Will Your Current Games Transfer to the Steam Deck?

Valve’s all-new Steam Deck is finally here. With it have come various questions, including whether the Steam Deck can transfer games. One thing that everyone is keen to know is whether their existing libraries will automatically transfer to the new handheld console.

However, numerous other queries have also arisen along the same lines. For example, will progress transfer, too? And will that progress sync between gamers’ PCs and their new Steam Decks? We delve into each of these questions in search of definitive answers.

For the most part, yes — your current games will indeed transfer to your all-new Steam Deck! Of course, that assumes that any existing titles are compatible. However, most should be, especially among newer releases.

Right now, all existing Steam games are classified as either Steam Deck verified, playable, unsupported, or untested. To help clarify, Steam Deck maker Valve released an online tool to assist players in quickly finding out which games in their existing Steam libraries are compatible.

A separate list of Steam Deck verified games is also available on the console’s official website. Assuming that a game is listed as verified or otherwise confirmed as playable, it should transfer straight from a user’s Steam library directly to their Steam Deck.

Untested titles may also transfer, should Steam Deck owners wish. Whether they prove to be playable is another matter, as will be the case with unsupported games unless measures are taken behind the scenes to add support retrospectively.

Yes. In fact, provisions to ultimately allow progress to transfer from PC to Steam Deck have always been in place. They’re the same provisions that have allowed gamers to enjoy their Steam libraries across two or more desktop PCs, laptops, or other compatible devices.

That said, users need to set up their Steam account to allow this. To ensure that progress successfully transfers from PC to Steam Deck, so-called cloud saves must be enabled. Anyone who has previously played across multiple devices using Steam will invariably already have enabled this. Doing so will ensure that everything from player save data to in-game currency is available on a Steam Deck, too.

Absolutely. Steam Deck owners can pick up where they left off on their PCs and vice versa. Of course, a Steam Deck will need to be connected to the internet in order to sync. But other than that, the process should be seamless.

As mentioned above, it’s a function that’s essentially always been in place. Now, though, and with the arrival of Dynamic Cloud Sync, Valve has bolstered these provisions in preparation for the launch of its handheld Steam Deck. And the dynamic portion of Dynamic Cloud Sync is especially important.

Existing cloud synchronization has largely relied on users quitting a game on one device before later reopening it on another. Yet, by the very nature of the Steam Deck itself, it’s much more likely that owners will want to pick up where they left off even when a game is still running on another device.

The same applies in reverse, too, with Steam Deck owners unlikely to remember to always quit games on their consoles before trying to pick them back up on their PCs or laptops, for example.

Like Valve’s old cloud sync provisions, Dynamic Cloud Sync needs to be manually enabled. It’ll also rely on developers enabling it for their games, although it’s highly likely that almost all will look to immediately take advantage of the new functionality.

With everything now up and running, new Steam Deck owners need to protect their purchases with an extended warranty. Valve offers a one-year limited warranty intended to help in the event of manufacturing defects and issues with workmanship. However, anyone looking to bolster, upgrade, or extend their Steam Deck warranty should look to Upsie.

At least some Steam Deck buyers will inevitably experience initial problems with their consoles. Upsie’s extended video gaming warranty packages are designed to provide complete peace of mind under these and similar circumstances. In addition, Upsie’s warranties also include accidental damage protection, further safeguarding against drops, cracks, liquid spills, and other mishaps.

Comprehensive, affordable, and easy to understand, Upsie is the best choice for your Steam Deck. Other perks of choosing an extended Steam Deck warranty from Upsie include a choice of local repair and replacement options and unlimited claims up to a Steam Deck’s purchase price.