How to take and transfer screenshots

Now more than ever, gamers love to record their gameplay, in-game photos, and more. One of the best ways to do this is through taking screenshots using their chosen system. Fortunately, Steam Deck allows players to do so with a few clicks of buttons in the system.

However, sharing those screenshots can be difficult if the user doesn't know where to look or the apps they need to do so. This guide will provide the steps for taking and transferring screenshots using Steam Deck and its associated applications.

Updated on November 16, 2024, by Michael Llewellyn: This guide shows you how to use a Decky Loader plugin, Shotty, to take and transfer screenshots. It's arguably the best way to take, share, and organize your game screenshots because it does most of the hard work for you. Since the latest Steam Deck update broke Decky Loader for many users, I am including the steps to restore Decky Loader and all your settings and plugins like Shotty.

How to take a screenshot using Steam Deck

Players can take screenshots at any time when the device is on. Steam Deck users might want to take a photo of a vital moment in the game or capture something from the game's menu and options. Use the following steps to take a screenshot using Steam Deck:

• Locate Steam button on the front of the Steam Deck.

• located the R1 button on the right shoulder of the device.

• Press the R1 and Steam button together.
• Steam Deck will notify the user at the bottom right of the screen that a screenshot has been captured.

• With the screenshot saved, users can access the image gallery via by pressing the Steam button and selecting the Media option. This screen will display all the user's screenshots.

• Press the L1 and R1 buttons to access all public and private images in the gallery.

Saving Steam Deck screenshots on PC

By following the steps above, players can take screenshots of whatever they want while using Steam Deck. Unfortunately, getting the screenshot from your device to a computer or laptop isn't as simple as plugging in a USB-C cable and transferring files from folder to folder. Follow the steps below to transfer the images to your computer:

• Download and make sure the Steam app is installed on your computer.
• Sign in to the app with the user's login details.
• Go back to Steam Deck media gallery.

• Select the desired image with A button.
• With the image open, press the options button in the top right of the Steam Deck.

• Users can now choose to make the image public or private and upload it.

• With the screenshot loaded, return to the Steam app on your computer.
• In the app, select View and then Screenshot.

• In screenshot uploader, select See the online library option.

• Select All. Or, if the images were uploaded privately, Select Private Screenshots.

• Click on the image you want to download.

• Double-click the screenshot to open it in a new window.
• Unfortunately, there is no option to save the photo directly to your computer. So the best option is to right click on the screenshot and select copy.
• Open an image editing program such as Photoshop, Paint, or GIMP.
• Presser Ctrl and V on the keyboard to paste the image into the program and save it in the desired format.

That's all a Steam Deck user needs to upload a screenshot and transfer it to a home computer.

Shotty moving images on Steam Deck

The Shotty addon is a good and less complicated way for users to get images and screenshots from Steam Deck. Shotty is a free add-on developed by Jariulah Safi for Decky Loader. Automatically sends all screenshots to folders organized in Desktop Mode.

Enable developer mode

Before switching to Desktop Mode and installing third-party applications such as Decky Loader, it is essential to enable Developer Mode and CEF Debugging in the Steam Deck settings. Follow these steps to activate them:

• Press the key Steam button to access the Steam menu.
• In the Steam menu, select System.
• Set System update channel to stable. Beta and Beta Candidate mods have frequent updates, which may conflict with Decky Loader and its plugins.
• Under System settings, Enable developer mode.

• Reopen the Steam menu and select the new one Developer.
• Under Miscellaneous, enable CEF Remote Debugging.

If the Decky Loader program disappears from the quick access menu – the menu that opens with the three-dot button on the Steam Deck – check the settings above again. Re-enabling CEF Debugging and Developer Mode should fix the problem. Major Steam Deck updates may cause compatibility issues with the Decky Loader program. It is better to keep Steam Deck in stable mode for updates.

Installing Decky Loader

Decky Loader is a program that allows users to install useful plugins like Shotty. To install Decky Loader on Steam Deck, follow these steps:

• Press the key Steam button under the left trackpad.
• Highlight and select Powerand switch to Desktop Mode.
• Open a browser and download the Decky Installer.
• Scroll down the GitHub page and click on the download image.
• Select recommended installation option.
• After the installation is finished, switch back to Game mode.

Install Shotty with Decky Loader

• Press the QAM button with three dots under the right trackpad, and the Steam Deck will be back in Gaming mode.
• Click on new socket icon in the menu.
• Click on settings gearwheel.
• Select update.
• When the update is complete, click the store icon next to the settings wheel.
• Type Shotty in the search bar and select Install.
• Open Shotty in Decky Loader and click on aggregate to send all screenshots to the images folder in Desktop Mode.

• All screenshots are automatic saved in Images folder under screenshots.
• Steam Deck users can transfer their screenshots to a USB with a USB-to-USB-C adapter or upload them to an online cloud-based service.

How to fix a broken Decky loader after Steam update

Even with the above steps to enable Developer mode, the latest Steam Deck updates may remove the Decky Loader program from the Quick Access menu. In most cases, the steps above should prevent this, but big updates can sometimes disable Decky and all your programs. Follow the steps below to reactivate Decky Loader and restore your settings.

• Press the key Steam button.
• Select Power and switch to Desktop Mode.
• Open a browser and navigate back to the Decky Loader GitHub page
• Select Download again.
• Find the download and double-click the installer, but just select Run and not open
• Enter the sudo password or set one up if it asks.

When setting up a sudo password, choose something
memorable
as it can only be reset by restoring the Steam Deck to factory settings.

• After installation, turn off Steam Deck and reboot into Game mode.
• Press the QAM button and Decky Loader and all your plugins and settings should be restored to their original state.