Poor WiFi Signal on Steam Deck OLED (likely driver issue)

[smanc5]

Your system information

• Steam client version: 1731990050
• SteamOS version: 3.6.20, build 20241030.1
• Opted into Steam client beta?: [Yes/No] no
• Opted into SteamOS beta?: [Yes/No] no
• Have you checked for updates in Settings > System?: [Yes/No] yes

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

My steam deck oled has poor WiFi signal. I’ve tried 3 routers. It’s consistent across all of them.

My current router is the Google Nest WiFi Pro.

I’ve tried disabling WiFi power saving. I’ve tried 2.4ghz,5ghz and 6ghz.

I isolated the issue to Steam OS, likely a driver issue.

On Steam OS, my signal strength is sporadic. It bounces around from 50-70%. On my other devices I have 100%.

I installed Windows on an external SSD. The WiFi strength was at a steady 100%.

This is being in the same place, on the same network. I even tried it while being on the same WiFi channel.

I tried the beta and preview channels about a month ago and the issue was the same. I am currently on the stable update channel.

Full list of troubleshooting steps I tried:

• reboot router and SD.
• disabled ipv6
• tried wpa2 and wpa3
• disabled WiFi power management in dev settings
• my SD is up to date on stable. I tried the beta and dev builds a couple of months ago and the issue remained.
• I refreshed the bios
• I reimaged the steam deck.
• I went into the battery storage mode and back out of it.
• the issue is the same on 2.4ghz, 5ghz, and 6ghz.(I tried forcing it to 2.4ghz but it only connects to 5 or 6ghz)
• the issue doesn’t seem to be present when using my phone as a mobile hotspot which is a 2.4ghz signal.
• disabled 160Mhz
• The issue is present on the steam deck after trying 3 different routers. My current router is a Google Nest WiFi pro.
• I tried forcing WPA Supplicant in the dev settings.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

1. Turn on the steam deck. The signal immediately is poor.

[smanc5]

I have also followed the troubleshooting provided by Valve support, including a reimage.

[syberphunk]

I’ve tried 3 routers

What's the make and model of them?

What WiFi standard did you have them setup as? What encryption settings?

It bounces around from 50-70%. On my other devices I have 100%.

It's possible that SteamOS is polling the status of it more often and the others are rounding it up or polling less often.

This is being in the same place, on the same network. I even tried it while being on the same WiFi channel.

What's better is to determine what this "wifi signal issue" manifests as.

For example if you have a computer with files stored on an SSD serving its files over SFTP/FTP and it's wired via ethernet to your access point / router, and then you transfer those files via filezilla to/from your steam deck, try it in windows, try it in SteamOS, and transfer to the SSD of your Steam Deck, what transfer speeds are you seeing?

This type of consistent testing will give a better idea of "what's the signal like?" rather than an arbitrary polling of "is the signal strength weak/strong" because some value in the task bar says so.

[smanc5]

The first two routers I no longer have, but the first was my ISP router. Evolution digital was the brand. The second was a Wyze mesh router.

My current one is a Google Nest WiFi Pro. It is a WiFi 6e router. I’ve used it on the steam deck with wpa2 and wpa3.

I tried game streaming via gamepass on windows and steam os on the steam deck. It was noticeably better on Windows (clearer picture, less input lag).

I’ll try those tests you mentioned if I get the time.

[MrWalshy]

Every few boots, I get similar WiFi connectivity issues on the new OLED LE.

When it happens it will boot but struggle to connect, when it does the speeds (1-10Mbps instead of the usual 300+) and signal strength are low. A reboot immediately after seems to resolve it in my case.

[syberphunk]

Wyze mesh router.

Google Nest WiFi Pro

I'm noticing that these are all 'mesh' routers. On my WiFi 6 access point / router I have mesh configurations disabled.

[syberphunk]

Every few boots, I get similar WiFi connectivity issues on the new OLED LE.

When it happens it will boot but struggle to connect, when it does the speeds (1-10Mbps instead of the usual 300+) and signal strength are low. A reboot immediately after seems to resolve it in my case.

It's more helpful to also provide information such as your WiFI access point, configuration (wifi standards, frequencies, etc), security settings, etc.

If we're reporting problems then it helps to provide full detailed information to narrow down commonalities. Not all Wireless LANs are the same.

[MrWalshy]

Every few boots, I get similar WiFi connectivity issues on the new OLED LE.

When it happens it will boot but struggle to connect, when it does the speeds (1-10Mbps instead of the usual 300+) and signal strength are low. A reboot immediately after seems to resolve it in my case.

It's more helpful to also provide information such as your WiFI access point, configuration (wifi standards, frequencies, etc), security settings, etc.

If we're reporting problems then it helps to provide full detailed information to narrow down commonalities. Not all Wireless LANs are the same.

Not mesh routers, two diff. routers (one Virgin WiFi 6 80MHz width, one TalkTalk WiFi 5, can't remember exact models currently), 5GHz connection, WPA2, network not congested. Can't get the exact standards conns to show on the Deck, but they connect on ax/ac on my PCs iirc. The TT router is running in bridge mode atm.

Both work fine with my LCD Deck and other devices, something specific to the OLED. Persisted after a factory reset, so I suspect drivers or something power related like OP.

[forthewhiff]

I have also seen poor WiFi performance on my steam deck specifically. I don't think I have ever seen it have a full signal. It's always one bar short. Doesn't matter how close to the router I am. Using eero WiFi mesh network

[smanc5]

Full list of troubleshooting steps I tried is below. The issue remains.

• reboot router and SD.
• disabled ipv6
• tried wpa2 and wpa3
• disabled WiFi power management in dev settings
• my SD is up to date on stable. I tried the beta and dev builds a couple of months ago and the issue remained.
• I refreshed the bios
• I reimaged the steam deck.
• I went into the battery storage mode and back out of it.
• the issue is the same on 2.4ghz, 5ghz, and 6ghz.(I tried forcing it to 2.4ghz but it only connects to 5 or 6ghz)
• the issue doesn’t seem to be present when using my phone as a mobile hotspot which is a 2.4ghz signal.
• disabled 160Mhz
• The issue is present on the steam deck after trying 3 different routers. My current router is a Google Nest WiFi pro.
• I tried forcing WPA Supplicant in the dev settings.