Steam Deck: Every gamer should own one

I bought the cheapest Steam Deck and have never regretted it.

Over the past two years, the market for portable gaming consoles has nearly caught up with smartphones in terms of new device announcements. Practically every month, brands release several consoles. However, Valve’s Steam Deck tops all gaming rankings, and deservedly so. After spending about a year with this device, I can confidently say that the Steam Deck is the best thing to happen to portable gaming since the PSP. By the way, you can now buy the console at a fantastic discount.

I should note that I am referring specifically to the base version of the Steam Console with an LCD screen and a 64 GB eMMC storage (which can be replaced with a 2 TB SSD at any time). The main reason for choosing this model in 2024 is the unjustifiably exorbitant price of the OLED version in our reality. To give you an idea, the price difference could buy you a Nintendo Switch.

The Steam Deck, valve computer was one of my most impulsive purchases of 2023. However, this little gadget left more positive impressions and provided much cooler emotions than the iPhone 15 Pro Max. During this time, I managed to compare the Deck with several other renowned consoles from top brands, which turned out to be a huge disappointment.

Steam deck review

The most killer feature is the Steam store with millions of games, most of which run smoothly on the Deck. This is not your typical PC gaming where Windows might not wake up from sleep mode or throw a blue screen of death. The system here is initially optimized for gaming. If desired, you can install other operating systems and other stores like the Epic Games Store or GoG.

Steam deck amazon priced at $400, has garnered attention for its high-performance mobile gaming capabilities, intelligent hardware design, and consistent software improvements by Valve. It stands out in the portable gaming PC market, offering excellent specs, fantastic speakers, a clean Steam interface, and significant control flexibility. However, it’s not without its drawbacks, including an awkward design, a screen that doesn’t quite match up to the competition, and a finicky Linux browser​​.

In terms of physical design, the steam desk is notably larger and heavier than the Nintendo Switch, with its buttons positioned at the top of the device, making it somewhat awkward to hold and operate. Despite its size and weight, it features a large, bright display with vivid color reproduction and good brightness control. The device incorporates two thumbsticks and two touchpads, offering a unique control experience, particularly with the gyro-assisted aiming feature​.

Internally, the steamdesk is powered by an RDNA 2 GPU and AMD Zen 2 CPU, technologies also used in PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. While not as powerful as these consoles, it impressively handles a range of games from indie to AAA titles. Its ability to run graphically intensive games like “Elden Ring” and “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” effectively showcases its performance. The onboard speakers are notably strong, delivering clear and immersive audio. However, running these demanding games can lead to increased fan noise and reduced battery life​​​.

The Steam Deck, developed by Valve, offers the following specifications:

Compute and Performance, steam deck specs:

• APU: 6 nm AMD APU
• CPU: Zen 2 architecture, 4 cores/8 threads, clocked between 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)
• GPU: 8 RDNA 2 Compute Units, running at 1.6GHz (1.6 TFlops FP32)
• APU power: Ranges from 4-15W
• RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5 onboard RAM, operating at 6400 MT/s across quad 32-bit channels
• Storage: Options include a 512GB NVMe SSD or a 1TB NVMe SSD, along with a high-speed microSD card slot for further expansion.

Display:

• Resolution: 1280 x 800 x RGB
• Type: HDR OLED
• Display Size: 7.4 inches diagonally
• Maximum Brightness: 1,000 nits peak brightness for HDR and 600 nits for SDR
• Contrast Ratio: Over 1,000,000 : 1
• Color Gamut: 110% P3
• Refresh Rate: Up to 90Hz
• Response Time: Less than 0.1 ms
• Touch Enabled: Features high-performance touch capabilities.

Connectivity:

• Bluetooth: Version 5.3, with support for controllers, accessories, and audio, and includes a dedicated Bluetooth antenna
• Wi-Fi: Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E radio supporting 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz frequencies, 2 x 2 MIMO, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax.

Power and Battery:

• Input: PD3.0 Type C power supply at 45W, with a 2.5m cable
• Battery: 50Whr, offering 3-12 hours of gameplay, depending on the content and usage.

Size and Weight:

• Dimensions: 298mm x 117mm x 49mm
• Weight: Approximately 640 grams.

Operating System:

• The Steam Deck runs on SteamOS 3, which is based on Arch Linux
• Desktop Environment: KDE Plasma.

These specifications highlight the Steam Deck’s capacity to deliver high-performance portable gaming, with a particular focus on connectivity and display technology. The device offers a versatile and robust platform for gaming, suitable for a wide range of applications and user preferences.

The Steam Deck’s software experience is rooted in the SteamOS.

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