Steam Deck Now Supports Downloads with Screen Off: A Game Changer for Battery Life

The community has been requesting this feature for a long time, and at last, Valve has listened—Steam Deck now has the option to perform active downloads with the screen turned off. However, this feature is currently only available in the «beta» version.

The new energy-saving mode eliminates the need for users to keep their console fully powered on to download games and updates. This function activates automatically when plugged into a power source, but it can also be enabled while using the battery. To do so, users need to access the power settings.

There are two ways to activate the energy-saving option:

As Valve has noted, in this mode, the Steam Deck does not fully enter sleep mode. If you press any button or simply move the device, the download status and progress will be displayed on the screen. Users can choose to either return the device to its normal operating mode or let the download continue in the background. The Steam Deck will not drain completely in this mode—if the battery level falls below 20%, the device will automatically enter full sleep mode.

You can try out this new feature in the beta branch or preview mode on your Steam Deck. Valve encourages users to provide feedback on the functionality and share their thoughts.