tldr; The Steam Deck is Valve’s latest foray into portable gaming, offering a handheld device that can run your entire Steam library. It’s a little bit like a Nintendo Switch that ate a gaming PC for breakfast, and we’re mostly here for it. Not without its quirks, but overall, a solid piece of gaming kit.
Tech Specs
- Powered by a custom APU developed by AMD for handheld gaming
- 7″ touchscreen with a 1280 x 800 resolution
- Comes in three variants – 64GB eMMC, 256GB NVMe SSD, 512GB high-speed NVMe SSD
- 16GB LPDDR5 RAM
- Approximate battery life of 2-8 hours
- USB-C port that supports peripherals and DisplayPort 1.4 Alt-mode
- Equipped with a 3.5mm stereo headset jack
- MicroSD card slot for storage expansion
What We Loved (and What Made Us Meh)
Steam Deck, you had us at hello.
- Impressive performance for a handheld device
- Runs an entire Steam library
- Comfortable controls for long gaming sessions
- Expandable storage via MicroSD card slot
- Handy suspend/resume feature
- Decent battery life for casual gaming
But no relationship is perfect, and neither is the Steam Deck.
- Hefty and slightly uncomfortable for small hands
- Lower-end model has slower storage
- Battery life takes a hit with demanding games
- Screen resolution could have been higher
- Doesn’t include a dock – sold separately
- Non-gaming applications can be clunky
The Steam Deck is a valiant effort by Valve to bridge the gap between PC and handheld gaming. The ability to run your entire Steam library is no small feat and it does so with gusto. The controls are well-designed and comfortable for long gaming sessions, which is a plus.
On the other hand, the Steam Deck is a bit heftier than we’d like. Those with smaller hands might find it uncomfortable after a while. Additionally, while the storage options are generous, the lower-end model is equipped with slower eMMC storage, which can affect load times.
Battery life is somewhat of a mixed bag. For casual games, you can expect it to last up to 8 hours. However, crank up a demanding game and the battery life takes a nosedive. We wish the screen resolution was a tad higher to truly bring out the best in our games, but it’s not a dealbreaker.
While the Steam Deck doesn’t come with a dock, Valve sells one separately. It’s an extra expense, but it does add the ability to connect to a larger display. Lastly, while the Steam Deck can technically run other PC applications, the experience can be a bit clunky.
Verdict
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆
It’s a hearty four stars for the Steam Deck. It’s not perfect, but it’s a solid contender in the portable gaming space.
Would we buy it?
If you’re a Steam devotee and want your games on the go, then absolutely.
Value for Money
Given the performance and the ability to run an entire Steam library, we’d say it’s pretty good value for your hard-earned cash.