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The best Steam Deck docksGive your Steam Deck some mouse ‘n’ keyboard comfort with the best docks we’ve tested
Give your Steam Deck some mouse ‘n’ keyboard comfort with the best docks we’ve tested
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun
Steam Deck Academybrings together all our guides and explainers on getting the most out of your Steam Deck, no student loans or sweaty dormitories required.
To most obvious application here is to justturn your Steam Deck into a desktop PC, but even a temporary jaunt into Desktop Mode can make the Deck a better gaming handheld. Adding plugins via Decky Loader, installing non-Steam launchers likeBattle.netandLutris, boosting game compatibility withProton GE… it all needs Desktop Mode, and as useful as the built-in trackpads can be, they’re no real substitute for a good old mouse and keyboard. Which are most easily connected through – you guessed it – a docking station. The best of which I’ve tested and gathered here, for your perusal.
We Bought Five Unusual Steam Deck Accessories From EtsyWatch on YouTube
We Bought Five Unusual Steam Deck Accessories From Etsy
For simply hooking up peripherals or plugging in a thumb drive, you could just use any USB-C hub, but a proper dock is better as it props up your Steam Deck for easy screen reading. They’re also much more likely support sufficient pass-through power delivery, so connecting the dock to mains power will keep your Deck charged up – rather than having it suffer the strain of the hub and connected peripherals on its already modestbattery life.
That’s just one of the considerations I gave to these picks of the best, along with build quality, stability, and the diversity of their physical connections. Even if it’s just for a short while, a dock can be your Steam Deck’s home. Might as well make it comfortable.
Best Steam Deck docks
Valve Steam Deck Docking Station
The best Steam Deck dock overall
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun
Astonishingly, it turns out that the people who make the Steam Deck know how to make a good dock for it. TheValve Steam Deck Docking Stationmakes a convincing argument for keeping things official, with excellent desk grip and a perfectly snug-fitting stand that matches the Deck’s own matte black plastic finish.
The real reason to buy one of these, mind, is the range of connections. Three full-size USB ports provide enough room for a wired mouse, keyboard, and thumb drive all at once, while the combination of HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 outputs grant multi-monitor support. That’s a pretty rare quality among Steam Deck docks in general, so it’s worth paying for Valve’s own model if you want to put your Steam Deck to work as an improvised desktop.
Speaking of paying, the Steam Deck Docking Station is undoubtedly a premium option, and if you just want something to occasionally hook up a mouse for Desktop Mode tinkering, then you can likely get away with a much cheaper alternative like the Syntech Docking Station (below). Still, it’s very nicely put together, and does offer relatively high-end connectivity. It’s also, I’ve recently noticed, had a permanent £10 / $10 price cut since release. Small mercies!
Syntech Docking Station
The best cheap Steam Deck dock
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun
TheSyntech Docking Stationis both pleasantly affordable and unusually quirky, adopting a rotund shape with a semicircular strip of well-spaced ports. It’s perfect if you’ve spent most of your Steam Deck accessory budget on a fat microSD card, but still want a dock that’s not a bargain bin bore.
Connectivity-wise, Syntech’s dock almost matches Valve’s own, including the healthy supply of three USB 3.0 (AKA 3.1 Gen 1) ports. It’s only missing a DisplayPort output, so any external monitor shenanigans will need HDMI. It also doesn’t grip the table as firmly as the official dock, but then stability isn’t really a concern, as the round base does mighty well at keeping the Steam Deck upright. Out of all the docks on this list, it’s the one I had the most trouble trying to knock over on purpose, so accidental bumps should give it even less bother.
Side benefit: it’s also compatible with rival handhelds, theAsus ROG AllyandLenovo Legion Go, both on connectivity and on having a stand slot in which they can all fit. Worth knowing, just in case you’re not strictly monogamous with the Steam Deck.
JSAUX 6-in-1 Multifunctional Docking Station
The most flexible Steam Deck dock
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun
The (deep breath)JSAUX 6-in-1 Multifunctional Docking Stationhas perhaps the funkiest design on this list. The narrow backrest is in fact a removeable USB-C hub that, when it’s time to dock the Deck, slots into a simple plastic base, with the ports facing rearwards.
Its narrowness, and the lack of a locking mechanism, mean this isn’t as stable as a lot of fully integrated Steam Deck docking stations. But it is potentially more, ahem, multifunctional; if you’re taking your Deck on a trip and don’t forsee a need to keep it upright, then the detached hub is easier to take with you than a complete dock, while still being capable of serving up extra connectivity in a pinch. And that connectivity is basically a slightly higher-spec version of what you get on the Ugreen Docking Station, with dual USB-Cs (one with 100W power pass-through), two full-size USB slots, and an HDMI 2.1 port.
Adding to its flexibility, this dock also supports theAsus ROG Ally, and even the chunkierAsus ROG Ally XandLenovo Legion Go. If anything, it’s evenbettersuited to those than the Steam Deck, as the latter lacks the drivers necessary to take full advantage of the dock’s HDMI 2.1 output. Then again, considering the main games-specific benefit of HDMI 2.1 over 2.0 is higher refresh rates at 4K, it’s not a huge loss for a handheld designed to run much lower resolutions.
Ugreen Docking Station for Steam Deck
The best Steam Deck dock for USB-C
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun
Another relatively cheap dock, theUgreen Docking Station for Steam Deck’s secret weapon is its second USB-C port. A literally tiny detail, sure, but consider this: most Steam Deck docks only have one, and it’s going to be filled in whenever you’ve got the power cable connected for pass-through charging. Any USB-C peripherals or externalSSDs, of which there are a growing number, will thus lose their home – unless you have a dock like Ugreen’s to provide a spare.
While it apparently comes at the cost of a third USB-A port, two of those are still enough for a mouse and keyboard, and there’s more to like besides. Aluminium, as the main building materia, gives it a sleek look and rigidity that even the Valve Steam Deck Docking Station doesn’t quite achieve, and like Syntech’s dock, it can accommodate non-Steam Deck handhelds as well. It’s also got more grip than the circular Syntech, even if it’s not as topple-proof when the Steam Deck takes a clumsy bump.
Steam Deck docks: setup and troubleshooting
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Updating firmware
Thisshouldkickstart a firmware update, but if it doesn’t, try unplugging the power cable (while leaving the dock and the Deck connected).
Setting up displays
Besides the obvious stuff – making sure your monitor or TV has the correct input selected, for example – using your Steam Deck with an external display comes with some quirks.
Audio setup
While Steam Deck docks lack dedicated sound outputs – audio is purely carried over the HDMI or DisplayPort connections – you can enable 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound while docked. With your external display already connected and working, reboot your Steam Deck into Desktop Mode, and click on the speaker icon in the taskbar. Then, find the HDMI/DisplayPort slider, click on the three-line icon, and select the number of channels that your speakers support.
