Do you experience Steam Deck sound not working issue? Several factors can cause this issue such as a sound settings that is set to low or set to a mute, a temporary software glitch, or an outdated firmware. To fix this Steam Deck sound not working issue, you will need to perform several troubleshooting steps.
The Steam Deck is a portable gaming hardware developed by Valve. With the recently introduced Steam Deck, you may attach a display or play on the go. Any game, including Windows PC games, that you buy from the Steam catalog can be played on this device. The Linux-based Proton compatibility layer enables this. Users can install the necessary software, including new non-Steam games or different operating systems, because Steam Deck is an open platform.
Steam Deck Technical Specifications
Processor:
AMD APU
CPU: Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)
GPU: 8 RDNA 2 CUs, 1.0-1.6GHz (up to 1.6 TFlops FP32)
APU power: 4-15W
RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM (5500 MT/s quad 32-bit channels)
Storage:
64 GB eMMC (PCIe Gen 2 x1)
256 GB NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4 or PCIe Gen 3 x2*)
512 GB high-speed NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4 or PCIe Gen 3 x2*)
Resolution: 1280 x 800px (16:10 aspect ratio)
Display size: 7″ diagonal
Brightness: 400 nits typical
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Touch enabled: Yes
Sensors: Ambient light sensor
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0 (support for controllers, accessories and audio)
Wi-Fi: Dual-band Wi-Fi radio, 2.4GHz and 5GHz, 2 x 2 MIMO, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Channels: Stereo with embedded DSP for an immersive listening experience
Microphones: Dual microphone array
Headphone / mic jack: 3.5mm stereo headphone / headset jack
Digital: Multichannel audio via DisplayPort over USB-C, standard USB-C, or Bluetooth 5.0
Input: 45W USB Type-C PD3.0 power supply
Battery: 40Whr battery. 2 – 8 hours of gameplay
microSD: UHS-I supports SD, SDXC and SDHC
External connectivity for controllers & displays: USB-C with DisplayPort 1.4 Alt-mode support; up to 8K @60Hz or 4K @120Hz, USB 3.2 Gen 2
Fixing Steam Deck Sound Not Working or No Audio Output
One of the issues you might encounter when using the Steam Deck is audio issues in which you cannot hear sound when playing games. This can be a frustrating experience especially if you want to play with your Steam Deck.
Here’s how to fix Steam Deck sound not working or sound problem.
Fix #1 Turn Up Volume Button
The first thing you will want to do in this case is to make sure that the Steam Deck volume is not set to mute or low. Using the volume up button until it reaches its maximum sound. You might be having the sound issue because the volume is turn down.
Fix #2 Restart Steam Deck
One of the common causes of a Steam Deck audio issues is a glitch in the software. In order to fix this you just need to do a restart your device. There are a number of ways to perform a restart on your Steam Deck, you can push the power button for 10 seconds to do a force restart or you can press the Steam button and select power then restart Steam Deck.
Fix #3 Check Bluetooth Device or Audio Devices
If you have previously paired device to your Steam Deck then this might be the reason why no sounds are coming out of your built in speakers or Bluetooth device. You need to unpair the headset from the Steam Deck to check if this is what’s causing the problem then go in to pairing mode and connect it again. You should also check the audio jack if it is clean as it might be the issue there is no audio output coming from the audio devices or it is properly plugged.
Fix #4 Software Updates
Try to update your Steam Deck and see if it fixes the issue. You might be facing compatibility issues if you are using a wireless headset and is using a wireless headset. Try to update your Steam Deck and see if it fixes the issue.
Updating Steam Deck
Step 1: On your Steam Deck, press the Steam Button.
Step 2: Go to Settings.
Step 3: Go to System.
Step 4: Check for any Software Update..
Fix #5 Factory Reset Steam Deck
If you are still getting the audio problem with Steam deck then the next thing to do is to restore the Steam Deck to its default factory settings. This will clear any settings issue that may be the cause of the audio issue.
Factory Resetting Steam Deck
Step 1: On your Steam Deck, press Steam.
Step 2: Go to System tab.
Step 3: Scroll down and select Factory Reset.
Fix #6 Reinstall SteamOS
If at this point you are still getting audio issue then the next solution is to reinstall Steam Deck OS. This will clear any corrupted files issue that may be the cause of the audio not working.
Reinstalling SteamOS
Step 1: Download the recovery image on Steam. (Make Sure it is the latest version)
Step 2: Prepare a USB key (8GB minimum) for recovery image:
- On Windows use the Rufus utility. Select the recovery file and write it to your USB drive.
- On MacOS you can use Balena Etcher to write the recovery file to your USB drive.
- On Linux you can also use Balena Etcher to write the recovery file to your USB drive – or from the command line:
bzcat steamdeck-recovery-4.img.bz2 | dd if=/dev/stdin of=/dev/sdX oflag=sync status=progress bs=128M(set /dev/sdX to the USB device you inserted)
Step 3: Use a USB-C adapter or hub to plug the boot disk in.
Step 4: If it isn’t turned off already, turn off your device. In order to enter the Boot Manager, hold down the Volume Down button while pressing the Power button. When the chime sounds, release the Volume Down button.
Step 5: In the Boot Manager, boot from the ‘EFI USB Device’.
Step 6: Once the Steam booted you can choose recovery options for Steam deck.
Re-image Steam Deck – Performs factory reset
Clear local user data – Reformats the home partitions
Reinstall Steam OS – This will reinstall SteamOS
Recovery tools – Make changes to the Steam Deck boot partition.
Fix #7 Contact Steam Support
If you’re still having trouble with the audio on your Steam Deck, you can submit a support ticket to Valve Steam and describe the issue. In the event that your product still falls under warranty and develops a flaw, Valve Steam will ship a replacement or will repair your device.