If the Steam Deck has become your go-to way to play games, you’ll want to learn how to take and share screenshots on it so you can also view them on PC or mobile. There’s a built-in screenshot function available while in gaming mode, so in this guide we’ll explain how to take screenshots on Steam Deck and how to transfer them to PC.
How to take screenshots on Steam Deck
While in the Steam Deck’s default Gaming mode, you can take screenshots on Steam Deck by pressing the Steam button and R1 simultaneously.
The Steam button can be found on under the left trackpad, while the R1 button is the bumper on the right shoulder of the device.
When you take a screenshot on Steam Deck, you’ll see a notification pop up in the bottom right corner of the screen. You can take screenshots like this while in games or while navigating the Steam Deck’s menus.
How to transfer Steam Deck screenshots to PC or mobile
Once you’ve taken some images on your Steam Deck, the next step is transferring them to PC or mobile. You can do this easily with a microSD card, but if you don't have one of them and a card reader available for your PC, follow the steps below.
On your Steam Deck
- Press the Steam button and select Media from the panel on the left.
- Highlight the screenshot you’re after and press the Menu button (the three horizontal lines above the right analog stick).
- Choose if you want the image as private or public on your Steam profile, then select Confirm.
On PC
- Open Steam or, if you don’t have it installed, log in to steam via a web browser.
- On Steam, click View in the top left, then select Screenshots from the top down menu.
- On web browser, click your profile icon in the top right and then click Screenshots from the menu on the right.
- Select the image you want to save to PC. From steam, you’ll need to right click and choose Copy Link Address. Paste the address into a web browser and you’ll be taken to the image.
- You can now right click and save the image to your PC.
On mobile
- Open the Steam mobile app (or download it if you haven’t already).
- Tap your profile icon in the top right.
- Select Screenshots/Videos
- Select the screenshot you want to download. Tap the image again on the next page to open the image in a browser tab.
- Hold on the image and choose Download image.
How to take screenshots in Desktop mode
Unfortunately, the Steam Deck doesn't have a straightforward way to take screenshots in Desktop mode. One method is to use the pre-installed Spectacle app to capture the desktop image. Click the icon in the bottom left of the taskbar, then search for Spectacle. Once you have saved the image, use an SD card or USB drive to transfer the files between your Steam Deck and PC.
Transferring images from the Steam Deck isn’t a smooth process, but thankfully it is possible. Hopefully this guide has helped you learn how to take screenshots on Steam Deck and get them to your PC or mobile device. For more Steam Deck tips, learn how to open the keyboard in Desktop mode or unsupported games.