FIX: External SSD Not Showing up on Steam Deck

How do you fix Steam Deck not recognizing the external SSD? What’s the solution? Check this article, and you’ll find a guide that can help you resolve external SSD not showing up on Steam Deck.

Is your external SSD not showing up on Steam Deck? For quite a few users of the Steam Deck, extending their storage capacity with an external SSD is a good idea. However, some may encounter the issues where the device does not recognize the external drive, which can be extremely annoying.

In this guide from EaseUS, we will walk through detailed steps to get your external SSD functioning properly on your Steam Deck. Whether you are a hard-core techie or just a gamer, these fixes will ensure that everyone is able to fully utilize the storage space offered by their Steam Deck.

How to Fix External SSD Not Showing Up on Steam Deck

In case you are experiencing the same annoying problem of your external SSD not being detected on Steam Deck, relax. There are several solutions that you can implement to fix this issue. Let us begin with the easiest methods and proceed towards the more advanced ones.

1. Fix 1. Reconnect the External SSD
2. Fix 2. Check Drive Format
3. Fix 3. Adjust USB Configuration in UEFI/BIOS
4. Fix 4. Convert the External SSD from MBR to GPT

Fix 1. Reconnect the External SSD

It is well-accepted that effective solutions do not always have to be complicated. More often than not, a simple issue like a loose connection or a minor glitch can be solved by merely unplugging the external SSD and plugging it back in. Here is what you should do:

Disconnect and reconnect the drive:

• If the external SSD is connected to your Steam Deck but is not recognized, safely eject the device from your Steam Deck. 
• Unplug the SSD from the respective USB port. 
• Give it approximately 10 seconds. 
• Reconnect the SSD Connector into the port and push it until the wire clicks into place.

Restart Steam and the Steam Deck after reconnecting:

• Then, shut the Steam system entirely. 
• Reboot your Steam Deck by pressing the power button long and selecting the reboot option from the available options. 
• After the restart of the Steam Deck, open Steam and check if the external SSD can be detected.

Fix 2. Check Drive Format

If reconnecting the drive was ineffective, the next thing to do is check that your external SSD is formatted in a file system that the Steam Deck can recognize and use. The Steam Deck's operating system is Linux-based, so a few specific file systems are most suitable for it.

The ext4 (fourth extended filesystem) has been determined to be the most compatible with and recommended file system for external drives on the Steam Deck. If your drive is formatted differently, this could be the reason it's not showing up. You can do that by plugging the drive into a Windows computer and checking the drive's properties.

For the drive to be formatted in ext4, we recommend you use EaseUS Partition Master Free. This application enables Windows users to format drives to ext4 partitions, unlike the inbuilt disk manager of the Windows operating system, which does not allow it.

Just follow the steps below to use this free Linux Partition Manager to format your drive:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master, right-click the partition you intend to format and choose "Format".

Step 2. In the new window, enter the Partition label, choose the FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4 file system, and set the cluster size according to your needs, then click "OK".

Step 3. Then you will see a warning window, click "Yes" in it to continue.

Step 4. Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button in the top-left corner to review the changes, then click "Apply" to start formatting the partition to FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4.

Do you find this tool useful? It also supports users to:

Fix 3. Adjust USB Configuration in UEFI/BIOS

So you've tried reconnecting the drive correctly and making sure it has been formatted properly, but the external SSD is still not recognized by the Steam Deck. Well in that case, the issue may be with the system's UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) settings, also called BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) in older systems.

📖Read Also: UEFI vs. BIOS: What's the Difference and How to Choose

Sometimes, configuring these settings helps resolve the issues associated with the device's USB detection. Follow this step-by-step process to Adjust the USB Configuration in UEFI/BIOS.

Step 1. Turn off your Steam Deck completely.

Step 2. Turn on the Steam Deck while holding down the "Volume Up button" + "Power button" simultaneously.

Step 3. This will boot your Steam Deck into the UEFI/BIOS menu.

Step 4. Navigate to the "Setup Utility" or similar option using the D-pad.

Step 5. From the window that appears, go to "Advanced." Then "USB Configuration."

Step 6. Next, scroll down and select "USB Dual Role Device."

Step 7. And set it to "XHCI" if it's not already selected.

Step 8. Then, go to "Exit," select "Exit Saving Changes."

Step 9. When prompted, click on "Yes."

Now allow your Steam Deck to restart normally. After the device has rebooted, re-insert the external SSD and check whether it is now being recognized.

If you found this solution helpful, share it with your other Steam Deck users, who may be facing the same issues. The more we provide helpful information to each other, the more fun we can all have playing games!

Fix 4. Convert the External SSD from MBR to GPT

If all the aforementioned solutions have been attempted and the external SSD is still not detected on your Steam Deck, this could be due to the disk partitions' style. The Steam Deck, like many other contemporary gadgets, works best with GPT (GUID Partition Table) formatted drives.

The process of converting from MBR to GPT requires deleting all partitions on the disk. Nevertheless, there is a solution capable of performing this action without data loss: EaseUS Partition Master Free.

It is an easy-to-use disk management tool that we mentioned earlier for formatting drives. It can also perform MBR to GPT conversion with all the partitions intact and without losing any data. So, it would be really helpful to Steam Deck users who wish to keep their external SSDs in the optimal format for compatibility. Just follow these steps to Convert your external SSD from MBR to GPT without losing data:

Step 1. Download and launch EaseUS Partition Master on your computer.

Step 2. Go to Disk Converter, select "MBR => GPT" and click "Next" to continue.

Step 3. Select the target MBR disk that you tend to convert to GPT, and click "Convert" to start the conversion.

This solution not only helps to address the current problem of external SSD not appearing on the Steam Deck, but it also ensures that your drive can be used with more modern devices that prefer or require GPT formatting.

Final Words

In this tutorial guide, we've shown you four effective solutions to your External SSD not showing up on Steam Deck: reconnecting the drive, checking the drive format, adjusting UEFI/BIOS settings, and converting from MBR to GPT. Our goal was to provide you with practical, step-by-step solutions to get your external storage working seamlessly with your Steam Deck.

We recommend using EaseUS Partition Master Free as a versatile tool for formatting, partitioning, and converting drives. Its advanced features make it an invaluable resource for Steam Deck users looking to optimize their external storage setup.

FAQs on External SSD Not Showing up on Steam Deck

If you still have questions about this topic, read on to learn more. We've compiled some of the most frequently asked questions below.

1. Why is my external hard drive not showing up on Steam Deck?

There are numerous possibilities as to why the Steam Deck does not recognize the external hard drive:

• Connectivity issues: The drive may not have been connected successfully, or the USB port may be faulty instead.
• Formatting problems: It is also possible that the hard drive has been formatted to a file system that the Steam Deck finds hard to work with, say, NTFS.
• Partition style incompatibility: The hard drive may be operating under MBR –rather than GPT- and therefore undetectable.
• UEFI/BIOS settings: Restricted USB configuration features in the UEFI/BIOS might also be the reason why this hard disk is not being detected.
• Drive health issues: Lastly, it is possible that the hard drive, in this instance, is also defective.

2. Do external SSDs work on Steam Deck?

Yes, external SSDs do work on Steam Deck. In fact, they are popular when it comes to increasing the storage capacity of the device because they provide faster read and write speeds.

3. Can you put a 2TB SSD in a Steam Deck?

Absolutely, a 2TB SSD can work with a Steam Deck without any hitch. Though it is doable and involves some skill to change the internal SSD myself, it is much easier to simply connect a 2TB external SSD using the USB-C port.