Currently, the Steam Deck is on sale on Steam. You can save 20% on the most expensive model. However, anyone looking to buy such a device should be cautious. Because especially one device is not recommended.
If you want to buy a Steam Deck, you have three options:
- The smallest model with 64 GB for 377.10 euros.
- The middle model with 256 GB for 466.65 euros.
- And the most expensive model with 512 GB storage for 543.20 euros.
Depending on the model, you can save between 10% and 20% when purchasing. However, you should not hastily reach for the cheapest model. Because it has a decisive disadvantage, which more and more players are feeling today.
Don’t buy the cheapest model of the Steam Deck
In principle, you get the same hardware with each device: each device has the same chip from AMD and 16 GB of RAM. The most expensive model even offers a matte display as a bonus and you get some digital goodies like profile icons.
At first glance, one might think: I’ll just buy the cheapest model. Because all the other stuff doesn’t interest me.
Why is the smallest model the worst choice? The smallest model has a major problem, which is the system storage. It only offers you 64 GB and that is already borderline in 2023. Many modern games require several dozen GB of storage and if you don’t just want to install indie games, the storage will already be full after one or two games. Many are wondering if 1 TB of storage is even sufficient nowadays:
- The MMORPG New World requires about 50 GB on the hard drive
- For Final Fantasy XIV Online, with the new expansion, you need 80 GB of free storage.
- Destiny 2 is also quite large at 105 GB.
You could not install either Final Fantasy XIV or Destiny 2 on the smallest Steam Deck. And New World runs very well on the Steam Deck, as MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann could show you in a review.
Can you just buy a memory card? Yes, in principle you can also expand the smallest model with a memory card, which costs you 50 euros in stores. However, you could also just go for the more expensive model, which also offers you faster storage.
If you now realize that the Steam Deck is not for you: There are currently also plenty of alternatives on the market that can provide you with mobile gaming on the go or at least at home. We present the most interesting devices on MeinMMO:
