The Steam Deck may be the best handheld gaming PC, but even with all its greatness, some extra accessories make it even better. Grabbing a battery bank like the Anker 747 Power Bank can increase your playtime, which is a huge boon, as this device has a notoriously poor battery life. Of course, you’ll be on the go with the Steam Deck, and just tossing it in your bag is a no-go. The JSAUX Carrying Case keeps it tucked away safely. And that’s only the start of the accessories to arm your Steam Deck.
TL;DR – These are the best Steam Deck accessories
- SanDisk Extreme Pro MicroSD Card – Best Memory Card
- Anker 747 Power Bank – Best Power Bank
- Dbrand Tempered Glass Screen Protector – Best Screen Protector
- JSAUX Carrying Case – Best Carrying Case
- JSAUX Docking Station HB0603 – Best Docking Station
- Tile Sticker – Best Tracker
- PowerBear 8K High Speed HDMI Cable – Best HDMI Cable
- Jabra Elite 5 – Best Wireless Earbuds
Even with the Steam Deck OLED seeing major improvements to the display, memory, battery, and more compared to the original, equipping the console with great accessories ensures it's protected and used to its full potential for a boosted playing experience. Maybe you’ve got a different handheld gaming PC or Nintendo Switch? Many of these accessories are compatible with a range of devices, making for a sound investment. You may even score a great Steam Deck deal on an item.
1. SanDisk Extreme Pro MicroSD Card
Best Steam Deck Memory Card
If you play loads of graphics-intensive open world games like Elder Scrolls, God of War, or Elden Ring, save yourself the strife of moving data around mid-game and set yourself up with extra storage as soon as you get a Steam Deck (or a Nintendo Switch, at that). The SSD storage on the device disappears faster than you’d think. And though it’s possible to replace its SSD with a higher capacity option, your life will be much easier if you use a UHS-I microSD card like the SanDisk Extreme Pro.
SanDisk Extreme Pro cards range from 32GB to 1TB, so you can add significantly more storage to even the largest 1TB capacity Steam Deck. Though this microSD card has nothing on the speeds of an internal SSD, it’s fit with quick enough write and read speeds for efficiency when playing games. The microSDs performance difference from an SSD is slight enough. Plus, when you add in the cost and simple installation compared to an SSD, it's a tremendous value, making it the best Steam Deck SD card.
2. Anker 747 Power Bank
Best Power Bank for Steam Deck
The battery life on the original Steam Deck while running SteamOS is notoriously terrible — and even worse with Windows. The OLED model has made some improvements to the battery, but there’s nothing worse than having to find a plug right when you’re reaching the end of a platformer level. Even if you’re playing a laid-back game like Stardew Valley, nobody wants to lose battery before you can get to the carpenter’s shop to hit on Sebastian, and a portable power bank can remedy the issue.
Our favorite battery bank is the beefy Anker 747, with its 25,600mAh capacity ready to juice up your handhelds multiple times — it’ll even charge a USB-C laptop. That means this battery can take on the power-hungry Steam Deck with ease, while an 87W max output ensures a quick fill-up. On top of being plenty powerful, this portable charger is lightweight and durable to keep your Steam Deck rolling while you’re on the go.
3. Dbrand Tempered Glass Screen Protector
Best Steam Deck Screen Protector
Pros:
- Anti-glare film and oleophobic coating for better viewing
- Thin design with chamfered edges
Cons:
- More expensive than other brands
The Steam Deck’s massive 7-inch touchscreen is pleasing to the eyes and helps solidify the device as the best handheld system ever. However, as with any touch screen, you’re bound to muddy up your Steam Deck 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, while Dbrand threw in 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. Further adding to the screen protector’s value compared to others on the market is its incredibly thin with chamfered edges in keeping with the sleek design of the Steam Deck.
4. JSAUX Carrying Case
Best Steam Deck Case
The Steam Deck OLED may come with a case, but if you plan to take long trips with your console, that probably won’t suffice. You’ll want to bring your charging cable, power bank, earbuds, and other accessories with you, and the default case has space for pretty much just the console, including the 1TB option with the removable liner. 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 jabs 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 PC controller.
5. JSAUX Docking Station HB0603
Best Steam Deck Dock
Sure, you probably bought the Steam Deck for use as a handheld console. However, it’s a powerful enough option to hook up a gaming monitor, 4K TV, or other peripherals when you’ve got the right equipment. That’s where a 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.
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.
