Sea of Thieves Keep Crashing on Steam Deck: How to FIX

Sea of Thieves Keep Crashing on Steam Deck: Released in 2018, Sea of Thieves stands out as a popular action-adventure video game that provides players with an immersive open-world multiplayer experience. It allows adventurers to sail ships, engage in combat, loot treasures, and explore the vast seas, all in pursuit of the quintessential pirate life.

Developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Studios, the game has garnered significant acclaim. With the advent of the Steam Deck, many gamers are now able to enjoy PC titles on this handheld device. Sea of Thieves has been officially verified by Steam for compatibility with the Steam Deck.

Despite this, some players have reported issues, particularly concerning game crashes during startup on the Steam Deck. Users have begun downloading and attempting to play Sea of Thieves, but many have experienced performance drawbacks, leading to a less than optimal gaming experience.

Fortunately, recent updates to SteamOS, specifically the Mesa update, may have addressed these performance concerns for several games, potentially improving the situation for Sea of Thieves players on the Steam Deck.

Fix: Sea of Thieves Keep Crashing or Not Working on Steam Deck

Should you continue to experience issues with startup crashes or problems launching games on your Steam Deck, this troubleshooting guide is here to assist you. We have compiled several potential solutions that may prove useful. Let’s dive right in and explore these options.

1. Reboot Steam Deck

To begin troubleshooting, it’s advisable to restart your Steam Deck through the Software Updates menu to eliminate any potential temporary system errors. These errors or issues with cached data can interfere with performance. Here’s how to proceed:

  • 1. Press the Steam button on your Steam Deck.
  • 2. Navigate to Power and select Restart.
  • 3. Allow the device to fully reboot, then check if the problem persists.

2. Force Reboot Steam Deck

If you’re continuing to experience the same problem, it’s advisable to perform a force restart on your Steam Deck.

This can help eliminate any possible glitches or conflicts within the system. A force reboot may be necessary if your device is powered on but not responding or is lagging significantly.

To execute this, simply press and hold the Power button for a minimum of three seconds. If the device still does not respond, try holding the Power button down for about ten seconds to initiate a forceful reboot of the system.

3. Check for SteamOS Updates

Using an outdated version of SteamOS can lead to various problems, including bugs, instability, and security vulnerabilities. To ensure your Steam Deck runs smoothly, it’s advisable to manually check for updates. Here’s how you can do that:

  • 1. Press the Steam button located on the left side of your Steam Deck.
  • 2. Navigate to the Settings menu and select the System tab.
  • 3. Look for the option labeled “Check for Updates” on the right side of the screen. If an update is present, click on “Apply.”
  • 4. Allow the update process to complete, and then select “Restart” to finalize the installation of the changes.

By following these steps, you can keep your system updated and functioning optimally.

4. Check for Sea of Thieves Updates

An outdated version of the game may be causing conflicts with your system, leading to performance issues due to potential bugs. To resolve this, it’s advisable to check for any available updates by following these steps:

  • 1. Open your Steam Library and navigate to the Sea of Thieves page.
  • 2. Click on “Manage.”
  • 3. Select “Properties” and then navigate to the “Updates” tab.
  • 4. Ensure that “Automatic updates” is enabled.
  • 5. Restart your Steam Deck.

This will allow updates for Sea of Thieves to install automatically whenever they become available.

5. Check Onboard Storage Space

It’s important to monitor the available storage capacity on your Steam Deck, as insufficient disk space can lead to various problems when launching and playing Sea of Thieves.

To check your storage, simply press the Steam button on your device, navigate to Settings, and then select Storage. If you find that your available space is running low, consider removing any apps or games that you no longer need to clear some space.

6. Reinsert the MicroSD Card

A malfunctioning MicroSD card can lead to various problems on the Steam Deck, including crashes when launching the game Sea of Thieves. To prevent these issues, it is advisable to fully format the MicroSD card before using it with your Steam Deck. Here’s how to format a MicroSD card:

  • 1. Ensure that you have correctly inserted the MicroSD card into the designated slot located at the bottom of the device.
  • 2. Press the Steam button on your Steam Deck to access the menu, then navigate to Settings.
  • 3. Select the System option and click on Format SD Card.
  • 4. The formatting process may take a few minutes to finish.

