Steam Deck

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Steam Deck
It's quite decked out!
Developer: Valve Release Date: February 25th, 2022 Predecessor: Steam Machines Competitors: Nintendo Switch Xbox Series X/S PlayStation 5 Generation: 9th

The Steam Deck is a handheld console developed by Valve, the owners of Steam. The first wave of consoles launched around the end of February 25th, 2022, but more consoles are shipping later in 2022. Akin to the Nintendo Switch, the Steam Deck is a hybrid console. While you can play in handheld mode, you can also play on a TV via a dock (which will be coming out soon). Unlike the Switch, you can use any USB-C hub to play on a TV.

Tech Specs

• OS: SteamOS 3.0 (based on Arch Linux) (user can choose to install any OSes they like, however, mostly unsupported by Valve)
• Display: 1200x800px (16:10 WXGA), near 720p
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz
• CPU: Custom AMD Zen 2-based APU, 4C/8T, 2.4-3.5GHz
• GPU: AMD RDNA 2-based integrated GPU with 8 CUs, 1.0-1.6GHz
• RAM: 16GB LPDDR5 RAM 5500MT/s quad 32-bit channels, shared between system and GPU
• Storage: 64GB eMMC, 256GB SSD, 512GB SSD, expandable with microSD Card
• Bluetooth: 5.0
• Weight: 1.47lbs (669 grams)
• Battery: 40Whr, 2-4 hours of gameplay (3D, varied by games and graphics settings), up to 7/8 hours on basic web browsing/2D games.

Why It's Decked Out

1. Great price point, especially for the hardware. Even though it is essentially a PC, the entry level price is $399 for 64GB of storage.
2. It features a new and revamped Steam OS, which is massively improved from the older versions. The OS is sleeker and takes less button presses to get to everything.
3. While not without its flaws, Steam Deck uses WINE/Proton for Windows compatibility, which is a far cry from Valve's previous attempt at making a Linux-based console, the Steam Machine.
4. Unlike the Switch, you have full control of your Steam Deck. You can install other operating systems, emulate games, and even use it as a regular PC if you want. You can also install mods without voiding your warranty.
5. Another feature that competes with other consoles specifically the Switch, is the free online service. Because its linked with Steam, you don't need to pay for additional membership to access online multiplayer features. All you need is a Steam account and you are ready to play!
6. If you want to know which games are Steam Deck verified, Steam tells you if they are playable before you buy them. Valve also test games at the developer's request. Developers are also giving it lots of support by giving their games special Steam Deck versions.
7. Excellent controls. Despite the odd button placements looking uncomfortable at first, it's pretty comfortable to hold. It's also a good middle ground for most PC games that weren't designed for a controller, like the Steam Controller.
8. Some games that are known to have bad ports on PC actually run better on the Steam Deck compared to a PC, like Elden Ring.
9. It is very durable, which is excellent if you drop it a lot.
10. If you find yourself out of space, you can insert a MicroSD Card slot. This also seems to have little to no effect on performance in games, which is very surprising, considering PC games don't run well off SD cards.
11. Since it has better hardware than the Switch, most mediocre Switch ports will finally have a good alternative to play them on the go, like Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, and Ark: Survival Evolved. And quite possibly some games without Switch support like Jedi Fallen Order, Grand Theft Auto V, games only on PC or even older games, would have the chance to be on portable format which can be a fun if not better alternative way to play them.
12. You can install many features on PC, like Epic Games Store and emulators, there's even a Switch Emulator that can be installed on it.
13. It has Steam Link support, which is good if you have the 64GB model. You can stream games straight from your PC with no additional hardware required.

Bad Qualities

1. The rumble is quite weak.
2. Mediocre battery life (depending on the game, refresh rate, frame rate and the graphics setting). It lasts around 2-3 hours (and mostly 4 hours on older titles/most Source engine-based games), rivaling the Sega Game Gear and Sega Nomad, which is okay, but it pales in comparison to the Nintendo Switch's 4-7 hours.
3. It uses SteamOS (which is Valve's Linux distro), which is okay, but SteamOS doesn't support as much games as Windows. Some games also run poorly under SteamOS because it uses Proton, which is essentially a compatibility layer that's designed to run Windows applications and games on Linux (which in turn, it's based on the Wine compatibility layer). Many games also just refuse to run because of DRM, anti-cheat technologies (e.g. BattleEye and EasyAntiCheat), video codecs that are patent-encumbered/proprietary or specific to Windows (such as H.264 or Microsoft's Windows Media Video format), or other technical issues.
   1. Fortunately, some of the games that are either incompatible or have compatibility issues with the official Proton versions can be played on the Steam Deck by changing the Proton version to either Proton Experimental or Proton-GE. Though, you need to download the ProtonUp-QT application from the Discover Store (which is the package manager of SteamOS), if you want to download and change the game's Proton version to the latter.
4. The Steam Deck's launch was awful. 6 months before the console came out, you had to 'reserve' your Steam Deck for $5, and then 6 months later, you could buy the console you ordered. What made this worse is that people's orders got delayed seemingly at random, making the process even more tedious.
5. While the base 64GB model is not terrible for something like the Nintendo Switch, the 64GB model is pretty lackluster for modern PC games. To add insult to injury, the 64GB model uses eMMC storage, which is slower than an SSD.
6. Like Steam Machines, there are no exclusives for the console.
7. The Steam Deck is quite huge for a handheld, given its power however it's understandable.
8. The only way to buy the Steam Deck is through Steam itself, and to make things worse, the Steam Deck isn't available worldwide (as it's currently only available in North America, the European Union and the United Kingdom via Steam, as well as in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan via Komodo). However, this may change soon as Valve is ramping up its production of Steam Decks.
9. Not all Steam games are supported on Linux, mostly WinMac games.

Reception

Steam Deck was hyped by some fans, and although many were skeptical because of Valve's history with hardware. The Steam Deck received positive reviews from critics and gamers.

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