Welcome back friends and guess who still doesn’t have his Steam Deck?
No, not Adam, he has his.
It’s me, I don’t have one - for now!
But that isn’t going to stop me from helping you understand some of the most asked questions
around the Steam Deck.
Or if you’re someone who already knows a ton and are sick of answering questions then
feel free to share this video out to those who keep on asking.
By the end of this short video, you’ll be better equipped to know what the Steam Deck
is, along with specs, what you’ll be able to do with it, and how to interface with the
portable powerhouse.
Enough blabbing from me about what you’ll learn and get into the learning.
First and foremost I suppose it would be best to actually explain what Valve’s Steam Deck
is for those of you who might be uninitiated.
Think of a portable Linux-powered gaming computer that resembles a traditional handheld gaming
console.
Think that because that’s what it is.
A full-featured computer running a custom Linux operating system that fits in your hands.
Sure it’s in a handheld format but there’s really nothing you can’t do with this little
miracle machine, and that includes installing Windows and running it like a desktop by using
a dock.
It is available in three different configurations; two of which only differ in storage capacity
with the 64GB model coming in at $399 with the larger 256GB model coming in at $529.
But if you’re already spending that then maybe consider the big daddy with 512GB model
with even faster storage, an upgraded anti gloss screen, a deluxe carrying case and more
however that model is gonna set you back a smooth $649.
But if you get the 64GB model you can still add in a bigger microSD card for even more
storage.
If it’s capable of all that then the next question HAS to be “How powerful is the
Steam Deck?”
I mean, if it’s a gaming PC then it has to have some grunt, right?
Well, it has grunt.
The processor in the Steam Deck comes courtesy of AMD and is the equivalent of a Zen 2 mobile
processor with a quad-core and eight-thread design, with clock speeds topping out at 3.5GHz.
I know in the desktop space we’re seeing tons of eight to 16 or more core CPUs but
remember, this is a portable gaming rig, not a portable CAD workstation.
Graphics come by way of Radeon in the form of 8 compute units powered by RDNA2 technologies.
This is very reminiscent of the same architecture powering the Xbox Series consoles and the
Playstation 5…oh and the Radeon RX 6000 Series graphics cards.
The system and the graphics share 16GB of soldered on LPDDR5 memory running at a blistering
5500 mega transfers per second.
Sharing that memory will be a breeze for the system and graphics, so I wouldn’t let it
being shared bother you.
Why wouldn’t I?
Well, honestly the screen resolution is only 1280x800, and you’re not trying to push
1080p here, so the specs are well within reason for today, and tomorrow.
Also, I can’t begin to express how happy I am to see the 16:10 aspect ratio making
a comeback lately on portable devices.
Okay, so we’ve got an idea of what the Steam Deck is and how powerful it is…but what
about how BIG it is?
Well, it’s quite the chonk, so if you were expecting a petite pocket-size device then
maybe you’re in for a bit of a surprise.
As the official specs state the Steam Deck measures in at 298 x 117 x 49mm, or 11.7 inches
x 4.6 inches x 1.9 inches for my stateside folks.
That’s not small at all.
If fact if you put it on the measuring scale you can see it’s longer than a 2021 iPad,
bigger than the OG switch, and roughly the same size as two Xbox controllers sitting
side by side.
But this was taken into account with the design of the way you hold the Steam Deck and I haven’t
come across many people who have had a lot to complain about when it comes to ergonomics.
Okay, let’s talk about something you may have overlooked.
This is a portable gaming PC at heart right?
Well, we see the controller layout easily enough, but what about system interfacing?
Like mouse and keyboard inputs!?
Well, on-screen prompts and keyboards exist for inputting information when filling out
names and information, there are two capacitive touchpads on either side of the screen for
that along with mouse navigation.
But this is going to be a bit of a sticking point and something to consider when picking
the games you want to play on your Steam Deck.
Sure you can modify and set up custom controls but I’d honestly recommend sticking with
titles that explicitly support controllers natively.
Adam disagrees and thinks the deep customization options make it akin to the long dead Steam
Controller, which allows for endless ways to tailor the controls to your liking.
*shrug*
This brings me to the next point, game selection.
Which games CAN you play on the Steam Deck?
Technically almost ALL of them if you go through the hassle of installing Windows 10 and giving
up a good bit of performance.
But realistically you’ll want to stick to the included custom operating system and use
the Steam Deck as it was intended.
BUT IT’S LINUX!
I hear you, and Valve has done amazing work with the Steam Plays Proton emulation layer
than allows for native Windows games to run within a Linux environment.
AND Valve has established a Deck Verified program to showcase what games will run and
at what level they’re supported.
You can even now shop exclusively from a list of Verified games making the whole process
easier.
In fact, you can go right now and find out just what games in your library are Deck Verified
before you even think about getting in the virtual line to get your own.
By now I hope I’ve helped answer some of the more basic questions around the Valve
Steam Deck.
I’m sure you have many more and if you do, head over to Michael Crider’s article on
PCWorld that I’ve linked down in the description below.
There you can find other answered questions like “Can it run emulators?”
and “What about Xbox Game Pass?”
But for now, I’m heading out.
If you have any questions not answered then drop them down in the comment section and
I’ll be sure to hit up Adam and see what he has to say in between his own Steam Deck
sessions.
While you’re down there hit that thumbs up button and make sure you’re subscribed
here at PCWorld for even more PC hardware and software goodness.