Steam Deck official docking station does not output to TV when its power lead is connected

[Macros]

This issue has been ongoing since I bought my Steam Deck and the official docking station back when the OLED launched.

I opened a support ticket at the time and, after a few rounds of troubleshooting and a very detailed report, they accepted that the issue was not a simple hardware or user error and was, in fact, a real bug that needed to be fixed in a future firmware update.

Recently, there was a big firmware update for the Steam Deck and, crucially, for the official docking station. I had high hopes that the issue would be resolved but it has not.

I opened a new support ticket to ask whether a fix is still on the roadmap and they basically just told me to post in the forum and closed the ticket. So, after taking a few weeks to muster the resolve, here I am. I don't really know what I can hope to achieve here except maybe create some more visibility around this issue. Perhaps Valve will actually take note and escalate to the devs.

I'll provide the basic gist here, then repost my original troubleshooting report below.

Summary:
When the Steam Deck is attached to the official docking station, there is no output to the TV if the dock's power lead is connected. The Steam Deck's screen goes blank, but the TV does not receive any signal from the dock.

If the docking station's power lead is not connected when the Steam Deck is attached, it works fine. The power lead can then be reattached to the docking station.

Using a 3rd party docking station (Dell WD19, Dell WD22, StarTech DKT30CSDHPD3) works perfectly.

Original troubleshooting report (edited to reflect newer version numbers):

Console details
Model: Steam Deck OLED 1TB
OS Version: 3.6.20
OS Build: 20241030.1
Kernel Version: 6.5.0-valve22-1-neptune-65-g9a338ed8a75e
Steam Deck Controller FW Build Date: Sun, Mar 3 9:54 PM UTC-00:00
Serial Number: [REDACTED]
Steam Deck Controller ID: [REDACTED]
BIOS Version: F7G0112
Dock Firmware Version: 0.13.15.124

Dock Details
Official Steam Deck Docking Station
Dock Firmware Version: 0.13.15.124

TV Details
Model: Sky Glass 55”
Entertainment OS: 1.3
Build Version: QS034.005.00P
Hardware Model: LT055-f2-ant
Serial Number: LT04SK72206009BCN
UI Version: 20.302.000.00
Platform Version: 7.9p4s3

Problem Description
When attached to the docking station, the Steam Deck does not output to the TV unless the dock’s power cable is disconnected.
If the dock’s power cable is connected, the Steam Deck’s screen goes blank (or remains blank if already connected to the dock). The TV is aware that a device is connected, but it shows a “No Signal” message on screen.
If the dock’s power cable is disconnected, then the deck can correctly output to the TV. The power cable can then be reconnected to the back of the docking station.

Troubleshooting steps
These troubleshooting steps are taken from the “Docking the Steam Deck” support article (https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/4C18-08B5-DEC9-3AF4) and have been followed precisely and in order, unless otherwise specified. Any deviation from the order of operations or from the given instructions will be clearly documented and explained.

1. Update firmware on the Dock
When I first tried to get the dock working, it took a long time to realise that the only way it would output to the TV was when the dock was disconnected from its power supply. When I finally realised this and first achieved output to the TV, I was presented with a pop-up prompting me to update the dock’s firmware. I began the firmware update, but it failed saying that it “lost connection to the Steam Deck”. This is despite not having touched anything during the update. After some further plugging and unplugging of the dock’s power lead and the deck to the dock, it prompted me again and seemed to succeed the second time.
I have been unable to get the update prompt to reappear by following the instructions, so I assume that the dock is now running the latest firmware. I have been unable to verify this as I cannot find anywhere online in the Steam support articles to tell me what the latest firmware version is. It appears that, as far as I can tell, Valve do not publish this information.
The dock is currently running firmware version 0.13.15.124.

