Steam expands and enters the handheld console market. After there have been rumors about a handheld from Valve over the past few months, it is now official: In December, a portable version of Steam will appear with “Steam Deck”. We have summarized the most important information about the new console for you and also tell you when it will be released.
When will Steam Deck be released in Europey?
Steam deck is loud official website available for dispatch from December 2021. Reservations can be made from Friday, July 16, 2021 at 7 p.m. You have to pay a reservation fee of 4 dollars and can only pre-order one console. It has to be according to the Steam FAQ guarantee a fair ordering process.
You can see the first pictures of the console here:
Steam Deck – View first pictures of Valve’s console
Are there different versions of the Steam Deck?
There will be three versions for the release:
- 64 GB eMMC handheld for 419 dollars
- 256 GB NVMe-SSD handheld for 549 dollars
- 512 GB NVMe-SSD handheld for 679 dollars
You can pre-order it Steam Deck directly in the Steam Store.
How do the versions still differ?
The smallest variant has 64 GB eMMC memory. The two larger variants have NVMe SSD storage. The version for 549 dollars also comes with an exclusive Steam community profile bundle.
In the variant for 679 dollars, the memory is significantly larger at 512 GB. The handheld is also delivered with anti-reflective and etched glass. The exclusive Steam Community Profile Bundle is also included here, as well as a virtual keyboard with an exclusive design.
A 40-watt-hour battery was also installed, which, according to Valve, should enable 2 to 8 hours of gameplay. As a result, the Steam Deck, despite its size, only weighs 669 grams. Valve uses the self-developed SteamOS 3.0 as the operating system.
The Steam Deck also has Bluetooth, with which not only a mouse and keyboard can be connected, but also Bluetooth headphones or controllers.
How powerful is the Steam Deck?
We have not yet been able to test the Steam Deck ourselves and can therefore only refer to the official information from Valve. The Steam Deck was developed in cooperation with AMD and a specially developed Zen2 / RDNA2 processor was installed inside:
Processor: AMD APU
CPU: Zen 2 4c / 8t, 2.4 – 3.5 GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)
GPU: 8 RDNA 2 CUs, 1.0 – 1.6 GHz (up to 1.6 TFlops FP32)
RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM (5500 MT/s)
Resolution: 1280 × 800 pixels (16:10 aspect ratio)
Display size: 7 inches diagonally
Aktualisierungsrate: 60 Hz
In addition to the integrated memory, there will also be a slot for micro SD cards. The handheld is charged via a USB-C socket, which can also be used to connect additional peripheral devices. This allows you to connect the Steam Deck to a monitor. All information about the technical details can be found in the official overview.
The English-speaking colleagues from IGN have already tried the Steam Deck. We have included the introduction video for you below:
Link to YouTube content
Can I also connect the Steam Deck to the TV?
A docking station will also follow later this year. The docking station is sold separately and has the following connections:
- DisplayPort 1.4
- USB 3.1
- HDMI 2.0
- Ethernet
- USB 3.1
- 2 x USB 2.0
Nothing is currently known about the price of the docking station. We also don’t yet know when you can expect a price or release for the docking station.
With the announcement of the Steam Deck, some of our predictions about Valve’s future come true. The then still mysterious Project Proton seems to be revealed. What else we have predicted for Steam, you can read in our analysis:
more on the subject
This is how Steam will change in 2021
What do you think of Valve’s Steam Deck? Are you considering buying this console? If so, what is the most telling reason for you, and if not, what is holding you back? Write it to us in the comments. We look forward to your thoughts and opinions.
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