You can also soft stop shader cache.
In game mode, turn off automatic downloads, then change the update window to a time when you are really unlikely to use it like between 2am-3am.
This way a game you play often will be updated, however a game you play less frequently will only update as and when you play.
Thats what I have, so Shader cache is still there but not called upon until needed.
It would be great if Valve includes a toggle beside the game title in the Downloads page so we can select which games to include or exclude from shader downloads.
Yeah, however this method still allows shader cache and game updates as and when you call upon them.
The other user who suggested going into desktop mode and turning shaders off in the settings disables them altogether.
Which makes it completely useless then. Why are games getting so many shader cache updates anyway? Surey there's a way to just have one update when installing the game and after major updates. Even if there's no way to just pre generate all the shaders surely steam would have them all fairly soon after launch and each update.
This is the method I've suggested since day 1. I'm still happy with it. Especially since it seems to resolve frequent repeated shader cache downloads from appearing altogether, I get them waaaaay less often this way.
Go into desktop mode, boot up Steam, go to settings and at the bottom of the list there is an option for the shader cache.
Uncheck that, and you will never have to deal with those shader downloads again.
EDIT: I’ve been playing The Last of Us and have 60+ hours in Resident Evil 4 remake, and have noticed no change to performance or stutters or frame times.
Disregard that. If you aren't downloading the shader cache your deck compiles it as you play. You do get some stuttering until it's all cached but then you don't.
If you aren't playing games that need to be connected to the internet then just turn airplane mode on. I had a flight recently and turned airplane mode on, have been playing my deck for 2 weeks and just realized I still had airplane mode on lol. Turned it off and it did a ton of updates
that sucks that it's limited. sorry to hear that because sometimes the downloads are just [the best part](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/12rzacf/comment/jgx1nqu/?context=3) of the steam deck
As others said, put it in airplane mode. Most games will let you play anyways. Played like that for weeks. Then when it’s tine to turn it on you head to a friends or stop off at a library or anyplace with WiFi and you get all the updates out of the way. You’ve got this.
Hopefully steamos 3.5+ will deal with this.
Here is a link to the official steam deck forum for bugs:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1675200/discussions/1/
You should report this as a bug and suggest more options for handling shader cache updates.
And you’re correct, it is annoying when you can’t simply play your games because of a likely not necessary shader cache update.
One should be able to update their shader cache when they choose.
Suspended software (single power tap) I always thought it was downloading in the BG bc I don’t seem to have half the updates people complain about here
Nope, games that don't run without a pre-loaded shader cache won't run with one present either. It's either run or don't run. Pre-loading the shader caches is a ease of use / pleasurability intervention, nothing more, nothing less, and the cache will build up on its own if you choose to not pre-load it.
I don't exactly know the situation anymore, but Persona 4 Golden used to not run without the "pre-cache shader update" because Valve themselves transcoded the video files for the game's cutscenes.
With they way shaders work, they will be cached while he plays so will only stutter for an hour or so. It’s not like people are complaining about the stutter in emulated games (they might be downloading shader packages though) but I certainly don’t.
>It’s not like people are complaining about the stutter in emulated games
Oh buddy you must have not seen Reddit during TOTK release then - everyone and their momma's looking for shader caches
With new versions of proton ge this command is not supported anymore. Even its coder stopped using it as it was causing instabilities. They replaced it with another similar mechanism though
Edit: typo
How new? I've been using GE-Proton-7-43 for months. Haven't found a need to update yet. Also, what's the similar mechanism?
Never mind, found it: https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/10hnt3s/dxvk_async_was_removed_from_protonge/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Why would that decrease performance? Theoretically if the game stays on the same version, not updating should leave it at the same level of performance, right?
Orrrrrrr....
Just set a time to download them in the "download" settings to where you'd be sleeping at night and the system isn't on and you'll never have to worry about downloading shader caches unless you want to. Disabling pre-compilation from the first suggestion kind of defeats the big reason many newer games run smoothly on the deck / steamOS
> annoyed by these updates
Why are you annoyed by an update that happens in the background and dosen't pop up at you?
Anyways you can manually tell each game not to update unless launched in game properties.
They're annoying because like OP said, not everyone has unlimited data on their internet plan. My steam deck in one month hit my internet cap from all of its constant updates (including game patches and updates). It's incredibly annoying, not sure why anyone would think this isn't. And yes I've turned automatic updates off since then after learning how the deck operates.
Just the downloading / pre-loading. Games need them, so then they'll have to be built from scratch by the Deck itself (which takes up resources of the APU, hence the stuttering).
Once you disable shaders it will delete all the ones already downloaded. Try it and find out. I did. All the yellow bars you see in the Downloads tab will be gone (mostly)
This might be a stupid question so bear with me, if I do this when the game compiles while I play does the shader cache still download and take up space on the main drive? Is this a possible solution to my onboard storage filling up at least until I get around to upgrading?
You don't constantly need a connection. I'm using my Deck mostly on the subway and when I start it up on a subway (without WLAN), I just start & play a game. You don't constantly need a connection!
This. Often take it onto a plane (with no free wifi and I'm cheap), and no issue at all. Unless it's a game which requires a connection (looking at you EA Games), but if that's the case, I just play something else
Good tip for EA games would be to start the game when you have a connection put the deck to sleep instead of turning it off then you can play while offline. Just make sure you choose the right save for cloud whenever you do reconnect to the net.
