Valve's new handheld is all set to take the gaming industry by storm when it launches later this year. The Steam Deck is unique because it's not exactly another handheld console, but a portable PC instead. The best part? It doesn't cost as much as a typical gaming PC.
Valve's Steam Deck has the upper hand in many departments over its primary competitor, the Nintendo Switch. If you're waiting for the Switch Pro, this is as close as you can get for now. Here, we'll go through all the things we like about the all-new Steam Deck.
1. AMD RDNA 2 and Zen 2 Power the Steam Deck
The most impressive part about the Steam Deck is the hardware it packs under the hood. It houses a custom AMD APU which basically combines a 4-core Zen 2-based CPU, and an RDNA 2-based GPU with 8 compute units. Now, these aren't desktop-class or even laptop-grade components, even though they use the same architecture.
Valve uses low-power hardware so that it's perfect for mobile use, where battery life plays a crucial part. The Steam Deck's APU only consumes a maximum of 15W, and at this wattage, you get 1.6 TFlops of graphics performance. In comparison, the Tegra X1-powered Nintendo Switch delivers 1 TFlops of performance.
2. The Steam Deck Packs an SSD and Has Expandable Storage
We all know how expensive SSD storage is, but unlike any other device in its class, the Steam Deck packs an SSD inside, at least for the high-end 256GB and 512GB variants. The base model uses 64GB of eMMC storage similar to the one on the Nintendo Switch to keep the price low.
Now, the SSD inside the high-end Steam Deck isn't just any regular solid-state drive. Valve specifically uses NVMe drives for much faster transfer speeds. Having said that, Valve confirms the NVMe SSD on the most expensive 512GB model is faster than the one on the mid-tier 256GB variant.
Regardless of which variant you buy, you have the option to add external storage, thanks to the microSD card expansion slot. Since these cards come in 1TB capacity these days, you could very well go above and beyond what you actually need. However, do keep in mind that they will not be nearly as fast as an internal SSD.
3. The Steam Deck Doesn't Lock You to Steam Games
Since Valve owns the Steam store, it makes perfect sense why the Steam Deck would prioritize it. But the good news is that you can access third-party stores like Epic Games or EA Origin on the Steam Deck since it's pretty much a PC running the Linux-based SteamOS. Anything that you can do on a Linux PC, the Steam Deck can do it too.
So, you can use it as your pocket computer. Many gamers would be skeptical about game support on Linux, but to alleviate such issues, Valve has integrated Proton, a compatibility layer that allows Windows games to run on the system.
4. The Steam Deck Can Run Windows
Linux isn't everyone's cup of tea, especially for gamers. Despite everything Valve is doing to maximize compatibility, you will probably run into issues with some games in one way or the other. Well, the Steam Deck has that covered too. If you want Windows on it, you can install it just as you would on a normal PC.
Installing Windows will further widen the possibilities of what you can do with this handheld machine. Just think about it for a minute. You can use your Game Pass Ultimate subscription and turn your Steam Deck into a portable Xbox console.
However, it's worth noting that the Steam Deck works best with SteamOS. So, installing a third-party OS like Windows may impact the performance and battery life of the device to some extent. If you're someone who really likes to experiment, you can install other operating systems like Ubuntu or ChromeOS too.
5. The Steam Deck Can Be Docked and Used as a PC
Being able to dock and play games on the big screen is the standout feature of the Nintendo Switch. Well, guess what? Valve's Steam Deck can do it too. In fact, it takes the docking experience to a whole new level.
Since the Steam Deck is a portable PC, you can dock it and connect your external display for a full-fledged desktop PC experience. Of course, you can hook it up to your TV and just play games if that's all you need.
The Steam Deck is arguably the most versatile handheld we've seen so far that can replace both your computer and your gaming console. Valve plans to sell a dock separately for an undisclosed price, but the Steam Deck will be compatible with existing third-party USB-C docking stations on the market.
6. The Steam Deck Is Priced Competitively
Valve has set an aggressive price tag for the Steam Deck, especially for what it's capable of. It definitely doesn't look like a high-profit device for the company, but this is necessary to compete against the Nintendo Switch.
The Steam Deck starts at just $399 for the base model with 64GB of eMMC storage. While 64GB is good enough for casual games, this wouldn't be enough to store the massive PC games that came out these days.
Take a look at Red Dead Redemption 2 that weighs in at 150GB, for example. Therefore, most PC gamers would have to get the 256GB or 512GB model with faster NVMe drives that cost $529 and $649, respectively.
The pricing for the higher-end models makes sense since NVMe SSDs are expensive. And if you don't want to spend too much on storage, you can always get a microSD card for cheap instead.
Valve's Steam Deck Is the Switch Pro We Wanted
The Steam Deck is arguably the most exciting PC hardware we've seen in years, and it's everything that we could've asked for from the Switch Pro. Considering Nintendo isn't planning to release Switch 2.0 anytime soon, Valve has the upper hand here.
With an attractive price tag, impressive hardware, and a great selection of games, the Steam Deck looks to be the ultimate handheld gaming machine that can transform into your personal computer whenever you want it to.
Image Credit: Valve