Do you know what ruins your fun faster than anything? Running out of space on your shiny newSteam Deck. No matter if you’re a power user with an upgradedSSD, or someone that just went with the base model and anSD card, not being able to install a new game is always a terrible feeling. Thankfully, you may pop in just about anySD cardavailable on the market and get more storage space, but you’re going to need toformat itto work properly with the Steam Deck before you can start loading it full of games. Where is this option? It’s not in the spot you’d think it is, so let’s find out where to find theFormat SD Cardoption on your new favorite piece of technology.
Where Is Format SD Card on Steam Deck?
After booting up yourSteam Deck, you’re going to want to press that bigSteam Buttonon the left side of the console itself. This will bring up thequick menuthat you see in the first screenshot above. Make your way down toSettings, and pressAto select it.
When scrolling through all of the settings, you would imagine that you could spot yourSD CardunderStorage, but you would not be correct in this assumption. You’ll want to findSystem, select it, and pressAto enter into the menu. Once you are in here, start using either theLeft Stickor theD-padto scroll down until you see the option toFormat SD Card. Select this option using theAbutton once again, and wait for the magic to happen.
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How Long Does It Take To Format An SD Card?
There is really no perfect answer to this question, as it depends on a variety of different factors. The size and speed of theSD Cardare going to be the most important variables when it comes to this action, so finding one that has a fast read/write speed is important.
Once you start the process, you may feel like it’s just stuck, or maybe frozen. It takes a few minutes totestthe SD card, and then theFormattingprocess starts shortly after. Once it is done formatting, you’ll see the menu appear back to normal like it once was.
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If you’re hoping to use your shiny new SD Card with your Steam Deck, you’re going to need to do this process before you can load any games or applications on there. Depending on what you’re hoping to put on there, you’ll find that this is the perfect way to add plenty of games to your console without having to tear it apart to replace theSSD.
What Should I Look For In An SD Card For My Steam Deck?
As you browse in brick & mortar stores or on online marketplaces likeAmazonorNewegg, you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled on a few specific pieces of information. If you’re looking for the fastestread/write speedspossible, make sure that the SD Card has a smallA2 logoon it, as this is the best of the best for the Steam Deck. You’ll be able to store just about any game on there and not notice a tremendous difference between the internal SSD and this particular kind of SD card.
If you want to know how your favorite games run on theSteam Deck, or maybe spot a few different plugins that can dramatically improve your experience, make sure to check ourSteam Decksection below for all your portable needs.
Shaun Cichacki
As a fan of RPGs, Action & Retro titles, Shaun has been gaming since he was a young boy. With an overwhelming obsession involving Metal Gear Solid and Pizza Tower, you know you’re in for a wild ride when it comes to things he’s writing about.
