Steam operator Valve has unveiled the so-called Steam Deck, a portable game console that plays games from the Steam catalog. The handheld initially appears with 64GB, 256GB and 512GB built-in memory, compared to a starting price of 419 euros.
Steam Deck will not use Windows or Android, but runs on Valve’s own SteamOS 3.0. Valve assures that “all your Steam games” should at least be on the Steam Deck. In addition, the handheld also supports things like Steam Chat, Remote Play and Steam’s own cloud storage of game files.The cheapest Steam Deck variant uses of internal eMMC storage, where the two more expensive options — €549 and €679 respectively — run on an NVMe SSD. Regardless of the speed and volume in storage, all three models would play games just as fast and sharp. Valve wants a unique dock later for the handheld, but precise information about this is still awaited. Promotional material does show how the fixed home station offers, among other things, a DisplayPort, HDMI and Ethernet connection.
Valve does not hide anything in terms of hardware specifications. The official Steam Deck website proudly states that the handheld runs on an AMD apu, built on four Zen 2 cores and eight RDNA2 compute units. In addition, a large 16GB of LPDDR5 memory for handhelds, good for 5500 MT/s bandwidth.For reference: the processor architecture corresponds to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, albeit on a smaller scale. The apu has fewer cores than those in the full-fledged consoles, with somewhat lower clock speeds. In total, the chipset only draws 4 to 15 watts. Valve still promises that the Steam Deck can even run AAA games “very well”.The resolution helps the performance of the device quite a bit . The 7″ large LCD screen has 1280 by 800 pixels (at 16:10 ratio), which is essentially just a little more pixels than the Nintendo Switch. The display tops out at 60 frames per second, is touch-sensitive and has a relatively brightness at 400 nits.
In addition to the built-in memory, all models also have a “high- speed” microSD slot for additional storage. Other included luxuries include Valve’s proprietary “HD haptics” vibration motors, six-axis gyro control, and two trackpads that feature haptic feedback as well. Those latter features have undoubtedly come from the late Steam Controller.
On top of that, things like Bluetooth 5.0 support, and a dual-band Wi-Fi 5 transmitter. Deck approx two to eight hours on a full charge of the 40Whr battery. Fully loaded or not, the handheld weighs approximately 669 grams – over twice as much as the Nintendo Switch base model.Currently, Valve expects the first Steam Decks will ship in December this year, at least as far as the United States and Europe are concerned. Interested gamers can place a reservation for 4 euros, of course via Steam itself. The reservation lines open Friday evening around 7:00 PM local time.
