Shariful
The Valve Steam Deck is a portable device with gaming capability behind its screen that is half Nintendo Switch and part gaming PC. While it seems to be a console, it is as open as a PC, which means you can plug it into a monitor or TV, connect controllers or a mouse and keyboard, and even install Windows on top of its Linux underpinnings if you want.
Because of a compatibility technology called Proton, the upcoming edition of SteamOS, Valve’s Linux-based operating system, will be able to play titles designed for Windows. The system also supports game stop and restart, as well as some fancy new AMD graphics technologies like FidelityFX Super Resolution upscaling.
When will the Steam Deck be available?
The Steam Deck is now available, with the first emails going out to individuals who have made reservations for February 25, 2022. Customers could be able to get their hands on the Steam Decks as early as February 28, 2022. As a result, it’s a bit of a half-launch for the time being.
“Customers will have three days (72 hours) from the time they get their order email to complete their purchase before their reservation is released to the next person in line. The first units will be sent to clients on the 28th.
If you haven’t already made a reservation, Valve’s current shipment estimate for pre-orders placed now is “After Q2 2022,” which might be several months away.
A Steam Deck may now be booked for a $5 (£4) deposit. That $5 deposit will be applied to the purchase of the Steam Deck if you decide to buy one. If you change your mind and decide to cancel, you will be reimbursed.
The Steam Deck is currently only available for pre-order in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union, but Valve has said that it plans to make the Deck available for pre-order in more countries as soon as possible. Because there are currently no plans to sell the Steam Deck in shops, purchasing it directly from Valve will be the only option for the foreseeable future.
What is the price of the Steam Deck?
The pricing of the Steam Deck is determined by the version you choose, and there are three options depending on storage space. The Steam Deck is priced at:
- The 64GB version costs $399.
- The 256GB model costs $529.
- The 512GB model costs $649.
The more costly Steam Deck models include faster NVMe SSD storage, while the lowest has a 64GB eMMC (embedded multi-media card) storage option. At the very least, all three variants let you expand your storage capacity using a MicroSD card.
If you want to increase the storage, you should probably spend a little more money on a faster MicroSD card for better loading speeds. It will also be able to replace and upgrade the SSD, but this may not be a good option. Valve notes that the SSD in the Deck was chosen for its performance and to minimize electromagnetic interference with other components, so don’t expect any random off-the-shelf part to measure up.
What are the Steam Deck’s specifications?
Valve disclosed the Steam Deck specs with the system itself, so we now know exactly what lurks behind the console’s 7-inch screen.
The most crucial thing for PC gamers to know is that the Steam Deck is powered by an AMD APU, something we haven’t seen before. This chip is based on two important AMD architectures: Zen 2 and RDNA 2.
The Zen 2 architecture is the same as that found in AMD Ryzen 3000 CPUs, and the Steam Deck has four Zen 2 cores capable of running eight threads, ready and waiting for your portable gaming demands.
The RDNA 2 architecture is responsible for the portable PC’s graphics prowess. The Steam Deck has 8 Compute Units (CUs), totaling 512 cores. That’s not a lot, the Xbox Series S has 20 RDNA 2 CUs, but it looks to be enough to get by at 720p without too much trouble.
As previously stated the Steam Deck comes in three distinct storage configurations:
- 64GB,
- 256GB,
- And 512GB.
In an ideal world, we’d all have the 512GB model. Valve has verified that this is the most popular of the bunch among consumers as well. The rationale for our 512GB ambitions is because games are large, and anything lower than that would feel cramped. It’s also outfitted with a fast NVMe SSD with a bandwidth of up to 3,000MB/s.
However, this is entirely dependent on Valve’s SSD selection. Speeds vary greatly between drives.
The 256GB model is equally fast and would be a good choice for people who don’t mind a little less storage capacity.
We’re not entirely sure about the 64GB variant. It’s designed with an eMMC drive, which won’t match the speed of an NVMe SSD, but its small capacity is nearly unfathomable for a gaming PC. Perhaps as an independent machine, but you could be better off purchasing a Nintendo Switch instead.