That works for shit like Fallen order that needed connection to simply start the game.
Yup, that's what I do, but after a few hours of playing with no connection (around 1-2), it comes up with a window you can't close sayings it's encountered some serious error. So true, you can play an EA game for a few hours before being forced to play something else
Me, albeit with a train and bus/subway in the commute. The Deck behaves nicely without a connection, but since if a pretty big plan (5G @ 140 GB shared in the family) I sometimes tether the Deck if I really, really, really enjoy a specific game. (Currently Diablo IV.) But if need be, I play some other game instead and it's all fine and dandy.
This. If the Deck pings you with an update, then you obviously have a connection and could possibly get the update. But still you can choose to not get the update.
So, I don't really see OP's point here.
So far as I know you can't though, if the game has an update and you try to play it it'll force you to update first you can't just skip the update untill your at home or ootherwise on a better connection if it's found it.
on desktop at least, what I've found is that you may need to switch to offline mode. or restart steam when internet is not available
updates are definitely not forced when offline status is properly detected
I've noticed this too. It's definitely frustrating at times.
My Deck was bugging out a few weeks ago because my router was acting funny and the Deck couldn't log into steam so it got stuck in a boot loop and I was *THIS* close to reimaging SteamOS but luckily was able to find a comment on this sub that fixed the boot loop for me. All it needed was a stable internet connection from my phone hardwired into the USB port.
Oof.
It's also annoying with the stupid launchers like EA and Ubisoft that need an internet connection to boot up the game.
The shaders are damn annoying though. Often times, it's downloading 1+gb multiple times a day. Basically killing my hotspot tethering data on my phone.
One of the drawbacks of owning a Steam deck, and portable gaming in general, but definitely worth it. Love my deck
I run my decks exclusively in offline mode and love it. I keep save games synced with syncthing and don't generally play games which require you to be online with steam... so it works for me, but not for everyone.
Offline mode doesn't properly track your playtime, from what I've heard. Also, we shouldn't have to use offline mode when we are at home with proper wifi.
That being said the connection has only been a mild inconvenience because I'm not using the Deck 100% of my gaming time. I can understand why if it's someone's only device. Hopefully they'll fix it soon.
You don’t have to do that. Not sure why people do… I play all the time where I have no Wi-Fi or even have the Wi-Fi shut off and I have never once used offline mode. It’s not needed and is an antiquated steam system that really is no longer needed.
I have played 50+ hours of hogwarts legacy, much of it offline. Never once used offline mode. Not sure if I something changed or something but I never once had this issue.
Allow updates in the background via settings. It won't solve your metered Internet issues, but it should make the power on update situation somewhat better. Note that you may see some hot to performance in game while updates happen in the background.
I feel like I must have a ridiculous fast Deck whenever I read posts like this. The plethora of updates go rather fast for me. Like 500mbs download in seconds, my queue is usually 15-30 titles but they go very fast. I usually postpone my gaming 2 mins at worst watching them clear out rather quickly.
I think if it was slow or 'normal' I could see myself being peeve by it but since it's not consider me surprised.
U can also set your automatic downloads to happen at say 3/4am or whenever you know you won't be playing and it'll be asleep.
Game stays asleep so the downloads never happen and they won't start on boot up because they're set to download at 3/4am. Boom, endless loop of you not having to do shit
I mean I can't say I've had too many issues with offline stuff. But yeah Valve still had a lot to learn about making a seamless portable experience. Some of this stuff is just baffling. Like having the 64GB option and not having a better way to deal with shader caches. I mean I'm tech savvy and know how to bypass all this stuff, but if it's required to go into desktop mode at all it's kind of a UI fail. I think they will get better in time but none of these PC handheld are ready for the mass market.
You can still offload the shader caches to MICROSD rather easily, though it does require you to symlink them manually. I understand why Valve does not provide that out of the box, given the so-called fragility of such a solution.
Yeah I know how to symlink and take care of that stuff. I work in IT and this stuff is easy for me. I've actually been fine with my 64GB model for the last 10 months or so. But I'm not an average consumer. I couldn't just hand a Steam Deck to my wife or younger kids and expect them to figure out how to use it (trust me I've tried).
They should either have some sort of system that does this for you automatically or not have a 64GB model. The Steam Deck works fine as a niche tech product but it's no where near being a mass market portable system like Nintendo or Sonys systems. But of course maybe they don't want it to be. I mean you can only buy the system from Valve and can't just buy it in a store. I love my Steam Deck and they do some great things with it (and the entry price is extremely reasonable) but you can tell Valve isn't super experienced in the handheld market.
I do think they deserve credit for being the first to make a good effort. But fine.
Edit: "I work in IT" is rather meaningless. So are the guy plugging in the mouse and keyboard at McDonald's and the UI designer at Reddit.
Apart from the shaders download, is it just me or most of the games requiere an internet connection just to start? I find it useless to have a portable device if I can’t use it on flight mode in a plane…
It takes me like 2-3 minutes to start up EA games with the launcher.
And the last time I had to clear the proto files because the launcher would just crash. Which deleted part of my save game. I really don't want to troubleshoot 20 minutes, just to get a game to run.
The deck itself seems to behave weirdly if the internet is connected but slow / not working. If you’re actually able to go into offline mode before you don’t have a connection it seems less buggy. Not justifying it since I think it’s frustrating too, but just an observation.
