network
If the issue is indeed being caused by a poor network, you can attempt to fix it by switching to a different internet connection. You can especially use an Ethernet connection instead of a wireless one if the issue persists. Using a different network can be just the fix that you need for this particular problem.
Switch to SteamOS Beta Channel
Reddit user Lulucabeam shared that the problem was apparently solved for them once they switched to the Beta channel of SteamOS. Here’s how you can switch to it:
- Press the Steam button and go to Settings.
- Open System.
- Locate and open the “Beta Participation” tab.
- Open the drop-down menu corresponding to System Update Channel, and select Beta.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to restart your device.
- Check if the issue persists.
Note: Some players have instead shared that switching to the Stable channel from Beta fixed the problem for them.
Enable Battery Storage Mode
Multiple Steam Deck users fixed this issue at their end by enabling the Battery Storage Mode. Here’s how to enable it:
- First, you need to power your Steam Deck down.
- Then, press and hold the volume up (+) button, and simultaneously, press the Power button.
- This should allow you to enter the BIOS menu of your Deck.
- Go to Setup Utility using the DPad and press the A button to select and open it.
- Open the Power menu.
- Click on Battery Storage Mode and select Yes to confirm.
- Then, plug the Steam Deck into a power source and run it. You can, then, play and enjoy your favorite games without the random shutdowns.
Reimage Your Deck
A number of players claimed that reimaging the Steam Deck was the best way to fix this problem. However, before you attempt this, note that reimaging will make you lose every piece of data on your Steam Deck. So, approach this with a bit of caution.
- First, download the recovery image from here.
- You need to get a USB key of at least 8GB with the recovery image.
- On Windows, you can create the USB key using Rufus Utility. On MacOS and Linux, this can be done using Balena Etcher.
- Now, you’ll need a USB-C adapter or a hub to plug in the boot disk with your Deck.
- Once plugged in, shut down your Deck. Hold the volume down (–) and the Power button to enter the Boot Manager.
- Note that you have to boot using the EFI USB Device at this stage.
- Once the device boots successfully, you’ll land on a Desktop environment page.
- Select Re-image Steam Deck here to reset your device.
- See if the issue persists.
Contact Steam Deck Support
If you continue to face the shutdown issue with your Steam Deck, contact Steam Support. Check if the officials can help you with fixing the problem.
RMA Steam Deck
If you’re under the warranty period and continue to face the shutdown problem, the last option for you is to return the device and get a replacement from Valve. Luckily, Valve offers the RMA or Return Merchandise Authorization process for this. Place the return request via Steam support and see if the replacement works out for you.
Well, that’s all. These are all the potential workarounds for fixing the Steam Deck shutting down randomly issue. Hopefully, our guide was successful in providing you with all the necessary details. That said, if you found our guide insightful and informative, keep visiting DigiStatement for more such gaming content and information!
