How to connect a keyboard and mouse to the Steam Deck
One of the best features of the Steam Deck is its varied controls, from face buttons to joysticks to touch controls. But there’s no substitute for a full-size keyboard and mouse, and luckily you can connect them directly to the Steam Deck. It supports both wired and wireless connections, although you’ll need a USB hub […]
One of the best features of the Steam Deck is its varied controls, from face buttons to joysticks to touch controls. But there’s no substitute for a full-size keyboard and mouse, and luckily you can connect them directly to the Steam Deck. It supports both wired and wireless connections, although you’ll need a USB hub if you want to use a USB connection.
Here’s what you’ll need to enable a keyboard and mouse on the Deck, plus the settings to watch out for to help you get the performance you have in mind.
how to connect a wireless keyboard or mouse to the Steam Deck
Step 1: Use a compatible wireless keyboard and mouse. Luckily, the Steam Deck comes with unlimited Bluetooth 5.0 support, which means it can work with all sorts of Bluetooth devices. If you’re looking to get a new Bluetooth keyboard or mouse, we’ve got your back with our guides to the best wireless keyboards and mice.
2nd step: Make sure your keyboard and mouse are fully charged, powered on, and ready to pair with your Steam Deck for the first time. If any of them have pairing buttons or similar features, make sure they’re ready to go.
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Step 3: You don’t need to switch to desktop mode to use a keyboard or mouse. Simply select the MAQ button – the “…” button at the bottom right of the deck. This brings up the right menu. Here, scroll down to the cog icon, where you’ll find the Quick settings menu.
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Step 4: Below Quick settingsselect the Other option. This should open a small Bluetooth menu. Make sure Bluetooth is enabled here – it may not be enabled by default.
Step 5: Exit the QAM menu and select the Steam button to open the options menu. Go down to Settings and select it.
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Step 6: Select Bluetooth in the left menu. In the right screen you will see all your current Bluetooth options. Look at the section titled Available to pair. Keep your keyboard and mouse nearby. If they have pairing buttons, now is the time to press them.
When you see your keyboard and mouse appear in Available to pair, select them and wait for your Steam Deck to pair, then connect. This may take several seconds for each device.
Step 7: If you want to play a game with a keyboard and mouse, you should also check your controller layout. The Steam Deck tries to switch to an external device layout when it detects connected devices, but this doesn’t always work correctly for a keyboard and mouse.
Find the game you want to play on the Steam Deck and select it. Controller icon on the right side of the title. This will open the controller settings, where you can check your current layout. Select the Arrow pointing right on the current layout to check the available layout options. If you see a keyboard and mouse layout available, switch to that one.
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Step 8: If there is no template for a keyboard and mouse, you can always create your own by choosing a new layout, by going to To modifyand go to Mouse And Keyboard sections at the top of the menu, where you can set your own commands and more. Keyboard and mouse controls won’t work the same in every game, but this type of customization can help. Just make sure your Deck doesn’t revert to a different layout the next time you start the game – rearrange the priority of your layouts if you need to.
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Step 9: Note: If you are already in Desktop mode, all of these options will work directly from the Desktop menu at the bottom right of the screen, where you will find a Bluetooth button. It’s often easier to configure your keyboard and mouse before switching to Desktop mode.
how to Connect a Wired Keyboard and Mouse to Steam Deck
Although you need the Steam Deck Dock or a USB hub to connect a keyboard and mouse to the Steam Deck, it’s very simple.
Step 1: Plug your Steam Deck into the Steam Deck Dock or connect a compatible USB-C hub.
2nd step: Connect your keyboard and/or mouse to the Steam Deck Dock or USB hub using their USB cable. If you don’t have the right USB connection, you should be able to use a USB adapter.
Step 3: Your keyboard and mouse should be detected by the Steam Deck and should now work as expected.
If you want to play specific games on the Steam Deck with a keyboard and mouse, be sure to check their compatibility first.
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