You Don't Have to Miss Out on Discord Just Because You're on Steam Deck
Main image courtesy of Hyperx.
Valve’s Steam Deck offers an unparalleled mobile gaming experience that was unheard of just a few years ago. It may not be a top-of-the-line PC, but it still offers superb performance for thousands of titles on Steam, including a number of AAA games. But there are some programs outside of Steam that are essential for many gamers to enjoy their favorite games. Discord is one of those programs.
Since its debut in 2015, Discord has become one of the premiere messaging and voice chat apps on PC, console, and mobile. Originally envisioned as a simple platform for communicating while playing multiplayer titles, Discord has gone above and beyond in creating an online social space tailored specifically for gamers. Features like game detection, in chat streaming, and an overall gamer aesthetic, combined with its availability on a variety of platforms, makes it the perfect platform for people to congregate while playing their favorite games.
With all this in mind, discord running on Steam Deck seems like a no brainer. Unfortunately, it doesn't come preinstalled with your device. But don’t fret! In this guide we’ll be going over how to install and optimize Discord on your Steam Deck. After that, we’ll answer a few FAQs that’ll make your mobile Discord experience smoother. Let’s jump in!
You won’t find the Discord app on the Steam Store. You’ll have to venture into the Steam Deck’s Desktop Mode and download Discord via the “Discover” app store. We’ll walk you through all the necessary steps as laid out by Game Rant.
There are two different ways to get to Desktop Mode. Don’t worry, we’ll navigate back to Gaming Mode in a later step.
The first way:
The second way:
Next, you’ll have to open the Discover app store. It should appear as a blue shopping cart in the bottom left corner of your screen. Once it’s open, use the search bar in the top left corner of the application to search for “Discord.” You can use a Bluetooth keyboard for this or press the Steam key + X to bring up the virtual keyboard.
Regardless, after you search, the Discord app should appear in the results. Click the “Install” button next to it and it will begin the process. It shouldn’t take long to complete. You can then launch Discord by selecting the Steam Deck icon on your Desktop, clicking “Internet,” and then launch Discord.
Once that’s open, simply login like you would on other platforms. Or create a new account if this is your first time using Discord. From there, you’ll be taken to the standard Discord dashboard. You’ll have access to all the features you’d expect from Discord on a regular desktop computer.
You might think that all's well now that you’ve installed Discord onto your Steam Deck. But there are still certain optimizations and settings we need to tweak to make your experience using Discord as smooth as possible. For one, wouldn’t it be a hassle to launch Desktop Mode every time you want to use Discord? This next step will remedy that inconvenience.
To launch Discord from Gaming Mode, you must first add it to Steam.
In Desktop Mode, open Steam and click on “Add a Game” in the bottom left of the window. Go to “Add a Non-Steam Game” and scroll down the list of applications until you find Discord. Click on the checkbox next to it and then select “Add selected programs.”
Discord should now have a dedicated page in your Steam Library just like a game would. If you return to Gaming Mode (desktop shortcut or Power Menu), you’ll find Discord under the “Non-Steam” category and you’ll be able to launch it without using Desktop Mode. From Discord, you can launch or switch applications by pressing the Steam button.
Now there are two small tweaks we can do to make the Discord experience just a little bit better. First, we need to change the controller settings.
In Gaming Mode, press the Steam button and navigate to Discord’s “Controller Settings.” Click “Controller Settings” again. Under “Current Layout,” press X, then select the “Web Browser” template.
This last step is unnecessary, but it could make Discord easier to find and nicer to look at. Like most non-Steam games, Discord does not come with any images or icons when displayed in your Library. You can add such images yourself, however it’s recommended that you do so from an actual Desktop computer rather than the Deck itself. We’ll be adding an icon, a custom background, and library artwork. If you’re struggling to find fitting artwork, I’d suggest searching SteamGridDB for artwork specifically made for the Steam Library.
Right-click on Discord in your Steam Library and select Properties. In the shortcut menu, click on the space next to the Discord title and select the new icon artwork from your computer’s files.
In Discord’s Steam Library page, right-click on the blank space behind the “Discord” title. Select “Set Custom Background” and pick a new image from your computer’s files.
Apps have unique artwork when viewed on your game shelf. To change that art, launch Discord, go to “Recent Games” in your Steam Library, right-click on Discord’s blank box, click Manage, then “Set Custom Artwork.” You can then select new art from your computer’s files.
Now that you have Discord on your Steam Deck and have customized it to your liking, there are two FAQs that we can answer that’ll make your Discord experience all the smoother.
While sending text messages is a major functionality of Discord, for many gamers, joining a voice channel is their primary means of communication on the platform. It’s the perfect way to communicate with your team during competitive multiplayer matches or tough cooperative boss battles.
Thankfully, you won’t miss out on this functionality using Discord on your Steam Deck. All Decks come with a built-in dual microphone array that will work perfectly with Discord. But if you’re not satisfied with the Deck’s mic or speaker quality, you can always use the 3.5mm headphone jack at the top of the device and plug in a headset. In the market for a new gaming headset? Check out some of the top picks for 2024.
Discord Overlay is a tool that helps out a lot when you’re in the middle of playing a game. Sometimes in the heat of a hectic match, the voices of your teammates can get lost in the mix. Sometimes you’re waiting for an important message while in game. Sometimes you get a call in the middle of a match and can’t tab out. Steam Overlay solves all these problems by extending the Discord’s UI into your gameplay.
Unfortunately, the Steam Deck does not natively support Discord Overlay. There are some workarounds that allow for similar functionality, though not all the features may be supported. The Decky software is a homebrewed application with a number of plugins that add various features and functionality that are usually unavailable on Steam Deck. Once you install it, you can check out the Deckcord plugin for Discord features.
And that’s that! With Discord on your Steam Deck, you’ll be able to communicate with your friends, clan, and team members easier than ever. Looking for a new game to conquer with your friends? Check out our review of Castle Crashers!
