One of Steam's many handy features is something called the Steam Deject. Information technology stores your customer and game information in the deject, which ways y'all can sign in to your Steam account on different machines and pick up where you left off.

We're going to explain a bit more than nigh how the Steam Cloud can help you, how to manage your files, and how to deal with whatsoever issues that might arise.

What Is the Steam Cloud?

As mentioned, the Steam Deject is a system that stores game and platform data on Valve's servers. Games can use the Steam Cloud to store settings, save games, profile stats, and more. The Steam customer uses it for elements like library collections, friend nicknames, and preferences.

While this data is as well stored locally, storing information technology in the deject gives you redundancy. If your computer breaks down, you can sign in to your Steam account on a new system and restore those vital files.

It as well means you lot can seamlessly switch betwixt systems. For case, if you move from your PC to Valve'south Steam Deck, you lot don't need to manually transfer save game files. This happens automatically in the groundwork, thanks to Steam Cloud, and you can choice the game up where you left off.

How to Know If a Game Supports the Steam Cloud

To encounter all the games on Steam that support the Steam Deject, you lot tin apply Steam Search. On the right-hand side, below Narrow by characteristic, utilize Steam Cloud.

At the time of writing, over 33,500 games on Steam offer support for the Steam Cloud. While developers are encouraged to integrate Steam Cloud with their games, it isn't mandatory—this ways that over 85,000 games don't.

steam product details

If y'all want to know whether a game you're going to buy supports the Steam Deject, look on the right-hand side of the product details. It'll exist listed in the section which also contains data like whether the game has controller support, Steam achievements, Steam Workshop integration, and so on.

Unfortunately, information technology doesn't item what the exact integration is. You'll demand to contact the programmer to detect out for certain (peradventure through the Steam forums), though information technology'south more than probable to include your game saves at minimum.

steam cloud status in library

If yous've already bought the game, look for the Cloud Status label in your library. It appears adjacent to stats like Last Played and Play Time. If you lot don't see it, the game doesn't support the Steam Deject.

How to Enable the Steam Cloud

Steam Cloud is enabled by default, though you lot can toggle this for your entire business relationship and for indiviudal games.

For All Games

steam cloud settings
  1. Open up the Steam client.
  2. From the top menu, select Steam > Settings.
  3. From the left-mitt carte du jour, select Cloud.
  4. Toggle Enable Steam Cloud synchronization for applications which support it as needed.
  5. Click OK.

For Individual Games

steam game properties general
  1. Open up the Steam client and go to the Library tab.
  2. Right-click the game you desire to customize the Steam Cloud settings for.
  3. Select Properties.
  4. In the General department, toggle Proceed games saves in the Steam Cloud for [game name] as needed.

How to View and Download Your Steam Cloud Data

Your Steam Cloud data is stored in the deject, of course, just locally on your computer too. Here's how to view and download it.

Locally

If you installed Steam to the default location, your cloud files are stored in this folder:

  • Windows:

    C:\Plan Files (x86)\Steam\userdata

  • macOS:

    ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/userdata

  • Linux:

    ~/.local/share/Steam/userdata

This folder volition contain subfolders to match the Steam IDs that have used Steam on your calculator. Run across our guide on how to observe your Steam ID quickly if you're unsure which binder relates to your account.

Within that folder are more subfolders. Each represents a game on your Steam business relationship, named later its appID. You tin utilize a site similar SteamDB to find out a game's appID. Files for the Steam client are in the folder named 7.

Whenever a file is written to or retrieved from the Steam Cloud, it's logged in the following file (over again, bold you used the default Steam installation location):

  • Windows:

    C:\Programme Files (x86)\Steam\logs\cloud_log.txt

  • macOS:

    ~/Library/Application Back up/Steam/logs/cloud_log.txt

  • Linux:

    ~/.local/share/Steam/logs/cloud_log.txt

Online

view steam cloud

It's far easier to manage your Steam Deject files through Steam'due south Remote Storage page. This page lists your games in date gild, from the day y'all showtime played them, with the earliest at the elevation.

You can see how many files are stored for each game and the full size of those files. Click Show Files to encounter them, then Download those y'all need.

How to Resolve Steam Deject Issues

Y'all might encounter an issue where you launch a game and you get a Steam Sync Conflict warning. This means that the local file on your computer doesn't match those in the cloud. This usually happens when Steam Cloud was unable to sync correctly terminal time you played the game, perhaps because your system close down expectedly.

The pop-upward tells y'all when the cloud file and local file was last modified, along with flagging which is the newer ane. You can so choose which file you want to use when launching the game (likely the nearly recent version, just that's up to yous), or y'all tin can abolish—though you'll receive the same prompt next time you launch the game.

Other times, you could become a warning that Steam was unable to sync your files to the deject. This might exist because of a problem with Steam's servers or due to connection issues on your end. Yous tin ignore the alert and select Play Game, merely note this may event in data loss.

If you constantly become Steam Cloud errors, yous might desire to reset your router, temporarily disable your firewall and anti-virus programs, and disconnect from any VPN.

Never Lose Your Game Salvage Data

Dissimilar some consoles, like the Nintendo Switch, it doesn't cost anything to utilise the Steam Deject. It'southward a standard feature of the client, and that's remarkable. Providing the game supports the feature, it means that y'all don't e'er have to endure the frustration of losing your salve data.

How to Back Up Your Game Saves on Any System

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About The Author

Joe Keeley (882 Articles Published)

Joe was born with a keyboard in his hands and immediately started writing most technology. He has a BA (Hons) in Business and is now a total-time freelance author who enjoys making tech elementary for anybody.

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