Steam Deck is one of the newest gaming consoles in the market, introduced by Valve. Since its release, the console has been on a rollercoaster ride, with many criticizing its lack of optimization and some praising the value it brings to the gaming community.
However, there is much that is yet to be optimized and fixed on the Steam Deck, including but not limited to its software and hardware configuration. No Sound, for one, is among the many irritating issues on a Steam Deck.
If you have been having trouble with Audio on your Steam Deck, you have come to the right place for a solution.
To fix the No Sound error on your Steam Deck, make sure that the volume is not set to mute and see if the audio output is the device in question. If that checks out, try restarting.
In case it doesn’t fix the issue, you will have to resort to some advanced techniques explained further in the article. Therefore, it would be helpful to read the blog in its entirety.
Let’s get started.
Why No Sound Issue Happens On A Steam Deck?
Here are the most common reasons why audio malfunctions on your Steam Deck, either system-wide or game-wise.
We know some of these might be the first thing you would’ve thought of, but hey, not everyone is an expert.
Tweaked Audio Settings
Most of the time, that little extra optimization for the audio is the real reason for No Sound on your Steam Deck.
Volume Is Set Too Low
Many times, gamers forget that they have the volume turned down or set to mute. This might be the same case for you. Care to check?
External Devices Are Selected As Audio Output
Wireless speakers are great and many people love playing games with the Audio Output set to an external speaker. It only becomes problematic when you are still connected to that speaker and expecting to hear output from your Steam Deck.
Installed Games Have Compatibility Issues
Many games have unverified compatibility on Steam Deck. Therefore, if it is only one game that you are experiencing issues in, it might not be fully compatible with your sound settings.
Audio Port Is Malfunctioning
Sometimes, moisture or fluids find their way into the 3.5mm Audio Jacks and trick the system into thinking that a headset is connected to the Steam Deck. This causes a mute system-wide and is one of the common reasons Audio might be absent.
How To Fix No Sound On Steam Deck
You might be experiencing No Sound on your Steam Deck for several reasons. It can be just in a few games or a system-wide audio malfunction, but you can rest assured that this section will solve the problem or, at the bare minimum, guide you in the right direction.
Here are the most straightforward fixes for the No Sound problem on a Steam Deck.
Restart Your Device
The best fix for most Steam Deck issues is the “good old” restart button. Open your Steam Deck’s power menu and click on restart. Restarting will give a fresh start to your Steam Deck’s system allowing it to initiate all processes normally.
While the device restarts, you may want to check for any rattling noises or unusual jitter from your speakers. This will help you rule out any hardware problems or loose connections.
Set Compatibility Settings
If restarting doesn’t work and you have audio problems in specific games, you may want to head into the properties and select a different Proton Compatibility setting.
Follow these steps to change the compatibility settings for any game on a Steam Deck.
Step 1. Open Steam.
Step 2. Search for the game and open its page.
Step 3. Click on the Settings Icon.
Step 4. Open Compatibility Settings.
Step 5. Check the Box to enforce different versions of Proton (leave it if already checked)
We recommend cycling through all available Proton versions to see which one works for you.
Plug and Unplug A Headset
As mentioned earlier, unplugging the headset incorrectly or having some fluid inside the audio jack can trick the Steam Deck into thinking it is still there. The best way to check this issue is to look for the headset icon in the status bar.
To fix this, however, you may want to plug in your headset again, rotate it a few times, and gently pull it out. Check whether the headset icon disappeared or the sounds returned to normal.
Try this method 1-3 times before moving on to the next step.
Enable UI Sounds From Settings
If you tend to tweak your settings a lot, there is a high chance that you have disabled UI sounds from the audio settings. You may need to check if they are enabled, as they can sometimes cause the No Sound issue system-wide.
To return the settings to normal, you will have to Open Deck Settings > Go to Audio > Enable UI Sounds.
Factory Reset Your Steam Deck
Now that you have tried everything and the issue is still not fixed, your best bet at this point would be to perform a factory reset on your Steam Deck. A factory reset will revert all your settings and erase all data from your Steam Deck to make it exactly like when it left the factory.
Here’s how you can reset factory reset your Steam Deck.
Step 1. Open Settings.
Step 2. Click on System.
Step 3. Scroll to the bottom and click on Factory Reset.
Step 4. Click on Factory Reset on the popup to confirm
Doing this will restart your Steam Deck and restore it to factory default. You can also try using the BIOS made and Recovery Mode for resetting your Steam Deck, but they are risky.
Remember that a factory restore will delete all user information and data. Also, if the factory reset does not work, you will likely have a hardware issue on your Steam Deck that might be beyond your skill to repair.
Conclusion
There is always a possibility of hardware issues when it comes to audio. Therefore, if none of the methods work for you, you may consider taking the Steam Deck to an electronic specialist.
Even though we hope that the fixes mentioned above will solve audio issues for most Steam Deck owners, you may need to contact Steam Support for further assistance if you’re still having trouble.