Valve has performed exceptionally well with this.
Steam Deck
The hardware is indeed excellent, but what truly stands out is how Steam’s foundation allows for seamless progression transfers between Windows and Linux with minimal effort. However, once you move past the Game Mode interface, you’ll soon encounter an issue:
Windows and Linux don’t get along well.
with each other.
As someone who enjoys classic video games and primarily uses the Steam Deck for emulation, I’ve encountered this issue for quite some time now. Whenever you put a microSD card into your Steam Deck, it gets formatted using the EXT4 file system. Unfortunately, Windows does not recognize the EXT4 format. So, when you place the same microSD card into a Windows computer, it will automatically switch to the NTFS format instead. Although the Steam Deck is compatible with NTFS, every time you swap out the microSD card, you have to remount the drive yourself. Additionally, switching back to Windows means losing access to both reading from and writing to the microSD card. This becomes particularly troublesome when regularly moving game ROMs and configuration files between your Windows machine and the Steam Deck.
Rather than doing everything manually every time I needed to move games around, I invested $30 in the Linux File Systems for Windows application from Paragon Software. This tool has turned out to be one of the smartest purchases I’ve ever made for my Steam Deck.
Linux File Systems Compatibility with Windows Simply Works
It seems as though you’re utilizing the identical file system.
Let’s ensure everyone is aligned here. A file system organizes how your operating system reads from and writes to a storage device. This organization dictates where metadata and actual data are kept, along with defining methods for retrieving this information via software applications. Starting with Windows NT, Microsoft adopted NTFS for their systems. Although Linux comes equipped with an open-source NTFS driver, manyLinux distributions—such as the one running on the Steam Deck—typically rely on EXT4 by default. This format represents the fourth version of the extended file system series that first appeared within Linux back in 1992.
When you remove your microSD card from your Steam Deck and insert it into a Windows PC, all the information remains intact. However, Windows cannot access this data directly without additional software since it does not support it natively.
There are solutions to this issue that won’t cost you anything (I’ll cover them shortly). However, Linux File Systems for Windows simplifies moving between systems. This ease of use comes from its design.
works.
Pop your micro SD card out of your Steam Deck, plug it into your Windows PC, and it pops up in File Explorer like any other drive. Take it back out and put the card into your Steam Deck, and it’s recognized right away without any intervention in Desktop Mode. It’s a seamless solution. It’s so seamless that I forget I have the app installed half the time.
The primary role of this tool is to enable drives formatted with a Linux file system to be used in read/write mode when connected to Windows. It facilitates support for EXT2 through EXT4 in both read and write modes, along with XFS and BTRFS in read-only mode. Beyond just mounting a Linux drive, the application allows you to format drives to adopt a Linux file structure directly from the software itself, and check the health of your drive. To get an idea of how it works before committing $30, you can observe its functionality during their complimentary trial phase. Paragon provides a free version post-trial; however, transfers may experience significantly slower speeds under this limited-access option.
It has proven to be a significant timesaver when toggling between my emulated games. I have
EmuDeck
configured on the micro SD card I use on my Steam Deck, and I’m constantly going back and forth between my Steam Deck and my Windows PC to configure everything. There may be free ways to accomplish the same thing, but for the convenience that Linux File Systems for Windows provides, it’s $30 well spent.
What to do if you’re looking not to shell out $30 for Linux File Systems on Windows
There are alternative methods to address this problem.
If you’re an avid emulator enthusiast but lack the funds at the moment, there’s no reason to fret. You can still move files back and forth between your Windows PC and Steam Deck. One straightforward approach is to bypass your Windows machine altogether. With just a USB-C hub and a few moments spent switching cables, you can enjoy a complete desktop-like experience directly on your Steam Deck. This way, you can set up all your games and emulators right on the device itself. While this method works well, keep in mind that you might shell out about $30 for the USB-C hub.
proper Steam Deck dock
anyway.
Another alternative is to mount your drive manually every time you transfer data. With the help of Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2), you can now access and modify EXT4 drives in read/write mode within Windows.
Microsoft even has documentation
On how to achieve this using PowerShell. Should you choose the alternative path and format your drive with NTFS, you will have to remount it in Desktop Mode every time you insert the microSD card back into your Steam Deck. If you’re comfortable diving deeper into technical details, there’s also an additional approach available.
open-source script
This will enable the automatic mounting of NTFS drives on the Steam Deck.
If I weren’t utilizing Linux File Systems for Windows, I would opt to format my drive with NTFS and run that script instead. Converting the drive to EXT4 and manually executing a series of PowerShell commands every time I wish to access the drive in Windows feels tedious and somewhat irritating. Even though this capability exists natively in Windows, repeatedly navigating through complex PowerShell instructions just to move some files onto my microSD card doesn’t seem efficient.
Nevertheless, the optimal solution among all options, such as Linux file systems for Windows, is using a KVM via your monitor. With a monitor equipped with USB-C Power Delivery and a KVM, handling your Steam Deck files becomes as simple as connecting a cable and switching your display’s source. However, should you lack both a monitor with these features and a KVM, obtaining them would be significantly pricier compared to investing around $30 in some software.
A specialized solution for those requiring it.
The Linux file systems for Windows aren’t essential for all Steam Deck owners, yet they’ve significantly improved my emulation experience on the device. This tool allows me to effortlessly expand my game collection onto my microSD card without being dependent on a specific PC setup. Additionally, when transferring my physical game copies digitally, I can manage this task using Windows, which makes sense to me since I’m more familiar with the processes involved in that environment.