The Most Essential Steam Deck Accessories to Buy in 2025

You bought the Steam Deck to use as a handheld console, but it’s still powerful enough to connect to a TV or monitor and play games on a bigger screen. That’s where a good dock comes into play: Valve has its own docking station for the Steam Deck, but we prefer the Jsaux Docking Station because it’s about half the price and works just as well. It's currently our top pick for the best Steam Deck dock you can buy.

Jsaux’s docking station has three USB 3.0 ports, a 4K HDMI port, a USB-C port, and gigabit ethernet, which all fit into a stand that looks nice on a gaming desk or TV stand. This option is extra handy because you can dock other USB-C compatible devices, like Android phones or the ROG Ally. The only place we can really fault the docking station is its lack of a DisplayPort, but if that’s not a deal breaker, you can’t go wrong with this affordable choice.

While the Steam Deck OLED is available with 1TB of storage, the base LCD model only offers a 256GB capacity, so graphics-intensive open-world games will fill that up instantly. To skip the hassle of moving data around mid-game, increasing the storage via a microSD card is the simplest solution for the Steam Deck. The device has an easy-to-access slot, adding significantly more space in seconds. Replacing the internal SSD on the Steam Deck with a higher capacity option is possible, but life will be much easier if you use a UHS-I microSD card like the SanDisk Extreme microSDXC.

SanDisk’s latest Extreme cards range in size from 32GB to a healthy 2TB, so it’s possible to double the storage of even the largest capacity Steam Deck OLED. Sure, these cards have nothing on the speeds of the internal SSD, butthat extra time will only be felt when downloading bigger titles. Otherwise, the difference is negligible. Playing games is where it really matters, and the SanDisk Extreme is fit with zippy speeds for a seamless, efficient playing experience.

In fact, the Steam Deck’s SD card slot speeds tap out at 100 MB/s, and the SanDisk Extreme microSDXC exceeds that significantly. The 1TB card is capable of up to 130MB/s write speeds and 190MB/s read speeds, ensuring top-tier performance in the Steam Deck and a variety of other gaming PC handhelds and the Switch. (But not the Switch 2 – that requires a microSD Express card.)

The battery life on the original Steam Deck while running SteamOS is notoriously terrible – and even worse with Windows. The OLED model improved the battery, but there’s nothing worse than needing a plug right when you’re reaching the end of a platformer level. A great power bank is the easiest way to keep you right in the action, even when playing battery-draining games like Baldur’s Gate 3. Our favorite for Steam Deck is the Jsaux Power Bank 20,000mAh 65W, thanks to its charging power and handy included USB-C cable.

This power bank has a 20,000mAh capacity ready to deliver at least one full charge to the Steam Deck. That top-up will be quick too, as this power bank exceeds the max charging rate that the handheld gaming PC is capable of, 45W. In about three hours, it should be fully charged. The integrated USB-C cable on this power bank is great, letting you avoid the hassle of remembering to pack a USB-C cable, but it’s not the only option for charging up devices. A USB-C and two USB-A ports can top off additional gadgets simultaneously. Just be prepared for charging speeds to drop.

A smart display is included on this portable charger, showing useful info like the battery level, voltage, and current. Over-voltage and short circuit protections are also available to ensure your Steam Deck is safe as it charges up. However, given everything on offer, it’s not the most compact power bank, weighing 1lb and measuring an inch thick. Still, it will easily slide into a bag, and Jsaux has a unique ModCase for the Steam Deck that straps this battery pack right onto the gaming PC handheld.

The Steam Deck’s 7-inch touchscreen is great, but as with any touch screen, you’re bound to muddy it up with unattractive fingerprints — not to mention scratches and dings that can eventually cost you the display. To ensure you don’t have to constantly wipe away smudges or, worse, replace the pricey touch screen, grab a high-quality tempered glass screen protector from Dbrand.

Tempered glass is chip, crack, scratch, and fingerprint resistant. Dbrand added an anti-glare film for solid viewing from anywhere and an oleophobic coating to repel your hand's oils, making the gaming experience even better. Most importantly, this glass is a perfect fit for the device and touch inputs are unaffected. Its chamfered edges keep with the sleek design of the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED.

The Steam Deck OLED may come with a case, but if you plan to take long trips with it, that probably won’t suffice. You’ll want to bring your charging cable, power bank, gaming earbuds, and other accessories with you, and the default case has space for pretty much just the console. Investing in a carrying case, like this super affordable option from Jsaux, can make a world of difference.

It’s a big upgrade over Valve's pack-in accessory and offers tons of snug spaces for all your accessories, including extra cables, a wall plug, microSD cards, and whatever else you need. Best of all, it keeps your Steam Deck safely cradled inside using a secure hook loop while the case’s interior is molded and wrapped in a fleece material to prevent dents or scratches to the device. The case itself is also highly durable with a hard shell, sturdy zipper, and secure handle. Plus, a handy stand is built-in for when you want to play using a controller.

For more great cases, you can check out Rock Paper Shotgun's list of the best overall Steam Deck cases you can buy.

Though 8K is mostly a marketing gimmick at this point in time, your Steam Deck *is* technically capable of streaming 8K at 60Hz. Most of us may not have a display compatible with that output, but if you’re one of the lucky few who do, this 8K high-speed HDMI cable comes in handy. Plus, when 8K does become the next 4K, you'll already be good to go.

In addition to the added capability, this cable is braided for extra durability. It also comes in either 6 or 15ft, ensuring it’s long enough to easily plug into your TV. Plus, it’s backward compatible with all previous HDMI versions, so you can use it with your current displays and be ready when you inevitably upgrade.

Great gaming earbuds are the best way to clearly hear the action while making the most of the Steam Deck’s portability. The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are the best option for the Steam Deck, offering impressive sound quality for a full and spacious listening experience. Even in-game directional audio cues like footsteps or explosions are discernible, putting these earbuds almost on the level of some top gaming headsets. ANC is also baked in, helping to eliminate most ambient sounds, although some higher frequencies may get through. To make any changes to the audio, SteelSeries offers a robust app to tweak any EQ or ANC settings.

We reviewed the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds and found that “few earbuds are able to cover every base as competently.” So, beyond an excellent audio performance, these compact earbuds are comfortable and secure in-ear, while the 10 hours of playback mean they’ll last longer than the Steam Deck. Like most headphones, ANC and mic usage will lower the battery life, but an additional 30 hours of juice are available from the Qi wireless charging case. However, our reviewer did experience some occasional in-ear detection playback issues.

The biggest way the SteelSeries Arctis Gamebuds differentiate themselves from traditional earbuds is 2.4GHz USB-C dongle wireless connectivity. Instead of only relying on Bluetooth, this dongle provides a more reliable and lower-latency link to the Steam Deck to ensure sound and action line up. Two devices can even be connected simultaneously via the wireless dongle and Bluetooth, with a “Quick Switch” control allowing you to jump between them.