Steam Deck Save Game Locations: Everything You Need to Know

Game saves allow you to preserve your progress in case something goes wrong with your hard drive. If you're using a Steam Deck, you might want to back up your saves to a Windows PC, or transfer saves from a PC to the Deck if cloud saves aren't an option. To access them, you'll need to know where Steam Deck save files are located.

While you can access all of this through Windows' AppData, the location of save files on the Steam Deck can be confusing. This guide will show us how to find and back up game saves on Linux and SteamOS.

How to Find Your Game Save Files on the Steam Deck

By default, Steam game data will download to your computer's Downloads folder. However, many people prefer to keep their game files and saves on the C drive. While most of these game files are located in the AppData folder, here's how to find where Steam Deck game saves are on PC:

Step 1: Open the File Explorer on your Windows computer.

Step 2: Navigate to the default Steam game install location. Paste the following path into the search bar: C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common.

Step 3: Here, you can find the folders for each game. Look for a “Game Save Data” folder, or back the whole thing up to an external drive.

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How to Find Game Save Files on Steam Deck

Just like with %AppData% in Windows, all of these prefix folder locations are stored within something called a compressed data folder. So let's take a look at how to browse that compressed data folder and get Steam Deck saving your files where you want them.

Step 1: Find your SteamID.

Each game, both on Steam and not on Steam, has a unique ID. The Steam Deck uses this ID to store the files for that game.

For Steam games, you can find the ID on SteamDB; for non-Steam games, you can use third-party tools to obtain the ID.

Step 2: Go to the Compact data folder.

The given sentence translates to American English as: /home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/compact data/ This text refers to a file path in a Linux system, indicating a specific directory within the Steam platform. Note that ".steam" remains unchanged, "/home/deck/" denotes the user's home directory, and "compact data" is a folder possibly containing compressed game data. The path might differ based on the user's Steam installation configuration and the language of the operating system.

Step 3: Navigate to /SteamID/.pfx/drive_c/ and save the game's installation location to multiple locations. (SteamID – Unique SteamID associated with different games.)

Step 4: Visit the PC Gaming Wiki, search for your game, and find where it saves its files on the Steam Deck.

Step 5: Now, navigate to the folder where your game saves are located.

Pro Tip - Backup Your Steam Deck Game Saves for Safekeeping

There's no telling when a hard drive might fail, and reformatting might delete your data, including game saves. It's best to prevent that by backing up your data so you don't lose all your hard-earned progress. A tool like Todo Backup can help with that, allowing you to back up once and then set up scheduled backups and automatic backups for your game saves.

Todo Backup is a seamless backup software that offers advanced options like AI-powered backups to schedule your backups. It's an all-in-one solution for quickly creating system backups, upgrades, clones, and transferring your files and disks. You'll need to locate your game saves and choose a backup method capable of accomplishing the task. You can perform backups and restores securely to protect your files in case of emergencies.

Main features of Todo Backup:

• Back up your computer to the cloud drive.
• Advanced backup and cloning solutions for creating backups.
• Comprehensive backup, management, and recovery tools.
• Support for multi-path backup options using cloud storage.

Here are the steps to save a game file: 1. **Launch the game**: First, make sure your game is open and you're at a point you want to save. 2. **Find the 'Save' option**: In most games, you can find a 'Save' or 'Save and Quit' option in the main menu or pause menu. Sometimes, games automatically save your progress, especially after reaching certain levels or completing missions. 3. **Choose a save point**: Some games might let you save at multiple points. If so, choose a spot you'll remember so you can pick up from there later. 4. **Save the game**: Click the 'Save' button, then wait for the game to save your progress. This could take a few seconds to a minute, depending on the game's size and your device's performance. 5. **Confirm the save**: Once the game tells you it's saved successfully, you should see a new save file on the load screen or an updated date and time in the save options. This is a good way to confirm it's saved. 6. **Exit the game**: After saving safely, you can choose to exit the game. Next time you want to continue, just restart the game and load from your saved progress. Keep in mind that different games may have different save mechanics, so it's best to refer to the game's instructions or online help for specifics.

Step 1: Tap Select Backup to start the backup process.

Step 2: There are four backup types to choose from: Files, Disk, System, and Mail. Click on Files.

Step 3: Local and network files are displayed on the left. Expand the directories to select the files you want to back up.

Step 4. Choose where you want to save your backup, following the on-screen instructions.

Click “Options” to password encrypt your backups under “Backup Options,” and set up a backup schedule and choose to start a backup on certain events under “Backup Schedule.” There are many other customization options available during the backup process, as well.

Step 5: You can save the backup to your local disk, to TOOLS' online service, or to a NAS.

