How to Take a Screenshot on Steam Deck

When playing Steam Deck games such as Elden Ring or Hi-Fi Rush, you might often have the urge to take a screenshot on your handheld console. I mean, who doesn’t want to document and savor their success in the game and boast about it to their friends? Thankfully, Steam Deck makes it painfully easy to take a screenshot, so you can save your favorite in-game moments or high-adrenaline action by clicking a button combo. And in this guide, we will show you how to take a screenshot on Steam Deck and share it with your friends with ease. That said, power up your Steam Deck and continue reading.

In this article, we will explain how you can take screenshots both in the Game as well as the desktop mode on your Steam Deck. Then, we will show you the steps to upload and share these screenshots with friends and other Steam Deck users.

How to Take Screenshots on Steam Deck

Take a Screenshot In-Game

If you want to capture your favorite moments in a game, Steam Deck makes it extremely easy to do so. To take screenshots while playing a game, follow the steps below:

1. First,press the Steam buttonon the left side of the screen. Then, locate andpress the R1 buttonon the Steam Deck. Pressing both of these buttons simultaneously will instantly take a picture of the game and save it to the screenshot library as a private image.

2. The Steam Deckshows a “Screenshot Taken” pop-up notificationat the bottom-right corner of the screen, confirming you have captured a screenshot.

The same method applies if you want to take a screenshot anywhere in SteamOS. Press the Steam button along with R1, and the system will capture a screenshot right away. Later in this article, we teach you how to upload and share screenshots with friends.

Take a Screenshot in Desktop Mode

While taking screenshots in SteamOS or in-game is simple, the same does not hold true for the desktop mode. You need to use a third-party app called “Spectacle,” which comes pre-installed on Steam Deck. Follow the steps below to learn how to use it.

Capture Hi-Res Screenshots on Steam Deck

By default, Steam does not capture high-resolution screenshots, and they are slightly compressed. This is probably done to save space on the handheld, as it comes with limited storage. To ensure that your Steam Deck takes lossless screenshots, follow the steps below:

Where are Screenshots Located on Steam Deck

A user might want to find the screenshot they took in SteamOS or in-game without sharing it publicly. There are two ways to locate all the screenshots you capture on the Steam Deck, and we will explore both of them here:

The easiest method to find and share the screenshots from your Steam Deck is, of course, SteamOS. You simply need to head to the media section and follow our instructions:

Alternatively, you can head to the desktop mode on Steam Deck to find all the screenshots. We will not only show you how to access them via the Steam app but also the file explore. Follow the steps below:

Home > .local > share > Steam > userdata > [Your Steam ID] >760 > remote > [GAME ID] > screenshots

In the case of Spectacle, the software saves screenshots in the Pictures folder by default. Hence, head over to “Pictures” in the Dolphin File Explorer to find desktop mode screenshots.

How to Share Steam Deck Screenshots to PC

As of now, Steam Deck does not offer any in-built option for users to transfer files from the console to their PC. While local game transfer was introduced recently and is currently in beta, sharing screenshots requires some additional work on the user’s end. There are two easy ways to share screenshots via your Steam Deck:

Method #1: Share Using Email

Almost every screenshot included in this article was shared via email. While the process might sound cumbersome, it is practical as Steam Deck is a Linux PC. To share the screenshots, follow these steps:

Method #2: Share Using Warpinator

The second method to send images from Steam Deck to OC is the most practical one. Warpinator is a local file transfer software that allows users to transfer files on the local network. For this method, follow the following steps:

Note:

Ensure that your Steam Deck and desktop PC are connected to the same network to successfully transfer these screenshots. Since Warpinator is a local file transfer software, this method won’t work if both systems are not on the same network.

That’s pretty much all you need to know about how to take a screenshot on Steam Deck. Capturing a screenshot on Steam Deck is simple and straightforward. The desktop mode does require you to jump through some hoops, though. We have also included where screenshots get saved on Steam Deck, along with two different methods to share them with yourself, your friends, and other Steam users. So, what all games are you playing right now and plan to screenshot cool in-game moments for? Let us know in the comments below.

Beebom Staff

Bringing the latest in technology, gaming, and entertainment is our superhero team of staff writers. They have a keen eye for latest stories, happenings, and even memes for tech enthusiasts.

Add new comment

Name

Email ID

Δ

01