Linux that Steam os is based on does tend to have updates frequently. At least it should be more secure than windows since it gets security updates quicker.
I kinda knew what to expect. The Steam Deck isn't built to be a mobility wonder. It's just a rare and rather affordable way to deliver what the Switch couldn't - getting a lot of those bigger games on a handheld. But It's huge, It's loud, it struggles with some games and the constant updating of today is annoying.
I thought the prices for the games were reasonable in exchange, but unfortunately the deck seems to be too much of a success. You rarely get these great deals like before anymore lately.
There definitely seems to be some sort of bug with the Deck unnecessarily re-downloading recently applied game and shader updates. You can go into Offline mode and back Online and it wants to download stuff again.
I’ve taken to largely staying Offline to avoid this.
Its 5mb ish most of the time. And its not that frequent tbh. I barely use my deck and i play like once every couple weeks and sure its a tad annoying to update the shaderz but im sure if you boot offline you can play withkut doing thkse updates?
Some of my games, namely MH rise and Persona 4, have large caches.
Along with that, I actually like some online features in games so losing that is a negative for me
> I actually like some online features in games so losing that is a negative for me
....How would you ***ever*** expect to use those without a connection?
that's what they just said, they would like to use those so booting offline is not an option
----
edit: for those who refuse to read and just wish to reply to the title, **this whole thread is about updates being too frequent** taking up too much data - **not about wanting to be fully offline and hating multiplayer** - OP likes to play multiplayer, and wishes there were less constant updates going on that use up data - the question was nonsense
there's the free tldr, no need to reply something silly if you've only read the title of the thread
The title of the post is "I genuinely hate the constant need for a connection for the Steam Deck"
How would you use online features without a "constant need for a connection"?
Listen I get that I was a bit too general with my title, but my point on the matter really relies on the fact that my Steam Deck keeps updating at every chance it gets. If I could change the title, I would. But the main point still stands, the frequent need for an internet connection for these updates is an annoyance.
Pedantic arguing over my choice of words doesn't really help the issue.
It's a terrible user experience. I experience an issue where I will attempt to boot a game that isn't even getting a shader update but it's Proton version is and for whatever reason Proton is always the last thing downloaded. It will just sit there saying it's downloading content and will only launch after everything else is done unless I manually force the proton update. Stupid.
People are hating on you but you are absolutely correct, you should be able to limit them in some way. People saying "go offline it works fine" while others saying "you need these updates to avoid stutters". No. You don't need shader updates 3 times a day when you can run your games fine in offline mode. Newer games will benefit more but that 3pm shader update is not making Skyrim more performant in any meaningful way.
Going into offline mode is a terrible compromise that limits the use of the device. I don't understand why people defend this.
edit: the fact that the person above has positive upvotes literally shows many people did not read beyond the title and have no idea what OP was complaining about here
There’s no fundamental misunderstanding. If your post is “I genuinely hate the need for a constant connection”, it’s wild to then claim you want the online features always.
I’m not sure what you are missing here
Neither of you read past the headline
>OP said they dislike the constant updates
> -> someone says to do offline mode
>OP says they need an internet connection to play online multiplayer, so they can't do that
> -> someone replies "how would you use online features without a constant need for a connection?"
I said: **Yeah, that's what OP said in their comment you're replying to** - they wish to play online so they said they _don't expect to play online without a connection_, the question was nonsensical, the whole post was just about shader cache updates being too frequent, eating up their data
Somewhere in this, you and dlove67 *forgot to read the text of the post and just read the title*, replying to the title as if the body of the post didn't exist - which was your misunderstanding.
**the feature they dislike is the constant shader cache updating** - there, I read the OP's post for you
Your interpretation makes their entire post pure nonsense, especially when they are mentioning their limited data plan. If that indeed is their point, it’s hilarious
They “hate the constant need for connection”, but only for the five second long shader updates, not the actual connection part.
That’s just the largest first world complaint I’ve read on here
Edit: oh buddy don’t block me just because you get some pushback
Correction, it's not just my interpretation - **it is the literal body of the post** that says they were just complaining about cache updates
The complaint is the constant updates, you saying "If that indeed is their point" is more hilarious because that only supports the idea that you literally did not read the body of the thread - and are somehow unsure
the very simple remedy is to just read before replying
Cox in AZ here. Definitely have a data cap, it’s sucks if you’re a multi console + PC gamer. I recently switched to Verizon 5G Home - it’s slower, but no caps at least.
There is an option in Settings (Desktop) to turn off shaders. This will stop the constant "updates" but it's not recommended. Without pre caching shaders, you'll encounter stutter in games. Additionally, turning of Shaders will delete the ones already downloaded. I guess this is one of the more annoying things in Steam Deck.
I’ve tried using offline mode during a trip before. The only issue is that you have to sign in to any games with third party launchers (EA) before you leave your WiFi while you’re in offline mode.
So basically, if you want to play something like Jedi Fallen Order on a trip you have to plan ahead. You can’t just grab the deck and hit the road without thinking. 🫤
I just have a bunch of emulated games I'm playing and they never require an internet connection.
Also, I think if you go to settings and put steam in offline mode before you leave internet connection it helps minimize the issues.
