How To Fix Steam Deck SD Card Not Working or Showing Up

This year’s game console market has a hard-to-find console that isn’t a PlayStation or Xbox. The product is only available online. There are probably not many casual gamers who know about it. Steam Deck’s a $400 console that sounds as utilitarian as it looks. The handheld device has the guts of a supercomputer and a touchscreen and is constructed of bulky black plastic.

This is like a game computer crossed with a Nintendo Switch — Valve endeavors to combine modern gaming devices’ benefits with the Steam Deck’s simplicity. However, although the Steam Deck is a great device, some users still complain that the Steam Deck’s SD Card is not recognized or is not working or showing up.

But, nothing to worry about as we have some fixes to this problem. Therefore, if your SD Card is not working or showing up, then make sure to perform the fixes mentioned below.

Fix: Steam Deck SD Card Not Working or Showing Up

Several fixes exist that can be used to solve Steam Deck SD Card not working or showing up issue. So, if you are facing this, make sure to read the guide until the end:

Fix 1: Reboot The Steam Deck 

You may have problems reading the SD card on your Steam Deck if some random bug or glitch occurs. For this reason, rebooting your device will be the best option for removing these random bugs or glitches. In this case, we advise you to reboot your Steam Deck and check if the problem has been resolved. 

Fix 2: Check The Charge

If your Steam Deck doesn’t have a charge of at least 20 percent, have you checked it? Sometimes, your device will show this kind of weird error when it doesn’t have a full charge; it happens when your battery is low. The Steam Deck must have a charge of at least 20 percent before the SD Card is connected, so make sure it has that. It should be charged immediately if not. 

Fix 3: Check Your SD Card

It is also possible that the SD Card is corrupted or damaged, which makes your Steam Deck SD Card not work or show. Therefore, you should check whether the SD card is functioning correctly. You can then connect it to your camera and check whether the issue has been resolved. 

Fix 4: Check For Damage

It is also possible to experience these errors due to damaged devices. To avoid any type of external damage to your Steam Deck, you should thoroughly inspect it. The problem may sometimes be caused by external damage. In that case, you must examine your device, and if you find any damage, then visit your nearest service centre to have it fixed. 

Fix 5: Use a Different Device With the SD Card

Do you have any experience using SD cards with different devices? It’s best to connect your SD Card to another device to test if it works on that device if you haven’t done so already. It is necessary to contact Steam Deck for assistance if your SD Card is not working or showing. It would be best if you took your camera to the service center to get it repaired. 

Fix 6: Format The SD Card

When nothing works, try formatting the SD Card on your computer. Many users have successfully resolved the Steam Deck SD Card not working issue after formatting the SD Card. Therefore, you should also do this and see if it helps. You likely know how to format an SD Card on a PC. However, in case you don’t know how to format using the Steam Deck in case you don’t have a PC, you must perform these steps:

1. Insert your card using the Micro SD card slot along the bottom of the Deck. Click the Steam button beneath the left touchpad to access the Steam menu.
2. To access Settings, scroll down and press A.
3. Select System from the following menu.
4. Next, select Format SD card and press A.
5. If you already have games, it will ask you for confirmation before you format the SD card. In this case, there is no way to reverse the process because it will erase all the data on the SD card. The SD card can be clicked OK if it is empty. It may take several minutes for this process to complete, depending on the SD card size.

Fix 7: Check And Repair Bad Sector

You cannot use your computer or open the files smoothly if you have bad sectors on your storage device/disk. In the case of bad sectors, formatting the disk is one of the most common fixes. Your choice of method for formatting the card will depend on the number of bad sectors on the card.

1. Press Win+R, open the Run bar and type cmd. 
2. Execute the command: chkdsk E:/f/r/x. Change the E with your SD Card drive name.

Fix 7: Contact The Support Team

Regrettably, you have been unable to resolve the Steam Deck SD Card not working or showing. You still have other options if you want to resolve this issue. To solve the problem, you need to contact the support team. Once that’s done, they can surely assist you with this issue, depending on the situation.

How do I Force an SD Card to Format?

If you want to force format your SD card, you can do the following:

• Using your phone or camera, format the card.
• Make use of free disk formatting software.

Why Won’t My SD Card Format?

There is some reason why you cannot format your SD Card, and due to this issue, the Steam Deck SD Card is not working. So, let’s check out the reasons why SD Card not working:

1. SD Cards with Write Protection cannot be formatted.
2. It is also possible to have bad sectors on the card. This may result in the corruption of the card.
3. A corrupt SD card can occur as a result of system file errors.
4. There is also the possibility that a virus or malware causes this issue. Viruses can transfer from one device to another if you connect your SD card to different devices.

So, that’s how to fix the Steam Deck SD Card not working or showing an issue. We hope that you find this guide helpful. But, now, in case you need any further help, comment below and let us know.