Best Steam Deck Accessories 2024 - IGN (2024)

If you play loads of graphics-intensive open world games like Elder Scrolls, God of War, or Elden Ring, save yourself the strife of moving data around mid-game and set yourself up with extra storage as soon as you get a Steam Deck (or a Nintendo Switch, at that). The SSD storage on the device disappears faster than you’d think. And though it’s possible to replace its SSD with a higher capacity option, your life will be much easier if you use a UHS-I microSD card like the SanDisk Extreme Pro.

SanDisk Extreme Pro cards range from 32GB to 1TB, so you can add significantly more storage to even the largest 1TB capacity Steam Deck. Though this microSD card has nothing on the speeds of an internal SSD, it’s fit with quick enough write and read speeds for efficiency when playing games. The microSDs performance difference from an SSD is slight enough. Plus, when you add in the cost and simple installation compared to an SSD, it's a tremendous value, making it the best Steam Deck SD card.

The battery life on the original Steam Deck while running SteamOS is notoriously terrible — and even worse with Windows. The OLED model has made some improvements to the battery, but there’s nothing worse than having to find a plug right when you’re reaching the end of a platformer level. Even if you’re playing a laid-back game like Stardew Valley, nobody wants to lose battery before you can get to the carpenter’s shop to hit on Sebastian, and a portable power bank can remedy the issue.

Our favorite battery bank is the beefy Anker 747, with its 25,600mAh capacity ready to juice up your handhelds multiple times — it’ll even charge a USB-C laptop. That means this battery can take on the power-hungry Steam Deck with ease, while an 87W max output ensures a quick fill-up. On top of being plenty powerful, this portable charger is lightweight and durable to keep your Steam Deck rolling while you’re on the go.

The Steam Deck’s massive 7-inch touchscreen is pleasing to the eyes and helps solidify the device as the best handheld system ever. However, as with any touch screen, you’re bound to muddy up your Steam Deck with unattractive fingerprints — not to mention scratches and dings that can eventually cost you the display. To ensure you don’t have to constantly wipe away smudges or, worse, replace the pricey touch screen, grab a high-quality tempered glass screen protector from Dbrand.

Tempered glass is chip, crack, scratch, and fingerprint resistant, while Dbrand threw in an anti-glare film for solid viewing from anywhere and an oleophobic coating to repel your hand's oils, making the gaming experience even better. Most importantly, this glass is a perfect fit for the device and touch inputs are unaffected. Further adding to the screen protector’s value compared to others on the market is its incredibly thin with chamfered edges in keeping with the sleek design of the Steam Deck.

The Steam Deck OLED may come with a case, but if you plan to take long trips with your console, that probably won’t suffice. You’ll want to bring your charging cable, power bank, earbuds, and other accessories with you, and the default case has space for pretty much just the console, including the 1TB option with the removable liner. Investing in a carrying case, like this super affordable option from JSAUX, can make a world of difference.

It’s a big upgrade over Valve's pack-in accessory and offers tons of snug spaces for all your accessories, including extra cables, a wall plug, microSD cards, and whatever else you need. Best of all — it keeps your Steam Deck safely cradled inside using a secure hook loop while the case’s interior is molded and wrapped in a fleece material to prevent jabs or scratches to the device. The case itself is also highly durable with a hard shell, sturdy zipper, and secure handle. Plus, a handy stand is built-in for when you want to play using a PC controller.

For more great cases, you can check out Rock Paper Shotgun's list of the best overall Steam Deck cases you can buy.

Sure, you probably bought the Steam Deck for use as a handheld console. However, it’s a powerful enough option to connect to a TV or monitor and play games on a bigger screen. That’s where a dock comes into play: Valve has its own docking station for the Steam Deck, but we prefer the JSAUX Docking Station because it’s about half the price and works just as well.

JSAUX’s docking station has three USB 3.0 ports, a 4K HDMI port, a USB-C port, and gigabit ethernet, which all fit into a stand that looks nice on a gaming desk or TV stand. This option is extra handy because you can dock other USB-C compatible devices, like Android phones or the ROG Ally. The only place we can really fault the docking station is its lack of a DisplayPort, but if that’s not a deal breaker, you can’t go wrong with this affordable choice.

The Steam Deck isn’t full of all the tracking you get with smartphones, so if your console gets lost or stolen by a sticky-fingered onlooker, it’s probably gone for good. To ensure you don’t spend a good chunk of change to replace the device and its accessories, the Tile Sticker can give you some peace of mind for less than $30. You can place — or stick with the included adhesive — this tiny Bluetooth tracker in your case or even inside your device with some tinkering around.

The Tile Sticker is super compact and offers a simple setup on most iOS and Android devices. If you misplace the Steam Deck in your home, you can make it play a sound for easy finding. But when you think the console could be gone for good, a map on the app will tell you its most recent location, and you can use the Tile Network to locate it or notify you if the device is found. Just, of course, use caution on your hunt.

Did you know your Steam Deck can stream in 8K at 60Hz? Sure, most of us don’t have an 8K TV or monitor compatible with that output. But if you’re one of the lucky few who do, this 8K high-speed HDMI cable comes in handy, so your gameplay is never interrupted by annoying lags or subpar graphics.

In addition to the added capability, if you ever did get access to an 8K display, this cable is braided for extra durability. It also comes in either a 6-foot or 15-foot length, ensuring it’s long enough to easily plug into your TV. Plus, it’s backward compatible with all previous HDMI versions, so you can use it with your current displays and be ready when you inevitably upgrade.

Keep your Steam Deck setup as minimalist as possible with these wireless earbuds from Jabra. We’ve used earbuds from the Jabra Elite line for half a decade, and the stellar active noise-canceling and perfectly balanced, expressive audio for this price point makes them an excellent choice for gamers who just dropped way too much on a console.

These will fit right in your Steam Deck case, so you can easily bring them with your handheld. Plus, they feature 28 hours of battery life and six microphones to make remote online gaming a seamless experience. You can even keep them connected to your smartphone at the same time using Bluetooth Multipoint, letting you hear any texts or calls coming in while you’re slashing dragons in Elden Ring.

If you're looking for more options, take a look at our guide to the best gaming earbuds for addtional picks.