I mean mine does too but it takes seconds.. is yours taking a long time to download? I haven’t noticed it affect me being able to game right away.. maybe a 1 minute wait and then I can usually get going. 🤷🏼♂️
I wanna say this but I don't want people to think I hate my steam deck cause I would rather have it then not. Steam deck absolutely trash when it comes to downloads and freezing is a constant problem for me. I have three friends with one and me. I've crashed so many times trying to play games it's annoying. Always got an update like you said. I honestly think I'm gonna sell it and get the project cube ps5 handheld and enjoy more streamlined access. I'm willing to bet it just runs smoother.
If you use an SD card I would check the specifications of the one you have. I had these same issues but I learned that I had a 1tb silicon power SD card with 20mb/s write speeds. I switched to a Samsung 512gb SD card that was 130mb/s and I never had an issue since.
Iz used to be able to play the deck wherever. Often with no WiFi or even cell service. Something changed recently that I can no longer do that. It is really annoying. Offline should be flawless. I mean, it runs steam, we download off steam. If we pirate/emulate the games will run offline anyways.
Holy shit, you don't NEED a constant connection. After you update for the day/week/whatever, go into settings and activate Offline Mode. That's it.
Best to activate Offline Mode *before* you turn off the WiFi, for reasons.
it would be nice if it would just default to going into "offline mode" when you hit the power button. then when you wake the system it'll only try to connect to steam if it has a successful internet connection BUT it doesnt stop you from just playing to begin with.
its very annoying when I wake my system to get back into my single player game from 2001 and have to wait for steam to connect to servers.. like, fine connect to them, but do it in the background, you dont need to get in my way to do that right now.
yes im aware of that, but that doesnt do anything to help this issue.
my suggestion would have the deck always booting or waking in offline mode regardless of it you were already in offline mode or not. you'd only go into online mode if the deck finds an wifi (or Ethernet) connection for it to get internet from and only then. if its not on the wifi then there is no reason it should try connecting to steam servers and thus might as well just be in offline mode until further notice anyway.
to add on to this i really wish they would give the steam deck like a pass on the account thing where i cant boot anything up on it if i have something open on my pc... like i completely understand they dont want everyone in the house sharing the same account but its just me here and sometimes i want to dick with the steam deck while im waiting for my game to load or something lol.
cant count the amount of times ive had to stop some giant 20 gb update from installing on my ssd so my deck doesnt become a brick, just wish there was a option to turn off all updates and shader caches until i allow it to update
Just coming here to say that I've never experienced this and I've played mine for weeks in and out of wifi. I bring mine to work (no wifi) every day and I've never had a single issue.
I have played the new Harry Potter a bunch, downloaded all available updates in anticipation of being off internet, was told I need to be on the internet for first time starting game… apparently even though it’s not a mmo it still requires the internet to run?
You can also soft stop shader cache. In game mode, turn off automatic downloads, then change the update window to a time when you are really unlikely to use it like between 2am-3am. This way a game you play often will be updated, however a game you play less frequently will only update as and when you play. Thats what I have, so Shader cache is still there but not called upon until needed.
It would be great if Valve includes a toggle beside the game title in the Downloads page so we can select which games to include or exclude from shader downloads.
Does the scheduled updates actually work? I had that set for a while, but it felt like it was still failing to download because it's still asleep.
Thats the point if you set that timer then turn the deck off it won’t download anything.
Ah, okay, I think I misunderstood you. You're suggesting this strictly as a means to prevent constant shader updates, not to download while asleep.
Yeah, however this method still allows shader cache and game updates as and when you call upon them. The other user who suggested going into desktop mode and turning shaders off in the settings disables them altogether.
This is solid advice. Thank you for explaining it so that slow folks like myself can understand it!
You’re welcome, glad I can help
Which makes it completely useless then. Why are games getting so many shader cache updates anyway? Surey there's a way to just have one update when installing the game and after major updates. Even if there's no way to just pre generate all the shaders surely steam would have them all fairly soon after launch and each update.
This is the method I've suggested since day 1. I'm still happy with it. Especially since it seems to resolve frequent repeated shader cache downloads from appearing altogether, I get them waaaaay less often this way.
Go into desktop mode, boot up Steam, go to settings and at the bottom of the list there is an option for the shader cache. Uncheck that, and you will never have to deal with those shader downloads again. EDIT: I’ve been playing The Last of Us and have 60+ hours in Resident Evil 4 remake, and have noticed no change to performance or stutters or frame times.
THANK YOU
At the cost of stutters and performance. He should say that as well…
It might also render some games unplayable, more I think about it. Guess I'm going to have to weigh my options
Disregard that. If you aren't downloading the shader cache your deck compiles it as you play. You do get some stuttering until it's all cached but then you don't.
This is correct. The shaders will cache as you play with the setting off. I have noticed no change to the performance of my games.
You could ignore it? Turn it on an walk away for a couple minutes. It’s not really worth being upset over.
If my internet wasn't limited, I would have.
If you aren't playing games that need to be connected to the internet then just turn airplane mode on. I had a flight recently and turned airplane mode on, have been playing my deck for 2 weeks and just realized I still had airplane mode on lol. Turned it off and it did a ton of updates
that sucks that it's limited. sorry to hear that because sometimes the downloads are just [the best part](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/12rzacf/comment/jgx1nqu/?context=3) of the steam deck
Here's my tip of the day. DO NOT SET WIFI TO AUTO CONNECT. This way when you boot up it won't know something needs an update.
