In This Video And Article, We Will Go To Steam Deck, A New Portable Gaming Computer, And Review Everything From Its Price To Games And Hardware Details.

Steam Deck, There have long been rumors that the company may be working on a portable gaming platform. The code for the Steam updates contained information that explicitly referred to the capabilities of such a device, and various credentials, citing the same information, announced the imminent introduction of such a platform, which was more commonly known as a game console.

Finally, some time ago, he officially unveiled such a device called Steam Deck, which, of course, should be considered a portable gaming computer rather than a portable gaming console.

To understand why this is the case and also to get acquainted with the details of Steam Deck, please watch the video below first so that we can tell you a little about its details later:

Steam deck software

The Stream Deck is a portable gaming platform that is slightly larger in size than the Nintendo Switch, and the main factor that makes it more of a portable PC than a game console goes back to its software issues. The new product, albeit by default, uses Steam OS 3, which is based on Linux.

Although this operating system has designed a user interface that conveys the feeling of working with a console to the user; That way, when you turn on the Steam Deck, your advanced user interface feels more like a console than a computer, and you can easily use the stickers on either side of the screen or other Steam Deck control methods, including Its touch screen or even your iPad and touchpad, easily switch between menus.

According to the announcement, users can install on the Windows Steam deck and are not limited to using the default Steam OS 3 operating system.

But it becomes more interesting when we know that Steam Deck is not a closed system like game consoles, and although it does not intend to limit the user to use this default operating system; As a result, you can install Windows on it just like a computer, and this not only gives you the Windows interface itself, but you can even go from platform to platform, installing various software and other platforms such as Epic, or Use the game on Steam Deck!

This, and the fact that the user is not limited to Steam OS 3, is one of the most exciting features of Steam Deck, which even though members consider it the right decision for their product and believe that the user should have a choice in this regard, and well, that’s it. It’s what makes a Steam deck more than just a console, a real computer that gives you everything you expect from a PC on such a small scale.

With that in mind, many may ask about the default operating system based on the Linux Steam Deck if this product will only run ported works for Linux by default. Fortunately not!

Because even if it uses an interface or, to put it better, a software simulator called Proton, even those Steam games that are not ported to Linux can run on the Steam deck with Steam OS 3 through this interface. Of course, this also has several limitations that we mention in the section on games.

Steam Deck Hardware

Now that we know about Steam Deck software let’s talk a little bit about its hardware. Even for the beating heart of his portable computer, he turned to AMD and used an APU made by this company. The APU consists of a Zen 2 CPU with four cores and 8 threads, and the GPU uses the RDNA 2 architecture and has 8 processing units.

This number 8 may not seem like much; Because, in comparison, for example, the Xbox S Series console uses a graphics processor with the same architecture but with 20 processing units.

However, considering that the Steam Deck games will run on a screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800, it is emphasized that this APU will generally have the necessary power to run the games of the day.

In addition to the APU, the Steam Deck also has 16 GB of four-channel RAM and will be available in three different models with 64, 256, and 512 GB of internal space, respectively.

Of course, in addition to the capacity of the interior, the type of this space also differs between the three models, and the base model of 64 GB uses eMMC memory. Still, NVMe fast SSDs are used in the other two models, which is much faster, so you should expect a difference. Have remarkable things like load times.

However, he also stressed that users would not be able to upgrade the interior space by replacing parts, and for this purpose, the only option will be to use Micro SD cards for which a port has been installed.

On the front of the Steam deck, we have a 7-inch touch screen, which we mentioned has a resolution of 1280 x 800 and a refresh rate of 60 Hz. On the sides of this screen, we see the product controls.

We see a stick on each side.

There is the device’s DIP on the left side of the screen, and on the right side, there are four main keys in ABXY format. Below the sticks, we have a touchpad on each side, which is a kind of simulation for the mouse.

At the top of the Steam deck, we also have triggers and bumpers, and an interesting point is the four keys located on the back of the device and two keys on each side, and you can customize their tasks to your liking and taste.

Some time ago, some reputable media outlets had the opportunity to try out the Steam Deck for a limited time. Although the available model was not the final sample, most were satisfied with the quality of its controls.

The last hardware point about the Steam is its battery, which uses a 40-watt-hour lithium-ion battery for this purpose. According to the official information provided, this battery charges between 2 to 8 hours, depending on the type of use and the weight and even the quality of the games, according to which, one can expect that during heavy applications such as playing large games in high quality, We will probably see charging in about 2 hours.

