Valve has announced their portable gaming pc which will allow you to have your entire Steam library of computer games right at your fingertips. This announcement came on July 15, 2021, just 9 days after Nintendo announced their Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) console.
So What Exactly is the Steam Deck and How is it Different than Previous Handheld Gaming Systems?
Valve's Steam Deck is essentially a handheld gaming pc running a custom version of Linux OS with attached controller buttons and joysticks. However, unlike most handheld gaming devices like the Nintendo Switch or our smartphones, this portable gaming system will allow you to play actual computer games through your Steam gaming library without the need to buy your games again.
That's right, the days of re-buying Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V, Bethesda's Skyrim, and Microsoft's Minecraft games and yet another platform is finally over.
Pricing Options
As you can see, each Steam Deck regardless of which one you choose will come with a carrying case at the very least to protect your device. You might have also noticed that you must log in to pre-order your Steam Deck which currently can only be completed through Steam with a Steam account (free to create). There is a $5 deposit to pre-order but depending on when you do, it may take a while before you're able to fully purchase (48-hour window) and receive your device. The earliest that Valve will be releasing their new product will be in December of this year, 2021. If you see an availability of Q1, Q2, or Q3 then that means your window will be within a 3-month period.
The best part is that Valve is not locking their Steam Deck to one operating system. This means you can install whatever you want as an operating including a full Windows OS if you prefer. This opens up a lot of possibilities like using other video game launchers and competing stores such as the Epic Store, Windows Store, or the GOG Galaxy Store. This device might quickly become a must-have for gamers who emulate their retro games and play on the go. As I said, it's a handheld gaming pc, you can essentially do whatever you want.
Let's Scroll Through the Controls
From the front view, it's easy for many to compare Valve's Steam Deck to the Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) console in handheld mode, however, Valve's Steam Deck is a very unique device that combines the gaming controls from console with the touch trackpads of a computer laptop. Valve has used these touch trackpads in place of mouse controls in the past on their Steam Controllers but these trackpads are noticeably refined and flat.
Valve is also using a very unconventional button layout with the intent to allow users to access the touch trackpads, joysticks, and buttons easily without causing straining or fatigue over long periods, however, time will only tell how the unorthodox ergonomics will affect users long term.
It's important to also point out the fact that the device's speakers are fairly large for a device this size and are forward-firing. The speaker size/grill doesn't necessarily matter when it comes to sound quality but it will be interesting to see how it will affect one's gaming experience anyways.
From the top-down view, you can see that Valve's Steam Deck differs from the Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) in a few ways. First, the power button and the 3.5" auxiliary jack have switched sides. You can also see that the Type C port used to power and charge the device is located on the top of the device rather than at the bottom. This change will allow the device to use a stand without interfering with the device's ability to simultaneously charge.
Viewing Valve's Steam Deck from the back, you can see yet another differentiating factor that this device has compared to the Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) with the four rear buttons located on the rear. These buttons will likely be reprogrammable and come in handy for computer games that utilize a lot of keyboard commands and virtual resource management.
Lastly, while it's not obvious in these hardware blueprints, the triggers on the back of this device are actually analog instead of clicky-tactile buttons which is a huge improvement over the Nintendo Switch console especially for racing games where throttle and braking control will greatly benefit.
Let's Check the Valve Steam Deck's Specs
If you're not tech-savvy or fully understand what these numbers mean then that's okay. It's not important to understand because we'll explain how the hardware will factor into the overall experience afterward. If you're interested in the full spec list, Valve goes into extreme detail here which is where we gathered the following information.
Tech Spec Check:
Processor:
AMD APU:
CPU: Zen 2 (4c/8t)
- 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops)
GPU: 8 RDNA 2 CUs
- 1.0-1.65GHz (up to 1.6 TFlops)
APU power: 4-15W
RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5 onboard RAM (5500 MT/s quad 32-bit channels)
Storage:
Three different options:
64 GB eMMC
256 GB NVMe SSD
512 GB NVMe SSD (Valve claims this one is a higher-speed)
Display:
Size: 7 inch
Type: IPS LCD
Resolution: 1280 x 800px (16:10 aspect ratio)
Refresh rate: 60Hz
Brightness: 400 nits typical
Touch enabled: Yes
Connectivity:
Bluetooth: 5.0 (compatible with controllers, accessories, and audio)
Wi-Fi: 2.4GHZ and 5GHz (Dual-band Wi-Fi radio)
Audio:
Channel: Stereo (dual channel)
Microphone: Dual array
Headphone: 3.5 stereo headphone/mic combo jack
Power:
Input: 45W USB Type-C PD3.0 Power Supply
Battery: 40Whr battery (Valve claims 2-8 hours of gameplay)
Expansion:
microSD: UHS-I supports SD, SDXC, and SDHC
External connectivity: USB-C with DisplayPort 1.4 up to 8K @60Hz or 4K @120Hz, USB 3.2 Gen 2
Dimensions:
Size: 298mm x 117mm x 49mm (L:11.7", H:4.6", W:1.9")
Weight: 669 grams, nice (about 1 and a half pounds)
Software:
OS: SteamOS 3.0 (Arch-based)
Desktop: KDE Plasma
What All These Numbers Mean:
Valve's Steam Deck is shaping up to become a very powerful and game-changing device (pun absolutely intended).