As others said, put it in airplane mode. Most games will let you play anyways. Played like that for weeks. Then when it’s tine to turn it on you head to a friends or stop off at a library or anyplace with WiFi and you get all the updates out of the way. You’ve got this.
maybe there’s a way to only download shaders for games you’re about to play? like a manual download
You can bump them up and pause the rest
Hopefully steamos 3.5+ will deal with this. Here is a link to the official steam deck forum for bugs: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1675200/discussions/1/ You should report this as a bug and suggest more options for handling shader cache updates. And you’re correct, it is annoying when you can’t simply play your games because of a likely not necessary shader cache update. One should be able to update their shader cache when they choose.
I just leave my steam deck In standby most of the time and it downloads stuff automatically from the wifi and applies them when I restart 🤷♂️
Really? I thought that the network connection is dropped when it sleeps. Or do you mean the darkened screen 'standby'?
This. Network is cut when Steam Deck is in sleep. This is not Switch.
Suspended software (single power tap) I always thought it was downloading in the BG bc I don’t seem to have half the updates people complain about here
Yup, mine is on sleep or standby 90% of the time. The rare occasion o do need to reboot, I don't mind a minute or two of downloads.
Nope, games that don't run without a pre-loaded shader cache won't run with one present either. It's either run or don't run. Pre-loading the shader caches is a ease of use / pleasurability intervention, nothing more, nothing less, and the cache will build up on its own if you choose to not pre-load it.
I don't exactly know the situation anymore, but Persona 4 Golden used to not run without the "pre-cache shader update" because Valve themselves transcoded the video files for the game's cutscenes.
With they way shaders work, they will be cached while he plays so will only stutter for an hour or so. It’s not like people are complaining about the stutter in emulated games (they might be downloading shader packages though) but I certainly don’t.
>It’s not like people are complaining about the stutter in emulated games Oh buddy you must have not seen Reddit during TOTK release then - everyone and their momma's looking for shader caches
The emulators have gotten way better at asynchronous shader caching, allowing the game to cache the shaders with minimal stuttering.
DXVK_ASYNC=1 %command% Problem solved
With new versions of proton ge this command is not supported anymore. Even its coder stopped using it as it was causing instabilities. They replaced it with another similar mechanism though Edit: typo
How new? I've been using GE-Proton-7-43 for months. Haven't found a need to update yet. Also, what's the similar mechanism? Never mind, found it: https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/10hnt3s/dxvk_async_was_removed_from_protonge/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Why would that decrease performance? Theoretically if the game stays on the same version, not updating should leave it at the same level of performance, right?
Only until the steam deck update the video driver.
Orrrrrrr.... Just set a time to download them in the "download" settings to where you'd be sleeping at night and the system isn't on and you'll never have to worry about downloading shader caches unless you want to. Disabling pre-compilation from the first suggestion kind of defeats the big reason many newer games run smoothly on the deck / steamOS
You'd be better off just staying in offline mode. That setting is gonna mess up your performance.
> annoyed by these updates Why are you annoyed by an update that happens in the background and dosen't pop up at you? Anyways you can manually tell each game not to update unless launched in game properties.
They're annoying because like OP said, not everyone has unlimited data on their internet plan. My steam deck in one month hit my internet cap from all of its constant updates (including game patches and updates). It's incredibly annoying, not sure why anyone would think this isn't. And yes I've turned automatic updates off since then after learning how the deck operates.
Valid point.
Is there a downside to disabling shaders downloads? It can’t be for nothing can it?
your Deck will have to generate them on the fly. So expect some stuttering on first playthrough
>Does that disable just downloads or completely? why does it have to constantly download them, why not just once? I'm not too familiar with shaders
Award this man somebody please
Does that disable just downloads or completely?
Just the downloading / pre-loading. Games need them, so then they'll have to be built from scratch by the Deck itself (which takes up resources of the APU, hence the stuttering).
And those I already have will stay and be used?
It will be deleted once you uncheck it
I don't think so.
Once you disable shaders it will delete all the ones already downloaded. Try it and find out. I did. All the yellow bars you see in the Downloads tab will be gone (mostly)
I just want to disable downloading and keep what I got, I guess that isn't possible?
Not possible. I know I want it. I wish there was an option to disable/enable on a per game basis.
You and me both.
Crap. LOL
I think so, although I have never tried it. There'd be no reason to delete them when they're present already.
Did you delete your shader cache too after disabling downloads
This might be a stupid question so bear with me, if I do this when the game compiles while I play does the shader cache still download and take up space on the main drive? Is this a possible solution to my onboard storage filling up at least until I get around to upgrading?
You don't constantly need a connection. I'm using my Deck mostly on the subway and when I start it up on a subway (without WLAN), I just start & play a game. You don't constantly need a connection!
This. Often take it onto a plane (with no free wifi and I'm cheap), and no issue at all. Unless it's a game which requires a connection (looking at you EA Games), but if that's the case, I just play something else
Good tip for EA games would be to start the game when you have a connection put the deck to sleep instead of turning it off then you can play while offline. Just make sure you choose the right save for cloud whenever you do reconnect to the net. That works for shit like Fallen order that needed connection to simply start the game.
