The best Steam Deck docks

Give your Steam Deck some mouse ’n’ keyboard comfort with the best docks we’ve tested

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There’s a good chance you’re eyeing up this list of the best Steam Deck docks with suspicion and, frankly, I wouldn’t blame you. The Deck might be a PC in handheld form, but it’s arguably the best of its kind at adapting and optimising the desktop experience for portable controls and inputs. And, with other accessories like microSD cards and upgraded carry cases jostling to be top of the shopping list, the value of a docking station initially sounds lacking in comparison.

Except it shouldn’t, and it isn’t. I can scarcely imagine Steam Deck life without keeping a good dock handy, and that’s just because I’m nipping in and out Desktop Mode so often – to say nothing of how these can make your Deck a serious PC replacement or a cheap living room games machine. Consider starting with the models below, which are all my current favourites among the docks I’ve tested with both the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED .

I heartily recommend a dock for both bigger-screen expansion and poking around Desktop Mode, itself a crucial component in getting the most out of Valve’s handheld. This is where you’ll be adding non-Steam game launchers and other applications, massively expanding the device’s usefulness – and while navigating with the trackpads and on-screen keyboard is possible, it’s a thousand times easier with a connected mouse and keyboard. Take a leisurely scroll downwards to see which docks could best serve you; at the moment it’s all third-party models, because while Valve do produce an official Steam Deck Docking Station, at £69 / $79 it’s easily beaten on value.

Best Steam Deck docks

• Ugreen 9-in-1 Steam Deck Dock - the best Steam Deck dock overall
• Syntech Docking Station - the best unusual Steam Deck dock
• JSAUX 6-in-1 Multifunctional Docking Station - the most flexible Steam Deck dock
• Ugreen Docking Station for Steam Deck - the best budget Steam Deck dock

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• Connections : 3x USB 3.0, 2x USB Type-C, 1x HDMI 2.0 (4K @ 60fps), 1x Ethernet, 1x SD, 1x microSD
• Power delivery : 100W

There are only two reasons to pass on the Ugreen 9-in-1 Steam Deck Dock : one, the 6-in-1 version (below) is cheaper, and two, it’s slightly bulkier than most other docking stations. And the latter isn’t a very good reason. This is more adjustable, more stable, and more stuffed to the aluminium gills with connectivity than its rivals, all at a very agreeable price – especially next to the £69 official dock.

This is the first Steam Deck dock I’ve tested to provide both a pair of free USB-C ports and a trio of full-size USB slots, so it’s easily the best for regular Desktop Mode users who need to plug in extra peripherals. The same goes for its SD and microSD card slots – which again, most other docks seldom make room for – as well as the fully adjustable kickstand, which enables a wider choice of viewing angles. The raised contact pad that actually holds the Deck up is high enough to avoid blocking the rear vents, too.

This stand also joins forces with the grippy, deep-cut seating groove (chunkier handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go fit too), the rubberized feet, and the relatively wide base to ensure the most stable of upright Steam Deck platforms. Honestly, who cares about a few extra square centimetres of footprint. This is an excellent docking station, and an absolute steal.

What we like: ✔️ Loads of ports and slots ✔️ Adjustable stand ✔️ Extremely stable

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• Connections : 3x USB 3.0, 1x USB Type-C, 1x HDMI 2.0 (4K @ 60fps), 1x Ethernet
• Power delivery : 100W

The Syntech Docking Station is both pleasantly affordable and unusually quirky, adopting a rotund shape with a semicircular strip of well-spaced ports. It’s perfect if you’ve spent most of your Steam Deck accessory budget on a fat microSD card, but still want a dock that’s not a bargain bin bore.

Connectivity-wise, Syntech’s dock almost matches Valve’s own, including the healthy supply of three USB 3.0 (AKA 3.1 Gen 1) ports. It’s only missing a DisplayPort output, so any external monitor shenanigans will need HDMI. It also doesn’t grip the table as firmly as the official dock, but then stability isn’t really a concern, as the round base does mighty well at keeping the Steam Deck upright. Out of all the docks on this list, it’s the one I had the most trouble trying to knock over on purpose, so accidental bumps should give it even less bother.

What we like: ✔️ Stable base ✔️ Plenty of USB-A ports ✔️ Quirky design

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• Connections : 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB Type-C, 1x HDMI 2.1 (4K @ 120fps), 1x Ethernet
• Power delivery : 100W

The (deep breath) JSAUX 6-in-1 Multifunctional Docking Station has perhaps the funkiest design on this list. The narrow backrest is in fact a removeable USB-C hub that, when it’s time to dock the Deck, slots into a simple plastic base, with the ports facing rearwards.