Step 6: Todo Backup allows users to back up data to third-party cloud drives and its own cloud drive.

If you want to back up to a third-party cloud, choose “Local Disk,” then scroll down and add a cloud device, enter your account details, and log in.

You can also save the backup to Todoist's cloud storage service. Click Todoist Cloud, then sign up and log in to your Todoist account.

How to Transfer Game Files to Your PC or Steam Deck Transferring game files to your PC or Steam Deck enables you to enjoy your games across devices. Here's a general process, but note that specifics may vary depending on the game and platform: 1. **Connect Devices to the Internet**: - Ensure both your PC and Steam Deck are connected to the internet. 2. **Add the Game to Steam**: - Open the Steam client on your PC. - Log in to your Steam account. - Right-click the game you want to transfer in your library, and select "Manage" > "Download for Offline Play." 3. **Set Up Shared Library on the Steam Deck (if necessary)**: - Launch Steam on your Steam Deck. - Navigate to "Settings" > "Family." - Enable the "Allow game libraries from other devices on this machine" option. - Add your PC as a trusted device, following the on-screen instructions. 4. **Sync Game Data**: - Wait for the game to download fully on your PC. - The game should automatically sync to your Steam Deck as long as both devices are online and the shared library is set up. 5. **Transfer via Local Network (for non-Steam games)**: - If you have non-Steam games, manual file transfer might be required. - Locate the installation folder of the game on your PC. - Use a file manager (like Windows Explorer or Finder) to copy the game folder to a USB drive or other portable storage device. - Insert the device into your Steam Deck, then find and copy the files to the appropriate location on the Deck. 6. **Verify Game Files**: - When launching the game on the Steam Deck, the system may automatically verify file integrity. - If issues arise, use the "Verify Integrity of Game Files" feature on the Deck through Steam to check and repair any damaged or missing files. 7. **Start Playing**: - Once the game files have transferred, you should now be able to play them on your Steam Deck. Please note that not all games support cross-device play, especially those requiring specific hardware or licenses. Ensure compatibility with the Steam Deck before attempting to transfer.

If you want to transfer files between your PC and the Steam Deck, you'll need to download a tool called Warpinator. While the manual download process might be a bit intricate and require some preparation, this software enables you to transfer files via drag-and-drop once both devices are on the same network. Here's a guide on how to use Warpinator for this purpose:

Step 1: In Desktop mode on your Steam Deck, go to Discover, search for Warpinator, and install it.

Step 2: If you need to transfer files from Windows, install the Windows version.

Step 3: The first time you run it, Warpinator will prompt you to set up a group code. Type in a group code and enable it, then under Network interface to use, select “Wlan0” and click Apply network changes.

Here, you can choose where to save a file that you receive (if receiving a file) from the “File Save Location” drop-down menu.

Step 4: Do the same thing on your Windows PC. Go to File > Preferences, and then choose the “Save incoming files to” option.

Next up, just translate this into American English: ""

Under the Connection tab, set the "Network Interface to use" to the same Group ID as your Steam Deck and WiFi. This will allow the PC to connect to the Steam Deck.

Step 5: Now, browse for the files on your Steam Deck or PC and send them. Accept the file transfer on either your PC or Steam Deck to start the transfer process.

In short

Game saves are essential for keeping track of progress and picking up where you left off. If you're looking to find the save file location on your Steam Deck, it can be a bit tricky and confusing for many users. This guide will walk you through the process of locating your Steam Deck save file locations and transferring files between your PC and Steam Deck.

Hard drive failure and data loss are also data threats that can cause you to lose your game progress. To avoid this, you must use Todo Backup, an all-in-one solution for PC backup and recovery needs, to create a backup of your game saves.

Frequently Asked Questions About Steam Deck Save Game Locations

Here are some common questions about the save file locations on Steam Deck. Hopefully, this helps if you have a similar query.

1. How do I save files from my Steam Deck to an SD card?

• Hold down the Steam Deck's power button to switch to Desktop mode.
• Connect your SD card to the Steam Deck (make sure it's formatted in the required format).
• Use Warpinator to move files from your Steam Deck onto the SD card.

2. Can multiple SD cards be used on the Steam Deck?

Yes, the Steam Deck supports the use of multiple SD cards for expanding its storage capacity. It features a microSD card slot that can accommodate high-capacity cards. This is particularly useful for gamers who want to store a large number of games and their library.

3. Will uninstalling Steam delete my saved game progress?

No, if you have Steam set to sync your game files to the Steam Cloud. Your saves will be stored online as a backup, even if you uninstall the game. When you install Steam on any device, your save files will download automatically.