I just got my Steam Deck yesterday, and at first it connected to my Wi-Fi and downloaded the OS without a hitch. However, when I returned from dinner, it had disconnected and now won’t reconnect, even in Desktop Mode. I’ve tried everything I could find online, like forgetting the network, clearing user data, and even reinstalling the OS from a USB stick, but nothing works. I’m starting to feel like it’s a hardware issue because it did connect fine initially, but I’m not sure what else to do. Has anyone faced a similar problem or have any suggestions?
4 Answers
There’s a known issue with SteamOS 3.7.8 that affects Wi-Fi connectivity. Try enabling WPA Supplicant in the developer settings. You can find that under Steam > Settings > System > Enable Developer Mode. Go to the Wi-Fi settings from there and enable “Force WPA Supplicant Wi-Fi backend”. This worked for me!
Check your router settings! Sometimes, having the smart settings enabled can disrupt connections. Try turning it off and connect specifically to the 5GHz band if available. That solved my similar issue.
Some users have had luck by tethering their Steam Deck to their phone’s hotspot for a bit or connecting to a different Wi-Fi network, like at a café. It might help reset the connection. Have you tried that?
I did try to enable my mobile hotspot, but the Steam Deck can’t seem to see the network. Even forcing the name didn’t work, it just keeps trying to connect.
Have you tried turning off Wi-Fi Power Management? That can help with connection issues. You might need to go into Desktop Mode for that, though.
I haven’t tried that yet! Do I need to access Desktop Mode to disable it? I’m struggling to even find that option right now.
Interesting! But how do I access the Developer settings without going through Desktop Mode? I’m having trouble finding that option.