How to Format an SD card on Steam Deck?

Steam Deck is one of the most popular portable gaming devices, bringing game enthusiasts the convenience of playing. If you are looking for an efficient hand-held device that provides exceptional-quality games, you must definitely choose Steam Deck. However, when you start playing high-quality games, one major thing you will probably be struggling with is the storage issue.

Now, you may want to know how to resolve that. So, the best thing to do would be to get additional external storage. This can, however, sometimes be problematic, which is why you should learn how to format the SD card on Steam Deck to prevent any major problems. When you format sd card steam deck it will give you extra space and improve your gaming experience.

This blog guides you through formatting an SD card on Steam Deck, thereby improving the overall gaming experience.

Why Use a microSD card With Your Steam Deck?

Most people prefer using a microSD card on Steam Deck, considering the fact that it is one of the best cost-effective ways to expand storage. If you're a gamer, you already know how much space would be needed for playing games. Using the microSD card on Steam Deck allows you to expand the storage, install and access a wide range of games without upgrading the internal storage.

Moreover, when you have a microSD card in Steam Deck, you have the option to swap the cards between systems as it is portable. The microSDXC card comes with a huge capacity, which allows you to store bigger game libraries. It provides the benefit of fast and easy accessibility, and its UHS-I compatibility determines smooth performance and quick load times. As a result, you are sure to have a great Steam Deck gaming experience. You can also improve the experience by SD card format for Steam Deck.

Which SD Cards are Compatible with the Steam Deck?

The Steam Deck-compatible SR cards include microSDXC and microSDHC. These high-functioning cards can quickly meet the Ultra High Speed-I performance, ensuring smooth functioning and providing faster load time. As a result, people can use this card for smooth and better gameplay.

MicroSDXC: MicroSDXC cards are known for their extended capacity and can support up to 1 TB or more. They are the best choice for users who are game players and need a high-storage SD card that offers optimal performance.

microSDHC: If you just need a little bit of extended capacity and not too much, you can always rely on a microSDHC. These cards can offer storage up to 32 GB. Although the microSDHC cannot help cover an extensive game collection, it can surely benefit your small requirements, such as editing, saving pictures and so on.

How to Set the Best Steam Deck SD Card Format?

You must set the format method so that you can easily fix the data. It will help you derive the data to get actual results. Here are the top methods through which you can easily set the best Steam Deck SD card format:

Method 1. Format Corrupted SD Card with DiskPart

The command-line utility of DiskPart can be equally beneficial in formatting the corrupted SD card and changing file systems. However, it is important that you type the commands accurately to run this and eventually format the SD card.

Follow the given steps to format sd card steam deck using the DiskPart option:

Step 1: Launch the Run box in your system by clicking on the Windows + R button. Now, type diskpart to open the field.

Step 2: In the given diskpart window, type the given command:

list disk

select disk (here is the disk number)

list par

select par ( is partition number)

format fs= ( is the file format like NTFS, FAT32)

exit

Once you enter the command, it will completely change and format the file system. However, to avoid any possible damage, you must ensure that the SD card isn't in a locked system.

Method 2. Format Steam Deck SD Card on Steam Deck

EXT4 is considered to be the best SD card format. However, you cannot easily format an SD card in the EXT4 format in your Windows system. You can, however, directly format the Steam Deck SD card in your Steam Deck. So, if you want the answer to how to format SD card on Steam Deck, find it below.

The process is quite simple and straightforward. You need to follow the steps given below to Steam Deck SD card format on Steam Deck:

Step 1: Insert the SD card into the Steam Deck using the slot available at the bottom. This is the basic step to initiate the formatting procedure. On the left touchpad, you will find the ‘Steam’ button; click on it. This will open the Steam menu on the Steam Deck.

Step 2: Browse to Settings from the Steam menu and click on A to select it. From the given options, click on ‘System’ and then again press A to open it.

Step 3: In the System menu, you will see the Format SD card option. Press the A key to confirm that you can continue the formatting process.

Step 4: The format process will be initiated. Depending on the storage data on your SD card, it will take a couple of minutes. Once the data format is completed, you can start playing games in Steam Deck using the SD card.

