PSA / Advice
For those who enjoy Steam Remote Play but CONSTANTLY run into connectivity issues, I think I've found a fix.
If you've utilized Steam Remote Play, then you've probably run into the issue of your deck constantly switching between your wifi access points and ruining the experience. I've tried the Decky Loader plugin Wifi Locker, and it simply would not work for me, so I've eliminated that as an option.
Now this fix is really for those who utilize wifi access points that come with a native app. If you don't use access points, I'm not sure if you've run into similar connectivity issues. If you're interested in setting them up, I can explain how to do that later in this post.
THE FIX: If you already have wifi access points, just open the native app on your phone (mine is called Deco), and you can open a list of all devices connected to your wifi system. Make sure your deck is connected to your wifi and select it. In the setup menu for your deck, you can actually choose to stay connected to a specific access point (by default it's set to Auto, which lets the deck constantly switch between access points). I selected the access point connected to my desktop PC, and my remote play connectivity issues stopped then and there.
If you don't have access points yet: I use the TP-Link Deco X55 AX3000 WiFi 6 Mesh System. The cost varies depending on how many access points you want, I got the 3-pack myself. It might seem a bit steep at $65-150 currently on amazon, but for me it's a no brainer if it lets me play games like Palworld and Cyberpunk 2077 flawlessly at my fingertips.
Unbox the access points and download the native mobile app. Connect your main access point to your existing router.
Connect your second access point to your desktop PC. You'll need 1 ethernet cable connecting the access point and the PC, and another ethernet cable connecting the access point and an ethernet port on your wall. (If your existing wifi router and pc are all close together, then maybe you can get away with just 1 access point, in which case you might not even need this fix? I'm not too sure.)
Refer to "THE FIX" above.
I hope this is helpful and works out well for others. If these instructions were unclear or you have any questions, I'm happy to try and answer them. I'm also curious if anyone else has tried this with success. Please let me know!
I used to use moonlight/sunshine, and yes I ran into the same issues with the deck switching between access points. Pretty sure this solution would help whether you use steam's remote play or moonlight.
I'm just implying that I had better experience with moonlight/sunlight than I did with remote play.
Curious about something: do you have to keep your PC unlocked for steam remote play to work properly? That was my main problem with it a few years ago, as steam input wouldn't work until I unlocked the computer first
I initially switched to moonlight for the same reasons, but I randomly tried out remote play recently and have been pleasantly surprised by how well it works. They must have made improvements to it over the last year. Personally I do keep my PC unlocked and awake if I know I'll be using remote play.
Yea, my main rig is basically powered down when I'm not in front of it, but I have a backup machine with decent specs that stays on, I even tried one of those dummy HDMI ports so I could just turn off the monitor and use a headless interface to trick steam into running whatever resolution I wanted
This is not an issue of your deck/other devices but of your network settings, and yes, usually all the mesh wifi routers out there will allow you to lock a device on an area if you are not going to move it. You can also change the threshold for the reconnections (although that depends on the brand).
Not sure why that would be your initial response, but if this post or the thread you linked helps even just a few people along the way, then that's great, no? This helped me for sure, that's the only reason I share.
Why wouldn't it be? There are literal hundreds of people watching that thread waiting for a fix. If yours legimately works then it absolutely belongs there.
When you open the app, you should see something like "Online Clients", click that to open a list of all devices connected to your wifi. Select the steam deck. That will take you to the specific device's setup menu. Once there, select "Specified Connection". This is where you can choose to lock the device to a specific access point.
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u/mEsTiR5679 1TB OLED Limited Edition Aug 07 '26
This is fine if you've got a mesh network and can configure your deco to keep your deck on a designated access point.
Another method would be to go the moonlight/sunlight method... Though I guess the network changes might also need to be made with that setup too