How to use the Steam Deck keyboard in desktop mode

How do you employ the Steam Deck keyboard in desktop mode? The Steam Deck is a formidable handheld, able to enjoying video games and performing as a conveyable desktop. Naturally, as with all PC, you’re sure to want to make use of a keyboard.

Whether or not you’re trying to find the best Steam Deck games or must rapidly enter a password, having the ability to use a keyboard is extremely useful for a mess of conditions. To not depart you at the hours of darkness, Valve has built-in a digital keyboard into the Steam Deck, and you’ll pull it up with simply the press of a few buttons.

How do you employ the Steam Deck keyboard in desktop mode?

To make use of the Steam Deck keyboard in desktop mode, it’s a must to concurrently press the ‘Steam’ and ‘X’ buttons, discovered on both aspect of the hand held.

After urgent this button mixture, the keyboard will seem. Whereas the digital Steam Deck keyboard is current, you possibly can sort through the use of the joystick, d-pad, or touchpads to individually choose keys, or use the display due to the hand held’s contact display capabilities.

To exit, you possibly can merely press the ‘B’ button, or choose the keyboard icon on the underside right-hand aspect of the digital keyboard. This may conceal the keyboard, and allow you to get again on together with your Steam Deck gaming endeavors. Alternatively, you possibly can merely repeat the ‘Steam’ and ‘X’ button shortcut once more.

It may well generally take a second for the keyboard to seem, so don’t fear if it doesn’t pop up instantaneously. When you’re nonetheless having issues, make sure that the Steam shopper is operating when you’ve turned your Steam Deck on, and also you’ve entered desktop mode. The digital keyboard is tied to the Valve app, and so it gained’t seem except Steam is operating.

Alternatively, for those who’re utilizing SteamOS, there gained’t be any must manually deliver up the digital keyboard. SteamOS is optimized to deliver up the keyboard everytime you’re utilizing a textual content dialog field. When you click on on the Steam search textual content subject, for instance, the keyboard will mechanically seem. Nevertheless, you possibly can nonetheless use the ‘Steam’ and ‘X’ button shortcut if it is advisable to.

Whereas there’s loads of advantages to having the ability to deliver up the digital keyboard at a second’s discover, you could desire to make use of a bodily keyboard as a substitute. When you personal one of many best Steam Deck docks, you possibly can join a keyboard by way of USB.

Due to the Steam Deck’s Bluetooth assist, you can even use one of many best gaming keyboards with that connectivity possibility too. Whether or not you favor one thing bodily, or the digital keyboard, there’s no finish to the probabilities the place the Steam Deck is worried.

Try our listing of the best Steam Deck accessories if you wish to discover out extra methods to take advantage of out of your favourite PC gaming handheld.