Steam Deck has rocked the world with its compact form factor and performance. To ensure portable gaming, the console includes a battery with enough juice and 45W charging support. However, charging the Steam Deck has certain restrictions, making the options to charge the console quite limited. Curious tinkerers and unsuspecting users might notice the “Slow Charger” warning pop-up when they plug unofficial chargers into their Steam Deck. In this article, we will discuss what causes the slow charger warning on Steam Deck and how to fix it.
What Is the Slow Charger Warning on Steam Deck?
Imagine this, you bought a Steam Deck and fully charge it up. After an intense gaming session on your sofa, you get the low battery pop-up, with the system asking you to plug in the charger. Since the Steam Deck charger is far away, you reach out for your standard mobile USB-C charger, as Steam Deck supports any USB Type-C cable. Upon plugging in the charger, you see the “Slow Charger” warning on your Steam Deck.
This pop-up shows up when a user plugs in an incompatible, slow power adapter to charge the battery. Steam Deck houses a 5,313mAh battery, and they make it mandatory to use 45W chargers to juice the console. The official charger you get in the box supports this power output. After all, it is a proprietary charger. However, most mobile chargers can only output up to 18W or 30W, which is not sufficient for the system.
When the pop-up shows up on the screen, it means the Steam Deck is is not getting enough power and is being charged slowly. In certain cases, if a user plugs in a charger with a power output under 20W, it will keep discharging the console. Now, it can be a major annoyance, so let’s look at the solutions to fix this slow charging issue on Steam Deck:
How to Fix the Slow Charger Warning on Steam Deck
1. Use a Compatible Charger
The “slow charger” warming pop-up informs users that their charger does not have enough power output to charge the console. As such, the only way to avoid this is by plugging in an appropriate 45W charger, power bank, or the official Steam Deck charger.
Doing so will ensure that the handheld receives the required power to charge itself, contributing to longer play times. We recommend a few Steam Deck chargers in our dedicated linked here. Give it a read if you are looking for alternatives to the official charger and want an all-in-one option for your USB-C electronics.
2. Try Another Charging Cable
The other problem that might give you the slow charger warning on your Steam Deck can be a faulty USB-C cable. Steam Deck has a USB-C port that allows users to use any compatible 45W charger. However, a faulty cable can hinder the power transfer to the handheld.
Additionally, the problem can happen because of the connection between the charging pins and the cable not being perfect. It could also be due to several other reasons, such as a faulty connector, etc. Hence, we recommended trying out another USB-C cable to charger the Steam Deck.
3. Try Charging with a Power Bank
Apart from a compatible charger, another great alternative to dismiss the “slow charger” warning is through a power bank. As long as you have a compatible 20,000mAh power bank that supports over 45W charging, the Steam Deck should charge as usual and not display the warning. A power bank is also a great alternative for chargers and comes in handy during travel.
We have suggested various power banks that you can purchase for your Steam Deck. Every one of them supports well over 45W charging and has proper safety features.
4. Restart Your Steam Deck
The final option is the age-old solution – restarting the handheld. Suppose you are using a supported charger or power bank, and you get the slow charger warning on your Steam Deck. Chances are, this could be a software-related bug, in which case, a quick restart should fix the issue.
