Steam Deck Hand Held Gaming PC Changes Everything
So here we are, the rumors of Steam producing a handheld gaming PC have now come to fruition. The Steam Deck, as it's called, will be launched later this year. The competitive target, of course, is the Nintendo Switch. But unlike its counterpart, the Steam Deck can play PC games.
But it's more than a gaming device; it has the multifaceted capabilities of an actual computer. It can be plugged into a monitor or a TV via HDMI, Displayport, and even install apps or software. The Deck can also be used as a Streaming device which I'm assuming you can view Hulu, Netflix, and maybe even Amazon Prime video.
The Steam Deck will operate on a new version of SteamOS, Valve's Linux-based operating system, when it comes to the actual operating system. But here's where it gets interesting, you can play Windows-based games on this device without the support of Linux. Users even have to option to uninstall SteamOS and install Windows. The hardware itself makes it possible to run a full version of Windows. Speaking of which, follow along in the next paragraph, and let's go over hardware specs.
The Steam Deck will have an AMD Zen 2 4c/8t processor, with up to a 3GHz frequency speed. In addition, the Deck will feature an 8 RDNA 2 CUs graphics processor on the video front, having 1.6GHz frequency speed, up to 1.6 TFlops. When it comes to storage, users have three options, 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB version, which of course, each have different price points. In addition, you can expand the storage via a MicroSD card.
The LCD touchscreen on the Steam Deck measures 7-inches diagonally, with a 1280 x 800 resolution, a 60Hz refresh rate. For me, it would have made sense to have a full HD display with a higher resolution and refresh rate since this is a gaming device, especially in an age where we see smartphones with refresh rates as high as 144Hz and supermax resolution.
For me, the point of interest with the Steam Deck is the controls, featuring two analog sticks with capacitive touch, D-pad, face buttons, and analog triggers. There are even assignable grip buttons and bumpers, along with a view and menu buttons. What we have here potentially is the best controls on a handheld portable device on the market.
The most concerning feature in Steam Deck is the battery. It's Whr, granting users 2-8 hours of gameplay. Since this is technically a portable PC with decent hardware, games played on this device will undoubtedly cause a significant amount of battery drainage. If I'm a betting man I'd say you'll get, at best, get only 2 hours of gameplay.
I'm curious as to how many would consumers will purchase the Steam Deck? I'm already reading reports that many have already preordered the device. Prices go as follows, $399-64GB, $529-256GB and $649-512GB. For more information, just click the highlighted text for the official Steam Deck website. Will you be getting the Steam Deck? If so, drop the comment in the box below.
