How to Use a Steam Deck With Your TV
The Steam Deck doesn’t have an HDMI port, so you can’t use it with your TV right out of the box. It does have a USB-C port though, which means you can connect it to your TV with the help of either a USB-C to HDMI adapter or a USB-C dock that includes an HDMI port. If you want to play for extended periods of time, use a USB-C dock that’s capable of providing power to the Steam Deck since HDMI doesn’t supply enough power to charge the Steam Deck.
Here’s how to connect your Steam Deck to a TV via HDMI:
Connect a USB-C hub or USB-C to HDMI adapter to your Steam Deck. Jeremy Laukkonen / Lifewire Locate a free HDMI port on your TV, and connect an HDMI cable. Jeremy Laukkonen / Lifewire Plug the other end of the cable into your USB-C hub or adapter. Jeremy Laukkonen / Lifewire Turn your TV on, and select the correct HDMI input. Turn your Steam Deck on. The Steam Deck’s display will be mirrored to your TV.
How to Connect a Steam Deck to a TV With Steam Link
Steam Link is a piece of hardware discontinued by Valve in 2017, but it also lives on as an app. The app can be installed on a Raspberry Pi, and it’s also available directly on some Smart TVs. This technology is designed to wirelessly stream games from a PC to a TV over a home network, and you can use it to connect your Steam Deck to your TV and play on the bigger screen wirelessly.
Here’s how to connect a Steam Deck to a TV wirelessly:
Connect a physical Steam Link device or a Raspberry Pi with the Steam Link app to your TV via an HDMI cable. If the Steam Link app is available for your smart TV, you don’t need an external device. Just install the app on your TV, open it, and skip to step 3. Switch your TV to the appropriate HDMI input. Launch the Steam Link app if necessary, then follow the on-screen prompts to connect Steam Link to your Wi-Fi network and sign in to your Steam account. Turn on your Steam Deck, and make sure it’s connected to your Wi-Fi network. Select Steam Deck on the Steam Link or Steam Link app. Wait for a PIN, and then enter it on your Steam Deck. Select a game and start playing.
