Image credits: Steam Deck
It’s no secret that portable gaming devices are dying slowly due to the rise of mobile gaming.
Last year, Nintendo announced that it has officially discontinued the production of its Nintendo 3DS handheld system, closing the door on one of the best-selling devices.
Recently, the winners of the 2021 Future Hamburg Award were announced.
Right now, they are solely focusing on Nintendo Switch. In fact, Nintendo’s Switch OLED model went on pre-order through various retailers in the US yesterday. The new OLED Switch costs $350 (approx €296) and will ship from October 8. As the name suggests, the latest Switch comes with an OLED display that’s been used on recent iPhones.
Japanese tech giant Sony, which made the PSP, is no longer interested in manufacturing any handheld gaming devices.
As the future of handheld gaming devices is at stake, Valve, an American video game developer, announced a new portable handheld gaming PC that combines the looks of Nintendo Switch with an extensive game library of Steam. It’s worth noting that Valve co-founder Gabe Newell teased the device back in May.
Steam Deck
Dubbed as Steam Deck, this compact gaming device runs on Valve’s SteamOS with support for third-party applications.
Starting at $399 (approx €338), Steam Deck will be available for sale in December 2021 in Europe, the US, Canada, and the UK. If you live in any of these regions, you can add the device to your wishlist now.
Specifications
How good is the Steam Deck in papers? Let’s have a quick look at the specifications:
- Display: 7-inch (1280×800 resolution) IPS LCD screen with 60Hz refresh rate
- Processor: AMD APU (Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz CPU & 8 RDNA 2 CUs, 1.0-1.6GHz GPU)
- RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM
- ROM: 64 GB eMMC/256 GB NVMe SSD/512 GB high-speed NVMe SSD (with high-speed microSD card slot)
- Software: SteamOS 3.0 (based on Arch Linux)
- Dimensions: 298mm x 117mm x 49mm; Weight: 669grams.
- Connectivity: 3.5mm audio jack, Bluetooth 5.0, Dual-band Wi-Fi radio, 2.4GHz and 5GHz, 2 x 2 MIMO, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
- Battery: 40Whr battery with 45W USB Type-C PD3.0 power supply
Note: APU (Accelerate Processing Unit) is a microprocessor that combines both CPU and GPU on a single chip.
What else do you get?
In terms of controls, consumers will get a D-Pad, two analogue sticks, A B X Y buttons, triggers, bumpers, two trackpads, and four additional buttons on the back that can be assigned in-game.
The portable gaming device comes with a built-in gyro sensor for enhanced movement control during gameplay. The Steam Deck comes with stereo speakers with DSP and a wider soundstage, claims the company.
With the USB Dock, users can connect the device to the monitor, keyboard, and mouse and use it as a standard computer. The Steam Deck can be plugged into your smart TV or even your old CRT if you have the right cables.
Pricing and benefits
Talking about the pricing, the Steam Deck:
- 64GB model is priced at $399 (approx €338) and comes with a carrying case
- 256GB model is priced at $529 (approx €448) and adds an exclusive Steam Community profile bundle.
- 512GB model is priced at $649 (approx €550). This high-end variant comes with a slew of benefits including, a Steam Community profile bundle, virtual keyboard theme, Premium anti-glare etched glass, and carrying case.