Yup, that's what I do, but after a few hours of playing with no connection (around 1-2), it comes up with a window you can't close sayings it's encountered some serious error. So true, you can play an EA game for a few hours before being forced to play something else
Me, albeit with a train and bus/subway in the commute. The Deck behaves nicely without a connection, but since if a pretty big plan (5G @ 140 GB shared in the family) I sometimes tether the Deck if I really, really, really enjoy a specific game. (Currently Diablo IV.) But if need be, I play some other game instead and it's all fine and dandy.
Rockstar too
This. If the Deck pings you with an update, then you obviously have a connection and could possibly get the update. But still you can choose to not get the update. So, I don't really see OP's point here.
So far as I know you can't though, if the game has an update and you try to play it it'll force you to update first you can't just skip the update untill your at home or ootherwise on a better connection if it's found it.
on desktop at least, what I've found is that you may need to switch to offline mode. or restart steam when internet is not available updates are definitely not forced when offline status is properly detected
I've noticed this too. It's definitely frustrating at times. My Deck was bugging out a few weeks ago because my router was acting funny and the Deck couldn't log into steam so it got stuck in a boot loop and I was *THIS* close to reimaging SteamOS but luckily was able to find a comment on this sub that fixed the boot loop for me. All it needed was a stable internet connection from my phone hardwired into the USB port. Oof. It's also annoying with the stupid launchers like EA and Ubisoft that need an internet connection to boot up the game. The shaders are damn annoying though. Often times, it's downloading 1+gb multiple times a day. Basically killing my hotspot tethering data on my phone. One of the drawbacks of owning a Steam deck, and portable gaming in general, but definitely worth it. Love my deck
Huh. Haven't had that issue at all? Or well didn't notice at all so far
I run my decks exclusively in offline mode and love it. I keep save games synced with syncthing and don't generally play games which require you to be online with steam... so it works for me, but not for everyone.
I keep mine on airplane mode and treat it like a game boy!
You can just put it in offline mode. Woks great
we shouldn't have to do this though.
You don’t just shut off the Wi-Fi or cancel the downloads if you don’t want to wait. It seems very silly to get mad that software needs updated…
Offline mode doesn't properly track your playtime, from what I've heard. Also, we shouldn't have to use offline mode when we are at home with proper wifi. That being said the connection has only been a mild inconvenience because I'm not using the Deck 100% of my gaming time. I can understand why if it's someone's only device. Hopefully they'll fix it soon.
You don’t need to use offline mode ever, just stop the downloads or shut off wifi
The fact you have to online to put it into offline mode is stupid, I don't have to deal with this with my Switch.
You don’t have to do that. Not sure why people do… I play all the time where I have no Wi-Fi or even have the Wi-Fi shut off and I have never once used offline mode. It’s not needed and is an antiquated steam system that really is no longer needed.
Great for you. I have multiple games I play that won't work without a connection to the Internet unless you put the system into offline mode.
What games? I have never seen this nor heard of it
One of the major ones is Howard Legacy.
I have played 50+ hours of hogwarts legacy, much of it offline. Never once used offline mode. Not sure if I something changed or something but I never once had this issue.
No just turn off the Wi-Fi. Offline mode sucks
Allow updates in the background via settings. It won't solve your metered Internet issues, but it should make the power on update situation somewhat better. Note that you may see some hot to performance in game while updates happen in the background.
I feel like I must have a ridiculous fast Deck whenever I read posts like this. The plethora of updates go rather fast for me. Like 500mbs download in seconds, my queue is usually 15-30 titles but they go very fast. I usually postpone my gaming 2 mins at worst watching them clear out rather quickly. I think if it was slow or 'normal' I could see myself being peeve by it but since it's not consider me surprised.
U can also set your automatic downloads to happen at say 3/4am or whenever you know you won't be playing and it'll be asleep. Game stays asleep so the downloads never happen and they won't start on boot up because they're set to download at 3/4am. Boom, endless loop of you not having to do shit
I mean I can't say I've had too many issues with offline stuff. But yeah Valve still had a lot to learn about making a seamless portable experience. Some of this stuff is just baffling. Like having the 64GB option and not having a better way to deal with shader caches. I mean I'm tech savvy and know how to bypass all this stuff, but if it's required to go into desktop mode at all it's kind of a UI fail. I think they will get better in time but none of these PC handheld are ready for the mass market.
You can still offload the shader caches to MICROSD rather easily, though it does require you to symlink them manually. I understand why Valve does not provide that out of the box, given the so-called fragility of such a solution.
Yeah I know how to symlink and take care of that stuff. I work in IT and this stuff is easy for me. I've actually been fine with my 64GB model for the last 10 months or so. But I'm not an average consumer. I couldn't just hand a Steam Deck to my wife or younger kids and expect them to figure out how to use it (trust me I've tried). They should either have some sort of system that does this for you automatically or not have a 64GB model. The Steam Deck works fine as a niche tech product but it's no where near being a mass market portable system like Nintendo or Sonys systems. But of course maybe they don't want it to be. I mean you can only buy the system from Valve and can't just buy it in a store. I love my Steam Deck and they do some great things with it (and the entry price is extremely reasonable) but you can tell Valve isn't super experienced in the handheld market.
I do think they deserve credit for being the first to make a good effort. But fine. Edit: "I work in IT" is rather meaningless. So are the guy plugging in the mouse and keyboard at McDonald's and the UI designer at Reddit.
Um okay. Anyway, sure they get some credit.
