Steam Deck Not Syncing to Cloud - How to Fix

Larissa updated on Jul 26, 2024 to Backup and Recovery | How-to Articles

If your Steam Deck is not syncing your games to the cloud, you will lose your game progress. But don't worry. This article provides workable fixes for the Steam Deck not syncing to cloud error and a backup tool to safeguard your game progress.

🚀Pro Tip
Steam Cloud does provide players a solution to upload game data to cloud space for hosting. However, players who are using Steam Cloud complain that they often encounter issues like Steam Cloud not syncing. If you want a safer way to keep the security of your games, maybe you can turn to help from professional game backup software, like EaseUS Todo Backup, which can locate all Steam game save file locations and create a backup with simple clicks. It also supports backing up Steam Cloud saves.

Download this awesome game backup software to safeguard your game saves effectively.

Steam Deck is a widely used handheld device in the PC gaming industry. It delivers an immersive gameplay experience, but you may encounter technical hiccups like Steam Deck not syncing to cloud error. This is troublesome because launching it anyway will result in losing your unsaved game progress, but fret not.

In this article, you will learn why Steam Deck Cloud sync error happens and how to overcome this situation quickly. Let's begin!

Steam Deck Not Syncing Game Files to Cloud

Developed by Valve, Steam Deck is a fantastic game hosting platform that distributes games and maintains any game's servers. It offers a range of games that gamers can buy and play through Steam. This platform is designed to sync your data, settings, and game saves on the Steam cloud to improve accessibility. However, it often gets into various bugs, such as Steam Deck not syncing to the cloud.

The common reasons behind this situation are server-related problems, software issues, and unstable internet connection. However, using a single Steam account to play games on multiple devices results in a sync error due to discrepancies. Another factor for cloud sync errors is the corrupt config, data, or files. The harmful files cause the server to malfunction. Even if you choose the Launch Anyway option, it won't help. Your game will start from the last sync, and any progress made after that will be lost.

Solutions to Fix Steam Not Syncing to Cloud

After exploring why Steam Deck is not syncing to cloud error, here are the possible solutions to overcome this situation. Let's dig into their details:

Fix 1. Restart Steam Deck

When your Steam Deck is not syncing all your games to the cloud, try restarting Steam. It will fix all the temporary system glitches. Here is how to do it manually:

Step 1. Press the Steam button and choose "Power."

Step 2. Click the "Restart Steam" button to get your Steam Deck reboot automatically.

However, if the Steam powers on but starts freezing, press and hold the Power button for 10 seconds to force restart it.

Fix 2. Check the SteamOS Update

If your Steam Deck firmware version is outdated, it will not sync to the cloud. In this situation, you must update the operating system. Let's follow these steps to check the Steam status:

Step 1. Press the "Steam" button and tap "Settings." Now, click the "A" button and choose "System."

Step 2. From the System Update, you can choose channel Beta or Preview.

Step 3. The new system channel will applied after restarting your Steam Deck. Repeat the 1 and 2 steps and select "Check for Updates."

Step 4. If you see an available update, hit the "Apply" button to restart your system.

📚Read also: Steam Backup Game Files | How to Backup Steam Cloud Saves

Fix 3. Check the Game Update

In addition to the OS update, some outdated games can cause conflicts, preventing the Steam Deck from syncing to the cloud. In this situation, follow the guidelines below to check the game updates:

Step 1. After opening the Steam "Library," click "Manage."

Step 2. Now, choose "Properties" for a game and press the "Updates" button.

Step 3. Select the "Automatic Updates" option and restart the Steam Deck.

Do you like this post? Share it on your social platforms to help other Steam Deck players back up their game saves safely.

 

Fix 4. Disable Offline Mode

Since Steam Deck offers offline mode, its users often enter this mode to play games without an internet connection. However, this will disturb the cloud syncing feature. You can also enter offline mode and disable it later to force the sync process to start. Let's follow these steps:

Step 1. From the "Steam" menu, choose the "Internet" button.

Step 2. Now, hit "Enter Offline Mode" and restart the Steam Deck.

Step 3. Follow the first step and turn on the "Internet" options. Also, disable the offline mode.

Fix 5. Re-enable Cloud Sync

There is a possibility that you might have disabled the Steam cloud syncing feature. If so, you must turn it on to overcome the cloud sync error. Here is how to enable Steam cloud synchronization:

Step 1. First of all, press the "Steam" button from the menu.

Step 2. Choose "Settings" and tap "Cloud" from the left panel.

Step 3. It's time to toggle the switch on for the "Enable Steam Cloud" option.

Fix 6. Repair Steam Library Folders

If all the above solutions cannot fix the Steam Deck not syncing to the cloud problem, you may need to repair Steam library folders. Below are the steps to perform this task:

Step 1. Press the Steam button from the main menu. Now, choose "Settings" and click "Downloads."

Step 2. Press the "Steam Library Folders" button and choose the game you wish to sync.

Step 3. Select "Repair Folder" from various options and hit "Yes" to confirm your choice. Wait for the repair process to complete, as it will take a few minutes.

Safer Way to Save Steam Deck Games to Cloud

If you are facing the Steam Deck not syncing to cloud error, you will ultimately lose your game progress, even if you clear so many levels. To overcome this situation, you must create a backup of the Steam Deck cloud saves to cloud using efficient game backup software, like EaseUS Todo Backup, which can backup game saves on PC effectively without any hassle.

You can't only perform incremental or differential backups but also automate the backup and sync for your Steam games. It lets you set the backup execution time, i.e., daily, weekly, monthly, one–time, upon event, etc. You can select the backup mode and performance as well as encrypt the backup if needed. It supports multiple locations to save files of your saved game data, such as cloud options, hard drives, and networks.

Here is the step-by-step guide to back up game saves with EaseUS Todo Backup.

Step 1. Start game data backup by clicking "Create Backup" and then clicking "Apps data".

Step 2. Once navigate to the apps data backup section, you can find the Game Saves section. Locate the game that you want to back up and select the game saves and configuration and click "OK".

Step 3. Next you need to choose a backup location to store the game data saves, which you can use both internal or external drives to keep the backup, but for security reason, we highly recommend keep one more backup copy on EaseUS cloud or NAS devices.

Do you like this post? Share it on your social platforms to help other Steam Deck players back up their game saves safely.

 

Final Words

Although encountering the Steam Deck not syncing to cloud error is frustrating, you can efficiently handle the scenario by following the above solutions. However, if you need a better way to save your Steam Deck game data, use EaseUS Todo Backup. This professional software also helps you back up files, folders, and hard drives for data security. So get it now, and you won't regret using it!

FAQs about Steam Deck Not Syncing to Cloud

1. Why won't my Steam Deck cloud sync?

Steam Deck cloud won't sync if your SteamOS and games are not updated to the latest version. Other reasons include cloud sync not being enabled on console and game, bugs and glitches, internet connectivity issues, etc.

2. How to sync Steam Deck data with PC?

To sync Steam Deck data with PC:

  • Connect your Steam Deck SD card to your PC and launch EaseUS Todo Backup.
  • Click "Sync"> "Select sync path" to select the files or folders you need to sync.
  • Press "Select sync path" again to choose the Steam Deck card as the destination path.

3. How do I transfer files from PC to Steam Deck wirelessly?

To save files, transfer them from PC to Steam Deck through NAS devices:

  • Opt for the "Desktop Mode" on Steam Deck.
  • Access the "Dolphin File Explorer" and then "Network."
  • Choose the NAS device to access files on Steam Deck.