How to Reset a Steam Deck to Factory Settings

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Learn what gets erased & what you can try before resetting

Co-authored by Glenn Carreau Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: November 12, 2025 Fact Checked

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How to Factory Reset a Steam Deck

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What does a factory reset on the Steam Deck do?

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Things to Try First

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Erasing User Data From a Steam Deck

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Rolling a Steam Deck Back to a Previous OS

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Do you need to fix an issue on your Steam Deck by performing a factory reset? We’ve got you covered! Forcing a reset to factory settings is really straightforward; just make sure you’re prepared for it, since it’ll delete all user data—including games, save files, downloads, applications, and your configured settings. Basically, it’ll go back to its default state, just like it was when you first got it. In this article, we’ve put together a complete guide to resetting your Steam Deck (plus other troubleshooting tips).

Quick Steps to Factory Reset a Steam Deck

Press the Steam button.
Navigate to Settings → System.
Scroll down to Reset to factory state and select Factory Reset.
Choose whether you want to Reinstall SteamOS.
Select the Confirm button and wait for your Steam Deck to reset.

Section 1 of 5:

How to Factory Reset a Steam Deck

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On your Steam Deck, locate the Steam button (on the left side of the device) and press it. Then, scroll down the menu that appears and select the Settings option.^{[1]
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In your Steam Deck’s Settings, you’ll see another vertical menu on the left side of the screen; scroll to System and select it. Then, scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page, and you’ll see the Reset to factory state option. Select the Factory Reset button (to the right) to proceed.^{[2]
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Choose your factory reset settings and select Confirm. A new screen will pop up with two options. One, Clear user data and configuration, is auto-enabled; the other, Re-install SteamOS, can be toggled on or off. Decide whether you want to re-install SteamOS (you should toggle this on if you’re troubleshooting), then press the Confirm button to continue.^{[3]
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- Re-installing SteamOS does require an internet connection, so don’t enable it if you aren’t connected to the internet.
During this process, you’ll likely get a “Restart Required” message prompting you to restart the device. Select Restart Now to continue!^{[4]
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Set up your newly reset Steam Deck (if you plan to keep using it). If you’re selling or getting rid of your Steam Deck, this won’t apply to you. But, if you’re going to keep using the Steam Deck, you’ll want to set it up again after the factory reset! Proceed through the setup process; when you start up the device, you’ll get a “Welcome” screen and be guided through the rest.
- If you choose to re-install SteamOS, this will be done after you’ve selected a language and time zone during the setup process.
- After everything is finished, you can sign back into your Steam account on the device and start playing games again!

Section 2 of 5:

What does a factory reset on the Steam Deck do?

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A factory reset deletes all user data and settings from the Steam Deck. That means all locally installed games, save game data, downloads, and applications will be wiped from the Steam Deck. Additionally, you’ll be signed out of your Steam account, and the entire SteamOS (operating system) will be reset and restored to its default settings.
- Games on your SD card could be affected if you choose to reinstall SteamOS during the reset, so be aware of everything on your SD card before doing this!
- Thus, it’s a good idea to back up your save data before performing a reset, if possible. You can do this using Steam Cloud or by transferring the data to another device.

Section 3 of 5:

Troubleshooting Techniques to Try Before a Factory Reset

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Press and hold down the Power button, which is located on the top edge of your Steam Deck (to the right of the charging port) for 5 seconds. This will force it to fully restart.^{[5]
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Check for system updates after performing a restart. Once your Steam Deck has restarted, press the Steam button and navigate to System. There, ensure the System Update Channel is set to Stable. Now you’re free to check for updates! From the System menu, navigate to Software Updates; then, select the Check for Updates option. If it turns out there are updates available, allow your Steam Deck to install them.^{[6]
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- You may need to restart your Steam Deck again when an update is installed.
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Reset the BIOS on your Steam Deck. To do this, press and hold the Power button for 10 seconds to turn it off. Then, press and hold the Volume (-) button and the “...” button, and press the Power button simultaneously; after that, you can release all three buttons. You should hear your Steam Deck make a chiming sound, followed by a blinking white LED light—this means the reset is working!
- Resetting the BIOS on your Steam Deck can take 1-2 minutes, and the screen will be black the whole time, so don’t panic!

Section 4 of 5:

Erasing User Data From a Steam Deck

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Power down the Steam Deck completely. Press and hold the Steam Deck’s Power button (on the top edge of the device) for 10 seconds. This will fully shut down the Steam Deck.
- It’s recommended that you attempt these steps while the Steam Deck is plugged into a power supply.
Once the Steam Deck has shut down, give it a few seconds. Press and hold the “...” (three dots) button, then press the Power button simultaneously to turn the device back on. However, when the Steam Deck starts to turn on, don’t let go of the “...” button—keep pressing.^{[7]
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Opening this menu is a simple matter of continuing to press the “…” (three dots) button on your Steam Deck (while it’s powering on) until you see a black screen with a menu on it labeled “SteamOS.” Below that, you should see a short list of options in white text.
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Select ERASE USER DATA FROM DECK. Scroll down the SteamOS list; the bottom option should look like: -- ERASE USER DATA FROM DECK --. Once you select this option, your Steam Deck will proceed to erase all local user data.^{[8]
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- Erasing user data basically means all of your local games, save data, and user settings will be deleted.
- This effectively works the same as performing a factory reset; thus, this option is a good alternative if you’re unable to access the Steam Deck’s Settings menu.

Section 5 of 5:

Rolling a Steam Deck Back to a Previous OS

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Just as described in the section above, you’ll need to power down your Steam Deck by pressing and holding the Power button (on the top edge of the device) for 10 seconds.
With the Steam Deck turned off, press and hold the “...” (three dots) button and press the Power button; this will turn the device back on. However, keep holding the “...” button until a new menu labeled SteamOS appears with a short list of options below in white text.^{[9]
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Select the previous SteamOS version from the menu. Scroll down the menu to the option labeled Previous SteamOS-[with a series of letters and numbers indicating the precise version]. Select that option to force your Steam Deck to revert to the previous SteamOS version!^{[10]
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- Rolling back your SteamOS version is something to try if you think a recent update or change has caused a problem with your software.
- It can also be helpful if there’s corrupted data in the current OS, but you don’t want to get rid of your user data by performing a factory reset.