How To Set up a VPN on the Steam Deck (The Easy Way)?
Installing a VPN on Steam Deck? It’s easier said than done, especially given that the default operating system is a Linux distribution. This makes it a less-than-simple undertaking, especially for users who are less tech-savvy or who simply have no experience with Linux.
There are numerous threads in forums like Reddit (see this one or that one, for example) where people fervently discuss the best methods of getting a VPN up and running on the Steam Deck
In this article, we will show you how to quickly and easily install a VPN on your Steam Deck, without having any experience with Linux or needing to follow a complicated tutorial.
Table of Contents
How to Install a VPN on Steam Deck Quickly & Easily
The quickest and easiest solution is using our Shellfire Box – a small and handy device that allows you to route any internet-enabled device quickly and reliably over a VPN connection, easy as pie.
In the following video, we demonstrate how fast and easy this works in practice:
First, simply connect the Shellfire Box to your router, which then generates its own Wi-Fi network.
Any device you connect to this network will automatically connect to the Internet via Shellfire VPN.
This also means that with the Shellfire Box, you can also use a VPN with devices that don’t inherently offer VPN support. This includes current consoles like the Xbox Series and PlayStation 5 as well as streaming solutions like Apple TV and Chromecast, as well as numerous Smart-TVs from household names like Samsung.
Click here to get more information about the Shellfire Box and order one today!
What are the Benefits of Using Shellfire VPN on Steam Deck?
A VPN on Steam Deck is helpful for several reasons. For one thing, a VPN is useful for improving your online privacy and security, as detailed in our article about the general advantages and disadvantages of VPN use.
Moreover, using a Steam Deck VPN also comes with more specific advantages.
Bypass Steam blocking on local networks
It can sometimes happen where your router unintentionally blocks Steam. Most times, the ports used by Steam are unintentionally blocked, resulting in you no longer being able to use Steam properly.
A VPN is an effective way to bypass such blocks.
Enjoy the many benefits of gaming with a VPN
Even when gaming, especially in competitive multiplayer games, a good gaming VPN like Shellfire can be extremely helpful in protecting you from DDoS attacks from other players, generating easier lobbies (see our article regarding CoD Warzone in easier lobbies) or even reducing your ping.
Since the Steam Deck can also be used with an external monitor and a gaming mouse, we consider the device more than suitable for competitive gaming.
Of course, a gaming VPN is not needed for on-the-go, leisurely single-player gaming.
Access blocked websites and content
Obviously, you can also use your Steam Deck for online streaming and browsing, not just for gaming.
In this case, at the very least using a VPN becomes particularly interesting, since it’s only by using a VPN that you can bypass geographical blocks and unlock content unavailable in your region.
This allows you to access media libraries of foreign TV channels, among other things, or you can gain access to websites that block European users due to the GDPR.
What Disadvantages Does Shellfire Box Have?
In terms of Steam Deck, Shellfire Box only has one significant disadvantage, and that is that it is difficult to use on the go, since it must be always connected to a router.
If you have a mobile router that you take with you on trips, then this disadvantage applies in only a more limited way—in all other cases, however, the Shellfire Box is best suited for use at home or in locations where you have direct access to the router.
Conclusion
Valve has managed to revolutionize the handheld market with the Steam Deck. However, setting up a VPN is anything but intuitive for most users due to the device’s Linux-based nature.
Thanks to the Shellfire Box, you no longer need to worry about that, as our handy Plug-&-Play VPN-router makes setting up a VPN on your Steam Deck a breeze.