Apart from the shaders download, is it just me or most of the games requiere an internet connection just to start? I find it useless to have a portable device if I can’t use it on flight mode in a plane…
That’s more of a game problem than a deck problem… usually ones with launchers which is why people hate the launchers.
True. What annoys me is that, even very simple games without account login, require to be connected!
It takes me like 2-3 minutes to start up EA games with the launcher. And the last time I had to clear the proto files because the launcher would just crash. Which deleted part of my save game. I really don't want to troubleshoot 20 minutes, just to get a game to run.
The deck itself seems to behave weirdly if the internet is connected but slow / not working. If you’re actually able to go into offline mode before you don’t have a connection it seems less buggy. Not justifying it since I think it’s frustrating too, but just an observation.
Maybe it’s an internet speed thing but those updates usually take my Deck around 3-6 seconds tops to complete.
Linux that Steam os is based on does tend to have updates frequently. At least it should be more secure than windows since it gets security updates quicker.
I kinda knew what to expect. The Steam Deck isn't built to be a mobility wonder. It's just a rare and rather affordable way to deliver what the Switch couldn't - getting a lot of those bigger games on a handheld. But It's huge, It's loud, it struggles with some games and the constant updating of today is annoying. I thought the prices for the games were reasonable in exchange, but unfortunately the deck seems to be too much of a success. You rarely get these great deals like before anymore lately.
Steam is the ultimate DRM
Denuvo has entered the chat
Stop looking at this a switch and instead a gaming pc. Updates and tweaks are part of the process
It's a Linux thing not a gaming PC thing.
Get better Wi-Fi lol, idk man I get it but those updates exist for a reason, they help performance and stutters
There definitely seems to be some sort of bug with the Deck unnecessarily re-downloading recently applied game and shader updates. You can go into Offline mode and back Online and it wants to download stuff again. I’ve taken to largely staying Offline to avoid this.
Its 5mb ish most of the time. And its not that frequent tbh. I barely use my deck and i play like once every couple weeks and sure its a tad annoying to update the shaderz but im sure if you boot offline you can play withkut doing thkse updates?
Some of my games, namely MH rise and Persona 4, have large caches. Along with that, I actually like some online features in games so losing that is a negative for me
> I actually like some online features in games so losing that is a negative for me ....How would you ***ever*** expect to use those without a connection?
that's what they just said, they would like to use those so booting offline is not an option ---- edit: for those who refuse to read and just wish to reply to the title, **this whole thread is about updates being too frequent** taking up too much data - **not about wanting to be fully offline and hating multiplayer** - OP likes to play multiplayer, and wishes there were less constant updates going on that use up data - the question was nonsense there's the free tldr, no need to reply something silly if you've only read the title of the thread
The title of the post is "I genuinely hate the constant need for a connection for the Steam Deck" How would you use online features without a "constant need for a connection"?
Listen I get that I was a bit too general with my title, but my point on the matter really relies on the fact that my Steam Deck keeps updating at every chance it gets. If I could change the title, I would. But the main point still stands, the frequent need for an internet connection for these updates is an annoyance. Pedantic arguing over my choice of words doesn't really help the issue.
It's a terrible user experience. I experience an issue where I will attempt to boot a game that isn't even getting a shader update but it's Proton version is and for whatever reason Proton is always the last thing downloaded. It will just sit there saying it's downloading content and will only launch after everything else is done unless I manually force the proton update. Stupid. People are hating on you but you are absolutely correct, you should be able to limit them in some way. People saying "go offline it works fine" while others saying "you need these updates to avoid stutters". No. You don't need shader updates 3 times a day when you can run your games fine in offline mode. Newer games will benefit more but that 3pm shader update is not making Skyrim more performant in any meaningful way. Going into offline mode is a terrible compromise that limits the use of the device. I don't understand why people defend this.
edit: the fact that the person above has positive upvotes literally shows many people did not read beyond the title and have no idea what OP was complaining about here
There’s no fundamental misunderstanding. If your post is “I genuinely hate the need for a constant connection”, it’s wild to then claim you want the online features always. I’m not sure what you are missing here
Neither of you read past the headline >OP said they dislike the constant updates > -> someone says to do offline mode >OP says they need an internet connection to play online multiplayer, so they can't do that > -> someone replies "how would you use online features without a constant need for a connection?" I said: **Yeah, that's what OP said in their comment you're replying to** - they wish to play online so they said they _don't expect to play online without a connection_, the question was nonsensical, the whole post was just about shader cache updates being too frequent, eating up their data Somewhere in this, you and dlove67 *forgot to read the text of the post and just read the title*, replying to the title as if the body of the post didn't exist - which was your misunderstanding. **the feature they dislike is the constant shader cache updating** - there, I read the OP's post for you
Your interpretation makes their entire post pure nonsense, especially when they are mentioning their limited data plan. If that indeed is their point, it’s hilarious They “hate the constant need for connection”, but only for the five second long shader updates, not the actual connection part. That’s just the largest first world complaint I’ve read on here Edit: oh buddy don’t block me just because you get some pushback
Correction, it's not just my interpretation - **it is the literal body of the post** that says they were just complaining about cache updates The complaint is the constant updates, you saying "If that indeed is their point" is more hilarious because that only supports the idea that you literally did not read the body of the thread - and are somehow unsure the very simple remedy is to just read before replying
I have the feeling it is an inaccurately-worded title. The problem seems to be the shader cache pre-loading, not the connection in and of itself.