Steam Deck Games

On any video game platform, if not the most important, at least one of the most important aspects is related to the games that can play on it.

However, after the introduction of Steam Deck, he announced that this device is capable of playing all the games available on Steam, and they have not yet found a game that Steam Deck does not have the power to run in terms of hardware.

This explanation, of course, sparked much debate; Including what is meant by running the game and is it just running that game, regardless of the quality of execution?

However, in this case, he stated that the minimum conditions for them to run a game are that it can play at 30 frames, and of course, 30 frames are only a minimal situation, and many effects are performed at higher frame rates.

We also mentioned above that the Stream Deck is a PC. As a result, the user himself has the opportunity to play and experience games on the device in a way that is more convenient for him by changing the graphic settings.

For example, to have a longer battery charge, you can reduce the settings or lock the frame rate, which is possible.

To have a more accurate opinion about the quality of games on the Steam deck, we have to wait for its release and reviews, especially from sources such as Digital Foundry;

However, in the same event mentioned above, which allowed the media to work with the device for a limited time, ‌ we saw videos of Doom Eternal or Witcher 3 being released with acceptable quality and frame rate. Or For example, IGN media at the time of the introduction of Steam Deck noted that the game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order runs in high settings with a good shape on the device.

Considering a resolution of 1280 x 800 for the screen, it seems like a smart move in this regard; Because on a 7-inch screen, this resolution will be acceptable to the eye, and at the same time, it will make the games run smoother compared to, for example, 1080p resolution.

However, it has been announced that Steam Deck has the necessary hardware power to run all current Steam games.

At the beginning of this section, we mentioned that Steam Deck has the hardware needed to run all the games on Steam. Still, in the middle, using the default Steam OS 3 operating system, several software limitations are currently facing the device.

More specifically, in the case of games like Destiny 2 or even Apex Legends, due to the use of anti-fraud software and the incompatibility of this software with the Proton interface, Steam Deck is not able to run them at the moment; however, he has announced that he will solve this issue before the device is released.

We are accessories

Although the Steam Deck is considered a portable gaming computer, it does allow it to be connected to a monitor and used as a minimal computer case.

Of course, for this purpose, you will need to buy a separate dock that has outputs such as HDMI, port LAN, and USB, and at the moment, even the price is not specified, and of course, its purchase is completely optional;

First of all, the user may want to use the Steam deck only in manual mode, and apart from that, by using the USB-C port installed in the upper part of the device, you can easily connect peripherals such as various hubs to the device and meet your needs in this way.

And will not be limited to your official device dock.

Also, thanks to Steam Deck support for Bluetooth, wireless equipment will easily connect to this device.

Booking status and price of Steam Deck

The Stream Deck is available in 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB models priced at the US $ 399, US $ 529, and the US $ 649, respectively. Although the base model of the device is $ 130 cheaper than the second model, and this number is considerable, but since then, we have witnessed the introduction of contradictory vaccines;

First of all, the memory used in this model is slower, and secondly, the 64 GB space compared to the current volume of the game is really small, and you will definitely need to increase this space very soon by buying a Micro SD card.

For this reason, most reputable sources recommend at least a 256 GB model for those who are interested.

The two more expensive Steam Deck models also come with a case, and the 512GB model also features an anti-glare display.

But in addition to the price debate, one of the most interesting steps, even for those interested in buying a Steam Deck, was to provide special conditions for its reservation;

To reserve this device, you must first log in to your Steam account, and if you create a new account, you must wait in line for 48 hours. Also, each Steam account can only reserve one device.

In addition to booking, you have to pay a fee of $ 5, which will be deducted from the final price if your purchase is finalized.

The reason it does so, however, is to prevent people who intend to book and continue to pre-purchase large numbers of Steam Deck in the future and sell them at a higher price if market availability is limited.

Release date of Steam Deck

According to the announcement, the release of Steam Deck will start from December 2021 (December-December 1400). This date, however, does not mean that anyone who pre-orders the Steam Deck will receive it at this time. December is just the beginning of the device’s release, and depending on the region and even the type of model, now is the time for Some people also show periods such as the second quarter of 2022 (approximately spring 1401).

In general, Steam Deck seems to be one of the most interesting products in the gaming world; Just the idea that you can have a portable computer that has no restrictions on software issues and can be used depending on the need is exciting and attractive.

However, it will definitely be time to answer the question of whether the Steam Deck can be just as practical and successful in practice, or whether, just after a while and the initial excitement subsides, it will become one of the many products in the history of the industry that will soon forget.