How to Share Co-Op Game Saves on Steam Deck
Share co-op game saves between Steam Deck and PC so anyone in your group can host. No dedicated server, no manual file transfers.
You and your friends have a Valheim world going. Maybe it is Terraria, or Core Keeper, or Stardew Valley. The host plays on their desktop PC. You play on your Steam Deck from the couch or on the go. Everything is great until the host is not available and the rest of your group wants to play. The world is locked on their PC. Your Steam Deck is ready to go, but there is nothing to connect to.
This is the host-dependency problem, and it hits Steam Deck players harder than anyone else. The Deck is built for flexibility. Play anywhere, anytime. But co-op saves do not share that flexibility.
Why Save Sharing Is Broken on Steam Deck
Steam Cloud sync handles single-player saves reasonably well. It keeps your personal save files in sync between your PC and your Deck. But co-op saves are a different story entirely.
In most co-op games, the world save lives on the host’s machine. Steam Cloud does not share that save with other players. It was never designed to. So when your friend hosts a Valheim world on their desktop, that world does not exist on your Steam Deck. You can only access it by connecting to their active session.
This creates a chain of frustrations:
- You cannot host the world from your Deck because you do not have the save file
- You cannot play when the host is offline because the world only exists on their machine
- You cannot seamlessly switch between PC and Deck for hosting without manually copying files
- If you do copy files manually, version conflicts can overwrite hours of progress
Steam Deck forums are full of posts from players dealing with exactly this. Cloud save conflicts, overwritten progress, and the constant coordination tax of figuring out who has the latest save.
How SaveSync Fixes This
SaveSync is a Steam tool that keeps your co-op game saves synchronized across every player in your group. It works on both Windows and Linux (including Steam Deck, currently in beta).
Here is what changes when your group uses SaveSync:
- After each session, the host syncs the save through SaveSync
- Any player in the group can pull the latest save and host the next session
- It does not matter what platform they are on because the save file is shared with everyone
- No manual file copying, no Discord uploads, no guessing which version is correct
Your friend plays on their desktop tonight. Tomorrow you want to continue from your Steam Deck. You pull the latest save, host the game, and everyone joins you. The world is exactly where you left it.
Setting Up SaveSync on Steam Deck
- Join the SaveSync Discord server and grab the beta tester role from Channels & Roles.
- Follow the setup instructions shared in the beta testers channel to get the Linux build on your Deck.
- Create or join a sync group and invite your friends via Steam.
- Select your game from the supported list.
- Sync saves after each session and pull the latest before hosting.
The interface works with touch input and mouse pointer on Steam Deck. Gamepad navigation is still being added in the beta.
Which Games Work on Steam Deck with SaveSync
SaveSync supports 27+ games, and most of them run well on Steam Deck through Proton. Some of the most popular co-op games in the list:
| Game | Steam Deck Verified/Playable | SaveSync Support |
|---|---|---|
| Valheim | Verified | Yes |
| Terraria | Verified | Yes |
| Stardew Valley | Verified | Yes |
| Core Keeper | Verified | Yes |
| Raft | Playable | Yes |
| Don’t Starve Together | Verified | Yes |
| Palworld | Playable | Yes |
| Project Zomboid | Playable | Yes |
| Enshrouded | Playable | Yes |
| Schedule I | Playable | Yes |
| Satisfactory | Playable | Yes |
A few games (Minecraft, Vintage Story, Hytale) are still having their Linux save paths mapped and will be added in upcoming beta updates.
SaveSync vs. the Alternatives on Steam Deck
vs. Steam Cloud
Steam Cloud was designed for single-player save syncing between your own devices. It does not share saves between different players. It also does not handle co-op world files where the save belongs to the host. SaveSync fills the gap that Steam Cloud was never built to cover.
vs. Manual File Transfers
You could SSH into your Deck, navigate to the save directory, and copy files back and forth. Some people do this. It works if you are comfortable with the Linux filesystem and do not mind doing it before and after every session. SaveSync automates the entire process and makes it accessible to everyone in your group, not just the person who knows their way around a terminal.
vs. Dedicated Servers
Dedicated servers solve the always-online problem, but they cost $5 to $15 per month per game, require setup and maintenance, and many co-op games do not even support them. SaveSync is a one-time purchase that works across all supported games.
vs. Syncthing
Syncthing is a powerful self-hosted file sync tool, and some technical users set it up for game saves. But it requires configuration on every device, is not game-aware (so it does not understand save file structures), and is overkill for most gaming groups. SaveSync is built specifically for game saves and integrates directly with Steam.
The Steam Deck Was Built for Flexibility
The whole point of the Deck is playing your games wherever you want, whenever you want. Your co-op saves should work the same way. With SaveSync, they do. Your group is no longer chained to one player’s desktop. Anyone can host from any device, and the world stays current.
The Linux beta is live now. If you play co-op on Steam Deck, give it a try.