We present to you 6 important things and facts that you should know about the Steam Deck. This could play a role, for example, if you want to buy such a console.
Valve has presented the “Steam Deck” handheld console. Many users want to know for whom the console is suitable and which games can be played on it.
In our article, we present to you 6 important things that you should know about the Steam console.
There are 3 different models of the Steam Deck
What versions are available? Currently, Valve has introduced three different versions of the Steam Deck. All three cost different amounts and offer you different equipment:
- The first version offers you 64 GB of internal storage (eMMC) and the familiar hardware. The price is 419.00 Euros.
- The second version offers 256 GB of internal storage (NVMe-SSD), which is significantly faster than the first version. The price is 549.00 Euros.
- The third version offers 512 GB of internal storage (NVMe-SSD) and additionally a high-quality anti-glare glass display. The price is 679.00 Euros.
By the way, all three versions allow you to expand the internal storage with a memory card, in case you run out of storage space.
The device runs on SteamOS
What is SteamOS? The console runs on the operating system SteamOS, which is based on “Arch Linux”. Therefore, you initially have Linux installed on your console.
The advantage is that in addition to Steam, you can also use the desktop mode to surf the Internet or do other things.
To play games, SteamOS uses “Proton”. “Proton” is a compatibility layer that allows Windows programs to run on Linux.
Which games work with Steam Deck? Valve explained in an interview that they have not found any game that does not work on the Steam Deck so far.
What is certain is that the games must also work with Proton, as the games rely on it for SteamOS. From our own experience, we can report so far that games with third-party software (Origin, Uplay, etc.) only work with Proton to a limited extent.
You can do whatever you want with the Steam Deck
Steam Deck is customizable and allows you to do pretty much anything you want with it.
The device is not limited to using Steam games only. You can also install other operating systems or software on the device and use it in a completely different way.
What can you do with the Steam Deck? You can install Windows on the console, for example. This way, you can play your favorite games from GOG or Battle.net on the console or try out various launchers. In this regard, the Steam Deck is more like a mini-PC than a console like the PS5, Xbox or Nintendo Switch.
Theoretically, you could also use the device for multimedia or office tasks instead of gaming. However, how practical it is to type text on the small screen remains to be seen.
In an interview with IGN, Valve’s CEO Gabe Newell explained once again that this openness is the advantage of the Steam Deck:
The battery life is between 2 and 8 hours
According to Valve, the battery should last between 2 and 8 hours. But it depends on which game you want to play on the console. With titles that put little strain on your hardware, such as Terraria or Stardew Valley, you should be close to the mentioned 8 hours.
For very demanding titles, the battery life is likely to decrease accordingly.
The IGN editorial team was able to play Portal 2 on the Steam Deck with full details. Here, the colleagues experienced around 4 hours of battery life.
Steam Deck supports mouse and keyboard
The Steam Deck officially supports mouse and keyboard as well as other peripheral devices like gamepads and more.
With a USB 3.1 port and two USB 2.0 ports, you have the option to connect multiple USB devices such as keyboards, mice, or gamepads to the Steam Deck.
In the future, there should also be a docking station for the Steam Deck. Not much is known about it so far, but the docking station should also allow you to connect additional devices to your Steam Deck.
It is questionable whether everyone will get a Steam Deck at release
Anyone who is even slightly interested in gaming hardware knows that it is currently difficult to get powerful hardware.
Both graphics cards and next-gen consoles like Xbox and PS5 are currently hardly available or only available at a high price. And some users fear that it could be just as bad with the Steam Deck.
Because there is also high demand for the Steam Deck. This is evident on eBay and other trading platforms, where scalpers are already trying to sell pre-orders for the Steam Deck at high prices. Scalpers hope for a new, lucrative business with Valve’s consoles after their successes with graphics cards and next-gen consoles.