2. Compatibility notes for 3rd-party docks and hubs
N/A – Official Dock

3. Display Setup
* I have selected the correct HDMI input on the TV. This is evidenced by the fact that it works when the power cable is not connected to the dock.
* All three HDMI inputs on the TV are HDMI 2.1 and will easily support up to 4K at 60Hz. I have tested on all three HDMI ports and the problem is identical on all of them.
* The Deck’s display goes black as expected when connected to the dock. But it only outputs to the TV when the dock does not have its power lead connected.
* Connecting a Windows 11 laptop to the dock yields similar but slightly different results.
o Connected laptop to the dock while the dock’s power lead was connected. Laptop recognised that an external display was connected, but there was no output on the screen.
o Disconnected dock’s power cable and the TV screen began to receive signal.
o Reconnected the dock’s power cable, and output was still shown on screen. So far this is the same as with the Steam Deck.
o Unplugged the laptop from the dock.
o With the dock’s power cable still connected, reconnected the laptop to the dock. Output to the TV was still successful. This is different from the same process with the Steam Deck. With the Steam Deck, it will never output to the TV if the dock’s power cable is connected.
This experiment suggests to me that there are potentially two issues here.
Firstly, there is a problem that stops devices’ output from reaching the TV when they are first connected to the powered dock.
Secondly, there is something in Windows 11 that recognises the dock when subsequently reattached to the powered dock and overcomes this issue. The Steam Deck does not appear to have the same ability since it never achieves output to the TV when the dock’s power cable is connected, even on subsequent attempts.
* I have tried three different HDMI 2.1 compatible cables, including a brand new one I purchased for this troubleshooting.
* I have tried overriding the automatic display resolution settings. The problem is identical, regardless of any specific resolution or automatic resolution selection.

4. Resetting your dock
I have performed a dock reset according to the instructions. This has not made a difference.

5. No display or peripherals
I have tried connecting a Windows 11 laptop to the dock, as described in the “Display Setup” section above.
Since I have encountered a very similar problem connecting a different device, I do not believe that that problem is with the Steam Deck itself and it is probably not necessary to put the Deck into battery storage mode as suggested for that circumstance in the troubleshooting guide. Nevertheless, for the purposes of thorough troubleshooting, I have completed the steps as outlined. This has not made any difference and the problem persists.
All USB peripherals attached to the dock so far are working fine.

6. Display output does not fit screen
N/A. When the dock’s power cable is not connected, the display output works perfectly.

7. External display is blank
Putting the Deck into External Display Safe Mode does not make any difference. The symptoms of the issue are identical. With External Display Safe Mode turned on, there is no output on the TV when the Deck is connected to the powered dock. When the Deck is connected to the unpowered dock in External Display Safe Mode, it successfully outputs to the TV in the low-resolution safe mode.

8. Graphics or image quality
N/A. There are no issues with graphics or image quality. When output to the TV is successfully achieved by disconnecting the dock’s power, the image quality and graphics are excellent.

9. Other things to keep in mind
These considerations are noted. There are no known limitations on the TV’s inputs. All the HDMI ports are HDMI 2.1 compatible, with all the capabilities that standard implies.

10. Bluetooth issues
N/A. I am not experiencing Bluetooth issues.

11. Audio issues
N/A. I am not experiencing audio issues.

Extra troubleshooting
I have tried connecting the Steam Deck to the TV with a different docking station. I use a Dell WD19TBS docking station for work. Connecting the Steam Deck to the TV with this device works perfectly. It is peculiar that a third-party dock should work with no issues, but your own dock cannot achieve the same level of compatibility with your own hardware.
UPDATE: Now also tested with Dell WD22TB4 and StarTech DKT30CSDHPD3. Both devices work perfectly.

Final thoughts
I have investigated whether this issue is something that other people have experienced by searching online. I have found people reporting the same issue both on Reddit and on the Steam Forums, going back at least a year. There does not appear to be an official fix from Valve that I can find; only a range of different user-submitted suggestions. None of these solutions have solved the issue for me.

[dwardu]

It doesnt look like Valve is bothered, ive even emailed gaben about this and got no reply. I ended up returning my dock, i bought 2 docks and both had the same issues. I even asked Valve to RMA my deck, but they refused.