The Display
The screen, resolution, and therefore, pixel density (pixel size) hit that sweet spot between visual clarity, battery life, and full utilization by the rest of the hardware. This is the same reason why Nintendo has opted to keep their gaming handheld screen to output up to 720p instead of 1080p. However, Valve has actually compensated for a 7-inch screen by making its resolution 800p. This is because screen size, typical brightness, graphical capability, and the distance users keep the screen from their eyes will all play a huge factor in perceived visual clarity. Basically, the bigger the screen is the more pixels needed to spread out evenly across it. This is to prevent images from becoming noticeably blurry with pixels that are large enough to disrupt the experience.
The Processors
The Steam Deck will be using a somewhat custom version of an AMD APU processor in collaboration with AMD themselves. According to Phoronix, "AMD and Valve have been jointly working on CPU frequency/power scaling improvements to enhance the Steam Play gaming experience on modern AMD platforms running Linux." So what does this mean for gamers? Well, Valve is claiming that the Steam Deck is capable of running games up to 8K resolution at 60Hz and 4K resolution at 120Hz when docked to an external TV or monitor via USB type-C. If true, this would mean consumers will have a relatively inexpensive option to get into 4K gaming and start playing Triple-A game titles on the go; especially in such a small form factor.
There are plenty of laptops out there that are more expensive and give you less performance but Valve's claim will obviously depend heavily on the game being played so take this with a grain of salt. While Valve has confirmed that there will be a dock specifically made for the Steam Deck available for purchase separately, the actual price and availability have yet to be officially announced as of this reporting. Valve has stated that any compatible USB type-C hub will work, though. Follow our Twitter or Instagram to find out when the dock does become available.
Storage
When it comes to how you store your games, Valve provides three different storage options; each with its own pricing:
64 GB eMMC ($399 USD)
256 GB NVMe SSD ($529 USD)
512 GB NVMe SSD ($649 USD)
It's great to have options but how much storage do you really need? Is it worth spending more money for more storage even if it's faster? This will depend entirely on how many games you plan to play in a given period, how large the games you're playing are, how often you want to be deleting and downloading games, and most importantly, what you're willing to spend for added storage. Keep in mind, if you want to play AAA titles, you're likely going to need way more than 64GB of storage to play multiple games without deleting anything. Just check out some of the following popular titles and their respective file sizes:
Red Dead Redemption 2 - 150GB
Forza Horizon 4 - 80GB
Borderlands 3 - 75GB
Grand Theft Auto V - 72GB
Days Gone - 70GB
Even Doom: Eternal, the game Valve has shown off playing quite well on the Steam Deck, is 80GB. This means that Valve had to be using the 256GB version at the very least. Also, take into account that you may want to play more than one game. So if you want to switch from playing Red Dead Redemption 2 to Microsoft Flight Simulator then you'll need at least 300GB of storage not including the base operating system which does take up a small portion of the drive as well.
But not every game is as massive as 150GB so it may be more likely that you have a handful of large games you play often enough to keep on your Steam Deck for a while until you delete them to make space for other games. It will ultimately depend on what kind of games you play and what you're comfortable with for the price. Keep in mind that the Steam Deck does allow you to expand your storage through the use of a micro SD expansion slot located at the bottom of the device. However, the speeds will be much slower if a large game is running off an external storage device instead of natively. It's unclear at this time if and how Valve might split files between the internal storage and the external storage.
The rest of the specs and what's important to know
The Steam Deck is a Bluetooth-enabled device which is something the Nintendo Switch currently lacks. This device makes use of 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory which will give the AMD processor the resources it needs to provide a speedy and efficient gaming experience. There are multiple ways to control and aim within games: joysticks, 6-axis IMU gyro controls, touch-screen controls, touch trackpads, and mouse and keyboard (if connected via Bluetooth/USB type-C). Built-in dual-array microphones will allow for chatting without the need for a headset. The Steam Deck also has haptic feedback vibration and a 40Whr battery which Valve claims can maintain a battery life of 2-8 hours of use. Your battery life will vary greatly depending on what you're running on the device, your settings, screen brightness, and other factors.
Conclusion
All in all, Valve's Steam Deck appears to be a very capable device. Whether you play on your phone, a console, or a PC, most gamers can agree that it's at least always good to have options. This is part of the reason why the Nintendo Switch is so popular. You can play three different ways; on your TV in docked mode, on your table in table-top mode, and, of course, in handheld mode. It's great to see Valve extend the reach of the PC gaming experience to places outside of stationary gaming set ups and hopefully, the Steam Deck will help to create a future where PC gamers can rage and grief other players on the go.
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