The Steam Deck is a portable gaming console that allows you to play wherever you desire. Regardless of whether you’re gaming on your sofa or in another country, you likely want to connect with friends, strategize, and defeat foes in the latest RPG you’re playing. This is where the well-known communication app, Discord, comes into play.
Although the app is not inherently available on Steam Deck and has only recently been introduced to PS5 and Xbox, there is a simple method to install Discord on the Steam Deck. In this article, we will guide you through this process, so you can remain connected with your friends and enjoy multiplayer games while on the go.
How to Install Discord on Your Steam Deck
Getting Discord on your handheld console is as simple as going to the software center and installing the software on your Steam Deck. Like we installed Chrome on Steam Deck, we need to follow certain steps to use the voice chat software here. As Steam Deck runs a fork of Arch Linux, we will install the Discord Linux app here. To download Discord on your Deck, follow the steps below.
First, switch to the Desktop mode on Steam Deck using the linked article. Then, open the software center using the shopping bag icon in the task bar.
- In the software center, search for Discord in the top-left. Then, click on the “Install” button in the right-pane to download the app. Once installed, you will see a “Launch” icon on the app page. Click on it.

- Next, make sure to log in to your Discord account, and that’s it. On your Steam Deck, you can now use Discord like you would on your PC. Now, click the settings icon in the bottom left corner of the app.

- Here, navigate to the “Voice & Video” settings from the left sidebar. Then, change the input and output device to your respective hardware. Doing so will let Discord know the microphone and speaker/ headphone to use.
How to Add and Use Discord in Game Mode
You wouldn’t want to navigate to desktop mode each time you wish to use Discord. So, in this section, we include step-by-step instructions for how you can add Discord to game mode:
- First, in desktop mode, press the Steam Deck icon in the bottom-left of the taskbar to open the application launcher.

- Then, go to the “Internet” section in the left sidebar, and you will see Discord in the right pane. Here, right-click on the “Discord” icon. From the context menu that appears, select the “Add to Steam” option to send Discord to game mode.

- Next, switch over to the game mode via the desktop icon and go to the library (Steam button -> Library). Then, move to the “Non-Steam” tab to find Discord.
Simplest Method to Install Discord on Steam Deck Now that you’re equipped with the necessary information to set up and utilize Discord on Valve’s handheld device, you can take advantage of the Steam Deck’s portability for both Discord voice and text channels. This is a fantastic feature, as Xbox and PS5 only provide access to Discord’s VoIP capabilities. Steam Deck users have an advantage in this situation, which makes me a proud owner. Have you installed Discord on your Steam Deck yet? How did it go? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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