So the Steam Deck only has one port, so USB hubs/docks are necessary if you want to use external drives and/or keyboard and mouse and/or video outputs, etc…

So what I want is

  1. Attach an external portable ssd (so I can install a full desktop linux on it. SteamOS is “immutable” so I can’t do certain things on it), and various peripherials like keyboards and mouse (bluetooth doesn’t work on preboot LUKS encryption password screen)
  2. Have power flowing into the SteamDeck to keep it powered (there’s only 1 port, remember)
  3. Portability, I don’t wanna be stuck to a wall, I wanna use powerbanks.

So I plug power bank into the usb hub’s PD USB-C port, then plug it in the steam deck, nope, no power. Unplug-replug, try plugging in using hub first, then power bank, then powerbank first, then the hub, nope, different order doesn’t change anything.

But then I try a different power bank (I have a few different ones, varying in wattage), and it works?

So I try the first battery, nope doesnt work.

Then I just got frustrated and I started messing around with different dongles, I plugged in a USB C-to-A to the hub, then a USB A-to-C (so its now USB Hub <–> USB C-to-A <–> USB A-to-C), then power bank, and it works?

What the fuck? WHYYY

Who the fuck designed USB C? Why is this so broken?

(Its a Ugreen battery that is broken and need the 2 dongle trick, the Anker battery works flawlessly, both 140 Watts output)

  • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
    5·
    1 day ago

    PD has a variety of power profiles, different current and voltage. Neither the consumer nor provider need to support all power profiles. Supporting one power profile doesn’t require a device to also support “everything below that level” or anything like that. It’s possible that one of those devices in the chain is doing conversion.

    I have a 100W laptop power adapter for my InfinityBook that can’t charge one of these power stations, for example. A different 100W adapter works fine, IIRC at a reduced rate.