The gaming handheld space just got a new member in form of Valve’s Steam Deck, a handheld console with specs that blow all the Nintendo Switch models out of the water.
With a starting price of $399, users get a device with a 7-inch 1280 x 720p touchscreen. The display is flanked on each side by two thumbsticks and two touchpads. There is also a D-pad next to the left joystick while ABXY action buttons are on the right. The device has two front-facing speakers, a Steam button, and a Quick Access button. Alongside two shoulder buttons on each side, you also get two back buttons on the back.
The Steam Deck has its volume buttons on top just like the Nintendo Switch Lite. There is also an audio jack a few millimeters from the buttons and not too far on the same side is the vent for the fan, a USB-C port, a status LED, and the power button.
The console is powered by an AMD APU with a quad-core Zen 2 CPU with 8 threads and an 8 RDNA 2 CUs GPU. It has 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and comes in three storage versions – 64GB eMMC (PCIe Gen 2 x1), 256GB NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4), and 512GB NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4). All variants have a MicroSD expansion slot.
Introducing Steam Deck: powerful, portable PC gaming starting at $399. Designed by Valve, powered by Steam. Shipping December 2021.
Learn more at https://t.co/ZOTx3KUCVK and reserve yours tomorrow. #SteamDeck pic.twitter.com/jcgbaKfT9c
— Steam (@Steam) July 15, 2021
The Steam Deck has support for Bluetooth 5.0, and unlike the Nintendo Switch, you can pair controllers, input devices, and audio accessories. It also has dual-band Wi-Fi and the USB-C port supports display output at 8K at 60Hz and 4K at 120Hz. There is an official dock that allows it to be connected to an external display. The dock has 2x USB-A 2.0 ports, 1x USB-A 3.1 port, a DisplayPort 1.4, an HDMI 2.0 port, a USB-C Power Delivery passthrough input port, and an ethernet port. There is also a 6” USB-C captive cable with a 90º connector that connects to the Steam Deck.
Valve says there is a 40Whr battery inside the device and it will provide between 2 to 8 hours of gameplay depending on the games you play. It comes bundled with a 45W Power Delivery 3.0 charger.
The Steam Deck runs SteamOS 3.0 but because it is a PC, you can install third-party software and operating systems. Once you are logged in, your Steam Library appears. The Quick Access button brings up a dedicated space for your notifications, friends, important settings, and peripherals. Apart from being able to access the games from your library on your device, you will also be able to stream from your PC to the Steam Deck via Valve’s Remote Play feature.
Reservation for the Steam Deck is already available for customers in Canada, European Union, U.S., and the U.K. and it will begin shipping in December. Valve says that once inventory is available, buyers will be notified in the order that they made their reservation. You will not be able to reserve more than one unit and you can’t change the model once you are able to purchase. There is a $5 reservation fee but it counts towards the final price you pay.
The Steam Deck is priced at $399 for the 64GB version, $529 for the 256GB version, and $649 for the 512GB version.
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