The Steam Deck is a great handheld gaming console that can handle a whole Steam library. There are games that take up a lot of storage and would take a few hours to download so how would the Deck handle it?

The Nintendo Switch and the Xbox can download games while in sleep mode. This means you can just leave these consoles and it will continue to download games. For large game sizes, it is beneficial too since you can leave it overnight and it will be ready in the morning.

Now, can the Steam Deck download in sleep mode as well? What are the other options? Let's find out.

Steam Deck | Photo by Petar Vukobrat

Can Steam Deck Download In Sleep Mode

Unfortunately, the Steam Deck cannot download while in sleep mode. The device needs to be on in order to download games and other apps.

Hopefully, Valve adds this feature on the Steam Deck soon since a lot of users are requesting this ability. It is worth noting that Steam games could go up to 50GB and leaving your Deck off while it downloads is a huge advantage.

Why Can't The Steam Deck Download In Sleep Mode?

The Steam Deck is a compact computer and not just a dedicated console. Computers need to be on in order to execute tasks such as downloading, uploading, and even playing. It works the same as a regular computer. Put it into sleep mode and all other tasks stop as well.

The Deck might not be able to support this feature since it might be tied to the hardware used. AMD processor powers the Steam Deck and it does not have the ability to complete tasks while in sleep mode.

Laptops and other devices that are known to have this feature were using Intel processors so it might be a patent issue.

Valve might have the solution though and would release it in a future update soon. The feature may even arrive upon the release of the official Steam Deck dock. But it is all wishful thinking at the moment.

In the end, this is a PC problem wherein Sleep mode is literally, sleep mode. The Steam Deck may be marketed as a gaming device but it is still a compact gaming computer at heart. It is not a PlayStation, Xbox, or mobile device.

What Are Your Current Options?

The only way to simulate sleep mode and download games on the Steam Deck is to set your display brightness to the lowest and leave it at that. This way the Deck is awake and will be able to download games.

There is a setting on the desktop mode that auto dims that Steam Deck. You may use that option too.

Another way is to adjust your dimming timer on your settings. The default value is 15 mins but if you want your screen to dim quicker, you may set it to one minute. You may then leave your Steam Deck as it downloads.

The screen dimming method is great for battery life too since it will not use much energy to power on the display.

Wrapping Up

The Steam Deck does not have a download while sleep mode feature at the moment. It is disappointing since its competitors like the Nintendo Switch have this feature. There is a workaround that you can do but it is not the best solution either. Hopefully, Valve sorts this out and adds the feature on future updates.

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