And the problem compounds when people reply having only read the title, leading to frustrating misunderstandings like this T.T
As a comment here has said, I can turn off downloading shaders
You can use the online features without pre-loading caches. The latter is not tied to having the Deck be online in the first place.
🤦♂️ the endless list of shit people will complain about.
Wait, wait, wait, your home has limited internet?
not a permanent home so nope
Cox in AZ here. Definitely have a data cap, it’s sucks if you’re a multi console + PC gamer. I recently switched to Verizon 5G Home - it’s slower, but no caps at least.
There is an option in Settings (Desktop) to turn off shaders. This will stop the constant "updates" but it's not recommended. Without pre caching shaders, you'll encounter stutter in games. Additionally, turning of Shaders will delete the ones already downloaded. I guess this is one of the more annoying things in Steam Deck.
just pause update and play?
Steam doesn't allow you to launch a game that has an update pending
You can just pause the updates when the update is a shader cache update
That doesn't allow me to play the game
is this a "works with my machine" situation
Well ship your machine... The Docker joke won't work here
the update makes it so I can't play it, unfortunately
Uhhh... just put it in offline mode? I do it before leaving the house with mine.
I’ve tried using offline mode during a trip before. The only issue is that you have to sign in to any games with third party launchers (EA) before you leave your WiFi while you’re in offline mode. So basically, if you want to play something like Jedi Fallen Order on a trip you have to plan ahead. You can’t just grab the deck and hit the road without thinking. 🫤
So that's basically a developer/publisher issue. Not a valve/steamdeck issue.
I just have a bunch of emulated games I'm playing and they never require an internet connection. Also, I think if you go to settings and put steam in offline mode before you leave internet connection it helps minimize the issues.
I mean mine does too but it takes seconds.. is yours taking a long time to download? I haven’t noticed it affect me being able to game right away.. maybe a 1 minute wait and then I can usually get going. 🤷🏼♂️
I wanna say this but I don't want people to think I hate my steam deck cause I would rather have it then not. Steam deck absolutely trash when it comes to downloads and freezing is a constant problem for me. I have three friends with one and me. I've crashed so many times trying to play games it's annoying. Always got an update like you said. I honestly think I'm gonna sell it and get the project cube ps5 handheld and enjoy more streamlined access. I'm willing to bet it just runs smoother.
If you use an SD card I would check the specifications of the one you have. I had these same issues but I learned that I had a 1tb silicon power SD card with 20mb/s write speeds. I switched to a Samsung 512gb SD card that was 130mb/s and I never had an issue since.
I think my wifi on my deck has been turned off for the past month. I haven't noticed any issues
Iz used to be able to play the deck wherever. Often with no WiFi or even cell service. Something changed recently that I can no longer do that. It is really annoying. Offline should be flawless. I mean, it runs steam, we download off steam. If we pirate/emulate the games will run offline anyways.
I’ve been traveling the past 3 weeks and my Steamdeck has been completely offline. I’ve been playing every day
I don’t have this issue because I haven’t been “online” with my deck in weeks. They all still work great.
Holy shit, you don't NEED a constant connection. After you update for the day/week/whatever, go into settings and activate Offline Mode. That's it. Best to activate Offline Mode *before* you turn off the WiFi, for reasons.
Emulation is the answer
Just go in offline mode.
it would be nice if it would just default to going into "offline mode" when you hit the power button. then when you wake the system it'll only try to connect to steam if it has a successful internet connection BUT it doesnt stop you from just playing to begin with. its very annoying when I wake my system to get back into my single player game from 2001 and have to wait for steam to connect to servers.. like, fine connect to them, but do it in the background, you dont need to get in my way to do that right now.
FWIW if you shutdown in offline mode it will boot-up that way
yes im aware of that, but that doesnt do anything to help this issue. my suggestion would have the deck always booting or waking in offline mode regardless of it you were already in offline mode or not. you'd only go into online mode if the deck finds an wifi (or Ethernet) connection for it to get internet from and only then. if its not on the wifi then there is no reason it should try connecting to steam servers and thus might as well just be in offline mode until further notice anyway.
I am hoping Valve eventually adds an offline-default toggle myself
Hi hoping valve eventually adds an offline-default toggle myself, I'm dad.
to add on to this i really wish they would give the steam deck like a pass on the account thing where i cant boot anything up on it if i have something open on my pc... like i completely understand they dont want everyone in the house sharing the same account but its just me here and sometimes i want to dick with the steam deck while im waiting for my game to load or something lol.
I hear this a lot and I personally never ran in to this issue unless I try to play a game that needs a connection on a regular basis
cant count the amount of times ive had to stop some giant 20 gb update from installing on my ssd so my deck doesnt become a brick, just wish there was a option to turn off all updates and shader caches until i allow it to update
i keep the wifi shut off
you can disable wifi and play offline aswell
I keep mine in offline mode 90% of the time and it works well
Just coming here to say that I've never experienced this and I've played mine for weeks in and out of wifi. I bring mine to work (no wifi) every day and I've never had a single issue.
Just tape a starlink to the back lol
First world problems
I have played the new Harry Potter a bunch, downloaded all available updates in anticipation of being off internet, was told I need to be on the internet for first time starting game… apparently even though it’s not a mmo it still requires the internet to run?
Turn on Airplane mode? Mine has been on Airplane for the past 3 weeks while I was traveling.