2022 was a breakthrough year for PC gaming thanks to Valve and AMD successfully shrinking low-end PCs into incredibly powerful handhelds capable of running modern AAA games. At 669 grams and about 30 cm wide, the Steam Deck is one of the largest handhelds he’s ever used. With a 7-inch touchscreen, trackpad, and more buttons than an Xbox Elite controller, Valve has you covered without sacrificing comfort.
At first glance, the Steam Deck’s button placement may seem confusing to those who haven’t had the chance to try it. Move everything but the trackpad to the top. The end result is a handheld that fits your hand perfectly, as your fingers rest naturally over each button. Steam Deck’s familiar and intuitive design makes it feel like a professional controller and is suitable for all genres.
It’s incredible that Valve put so much effort into Steam decks, but there are blatant compromises that keep the cheapest Steam deck under £350 / $400. The 1280×800 IPS screen is definitely one of Steam Deck’s weak points, making the device feel dated compared to most modern phones opting for OLED screens. Aside from lacking black levels and vibrant colors, the 60Hz display features faint ghosting when playing fast-paced games.
Balancing the overall size and weight of the Steam Deck is also difficult. The device will last between 2 and 8 hours on a single charge, depending on the game you’re playing. A demanding title like Elden Ring drains the battery much faster than a game like Spelunky 2. After a few hours, your arms will definitely be sore, and you also need a reasonably sized backpack for outdoor use.
There are three tiers of storage: 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB. However, there is little to distinguish between the three models. The 256GB and 512GB versions each have an NVMe SSD, with the highest capacity model having a slightly faster model. The 512GB also comes with anti-glare etched glass, but you can hardly tell the difference in a side-by-side comparison. Recommended.
Given the technology available, it’s clear that manufacturers need a lot of processing power to build handheld computers. There are many alternative Steam deck options on the market, but comparable devices like the Aya Neo Next can cost £1,000+ / $1,400 or more. It’s hard to argue that these handhelds offer double the value of a 512GB Steam deck, and warranties and serviceability have to be taken into consideration.
Simply put, the Steam Deck’s serviceability is unprecedented in the market. The Steam Deck comes with a one-year warranty against any hardware defects that may occur, plus all components and detailed repair guides are provided by Valve on the iFixIt website. Just like building a PC, you can freely upgrade your Steam Deck by replacing the SSD with a bigger one or swapping out the analog sticks. Unlike the Nintendo Switch, it also has a wide range of docks and USB Type C hubs that can output to external displays.
Docking a Steam deck allows you to push your hardware to its limits, giving you room to play with resolutions and different graphics presets. Naturally, there aren’t many games on Steam Deck that run smoothly at 4K, but if you stick to 1080p, most games should run just fine. Once the controller is connected to the system, the UI of the Steam Deck on the TV works just like modern consoles.
When it comes to modern consoles, there’s nothing worse than buying a new gaming device and having nothing to play with. One of the main attractions of the Steam Deck is that there are already so many games ready to play. If you’ve dabbled in PC gaming since Steam launched in 2003, chances are you’ve built a healthy backlog of discounted games and Humble Bundles. While it’s unlikely you’ll be able to use your entire library with Steam decks, you can access a good portion of your games and cloud saves from your handheld. If you’re just starting out, there are plenty of free PC games to try before the first big Steam sale inevitably eats up your entire paycheck.
Steam Deck runs on SteamOS, a custom-built version of Linux instead of Windows, and that’s not as bad as it sounds to a beginner. The handheld comes preloaded with Steam, making it easy to set up and navigate your library. Simply log in to your Steam account and start downloading the game. The Steam Deck was released with a long list of compatible games, and Valve has tested thousands since then, ranging from classic games like Stardew Valley to brand new PC releases like Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. I came.
If you don’t mind taking the time, you can unlock Steam decks to go beyond SteamOS. If you have a collection of Epic Game Store titles, you can use the library on Linux with Heroic Games Launcher, an open source launcher for Epic and GoG games. Emulation is also one of Steam Deck’s greatest strengths, and with the right software, you can seamlessly run your favorite classic games.
Steam Deck runs Linux as its primary operating system, but nothing prevents you from running Windows on an external micro SD card. The Windows experience with Steam Deck isn’t perfect, but it’s good enough to make previously incompatible games like Warzone 2.0 and Forza Horizon 5 playable.
This latest generation of gaming consoles has not only brought a higher standard of graphics, but we’ve also seen developers paying close attention to optimization and scalability. Valve’s Steam Deck has benefited greatly from these breakthroughs, allowing portable devices to run the latest games alongside the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.
steam deck review
There are some tradeoffs, but for its first attempt at a handheld device, Valve knocked it out of the park. Steam Deck is an incredible achievement, and it’s currently impossible to find a worthy competitor that packs so many features into an affordable package.
9
