Best Steam Deck accessories in 2023: top earbuds, SD card, wireless mouse
The Steam Deck is here to stay, and many fans are looking to upgrade their set-up – luckily, we’ve got the best Steam Deck accessories around. Thinking back to the good old days of sporting a Nintendo GameBoy, you start to remember the plethora of accessories needed. Magnifier lights anyone?
Granted, the Steam Deck is neck-deep in features for its respective price points. Whilst it looks like a Game Gear, it doesn’t need Duracell’s back stock to power it up. We’ve been thinking about the best accessories for the Steam Deck gamer on the go, and we’ve come up with some practical solutions for Valve’s audience.
Products at a Glance
How we picked the best Steam Deck accessories
When choosing the best Steam Deck accessories, we tried to keep a number of things in mind. Accessories should boost the handheld device’s utility, making it easy to use whilst not being an unnecessary hassle. We tried to go for products which boasted good user reviews and came from reputable brands. This way, we knew we could rely on the quality and durability of the accessory.
We tried to cater for a range of budgets, and include more basic products like microSD cards and portable chargers alongside more ‘fun’ accessories like headsets for the portable gaming console.
If this guide isn’t quite what you’re after, check out our guide to the best accessories for Raspberry Pi, or the best VR accessories.
Product Reviews
- Space saving gaming headset solution on the go
- Wireless Bluetooth connectivity
- No replacement for a high-end gaming headset
We all want the perfect gaming headset. Personally, I love my Sennheiser EPOS GSP 370s, but they’re not exactly the most practical headset when it comes to commuting and gaming away from my desktop. Enter the Wireless Razer Hammerhead Earbuds. Featuring 60ms low-latency Bluetooth 5.0 auto-pairing, these touch-enabled earbuds are perfect for an on-the-go gamer.
Razer is known for creating aesthetically pleasing PC gaming peripherals that are ergonomically sound and full of the features gamers need. The secure in-ear fit of Razer’s Hammerhead wireless buds are made for comfort and added grip, with the long charging stem on each bud doubling as a ‘sound’ anchoring point. They’ve received stellar reviews across the web, too.
Players can expect around 15 hours battery life out of these bad boys, ensuring players will be more worried about their Steam Decks running out of, well, steam before Razer’s wireless earbud solution. The IPX4 water resistance grading also puts players’ minds at ease knowing they can commute in all weather conditions with their Hammerheads kept intact.
- Up to 1TB storage
- Easy set-up
- Great value for money
- Not as fast as internal SSD
The SanDisk Ultra MicroSD card is a fantastic storage device. It comes in capacities ranging from 32GB to 1TB, allowing you to expand storage by up to 200% even for the largest 512GB Steam Deck. While this microSD card may not match the speeds of an internal SSD, its quick write and read speeds ensure efficient gameplay. Considering the cost and straightforward installation compared to an SSD, it offers exceptional value.
If you’re a fan of graphics-intensive open-world games such as Elder Scrolls, God of War, or The Witcher, spare yourself the hassle of dealing with data transfer interruptions mid-game by securing additional storage for your Steam Deck (or Nintendo Switch) via this fab MicroSD card. The Steam Deck’s SSD storage depletes faster than anticipated, and while it’s possible to upgrade to a higher-capacity SSD, opting for a UHS-I microSD card like the SanDisk Extreme Pro is a more convenient solution.
- Great Grip
- Zero Noticable Latency
- Right Handed Only
HyperX has won my heart with the Pulsefire Dart wireless mouse. It doesn’t look like much, with the only RGB lighting being positioned in the HyperX logo, but this is the best wireless gaming mouse that’s also cost-effective. With a 90-hour battery life with RGB off, this has to be the best wireless mouse option for Steam Deck enthusiasts.
Qi wireless charging is another great feature of the Pulsefire Dart, it’s just easier to pop the mouse on a charging pad than plugging it in at the end of a good session of Unreal Tournament (Yes, I know what year it is). The Pixart 3389 Sensor isn’t messing around either, with no noticeable difference when compared to some of the best wired mice.
The best feature of this mouse is the ergonomics, providing you are happy using a right-handed mouse of course. It feels great in palm and claw hand positions, with the icing on the cake being subtly padded out synthetic leather side grips. It has a nice weight to it, by no means heavy, but it feels like there’s a decent piece of kit in the palm of one’s hand. Players won’t get the usual performance-enhancing RGB, but the HyperX Pulsefire Dart delivers in every area
- Super fast and reliable charging
- 24,000 mAh capacity
- Heavy and somewhat bulky
Coming in next is a hardcore portable charger to make up for the Steam Deck’s less than perfect battery life.
The best part of the Steam Deck lies in the ability to enjoy robust PC gaming while on the move. So it’s a good idea to consider acquiring a portable power bank that surpasses the Steam Deck’s requirements. The Anker 537 Portable Charger, boasting 65 watts of power delivery, comfortably exceeds the 45-watt maximum charge speed of the Steam Deck. With a substantial 24,000 mAh capacity, this charger ensures that your Steam Deck remains charged and prepared for extended gaming sessions. However, it’s pretty heavy, more so than the Steam Deck charger. But that should be worth it if you’re planning a long, socket-free day of gaming.
- Portable
- Provides necessary connectivity on the go
- Doesn't physically dock Steam Deck
Think about what you’d like to do when going round to see friends and family, or staying in that boring hotel room for the evening. You’ll want to show off the Steam Deck on a TV, right? Right! Enter the Lention USB-C Hub. It’s a great little device that can be classed as a portable docking station, allowing players to plug in their mouse, keyboard, and display for traditional PC gaming on the go.
Supporting 4K HDMI @ 30Hz and 1600P and lower at @60Hz, this is the best solution for a Steam Deck dock on the road that isn’t going to take up half of your backpack. Its dual USB-C ports allow for USB-C charging whilst the other is for data transfer. They don’t support video, but Lention allows for both ports to work simultaneously.
Other ports include 2 x USB 3.0 A and an SD/Micro SD card reader. They also support UHS-1 like the Steam Deck does, which comes in handy when juggling SD cards for larger steam libraries (which is most people, right?)
Best Steam Deck accessories: Features and considerations
There are a few things you should take into consideration when picking out a Steam Deck accessory.
Cost
Make sure the accessory is within your budget. However, the Steam Deck is already somewhat of an investment, so you don’t want to cut costs too much in case the accessory doesn’t work.
Utility
Will you actually use this accessory? Think about where it would fit into your gaming set-up.
Quality
Make sure the product is of high-quality. Check the reviews first and see if they match up with the product specifications.
Can I use any Micro SD card?
Most Micro SD cards are compatible, but not using a UHS-1 certified card may result in very slow read and write speeds that are less than ideal for gaming.
Can I Only Use Bluetooth Earbuds/Headsets?
No, Steam Deck supports 3.5mm stereo jack input so the choice is yours!
Our Verdict
Ultimately, these are all non-essential items and the choice is yours when it comes to what peripherals you’d like to use. All products featured, however, will suit Steam Deck users who are heavy travellers or anyone who wishes to use their Steam Deck docks in various locations.
Our favorite product on this list has to be the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Bluetooth Gaming Earbuds purely due to how much Steam Deck users will be using them when on the go. It’s always wise to have a good audio solution when commuting, plus they are compatible with most Bluetooth-enabled devices.