In the series “Notes to Future Self”…
So – I got my OLED Steam Deck today and immediately ran into problems when trying to install several games at once: the transfers locked up, and nothing happened for quite a while.
I tried to find options to reboot the device via the menus, and Google failed to give me no-nonsense instructions. Knowing how to reboot your Steam Deck properly is essential, especially when it becomes unresponsive. To future me:
Here’s a breakdown of the methods to reboot.
Standard Reboot
You can perform a standard reboot if the Steam Deck is still responding. This is the safest way to restart your device:
- Press the Steam button.
- Navigate to “Power” at the bottom of the menu. Again, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MENU.
- Select “Restart.”
Alternatively, you should be able to press and hold the power button to bring up the power menu, where you’ll also find the “Restart” option.
Force Restart
You must perform a force restart when your Steam Deck is frozen or downright unresponsive. Follow these steps:
- Press and hold the power button. The time you need to hold down the power button for a force restart varies between the LCD and OLED versions of the Steam Deck.
- For LCD Steam Decks, hold the power button for 10 seconds.
- For OLED Steam Decks, hold the power button for 16 seconds.
- This will force the device to power off. After a few seconds, press the power button again to turn it back on.