It’s been speculated for a while, but Valve’s console is really here. The American company, which is best known for its Steam platform, today announced its own gaming device called the Steam Deck. It’s coming out this December and we’ll play on it all games from our Steam library.
It is already available official webpage and also specifications. We learned that the heart of the device is an APU from AMD, while the CPU part consists of 4 cores, built on Zen 2 architecture, and GPU segment is then built on RDNA 2 architecture (which is also used by next generation consoles), offers 8 computing units and up to 1.6 TFlops gross power. The operating memory forms 16 GB LPDDR5. The display is 7-inch with a resolution of 720p and 60Hz refresh rate, while offering i touch control. Battery life should be 2 to 8 hours. It depends on which game will run on the Steam Deck.
The console will be available in three versions: 64GB model za 419 eur, 256GB model for 549 eur a 512GB model za 679 eur. The last two mentioned even offer fast NVMe SSD. But it also offers all models possibility to expand storage with microSD card.
The device drives new version of SteamOS, in which we find all the functions of Steam, as we know it from classic computers. We can look forward to, for example, chat, remote play or cloud savy.
IGN magazine, meanwhile, gave 8-minute impressions of using the console. Editor Bo Moore could try it right in Valve. The layout of the controls may seem a little strange, but Moore immediately adds that the controls are completely natural. On the console we find ABXY buttons, D-pad, jumpers, triggers, levers and 4 buttons on the back. But they are also here trackpady, which can replace a mouse in games that would not work so well on levers. Moore claims that the accuracy of trackpads is not so far from the classic mouse, even in first-person shooters like DOOM Eternal.
Although a comparison with the Nintendo Switch console is immediately offered, the manufacturer does not see it that way. Lawrence Yang, who works at Valve as a designer, says it’s basically a small PC. Steam Deck is not just a handheld, but can also be connected to a TV or monitor (so far only using USB, but Valve allegedly also works on the dock). We can then install what we want on the console, we can customize the controls, set the performance and battery life, use Steam Workshop, but also the modes outside it. And if you lack mouse and keyboard controls, you don’t have to worry, you can connect them to the Steam Deck like a classic PC.
If you are interested in the console, you will be able to book it from tomorrow at 19:00 Central European Summer Time on Steam.
Introducing Steam Deck: powerful, portable PC gaming starting at $399. Designed by Valve, powered by Steam. Shipping December 2021.
Learn more at https://t.co/ZOTx3KUCVK and reserve yours tomorrow. #SteamDeck pic.twitter.com/jcgbaKfT9c
— Steam (@Steam) July 15, 2021
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