While it’s hard to say whether or not Steam Deck has already become a household name, it certainly deserves such status after an impressive launch. Valve’s mini PC had a unique first year that might make other platforms envious. After various attempts to get into the hardware game, from the complicated Steam Machines and Steam Controllers to the more successful Steam Link, Valve’s hardware ambitions finally landed a notable, perhaps even industry-shattering, hit. In a JNCO pocket form factor, the Steam Deck is a minor terror of PC processing power. And its connection to the Steam marketplace offers a library no console could ever dream of at the start.
Steam Decks were originally available through reservation and shipped in February. While that delivery window itself was a delay (Valve originally planned for December), it’s a wonder Decks showed up at the doors of eager fans so quickly and regularly. The impact of the pandemic and various related global supply chain and shipping issues have complicated a number of industries; Consumer electronics are particularly affected. While the demand for, say, a PS5 is very different than that for a Steam deck, we’re two years into the life of the PS5 and it’s still a bit of a challenge to get hold of one. Steam decks though? now You can buy one without reservation. Shipping is usually the only waiting time.
Not only did the Steam Deck arrive faster and more reliably than many other gaming hardware, it also arrived with a remarkable amount of games ready to play. While that comparison might be a bit unfair considering the Steam Deck is basically a hands-on gaming PC rather than a cross-gen “platform” like the PS5 or Xbox series, for example , but look at a title like Aperture desk job. Apparently released by Valve to demonstrate the various features and graphical prowess of the Steam Deck, forgive yourself if you’ve never heard of it. Unlike, say, Astro’s playrooma similar sort of “game” to showcase the PS5’s capabilities didn’t have to wait long (with all due respect to Astro) demoware until “the good games” came out. From the start, the Steam Deck delivered experiences like control in a way we had never experienced before; You can play in PC gaming quality on the couch, on public transport, in the park or wherever you want. Battery life might be a little tight, but when you consider the level of performance you’re getting it feels understandable as opposed to a limitation.
And as a portable console, the Steam Deck gives the Nintendo Switch serious competition. Sure, unless you’re running an emulator (which even Valve admits) the Switch will still have certain exclusive products that aren’t as easy to come by on the deck. But the Switch has been around for a while and uses an aging mobile processor – meanwhile the deck runs on true PC-level silicon under the hood. Nintendo’s handheld might have better battery life on average and the newer OLED model has a much prettier screen, but it’s starting to show its age. Meanwhile the steam deck is out here crushing it with it Cyberpunk 2077 runs in your hands. As my cityis Zack Zwiezen noted in his postcurrent big titles like bayonet 3 and Alan Wake‘s remaster fight on the Switch. While the Switch could be the mainstream version of the big three consoles, its sales are also slowing, and more importantly, its ability to keep up with modern games is waning. Secure bayonet is exclusive to Switch, but the deck is more than happy to serve up thousands of modern, last-gen, or classic games, sometimes at pristine 60 frames per second.
Just over 10 percent of Steam’s entire library is “verified” on deck as of the end of this year, and countless others are playable with some patience, workarounds, and compromises. My Steam Deck arrived about halfway through the year and I can’t remember the last gaming machine I bought – in the first year, no less – that had so many playable titles right off the bat. And it’s not just great games, the deck immediately impressed with its malleability as a piece of gaming hardware.
The Steam Deck runs on a Linux-based operating system, much like the Steam Machines before it. But unlike the Steam Machines, Valve has included an accessible “desktop mode” that offers a recognizable desktop experience with some caveats fun to play around with and surprisingly useful. This has allowed users to gain access to alternative storefronts like GOG or Epic with simple utilities like the Heroic Games Launcher. To be clear, this requires a bit more computer know-how and even some hacking lite skills, although everything is easier than modding a console. But those learning curves have been flattened by the Steam Deck community and their willingness to create and document clever innovations. Getting Epic Games Store games to work is as easy, if not easier, than installing a mod for a PC game. Head up Reddit or YouTube with a simple “How to install…” search and there are tons of tutorials on how to set up different storefronts, customize the home screen, and more.
With great product availability, the ability to bring your Steam library to you on the go, as well as other PC-based gaming storefronts, the Steam Deck didn’t have to justify itself unless portability just isn’t something you’re interested in. Sure, there’s room for improvement, such as a much-needed better screen and better battery life, but few gaming hardware has shipped with such a powerful game library unique ways to play them. And having it all wrapped up in this open-source software environment that’s incredibly customizable and modifiable is icing on the cake. 2022 has been a strong year for the Steam Deck and it’s just getting started.
