It’s been a long time since I got my first Game Boy and fell in love with handheld gaming. These days I’m all about the Steam Deck, and let me tell you: the Steam Deck shines brighter if you spruce it up with a few accessories. Prime Day is the perfect time to get them cheap on Amazon.
Here are my picks for the best Steam Deck accessories that’ll enhance your gaming experience, each one the best in its category. Pick up one, two, or all of them—they’re all money well spent if you ask me.
Note: While these aren’t all technically “Prime Day deals,” they’re all on sale or available at the lowest price they’ve ever been.
Best Steam Deck SSD upgrade: Silicon Power 2TB M.2 2230 SSD
You can load up your Steam Deck with a lot of games, but eventually you’re going to run out of space, especially if you’re playing the latest AAA blockbusters.
This tiny solid-state drive from Silicon Power will give you two terabytes of speedy Gen 4 storage, which is more than most laptops and desktops.
In fact, it’s double the storage of the top-of-the-line Steam Deck OLED, and eight times as much storage as the $400 version. It’s surprisingly easy to install, too—all you need is a screwdriver.
Though technically not on sale, this SSD is currently at the lowest price it’s ever been, making it a solid score for what you get.
Get this 2TB Steam Deck SSD upgrade for $140Best Steam Deck HDMI dock: QUUGE Docking Station
The Steam Deck is a fantastic portable gaming device, but sometimes you want to go bigger and play on a TV or monitor.
Almost any HDMI-to-USB-C adapter will get the job done, but this affordable accessory gives your Steam Deck a comfy place to perch, plus three extra USB-A ports for other accessories and an Ethernet port for lag-free wired online play.
At under $25 with the on-page coupon, it’s less than half the price of the official Steam Deck dock—and thanks to its flexible connector cable, it’s also compatible with phones and tablets.
Get this Steam Deck HDMI dock for under $25Best Steam Deck controller: Xbox Core Wireless Controller
Once you’re playing your Steam Deck on a TV or monitor, you’ll also need a wireless controller for true couch gaming.
Microsoft’s official Xbox controller happens to be the de facto standard controller for PC games—and thanks to built-in Bluetooth, it’s instantly compatible with the Steam Deck and its interface.
Normally $60, you can grab the basic black version of the Xbox Wireless Controller for just $45 right now. That’s even cheaper than some wireless budget models from companies like 8BitDo.
Get the Microsoft Xbox Wireless Controller for $45Best Steam Deck carrying case: JSAUX Carrying Case
Naturally, you can toss your Steam Deck into any old backpack and it’ll be fine. But a full backpack is overkill if you want to carry only the Steam Deck to keep your load light.
For that, I like this sleek over-the-shoulder carrying case from JSAUX, with a rigid front panel for plenty of protection and some extra internal pockets for your phone, chargers, batteries, or even a small tablet.
This one is currently on sale for Prime Day, going for 30 percent off during the sales event. Don’t have Prime? Sign up for a free 30-day trial to take advantage of this discount and other Prime perks.
Get this Steam Deck carrying case for $32Best Steam Deck screen protector: JSAUX tempered glass protector with applicator
The touchscreen is the most vulnerable part of the Steam Deck, which is why you really want to protect it well. For that, I like these JSAUX tempered glass protectors—not just for my Steam Deck, but also for my Nintendo Switch and every tablet I own.
And as someone who’s put on a lot of screen protectors, I absolutely love that this package comes with a plastic alignment guide (for perfect application) and a spare glass panel (for backup). You can easily get it on without any air bubbles or frustrating off-center edges.
This one is currently on sale for Prime Day, going for 20 percent off during the sales event. Don’t have Prime? Sign up for a free 30-day trial to take advantage of this discount and other Prime perks.
Get this Steam Deck screen protector for $8More Prime Day deals
This is just the tip of the Prime Day iceberg. Be sure to follow us as we find the best Prime Day deals worth jumping on. Or jump right to some of our best Prime Day deal roundups:
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.