Steam Deck Can't Reach Steam Servers: The Best Fixes

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Top troubleshooting methods to keep your Steam Deck connected to Valve

Co-authored by Darlene Antonelli, MA Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: June 10, 2024 Fact Checked

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• Updating Your Steam Deck
|
• Restarting Your Steam Deck
|
• Disabling Wi-Fi Power Management

|Show more |Show less

Before Steam released the 3.3 update for Steam Deck, people frequently encountered the errors "Steam Deck Can't Reach Steam Severs" or "Steam Deck Has Trouble Reaching the Internet." This re-occurring issue was mainly resolved with update 3.3, but you may still experience the error and other internet-related problems. Read on to learn how to easily and quickly fix the "Steam Deck Can't Reach Steam Servers" issue.

The Most Common Fix for "Steam Deck Can't Reach Steam Servers"

Update your Steam Deck by going to Settings > System > Check for Updates > Restart. If your Steam Deck is updated to the latest OS, restart it by pressing and holding the Power button for 4 (LCD) or 7 (OLED) seconds.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Updating Your Steam Deck

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1. 
   1
   Press the Steam button. It's a button on the left side of the Steam Deck that says "Steam."

   • This will open a menu.
   • Update 3.3 was released on Aug 2, 2022, and includes an updated wireless driver with fixes for Wi-Fi disconnection issues on 5GHz. It will solve the main disconnection issues with a Steam Deck that hasn't been updated. Fortunately, there have been more and more updates and patches that also address this issue, so any update over 3.3 also solves the Internet issue.
2. 
   2
   Tap Settings. It's on the left side of your screen.

   • You can touch the screen or navigate with the arrow keys and press A to make your selections.
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3. 
   3
   Tap System. It's the second item down on the menu.
4. 
   4
   Tap Check for Updates. You'll see this under the "Software Updates" section.

   • Tap Restart to apply the update and wait for your Steam Deck to restart.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Restarting Your Steam Deck

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1. 
   1
   Press the Power button for 4 (LCD) or 7 (OLED) seconds. If you have an OLED model, you'll need to press the button longer.

   • There are a few ways that you can tell if you have an LCD or OLED model:
     • Look at the back: Model 1010 is LCD; Model 1030 is OLED
     • Look at the analog sticks: White or Grey sticks indicates LCD; Black sticks indicate OLED.
     • Look at the Power button: The Power button on OLED is orange.
     • Look at the screen's refresh rate: The LCD screen is limited to 60hz; the OLED can do 90hz.
   • If pressing the Power button for 4 - 7 seconds doesn't work, press the Power button for 10 (LCD) or 16 (OLED) seconds.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Disabling Wi-Fi Power Management

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1. 
   1
   Enable Developer Mode if you don't have it enabled. To do this,

   • Press the Steam button, go to Settings > System," and enable the toggle next to "Enable Developer Mode."
   • Return to the main Settings menu once Developer Mode is enabled. Press B to close the menu and press the Steam button again to open the side menu.
2. 
   2
   Tap Developer. It's the last option on the side menu.
3. 
   3
   Tap the toggle off next to "WiFi Power Management." You want this feature off. This workaround solved a few people's "Steam Deck Can't Reach Steam Servers" error.
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