The Steam Deck charger wattage is 45W. So, if you want to charge as quickly as possible, you should make sure any third-party adapter you use can charge that high at a minimum. However, unlike in the olden days, you don’t have to exactly meet the specs of the original charger to protect your Steam Deck.
What is the Steam Deck charger specs?
According to the official website, the Steam Deck AC adapter has these specs:
“45W USB Type-C PD3.0 power supply”
So, any 45W/15V/3A or higher USB-C charger that’s Power Delivery 3.0 compatible will do. Thanks to PD 3.0, the Steam Deck will negotiate with the adapter and charge at the highest possible wattage.
So, what if you’re in a pinch and don’t have a 45W or higher charger? Well, the Steam Deck needs at least that much power to charge and play at the same time. However, you can charge it with almost any USB-C power supply. Of course, it’ll take longer to reach a full battery, but it won’t harm the device at all.
You can even use power adapters from other consoles with the Steam Deck. For example, the Nintendo Switch charger is rated for 39W/15V/2.6A, which makes it handy in a pinch.
