How to fix the cloud sync error on the Steam Deck?

The Steam Deck brings PC gaming to a handheld device with players able to access and play thousands of games, including quite a few AAA games, from Steam’s extensive library to the portable console. And with Steam Cloud, you don’t have to worry about losing their progress, stats, settings, and other information when switching between your PC and the Steam Deck. The cloud sync feature doesn’t always work as expected, though, but there are a few ways to troubleshoot the problem. Here’s how to fix the cloud sync error on a Steam Deck.

Steam’s cloud sync lets users save their progress and resume the game from where they left off, even when playing on another device. Any problems with the cloud sync will result in the progress not getting saved, a problem that can range from simply annoying to extremely frustrating. Users will see a cloud sync error message if the sync fails or when the device can’t locate your most recent saved files on Steam Cloud.

There are a few reasons why you might come across the cloud sync error on the Steam Deck. It could happen if the cloud synchronization settings are disabled, when the Steam servers are down, or if you’re having network connectivity problems. Corrupted game files, platform mismatches (which can occur if you’re playing the same game on a Steam Deck and a PC), incorrect configurations, or outdated SteamOS and game versions could also cause the cloud sync error to appear.

Check if the Steam servers are down

Like any service, the problem could be on Steam’s side and not an issue with your device. If Steam servers are down, it will understandably cause a sync error on the Steam Deck. Check sites like Steam Stat or Down Detector to see if others are reporting problems. Steam also conducts routine maintenance on its servers weekly (every Tuesday at 7 PM EST), and there might be outages during that time that will cause cloud sync errors on the Steam Deck.

Sometimes, simply restarting the Steam Deck might do the trick. Press the Steam button on the device to launch the main menu and go to Power. Select Restart. If your device is unresponsive because of other software glitches, long press the power button to force restart the Steam Deck.

Update the Steam Deck and games

You should always keep SteamOS and the games you’re playing updated to the latest versions to ensure you receive any bug fixes that Steam or the game developer rolls out. To update SteamOS, press the Steam button and go to Settings > System. Select Check for updates to see if one is available. If there is one, you will see the Apply button.

To check for specific game updates, press the Steam button and go to Library > (game) and press the gear icon on the right to open the game settings. Go to Properties > Updates to check if there are any available.

Ensure that cloud sync is enabled

To avoid any cloud sync errors on the Steam Deck, check to ensure that the feature isn’t accidentally disabled. First, press the Steam button, go to Settings > Cloud, and toggle on Enable Steam Cloud. If it’s already enabled, you can try toggling it off and on again to see if it fixes the cloud sync error.

Go to Library > (game), select the gear icon, and go to Properties > General. Uncheck and check the Keep game saves in the Steam Cloud option. Then go to Properties > Local files and select Verify integrity of save files.

A platform mismatch could cause cloud sync errors on the Steam Deck. Proton is a compatibility layer that makes it possible for the handheld console’s SteamOS to run Windows games. Press the Steam button and go to Library > (game). Go to Settings (gear icon) > Properties > Compatibility, and check Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool. Then select Proton in the drop-down menu.

Check your network connectivity and firewalls

First, make sure that you have an active Internet connection. An unstable connection or network firewalls might also block traffic and cause cloud sync errors on the Steam Deck.