Steam Deck Black Screen Issue? (Causes & 3 Fixes!) In 2023
Have you recently updated your Steam Deck and it is showing a black screen? Well, this is happening to quite a good number of users who cannot play anything on the console.
In this guide, I’m going to explain three segments- first is why this problem happens, second is how to fix it and the third one is the related questions that people generally ask.
So, if you are going through the Steam Deck black screen problem then, this guide is going to help you to understand the problem as well as the solution steps.
No time to waste, let’s dive right in!
Why does Steam Deck show a Black Screen?
If your Steam deck screen is going black, it could be caused by a system update or hardware issues. Rather than this, a high-drain battery or a damaged console could also be a firm cause!
Was it too short an answer to understand? Let’s understand these all in detail.
Read Also- How to fix Steam Deck Backlight Bleed?
Update
If your Steam Deck screen is going black after the update, then it might be due to an incompatible update. Sometimes, when you update your Deck, it may cause compatibility problems and hence you might face a black screen.
There are several people whose question is very common- ‘Steam Deck black screen after update’. Now, it should be clear to you, why you’re seeing the black screen problem especially after updating your Deck.
The Battery is Heavily Drained
If the battery that your Steam Deck console does have, gets heavily drained then the console might show you a black screen. In this case, you just need to put your deck on charging. Also, check if there is not any damage to the charger- the cable or the adaptor may be faulty, if so, change the faulty part or the whole charger.
Damage Console
Another possible cause to get a black screen issue on your Steam Deck is the damage that happens to the console- mainly if your console is dropped or anyhow it is damaged. In this case, you need to find out the damaged part, and when you repair or replace the damaged part with a new one, the problem automatically resolves.
Solutions
Can I assume, you have known the possible causes and all are clear to you? Well, If yes then, let’s move to the main segment, which is: how to fix the Steam Deck Black Screen Issue.
Reboot The Steam Deck
The first and very effective solution to fix the issue of the black screen is to force reboot your Steam Deck console. This process involves very simple steps, here you can find:
Firstly, disconnect everything connected to your Steam Deck console (All Cables, wires, and other devices). Second, press and hold the power button on the Deck for at least 12 to 15 seconds, and the console will turn off. Third, press the power button again to turn On the Deck but, before doing this wait for a few seconds.
If no joy, move to the next solution which is- to roll back to the previous firmware.
Do you know how to do this? If yes, then do this and see if the problem is fixed or not, and if don’t, then keep reading this post.
Roll Back To Steam Deck’s Previous Firmware
If your Steam Deck has a black screen after- updating its firmware or when launching the game then, this is because of the incompatibility of the new firmware that is facing issues running the system. To fix this issue, you can roll back to the previous version of the firmware.
Sometimes, installed files may get corrupted during the update which might cause problems such as a black screen or others.
To roll back the Firmware of the Steam Deck, visit the Steam Deck Recovery instruction page and then download the recovery image to create a backup. Now, connect the Deck through the USB port. Next, restart the Deck and open the boot menu and roll back to the previous update.
If the screen is only going black when you are opening games, then here are a few other simple steps that you can try to downgrade your Deck’s firmware:
- Turn Off the Deck and then, press and hold the Power + Three Dot Button together until you hear the boot sound. Now, leave the power button but, hold the Three-Dot button.
- Now, the Steam OS menu will appear on the screen, from here, select the previous version and then wait until all the commands run properly.
- Once all the commands run flawlessly, the console will restore the previous firmware version.
Note: You can verify if the previous firmware is stored or not by visiting Settings, then System.
Once the previous firmware is restored, the black screen issue would not be there- if it was really due to the latest installed update.
Read Also- How to Fix If Steam Deck touch screen not working?
Check For Any Hardware Issues
If the Deck is dropped or any other kind of hardware damage is there, the deck may show you a black screen. This is the situation where you would need to detect the damaged part or area and repair or replace that to resolve the issue. Once you fix that affected part, the issue would not be there.
The cable, port, or anything including the screen itself could damage. So, I would suggest visiting your nearest repair shop, or you can try it by contacting Steam Support.
Bottom Lines
To solve the black screen issue- that appears on your deck after updating its firmware, you can reboot your Steam Deck, check for hardware issues, and resolve them or roll back the Deck’s firmware to its previous version.
This has helped many users but, there is not a concrete solution to this problem since it is related to the firmware. So, the permanent solution will come from the Steam Developer’s end. So, to get a concrete or permanent solution, you have to wait.
If you get any permanent solution, you can share it with me, till then, enjoy your gaming and tell me which trick helped you. Thanks!
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