How To Enable SSH On The Steam Deck

Quick Links

• Steps For Enabling SSH On The Steam Deck

• How To Use SSH To Connect To The Steam Deck

The Steam Deck's versatility extends beyond gaming, serving as a portable PC. Its desktop mode allows access to internal storage, making remote file access a desirable feature. Leveraging Secure Shell (SSH), a secure remote access protocol, is the solution. This guide details enabling and using SSH on your Steam Deck.

Steps For Enabling SSH On The Steam Deck

Enabling SSH on your Steam Deck is straightforward:

1. Power on your Steam Deck.
2. Press the Steam button, navigate to Settings > System > System Settings > Enable Developer Mode.
3. Press the Steam button again, select Power > Switch to Desktop Mode.
4. Open Konsole from the Start menu.
5. Set a password (if you haven't already) using the command: passwd. Follow the prompts to create a strong password.
6. Enable SSH using: sudo systemctl start sshd. To ensure SSH starts automatically after a reboot, use: sudo systemctl enable sshd.
7. You can now access your Steam Deck remotely using any SSH client.

Important: Avoid modifying or deleting system files to prevent OS corruption.

How To Disable SSH On The Steam Deck

To disable SSH:

1. Open Konsole from the Start menu.
2. Use sudo systemctl disable sshd to prevent SSH from starting automatically on reboot, or sudo systemctl stop sshd to immediately stop the SSH service.

How To Use SSH To Connect To The Steam Deck

With SSH enabled, you can use a third-party application like Warpinator for easy file transfer. Install Warpinator on both your Steam Deck and your PC, then launch it on both devices simultaneously for simple drag-and-drop file transfers.

Alternatively, if you're using a Linux PC, you can directly access your Steam Deck's files via your file manager. Enter sftp://deck@steamdeck in the address bar, then provide the password you set earlier to establish the connection.