Method 3. Format Corrupted SD Card Using Windows Disk Management

Windows Disk Management feature is in-built in the Windows systems that allow you to create a new file system. It is hailed to be one of the most reliable features through which you can view and manage the installed drives on your system. You can now format SD card for Steam Deck on Windows easily and get the data.

Here are the steps you can use to Steam Deck format SD card on Windows Disk Management.

Step 1: Launch the run box on Windows by pressing the Windows + R key. In the run box, type diskmgmt.msc, which will open the disk management.

Step 2: Browse to the digital drive option and right-click on it. From the available options, click on the Format option.

Step 3: Now, choose the desired files system option and hit the Ok button.

Step 4: You will receive a warning message dialog box that will share the message that all data on your respective drive will be deleted. Upon asking if You want to continue, click the Ok button.

This process will take a few minutes but will completely remove all the data from the corrupted SD card and format it.

Method 4. Format Corrupted SD Card through Windows Explorer

Corrupted SD cards can be pretty annoying as you do not get to save any data or recover the ones. Formatting it with Windows Explorer provided you the option to clean the SD card. Windows Explorer is an in-built option in Windows using which you can easily format the corrupted SD cards.

You can follow the steps given below to learn how to format sd card for steam deck:

Step 1: Open Windows Explorer and right-click on the partition. From the given GUI, click on Format.

Step 2: The new pop-up will offer various options. Set the unit size and file system. Then, enter the volume label option and click on the Quick format option.

Step 3: Hit the start button. You will receive a warning message stating that this will erase all data on the disk. Click on Ok to continue.

Once you have accepted the terms and conditions, you will receive the message that all data on your SD card has been formatted. You can take out the disk and then use it eventually. However, make sure that you aren't using the SD immediately after formatting it. So, you can opt for steam deck sd format.

Method 5. Format Corrupted SD Card via USB Disk Storage Format Tool

The USB Disk Storage Format tool is already installed in your Windows system. As a result, you can use the tool to remove the data seamlessly. You may follow the steps given below to learn how to format micro sd for steam deck using the Disk Storage Format tool:

Step 1: Simultaneously press the Windows + R key on your keyboard to launch the Run button. Type CMD and press enter to open the Command Prompt Window.

Step 2: Enter diskpart and the list disk option in the available window.

Step 3: Now, you will have to enter the select disk option. Enter the selected disk with the number that has been assigned to the corrupted SD card.

Step 4: Type Clean and press Enter. Now you will have to enter the Create Partition primary option.

Step 5: In the new window, type format fs=fat32 to begin the formatting procedure.

Bonus Tip: Recover and Repair Data from Corrupted SD Card with Wondershare Recoverit

If you are struggling with data recovery, you must rely on Wondershare Recoverit. Wondershare Recoverit is an effective data recovery tool that is quite popular among technicians. It helps you get all your valuable data back. So, if you have a corrupted SD card and want to retrieve its data, you can always rely on this tool.

Wondershare Recoverit will help you recover data from different sources, such as external storage devices, internal hard drives, crashed computers, recycle bins, and more. Moreover, one of the major benefits of using Wondershare Recoverit is that it allows you to recover corrupted, fragmented, and broken videos as well.

You can download Wondershare Recoverit on your macOS and Windows OS to start using it. Once you have downloaded and installed Recoverit in your system, you can follow the steps given below to recover and repair the data when you format sd card steam deck:

Step 1: Open Recoverit on your system and visit the SD card section. In this section, you must select the SD card from which you want to recover the data.

Step 2: Hit the scan button to initiate the scanning process. It will take a few minutes to complete, so just wait for it. You can also pause the process in the middle.

Step 3: The recovery process is going to take a few minutes. Be patient with it. After the recovery is done, you can double-click on the files to preview that the right ones have been selected.

Step 4: Click the Recover button and select where you want to save the recovered files.

Note: When choosing the location, make sure to choose a new one. This ensures that the data is saved in a different location, which increases the risk of being overwritten and eventually lost. Choosing a new location provides flexibility and an additional source of backup.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to format SD card steam deck, make sure to follow the right steps. Formatting the SD card is one of the best ways to get rid of any corruption that can damage the system. You can adopt these methods to erase the SD card data completely. However, make sure that you're taking a backup of the data so that you can keep all important data.