Steam Deck access to folders and files in game mode
The gaming mode is a factor in Steam Deck's ease of use, but it is not easy to use when considering it as a PC. In particular, the file access system is not intended in the UI, so there are ways to access folders and files, although they are not available by default.
Posted at: 2023.1.12
How to access specific files on Steam Deck
Steam Deck's gaming mode is running on Arch Linux, the same as the desktop mode, but it is UI-specific to gameplay, which means that its functionality as a PC is quite limited.
However, Steam Deck's gaming mode has the ability to launch non-gaming applications by registering them as games. Google Chrome, which is included by default, is an example.
This means that if you launch the file browser in gaming mode, you can access files in gaming mode as well.
How to launch the file browser in gaming mode
Dolphin, the file manager installed by default in Steam Deck, can be used in gaming mode by registering it as a non-Steam game.
It's easy to register.
- Switch to desktop mode
- Launch the Steam client app
- Click the "+" symbol in the lower left corner of the application and click "Add Non-Steam Games to My Library
- Click "Browse
- Find and click "org.kde.dolphin.desktop" under /user/share/application/
- Click on "Add selected programs
- Go back to the game mode from the desktop icon
- Make sure Dolphin is registered in the "Non-Steam" section of the library
Using this method, you can access NAS files with Steam Deck or access screenshots.
Since Steam Deck is a pure desktop version of Linux in desktop mode, it is possible to install cloud storage such as Dropbox to automatically back up screenshots.
Also, if you want to manage your own mods, etc., it will be convenient to access them directly from Dolphin in gaming mode.
Some folders are special in terms of permissions, etc.
Steam Deck has some directories that are read-only, and if you want to rewrite to those folders, you may need to change permissions.
Basically, you can use it without much concern, but if you want to access folders or files that require permission changes, you should change the permissions from the command line, etc.