Steam Deck helps Discord and music apps within the background

Whereas the consoles don’t have any or restricted help for Discord, Valve’s handheld Steam Deck PC has a full model of the app. This allows you to be a part of the identical voice channels and textual content chats that you just do on desktop or cellular Discord. In fact, you gained’t discover Discord within the Steam retailer, however you may set up the Linux model in desktop mode. You’ll be able to then run Discord within the background of SteamOS whereas enjoying video games.

This works with Discord in addition to music or podcasting apps. Thus far, I’ve examined out Discord, Spotify, and a YouTube Music participant within the background whereas enjoying Elden Ring. Each packages ran concurrently with out problem. A whole lot of that comes all the way down to the optimizations that Valve has made to its SteamOS setting.

Right here’s easy methods to run Discord or different apps within the background whilst you sport:

1. Maintain the facility button down till the menu pops up. Choose “Swap to desktop.”
2. In desktop mode, click on the Uncover retailer icon on the taskbar.
3. Seek for Discord, Spotify, and/or no matter different app you need to run on SteamOS (obtain “core keyboard” beneath the accessibility tab in the event you want a digital keyboard).
4. Set up the packages.
5. Discover them in begin menu, after which log in whereas in desktop mode.
6. Open Steam, click on the “+” button on the underside left, and choose “add non-steam sport.”
7. Choose Discord and the opposite apps and add them.

Now, swap again to gaming mode and navigate to the non-steam tab in your library. You’ll be able to open up Discord or Spotify, after which you may soar right into a sport. And even whilst you’re in a sport, your Discord group will nonetheless hear you coming via the 2 microphones constructed into the face of the Steam Deck.