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Steam Deck has been officially revealed. We learned of its existence in May of this year, when it was said that it was portable, would run on Linux and was codenamed SteamPal. Gabe Newell himself has hinted at the existence of the console and that we will have more information by the end of the year.
We didn’t have to wait that long – Steam Deck came out as a new mobile gaming option, but there were also many questions surrounding this powerful device. So, below we share all the information we have about Valve’s new console.
The console was developed as a portable device, but its functionality goes further. Its developers claim that it is able to play practically any game from the vast Steam library with all the functions of the platform. This means that you can use chat, see notifications, use remote playback, visit the store, browse the community and take advantage of saving to the cloud. You can also play locally and online, just like on PC.
This compatibility is possible thanks to the fact that Steam Deck supports SteamOS 3.0, an operating system programmed into Proton, a version of Arch Linux that supports games and applications for Windows and Linux.
Yes, Steam Deck is designed to connect to other devices in addition to displays or monitors. That’s thanks to the USB-C port built into the console where you can plug in the dock that will eventually launch Valve. The dock includes one USB-A 3.1 port; 2 USB-A 2.0 ports; 1 Ethernet port, 1 display port 1.4 and 1 HDMI 2.0 port. If you decide not to buy a dock, you can use whatever hub you prefer. Of course, you can connect a keyboard and mouse to play through an external monitor, but you can also connect other accessories such as an Ethernet adapter. Steam Deck also includes WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, so you can use headphones, controls, or any accessory that has this technology.
All three Steam Deck editions have the same specifications; The differences lie in their storage capacity and the write speed of the drive in question. In addition, the 526 GB version will have an etched glass screen.
In the same way we leave you with the technical specifications of Steam Deck:
- Processor – AMD APU
- CPU – Zen 2 with 4 cores and 8 threads at 2.4-3.5 GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)
- GPU – 8 RDNA 2 Cus, 1-1.6 GHz (hasta 1.6 TFlops FP32)
- RAM – 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM
- Storage (varies by version) – 64GB eMMC (PCIe Gen 2 x1) | 256 GB NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4) | 526GB High Speed Solid State Drive (PCIe Gen 3 x4)
- MicroSD Input – Available on all models (UHS-I supports SD, SDXC and SDHC cards
- Screen – 7-inch LCD touch screen with optical lamination; 1280 x 800 pixels at 60 Hz
- Screen brightness – 400 nits (typical)
- Bluetooth – Bluetooth 5.0 (support for controls, accessories, and audio)
- Wi-Fi – Dual band wifi radio (2.4GHz and 5GHz)
- Software – SteamOS 3.0 (Arc-based)
The promise is that it will last between 2-6 hours and a maximum of 7 or 8 hours, depending on games, settings, connected peripherals, and other power consumption variables. Ensures that you can play Gate 2 for 4 hours. This time can be extended to a few hours if performance is limited to 30 fps.
Steam Deck can originally have a resolution of up to 720p, but its resolution is 1280 x 800 with an aspect ratio of 16:10. Your image can be resized and modified on demand if the game allows it. It also has an ambient sensor that can automatically adjust screen brightness in different lighting conditions.
In terms of its performance on external displays, it will be able to adapt to other resolutions in desktop mode, but its performance will be affected by this setting.
No, the console is designed to have fixed components, however, you can increase the storage capacity with a microSD memory.
Steam surface measures 11.7 cm high, 29.8 cm wide, 4.9 cm deep, and weighs 669 grams. For reference, the Valve console will be three times longer than any Nintendo Switch model. Next, we leave you a rough comparison.
On the other hand, although no official berth is officially presented, Valve has shared data about its size and weight. It measures 2.9 cm high, 11.7 cm wide and 5.05 cm deep and weighs only 120 grams.
The Steam Deck will have a classic control system, which is why it will have the buttons you’d expect from a standard control (2 sticks, directional crosshairs, 4 front buttons, 2 bumpers and 2 triggers) located at the top ends of the controller. In addition, it includes 4 buttons that you can customize to your liking, a capacitive touch screen and two trackpads for games that require it. The stick and trackpads have capacitive sensors so the controller can accurately detect the movement of your fingers.
The console has built-in DSP stereo audio with surround sound, a 3.5mm jack connector, and multi-channel audio via DisplayPort over USB-C, standard USB-C, or Bluetooth 5.0. It also includes a dual microphone for voice chat functions, among other uses.
Yes, with a PC build, you will be free to install other repositories such as Origin uPlay or the Epic Games Store. In addition, you can install another operating system, if you wish; Although Steam OS promises to improve it to offer the best interface and gaming experience.
In an interview with IGN. “If you buy a Steam Deck, it’s a PC. You can install whatever you want there, you can put the peripherals you want. Probably the best way to see it is to use a PC rather than a game console.”
As for Xbox Game Pass, it has not been confirmed to run locally. Getting this service on Steam Deck is tricky, as the community hasn’t found a way to install the Xbox PC app on Linux. This is because it was developed as a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app, just like the games offered in this service. Only platforms developed with the name UWP can run on Windows 10.
Although it sounds complicated, the versatility of the system can open the door to this and more services. We will have to wait for this information to be confirmed.
Steam Deck will go on sale in December 2021. Originally, Valve’s console would only be available for purchase in the US, Canada, the EU, and the UK. Steam Deck is expected to reach more markets in 2022. Its sale will be limited to one device per user and will be in a virtual row format to avoid resale and storage.
Steam Deck still does not have a release date for Mexico and Latin America.
Steam Deck will have different versions, the cheapest being the 64 GB internal storage that will cost $399 (~8,180 MXN) and the versions that will include a 256 GB and 512 GB NVMe SSD will cost $529 and $649 respectively. With your purchase you will get a power adapter and protective case.
Now that you know this new Valve proposal. Tell us: What do you think of this new laptop? Are you thinking of getting it? You can learn more about Steam Deck by clicking here.
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