How to Connect AirPods and Other Bluetooth Accessories to Steam Deck

A computer engineer by degree, Varun has 7+ years of experience in the field of technology. After his stints at Beebom and MrPhone, Varun has been covering different facets of technology at Guiding Tech. Here, he contributes to Team GT by helping its readers make better purchases while also understanding the meaning of each feature. In his free time, you can find him sharing his excellent photography skills along with his Aces in Valorant over Twitter.

Put Bluetooth Accessories Into Pairing Mode

Before connecting your AirPods or other Bluetooth accessories to the Steam Deck, you must put them into pairing mode. Let us show you how to do it.

For AirPods

The process to put AirPods and other TWS earphones remains more or less similar. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1:Open the lidwith your AirPods in the charging case.

Step 2: Now,press and hold the setup buttonon the back of the AirPods case for about five seconds. Wait till the status light flashes white.

And that’s it. Your AirPods are in Pairing Mode, ready to be paired with the Steam Deck.

For Wireless Mouse, Keyboard, or Other Bluetooth Headphones Into Pairing Mode

Alternatively, if you’re trying to connect a wireless mouse, keyboard, or any other peripheral to the Steam Deck, you must also put that into pairing mode. The exact process would differ from device to device. However, in most cases, the device has a physical toggle that you canswitch to enable Bluetooth modeon the device.

Other than that,some devices have a pairing buttonon them. This button may be labeled ‘pair’, ‘sync’, or ‘connect’. Simply press and hold the pairing button for a few seconds until the device’s LED light starts blinking or flashing. This indicates that the device is in pairing mode and ready to be paired with your Steam Deck.

How to Connect AirPods or Any Bluetooth Device to Steam Deck

Now that your AirPods, Mouse, or any other Bluetooth device is ready to be paired, it’s time to scan for it using the Steam Deck. Here’s how to do that.

In Gaming Mode

Step 1: Press theSteambutton on your Steam Deck to open theQuick Access Menu. In the pop-up menu, selectSettings.

Step 2: In the left sidebar, scroll down to theBluetoothsection.Enable the togglenext to Bluetooth.

Step 3: Your Steam Deck will nowsearch for available devices. Simplytap on the deviceyou wish to connect to start the pairing process.

And that’s it. Once your Bluetooth device is connected, it shouldappear under the Paired section.

You can now use your AirPods or Bluetooth headphones for audio with yourSteam Deck to watch moviesor play games. You can also use your Bluetooth mouse or keyboard to interact with the Steam Deck. Alternatively, you can even pair a Bluetooth controller with your Steam Deck.

In Desktop Mode

At times, some Bluetooth devices fail to pair with the Steam Deck while in Gaming Mode. As such, you can always switch to the Desktop Mode to pair your AirPods, mouse, keyboard, or other Bluetooth Accessories. Here’s how to do that.

Step 1: First off, press theSteam buttonon your Steam Deck and select thePoweroption to switch to the Desktop Mode.

Step 2: Now, in the pop-up menu, select ‘Switch to Desktop’.

Step 3: Your Steam Deck will now reboot into the Desktop Mode. Once done, open the Application Launcher andlaunch the System Settings appfrom there.

Step 4: Inside the Settings app, scroll down to theHardwaresection. Now, tap onBluetooth.

Step 5: Now, pair your Steam Deck with the AirPods or other Bluetooth accessories. To do that, click on‘Add New Device‘.

Step 6: Your AirPods, mouse, or other Bluetooth accessory should appear in the list of available devices.Clickon them toconnectto them. Then, click onNext.

And that’s it. Once the pairing is successful, you’ll see a confirmation message on your Steam Deck. Your Bluetooth Accessories are now connected and ready for audio and other tasks.

While this method should work perfectly, some users report that their Bluetooth devices refuse to connect when they switch back to the Gaming Mode. Here’s how to fix that.

Step 1: While inside the Bluetooth settings, click onConfigurein the bottom-right corner.

Step 2: Now, switch to ‘Enable Bluetooth‘ for the ‘On login’ settings.

That way, even if you restart your device, your AirPods, mouse, or other Bluetooth devices should connect seamlessly to the Steam Deck.

FAQs

Yes, you can. Follow the steps mentioned above to put the AirPods into Pairing Mode. Once done, simply search for the AirPods using the Bluetooth Settings on your gaming console.

Sometimes, even when the AirPods are paired with the Steam Deck, they refuse to connect in the Gaming Mode. In that case, simply switch to the Desktop Mode and turn on the toggle for ‘Enable on Login’.

While it is possible to connect the AirPods to the Steam Deck for audio output, the AirPods’ microphone doesn’t work. As such, you can’t use the AirPods to chat with your friends over Steam Deck.

Yes, you can pair and use your Bluetooth mouse or keyboard with the Steam Deck. Simply put your device into pairing mode and select it from the list of available Bluetooth devices on your Steam Deck.

Yes, the Steam Deck can connect to multiple Bluetooth devices at once. So you can connect your Bluetooth mouse, keyboard, controller, and earphones with the Steam Deck simultaneously.

Was this helpful?

Last updated on 09 July, 2024

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked*

Name*

Email*

Comment*

Δ

The article above may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. The content remains unbiased and authentic and will never affect our editorial integrity.

More in Gadgets

6 Best Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro Cases and Covers

6 Best Wireless Earbuds With Ambient Sound Feature

JOIN THE NEWSLETTER

Get Guiding Tech articles delivered to your inbox.

© 2024 Guiding Tech Media. All Rights Reserved.