How to take screenshots on Steam Deck

Prepare Steam deck A great portable gaming device that lets you play your favorite PC games on the go. One useful feature it offers is the ability to capture screenshots of your gaming adventures. Whether you want to share your high scores, showcase your awesome in-game moments, or simply preserve memories, Gaming Experiences Your own, take screenshots on Steam deck Easy and fun.

In this guide, we'll show you how to easily take screenshots on your Steam Deck. We'll also highlight how to enhance the quality of your screenshots to ensure everything you capture looks crystal clear. And that's not all. Once you've captured your screenshots, we'll also show you how to share those Steam Deck screenshots. So, let's get started.

How to take a screenshot on Steam Deck via Game Mode

The Steam Deck has a built-in screenshot feature that you can use to capture your screen at any time. It's very easy to use. To take a screenshot in game mode, press Steam button and R1 button At the same time on your Steam Deck.

You should now receive a notification in the bottom right corner of the screen confirming that the screenshot was taken.

That's it. Your screenshot should be saved to your Steam Deck in the Media section.

Set custom buttons for taking a screenshot

Alternatively, if you want to assign custom buttons to take a screenshot in a game, the Steam Deck also lets you do that. Here's how to change and assign the custom screenshot button on the Steam Deck.

Step 1: Open a game Steam which you want to change the screenshot button for.

Step 2: Click on Steam button Located on the Steam Deck. Now, inside Game Settings, Go to Console settings.

Step 3: Click on an option Console Settings At the bottom.

Step 4: You will be transferred to Console Settings For that specific game. Click Edit layout to follow.

Step 5: Now, set Custom Actions For each button, trigger, and joystick on the Steam Deck. Select the button Which you want to set to take screenshots.

Step 6: You will be taken to the Custom Actions Assignment section. Switch to the tab "the system" At the top, select “Take a screenshot.”

That's it. You've now set your own custom screenshot button. Use this button in-game to easily take a screenshot.

How to take screenshots on Steam Deck in desktop mode

Alternatively, if you're using your Steam Deck in desktop mode, this button combination won't work. Instead, you'll need to use an app called Spectacle. Fortunately, it's already installed on your Steam Deck, so you don't need to install anything. Here's how to use Spectacle to take screenshots on your Steam Deck.

Step 1: First, switch to desktop mode on your Steam Deck. To do this, press Steam button located on your Steam Deck and select Power option.

Step 2: In the new menu that appears, select "Switch to desktop."

Step 3: Your Steam Deck will now restart in desktop mode. Once finished, open Start Menu By clicking on the lower left corner.

Step 4: Hover over the Utilities option and click on Show.

Step 5: Click the button “Take a new screenshot.”

That's it. The screenshot will be saved to the Screenshots folder in your home directory.

Take better quality screenshots on Steam Deck

By default, Steam Deck captures and stores screenshots in JPEG format. While the resolution remains at 1280 x 800 pixels, the final image is compressed and lossy. Fortunately, you can have Steam Deck save screenshots in uncompressed PNG format by following the steps below.

Step 1: In desktop mode, launch the application. Steam.

Step 2: tap on Steam icon In the upper left corner. Now, select Settings.

Step 3: Click on an option In Game in the left sidebar.

Step 4: Now, scroll down to the Screenshots section. Enable the toggle next to “Save an uncompressed copy of my screenshots”.

That's it. Your screenshots will now be saved in uncompressed PNG format. However, note that this will take up more space on your storage drive.

How to locate screenshots on Steam Deck

You've taken all these screenshots on your Steam Deck. But that's only part of the process. Here's how to find saved screenshots on your Steam Deck.

In game mode

Within Game Mode, SteamOS has a nice Media section for storing all your saved screenshots. Here's how to access it.

Step 1: Just press a button Steam located on Control unit Your own.

Step 2: Now, in the pop-up menu, select media.

That's it. You should now be taken to the Media section to view all your saved screenshots.

In desktop mode

When using desktop mode, you can locate Steam Deck screenshots saved by Spectacle in the Pictures folder. Here's how to access them.

Step 1: Open the start menu and go to System > Dolphin.

Step 2: This will open Dolphin File Manager On your Steam Deck. Now, click on the folder Pictures in the left sidebar.

That's it. You can easily view all your Spectacle-captured screenshots here in one place.

Alternatively, you must use the Steam app to access screenshots you took in game mode. To do this, open the Steam app on your Steam Deck. Click View from the top menu bar and select Screenshots.

And voila! The Steam app will show you all the screenshots you've taken in Game Mode on your Steam Deck.

Share Steam Deck screenshots

While taking screenshots on your Steam Deck is easy, sharing them is a different story altogether. To share screenshots, first upload them to your account and make them public. By default, all screenshots saved on your Steam Deck are private. Here's how to upload and share your Steam Deck screenshots.

Step 1: Inside Game Mode, open the section Media, As shown earlier. Here, select the screenshot you want to share. Then tap the button Options Located on your Steam Deck.

Step 2: You should now get a pop-up window. Tap or select تحميل to follow.

Step 3: First, you need to change your privacy settings. To do this, in the Upload Screenshot section, change the privacy level to general.

Step 4: Now, click on to be sure. You should receive a notification confirming that your screenshot has been uploaded.

Step 5: Now, go to the General section at the top using the button. R1.

Step 6: Highlight the uploaded screenshot and press the Options key on the Steam Deck. From the pop-up menu, select to share.

Step 7: Locate preferred option You have it from your Steam activity feed, QR code, or send to a friend.

However, keep in mind that the Send to a Friend option only works with your Steam friends. A better option is to scan the QR code with your smartphone and share the image with anyone you want. Alternatively, if you're in desktop mode, you can email the screenshot(s) to yourself or transfer them to a microSD card or USB drive for transfer to your computer.

common questions:

Q1. Can I share my Steam Deck screenshots?
The answer: Yes, you can share your Steam Deck screenshots. You can upload your screenshots to the Steam servers and share the link with your friends. Alternatively, you can transfer your screenshots to your PC or Mac and easily share them.

Q2. Can I change the screenshot button on the Steam Deck?
The answer: Yes, you can change the screenshot button on the Steam Deck. The default screenshot button is the Steam button and the R1 button. However, you can change it to any button on the Steam Deck, including the touchpads, back buttons, and analog sticks.

Capture your moments easily

Well, that was all. Hopefully, you can now easily take screenshots on your Steam Deck. With these simple steps, you can easily capture, access, and share your favorite gameplay moments on your Steam Deck. You may also want to check out these Steam Deck carrying cases.