Introduction:

The Steam Deck is a powerful and portable gaming device developed by Valve. For gamers who prefer the traditional setup of keyboard and mouse, you’ll be happy to know that connecting these peripherals to your Steam Deck is simple and convenient. In this article, we will walk you through the process of connecting a mouse and keyboard to your Steam Deck.

Step 1: Gather your equipment

To begin, you’ll need the following equipment:

1. A USB-C to USB-A hub or adapter

2. A wired or wireless keyboard

3. A wired or wireless mouse

Step 2: Connecting the USB-C hub or adapter

Firstly, connect the USB-C end of the hub or adapter into the USB-C port on the top of your Steam Deck. This will provide you with one or more standard USB-A ports which can be used to connect your mouse and keyboard.

Step 3: Connecting a wired keyboard and mouse

If you are using wired peripherals, simply plug their respective USB-A connectors into the available ports on your USB hub or adapter.

Step 4: Connecting a wireless keyboard and mouse

For wireless mouse and keyboard users, plug their corresponding USB dongles into the available ports on your USB hub or adapter.

In case your wireless peripherals utilize Bluetooth, follow these additional steps:

1. Turn on your Bluetooth mouse and keyboard.

2. On your Steam Deck, navigate to Settings.

3. Scroll down to find ‘Bluetooth & Other devices’ and tap on it.

4. Tap on ‘Add Bluetooth or other devices’.

5. Choose ‘Bluetooth‘ from the list.

6. Locate your peripheral in the list of available devices and tap on it to initiate pairing.

7. Upon successful pairing, they should appear in your ‘Connected Devices’ list.

(Optional) Step 5: Enabling desktop mode for better control

While not necessary, enabling the Steam Deck’s desktop mode will provide a more familiar workspace environment for keyboard and mouse users. To enable this mode, follow these steps:

1. On your Steam Deck, click on the ‘Library’ tab.

2. Click on the cogwheel icon in the top-right corner to open Settings.

3. Scroll down to find ‘System‘ and tap on it.

4. Toggle the ‘Enable Desktop Mode’ switch.

Conclusion:

With these easy steps, you can now effectively connect your mouse and keyboard to your Steam Deck for a comfortable and familiar gaming experience. The versatile nature of Valve’s Steam Deck allows users to customize their gaming experience with peripheral preferences, making it the ultimate portable gaming console for enthusiasts of all types.