Its narrowness, and the lack of a locking mechanism, mean this isn’t as stable as a lot of fully integrated Steam Deck docking stations. But it is potentially more, ahem, multifunctional; if you’re taking your Deck on a trip and don’t forsee a need to keep it upright, then the detached hub is easier to take with you than a complete dock, while still being capable of serving up extra connectivity in a pinch. And that connectivity is basically a slightly higher-spec version of what you get on the Ugreen Docking Station, with dual USB-Cs (one with 100W power pass-through), two full-size USB slots, and an HDMI 2.1 port.

Adding to its flexibility, this dock also supports the Asus ROG Ally , and even the chunkier ROG Ally X and Lenovo’s Legion Go. If anything, it’s even better suited to those than the Steam Deck, as the latter lacks the drivers necessary to take full advantage of the dock’s HDMI 2.1 output. Then again, considering the main games-specific benefit of HDMI 2.1 over 2.0 is higher refresh rates at 4K, it’s not a huge loss for a handheld designed to run much lower resolutions.

What we like: ✔️ Flexible hub ✔️ High-wattage power pass-through ✔️ HDMI 2.1 support

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun

• Connections : 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB Type-C, 1x HDMI 2.0 (4K @ 60fps), 1x Ethernet
• Power delivery : 100W

Besides being one of the cheaper Steam Deck docks, the Ugreen Docking Station for Steam Deck ’s secret weapon is its second USB-C port. A literally tiny detail, sure, but consider this: most Steam Deck docks only have one, and it’s going to be filled in whenever you’ve got the power cable connected for pass-through charging. Any USB-C peripherals or external SSDs , of which there are a growing number, will thus lose their home – unless you have a dock like Ugreen’s to provide a spare.

While it apparently comes at the cost of a third USB-A port, two of those are still enough for a mouse and keyboard, and there’s more to like besides. Aluminium, as the main building materia, gives it a sleek look and rigidity that even Valve’s official dock doesn’t quite achieve, and like Syntech’s dock, it can accommodate non-Steam Deck handhelds as well. It’s also got more grip than the circular Syntech, even if it’s not as topple-proof when the Steam Deck takes a clumsy bump.

What we like: ✔️ Sleek design ✔️ Extra USB-C ✔️ Low price

Steam Deck docks: setup and troubleshooting

Beyond a bit of cheeky firmware updating, Steam Deck docks don’t typically need much setup faff of their own. However, they are still mere blocks of circuitry and silicone, designed by fallible human hands, and as such may need certain encouragements from time to time. Hark, some tips…

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Updating firmware

If you’re using the official Steam Deck Docking Station, you may be prompted to install Valve’s firmware updates on the Steam Deck itself. Otherwise, you can make sure your dock has its firmware up-to-date by following these steps:

• Connect the dock to your Steam Deck, with the power supply (that’s just your Deck’s own USB-C power cable) plugged into the dock.
• Restart your Steam Deck.
• Unplug both the dock from the Steam Deck, and the power cable from the dock.
• Wait 10 seconds, the connect everything again.

This should kickstart a firmware update, but if it doesn’t, try unplugging the power cable (while leaving the dock and the Deck connected).

Setting up displays

Besides the obvious stuff – making sure your monitor or TV has the correct input selected, for example – using your Steam Deck with an external display comes with some quirks.

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Steam Deck Academy brings together all our guides and explainers on getting the most out of your Steam Deck, no student loans or sweaty dormitories required.

• When connected with the Deck in Gaming Mode, its own screen will go black. That’s nothing to worry about, but if you want to keep the Steam Deck’s screen on, you’ll need to switch to Desktop Mode.
• The Steam Deck does not officially support passive cable adapters. They might work, but you’re more likely to see problems. Stick to active adapters (or just use the right cable) for the most reliable results.
• Likewise, try to make sure your cables meet the spec of your dock’s outputs. I once tried an HDMI 1.4 cable with the official dock’s HDMI 2.0 port, and it didn’t work – but after digging out a newer, HDMI 2.0-compliant cable, all was well.
• If the outputted video doesn’t fill your external display, you can attempt a fix using the Steam Deck itself. While in the default Gaming Mode, open the Steam menu, navigate to the Display menu, then disable “Automatically Scale User Interface.” Finally, adjust the slider until the image fits the screen.
• When connected to a 1080p or 4K TV, you’ll find that the Steam Deck’s video output remains limited to 800p or 720p when playing in Gaming Mode. To run games at higher resolutions, you can switch to Desktop Mode and launch your games from there, after which you should have a much fuller list on in-game resolutions to choose from. Obviously, though, the Steam Deck’s internals won’t be able to run much at 4K, and even 1080p is beyond it for a lot of games.

Audio setup

While Steam Deck docks lack dedicated sound outputs – audio is purely carried over the HDMI or DisplayPort connections – you can enable 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound while docked. With your external display already connected and working, reboot your Steam Deck into Desktop Mode, and click on the speaker icon in the taskbar. Then, find the HDMI/DisplayPort slider, click on the three-line icon, and select the number of channels that your speakers support.

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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