All three support MicroSD for further expansion, and we assume that the quicker the MicroSD, the better the game load speeds. That might be a lifesaver for individuals who have the lesser storage variant.
Valve has chosen a 1280 x 800 display for your on-the-go gaming pleasure. The Steam Deck’s touchscreen isn’t much to write about, with a 60Hz LCD and 400-nits of brightness. However, since it is just 7-inches in size, its flaws may not be as obvious as those of the top gaming monitors.
Finally, Valve revised the RAM specification for the Stream Deck, actually improving on what it had originally claimed. Instead of the dual-channel RAM that was previously advertised, it now includes 16GB of quad-channel LPDDR5 at 5,500MT/s.
That’s significant for an APU-powered workstation like this, the more memory bandwidth available, the better.
How does the Steam Deck fare in terms of gaming?
We are really satisfied with the Steam Deck’s gaming performance across a wide range of titles tested. Horizon Zero Dawn, GTA V, and Forza Horizon 5 all have typical frame rates of 30–40fps. In God of War, the average frame rate is 51 frames per second.
We found that setting the frame rate to 40 provided the ideal balance of performance and battery life for our purposes, however, Valve has since deleted that option. Instead, you may choose between a 30fps or a 60fps lock (or none at all).
And, to be honest, we didn’t mind lowering the frame rate to 30fps to increase battery life and enjoy our time gaming away from the mains for a bit longer.
Which games will be available on the Steam Deck?
Valve provides a long list of titles that have been confirmed to function on the Steam Deck. These are games that Valve has classified as excellent in terms of input, display, system support, and overall smoothness. These validated games will be marked with a green tick in your device’s library.
Other games may produce a yellow ‘i.’ This signifies that the game is playable but does not meet the standards for verified status out of the box. We’ve discovered that a lot of these games perform well on Steam Deck, and you may just need to alter them a little to get them up and running.
Then there are unsupported games, such as Half-Life: Alyx, and unknown games that Valve hasn’t tested yet. Given the sheer number of games available on Steam, the vast majority of them remain undiscovered. However, the majority of today’s most popular titles have already been examined.
Furthermore, the Steam Deck makes use of the Proton compatibility layer to ensure that Windows-compatible games run properly on the Linux-powered Steam Deck.
How long does the battery in the Steam Deck last?
The battery life of the Steam Deck varies greatly depending on what you do with it. If you’re playing a complex game at an infinite frame rate, you may be looking at a battery life of just over an hour and a half. This may be improved by gaming with a 30fps lock. In that scenario, we discovered that while playing intensive games, battery life often doubled.
However, if you play a lot less demanding game, you may be able to stretch the Deck’s battery considerably farther than that. We discovered that with FTL running at 30fps, battery life could reach over 7 hours.
It should be noted, however, that you are unlikely to spend more than 3 hours with the Steam Deck while gaming. At the very least, it can be readily recharged using a portable power bank, dock, or wall socket.
With the correct kind of electricity, the gadget can charge up to 80 percent of its capacity in 100 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What games are on Steam Deck?
8Doors: Arum’s Afterlife Adventure, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, Aeterna Noctis, Alien: Isolation, Aliens: Fireteam Elite, Amnesia: Rebirth, Animal Super Squad, Ape Out, just to name a few.
How much does Steam Deck cost?
The 64GB version of the Steam Deck costs $399. The 256GB model costs $529. The 512GB model costs $649.
When can I expect my Steam Deck?
When will the Valve Steam Deck be available? Valve just revealed that the much-anticipated Steam Deck mobile device would be available in February. Steam Deck is available for purchase on February 25, 2022, according to the company’s site and a tweet.
Is it possible to buy Steam Deck in India?
However, booking for the Valve Steam Deck in India is currently unavailable. There is no information on when it will be available in India or how much it will cost. Since it has already started delivering in the United States, we may anticipate an India release in the coming months.
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