What is the Steam Deck
Released in February 2022, the Steam Deck is a handheld PC which brings together the best aspects of PC and console gaming into the same device.
Not only that, it is a fully open device. Owners are free to install and run whatever compatible software or operating system they like.
The Specs
Dimensions and Weight:
298mm x 117mm x 49mm~670 grams
AMD APU:
CPU: Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)GPU: 8 RDNA 2 CUs, 1.0-1.6GHz (up to 1.6 TFlops FP32)
APU power: 4-15W
RAM:
16 GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM (5500 MT/s quad 32-bit channels)3 options for storage:
- 64 GB eMMC (PCIe Gen 2 x1)- 256 GB NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4 or PCIe Gen 3 x2*)
- 512 GB high-speed NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4 or PCIe Gen 3 x2*)
All models use socketed 2230 m.2 modules
Storage is also expandable through a microSD card slot
All models include high-speed microSD card slot
Storage is also expandable through a microSD card slot.
Display:
7" IPS LCD touch screen, 16:10 1280x800, 60Hz, 400nits
Controls:
A B X Y buttonsD-pad
L & R analog triggers
L & R bumpers
View & Menu buttons
4 x assignable grip (back) buttons
2 x full-size analog sticks with capacitive touch
2 x 32.5mm square trackpads with haptic feedback
55% better latency compared to Steam Controller
HD haptics
6-axis IMU (gyroscope)
Connectivity:
Bluetooth 5.0Dual-band Wi-Fi radio, 2.4GHz and 5GHz, 2 x 2 MIMO, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
USB-C with DisplayPort 1.4 Alt-mode support; up to 8K @60Hz or 4K @120Hz, USB 3.2 Gen 2y
3.5mm stereo headphone / headset jack
Power:
40Whr battery. 2 - 8 hours of gameplay45W USB Type-C PD3.0 power supply
Operating System (pre-installed):
SteamOS 3.0 (Arch-based), KDE Plasma desktopGaming Mode (default on boot up) and Desktop Mode
Hardware upgrades:
Although Valve advise against opening up the device yourself for an internal storage upgrade, they do provide guidance on how to do so.The Games
The Steam library is accessible upon log in, but games may or may not be compatible depending on the Proton layer in the case of Windows games. Proton itself can be extended with community maintained variants such Proton-GE. For optimal compatibility, install a native Linux version whenever possible.Other storefront games
Install Heroic, and load up your Epic and G.O.G. games, or just install any old game into the system. Speaking of which...Emulation
The Steam Deck has risen as the ultimate retro gaming handheld, with enough power to run emulators such as RPCS3, and convenience tools to set them up for easy access from Gaming Mode, such as Emu Deck.Available now - no more reservations queues!
Links:
Official website
Deck Central fansite/news blog
Steam Deck Resources wiki
r/SteamDeck on reddit
Proton DB
Proton-GE
Emu Deck
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