SOLVED: Steam Deck Update Error

Players who bought the Steam Deck have been running into an Update error. This error prevents you from updating Steam Deck’s software to the latest version. If your Steam Deck remains on the older version, you will run into many bugs or issues that were supposed to be fixed. Additionally, online features of your games can become unavailable.

The error message reads the following: “Update Error. An error was encountered during the update process. Please try again.”

Check Your Steam Deck’s Disk Space

If your Steam Deck is low on storage space, you cannot download any updates. Monitor your currently available storage; if it is depleting, try to free up some space.

If you cannot delete any games or have low space despite doing so, the next best thing you can do is clear the cache for Steam Deck’s shaders. You can use many different 3rd-party applications to clear this shader cache, as Steam Deck does not officially offer any way to do so. 

Clearing up shaders won’t free up as much free up space compared to deleting a game or two. However, it’ll free enough space to get you through some tasks i.e. updating your Steam Deck, etc.

Check Your Internet Connection

If the error continues even after freeing up space on your Steam Deck, the next probable factor is your internet connection.

Insufficient or inconsistent connection speeds can impede your ability to download the update. You should first test your internet connection and ensure it works as intended. If you notice that you are getting unusually low speeds, then I believe it’s the reason why you can’t update your Steam Deck’s system software.

I suggest restarting your modem and see if that can fix your connection’s speed. Rebooting will clear your router’s network traffic and can assign a more optimal IP address.

If restarting isn’t working, try contacting your internet service provider and raise this issue. You might need to purchase a higher bandwidth package for your network connection.

Open Steam’s Network Ports

If your internet connection is working and you don’t see a lack of storage space in your Steam Deck, this is the next most likely cause behind your error.

Network ports are unique numbers assigned to each network or server. These numbers guide network traffic, such as data packets, to their destination. If the network ports are blocked, your data will not be able to travel to the destination it is intended for.  

In our case, the network ports that Steam needs could be blocked on your network. You can manually open these ports within your router to allow data packets to pass again. Do exercise caution and ensure that you only open necessary ports. Opening excessive network ports will expose your router to malicious threats.

These are the ports that you need to open for the Steam Deck:

• TCP: 27015, 27036, 80, and 443.
• UDP: 27015, 27031, 27032, 273033, 27034, 27035, 27036, 4380, 3478, 4370, and 4380.

Here’s how you can open these ports on your network router:

1. Inspect the back of your router for its IP address, username, and password. Note down this information.
2. Open any browser. Type your router’s IP address into the browser’s search bar and press Enter.
3. Once in the login portal, enter the username and password.
4. Now, find the settings that will allow you to open ports.
5. Most routers refer to the setting as Port Forwarding, virtual servers, or NAT.
6. You will find it in the advanced section.
7. Once found, add the previously mentioned port numbers and ranges in their relevant sections.
8. Click save and reboot your network router.

Switch Your WiFi Signal

In some rare cases, you might need to switch to a 2.4 GHz WiFi signal, as the Steam Deck does not support 5 GHz signals. I thought it was worth mentioning because many users managed to fix the update error by switching to a 2.4 GHz signal. You can test this by using your mobile’s hotspot and connecting it to your Steam Deck.

What I Think Of The Update Error

I fixed the update error by clearing out my Steam Deck’s storage space. However, I’ve also tried and tested all the other methods mentioned in this guide. I’m confident that after you’re done trying everything mentioned in this guide, the update error will be resolved permanently.