Keep in mind that the Steam Deck supports any UHS-I microSD card rated class 3 or higher, but it does not support UHS-II cards. If your MicroSD card is quite old or frequently experiences issues, it may be time to consider purchasing a replacement.

7. Enable Steam Cloud Synchronization

If you previously turned off the Cloud Synchronization feature on your Steam Deck, it’s essential to reactivate it to ensure your game data syncs correctly with the cloud servers.

To do this, follow these steps:

  • 1. Press the Steam button to open the menu.
  • 2. Click on the Steam option located in the top-left corner.
  • 3. From the dropdown, choose Settings.
  • 4. In the Settings menu, locate and select the Cloud tab.
  • 5. Make sure the box labeled Enable Steam Cloud Synchronization is checked.
  • 6. Click OK to confirm and save your changes.

After completing these steps, restart your Steam Deck to implement the new settings.

8. Force Change Proton Version on Steam Deck

To enhance your gaming experience on the Steam Deck, it is advisable to manually adjust the Proton version. This adjustment can significantly influence both game launch success and overall performance. Here’s how to do it:

  • 1. Open your Library and locate Sea of Thieves.
  • 2. Access the game’s Settings and navigate to Properties.
  • 3. In the left sidebar, select the Compatibility option.
  • 4. Check the box to enable compatibility settings, then opt for Proton Experimental.
  • 5. You can now choose the specific Proton version you wish to experiment with.

Following these steps may lead to improved gameplay.

9. Ensure Sea of Thieves is Verified on Steam Deck

Make sure to verify your Deck’s compatibility with Sea of Thieves for an optimal gaming experience without any extra adjustments. The Steam Deck uses a four-tiered verification system to assess how well games perform on the platform. If a game falls into the Playable or Unsupported categories, you can check the Steam Deck Compatibility section on the game’s Steam Store page to see which specific Verified criteria are not being met.

  • – **Verified: The game functions smoothly on the Steam Deck without requiring any modifications.
  • – **Playable: The game is operational, but users may need to make some manual adjustments, such as tweaking controller settings or utilizing a mouse or touchscreen for launcher navigation.
  • – **Unsupported: This game is currently deemed unplayable on the Steam Deck.
  • – **Unknown: We haven’t evaluated this game for compatibility yet. You’re welcome to try it out, but we lack information regarding its performance.

10. Reinstall Sea of Thieves

For optimal performance, consider uninstalling and then reinstalling Sea of Thieves on your Steam Deck. This process can effectively resolve various conflicts or launch issues that you may be experiencing.

  • To begin, press the Steam button on your Steam Deck to access the Settings menu.
  • Next, navigate to the Storage section by scrolling down the sidebar.
  • Locate the Sea of Thieves game in your library and select it.
  • Then, press the X button to initiate the uninstallation process.
  • Allow some time for the game to be fully removed from your device.
  • Once the uninstallation is complete, you can easily reinstall Sea of Thieves by visiting the Steam Store.

11. Factory Reset Steam Deck

To restore your Steam Deck to its original factory settings, which will erase all data and configurations, follow these steps. This method can also assist in resolving any game-related crashes you may be experiencing:

  • 1. Begin by pressing the Steam button to access the Settings menu.
  • 2. Navigate to the System section and scroll down until you find the Factory Reset option.
  • 3. If you receive a confirmation prompt, be sure to agree and continue with the reset process.
  • 4. Please allow some time for the reset to finish, as it may take a while.
  • 5. After the reset is complete, you will need to go through the initial setup process as if you were using the device for the first time.

12. Contact Steam Deck

Should you find that the previously mentioned solutions do not meet your needs, we recommend reaching out to Steam Support to submit a support ticket. There is a strong likelihood that their team will provide you with additional assistance.

Thank you for reading! We trust this guide has been beneficial. If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.

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