6. Tile Sticker
Best Steam Deck Tracker
The Steam Deck isn’t full of all the tracking you get with smartphones, so if your console gets lost or stolen by a sticky-fingered onlooker, it’s probably gone for good. To ensure you don’t spend a good chunk of change to replace the device and its accessories, the Tile Sticker can give you some peace of mind for less than $30. You can place — or stick with the included adhesive — this tiny Bluetooth tracker in your case or even inside your device with some tinkering around.
The Tile Sticker is super compact and offers a simple setup on most iOS and Android devices. If you misplace the Steam Deck in your home, you can make it play a sound for easy finding. But when you think the console could be gone for good, a map on the app will tell you its most recent location, and you can use the Tile Network to locate it or notify you if the device is found. Just, of course, use caution on your hunt.
7. PowerBear 8K High Speed HDMI Cable
Best HDMI Cable for Steam Deck
Did you know your Steam Deck can stream in 8K at 60Hz? Sure, most of us don’t have an 8K TV or monitor compatible with that output. But if you’re one of the lucky few who do, this 8K high-speed HDMI cable comes in handy, so your gameplay is never interrupted by annoying lags or subpar graphics.
In addition to the added capability, if you ever did get access to an 8K display, this cable is braided for extra durability. It also comes in either a 6-foot or 15-foot length, 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.
8. Jabra Elite 5
Best Wireless Earbuds for Steam Deck
Keep your Steam Deck setup as minimalist as possible with these wireless earbuds from Jabra. We’ve used earbuds from the Jabra Elite line for half a decade, and the stellar active noise-canceling and perfectly balanced, expressive audio for this price point makes them an excellent choice for gamers who just dropped way too much on a console.
These will fit right in your Steam Deck case, so you can easily bring them with your handheld. Plus, they feature 28 hours of battery life and six microphones to make remote online gaming a seamless experience. You can even keep them connected to your smartphone at the same time using Bluetooth Multipoint, letting you hear any texts or calls coming in while you’re slashing dragons in Elden Ring.
If you're looking for more options, take a look at our guide to the best gaming earbuds for addtional picks.
How to Choose The Best Steam Deck Accessories
When choosing what accessories to grab for the Steam Deck, setting a budget for what you’d like to spend on everything is perhaps the most important. We kept that in mind when making our selections for this guide, so luckily, none of these items should set you back much, and the pricer items, like a power bank or headphones, can be used with other devices. Even when veering away from our picks, most essential accessories should set you back about $100 or less.
After setting a budget, comes deciding which accessory to buy first. It’s really a matter of personal need more than anything else, but we think a memory card is a great place to start, especially if you have a Steam Deck model that’s light on storage and a large gaming library. It’s an inexpensive way to save you a ton of hassle. Once that’s sorted, protecting the handheld gaming PC with a screen protector, case, or both should be a top priority. There’s no point in buying accessories for a bricked device.
From there, choosing the best items to pair with the Steam Deck depends on how you want to play. Game away from home often? A power bank ensures you’re never without juice – a major issue with the Steam Deck – while a tracker gives you peace of mind. If you’re looking to play on a bigger display, a dock is an invaluable tool. No matter what accessory you grab, it should amplify your experience with the Steam Deck – and be compatible.
Steam Deck Accessories FAQ
Is 64GB enough storage for Steam Deck?
The most affordable Steam Deck has almost all the same specs as the pricier 256GB and 512GB options, with the biggest difference being the slower and significantly smaller 64GB of eMMC storage. That amount of storage should work for cloud gaming. However, if you’re planning on storing games locally, that’s only enough room for a few indie games. You can offload and redownload games, but forget about installing AAA games like Red Redemption 2 or GTA 5 to play locally.
Even though 64GB may be hard to get away with, the Steam Deck offers multiple storage upgrade options. The easiest and cheapest way to increase space is by slotting a memory card into the microSD slot. For those looking for a speedier drive, it’s possible to install an SSD, which should be relatively simple for anyone with PC-building experience. Best of all, both of these storage solutions are more affordable than grabbing the 256GB or 512GB Steam Deck. But with the release of the Steam Deck OLED, the storage on the base model has essentially quadrupled to 256GB, while the 64GB and 512GB LCD models have been discontinued.
Does the Steam Deck come with any accessories?
If you're purchasing a new Steam Deck, there are a few things you will receive alongside the handheld gaming PC. Every type of Steam Deck comes with a carrying case and a charging cord. If you're hoping to connect your Steam Deck to the TV, you will need to purchase either a docking station or an HDMI cable separately.
Zoë Hannah is a freelance video games, mental health, and e-commerce journalist. You can find her reviews, essays, and reporting in publications like WIRED, IGN, Insider, and more. When she's not writing, you can find her curled up with a spooky video game or an immersive novel. Find her on Twitter @zoehhannah or browse her clips at her website.
