As part of the ongoing work to support Steam Deck, we added a new Dynamic Cloud Sync feature to Steam Cloud. This feature allows players to seamlessly move between Deck and PC instances of the game without needing to worry about exiting the game on the Steam Deck.

We anticipate that users will frequently suspend their Steam Deck without exiting the game, as is common with other hand-held gaming devices. With Dynamic Cloud Sync, if they then choose to play on another device (whether a PC or another Steam Deck), their progress will be there waiting for them.

With Dynamic Cloud Sync, Steam will automatically upload all modified save game data to the cloud prior to the device entering sleep mode. Users can then resume their game on any PC, laptop or other device. Steam will also automatically download any save game changes when users return to their Steam Deck and wake up the device.

Taking advantage of this feature isn’t a requirement for players to enjoy your game on Steam Deck, but we recommend you use it to give players the best experience possible. Without Dynamic Cloud Sync enabled, Steam will still track when save game data is changed on the Steam Deck. However, any user who suspends their Deck while your game is running and then tries to resume that game on a different device, will be prompted to first return to their Deck to close the running process or continue without their most recent save game progress.

The feature is free to use, but it’s not automatic: developers must manually enable it on their games in Steamworks and take advantage of some new APIs. Below, you can find the steps to enable it for your games, and more detail about the accompanying APIs.