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Author Topic: Valve - Steam Deck  (Read 430 times)

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Offline TheKaren

Valve - Steam Deck
« on: July 16, 2021, 03:33 PM »
Valve - Steam Deck



Valve recently announced their latest project - Steam Deck.

As a fan of handheld devices that have the freedom of installing various apps and software on, i'm excited about this.

I've sourced the majority of this information from PC GAMER and IGN who released the first video on YouTube.

First, let's look at a few pictures to observe it's design and layout.











SPECS:

Let's dive right in to the good stuff.

  • CPU: AMD Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)
  • GPU: 8 RDNA 2 CUs, 1.0-1.6GHz (up to 1.6 TFlops FP32)
  • RAM: 16 GB DDR5
  • Storage: 64GB, 256GB, 512GB versions; expandable with MicroSD cards
  • Display: 7" diagonal, 1280x800 (16:10), 60Hz LCD touchscreen
  • Audio: Stereo speakers that "pack a punch," says Valve, 3.5mm stereo jack, dual mics, multichannel USB-C/Bluetooth output
  • Controls: Two analog sticks with capacitive touch, D-pad, face buttons, analog triggers, bumpers, assignable grip buttons, "view" and "menu" buttons, gyro
  • Trackpads: There's two of them, and Valve says that they have "55% better latency compared to Steam Controller."
  • Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
  • Wired connectivity: USB-C with DisplayPort 1.4 Alt-mode support; up to 8K @60Hz or 4K @120Hz, USB 3.2 Gen 2
  • Battery: 40Whr, "2-8 hours of gameplay"
  • Size: 11.7" x 4.6" x 1.8" (298mm x 117mm x 49mm)
  • Weight: Approximately 1.47 lbs (669 grams)



PRICE:

There are 3 versions, with the only differences being storage space and type

  • $399 / £349 for the 64GB version - SSD
  • $529 / £459 for the 256GB version - NVMe
  • $649 / £569 for the 512GB version - NVMe

All versions are expandable with a MicroSD card(sold seperately).



RELEASE:

The Steam Deck will begin shipping in December 2021.

You can't preorder one yet, but starting Friday, July 16 at 10 am Pacific, you can reserve a Steam Deck if you put down a $5 deposit, and Valve will let you know when it's available to order. If you put down a deposit, the $5 will go toward the cost of the Steam Deck if you do decide to order one.

"When inventory is available, customers will be notified in the order reservations were made to make their purchase," says Valve.

Steam Deck will start shipping in December to the US, UK, Canada and the European Union. For other regions, units won't ship until 2022.



DOCK:

There's also a dock, but it's sold separately.

Like the Switch, there's a dock for the Steam Deck that will allow you to connect it to your TV or a monitor. The USB-C dock will provide DisplayPort and HDMI output, an Ethernet adapter, and three USB inputs.

The dock doesn't come with the Steam Deck, it's sold separately, though Valve hasn't yet revealed how much the dock will cost or when it'll be available to order.



PERFORMANCE:

This device was tested by staff at IGN so far and has had great feedback for performance, in the IGN video on YouTube.

They have been directly partnering with AMD for development, the specs put this device in the ballpark of the PS4 and Xbox One or even better, that is an incredibly powerful handheld device!

Quote from: IGN Video
"It is able to handle current generation games at medium to high settings at smooth framerates. While I wasn't able to run benchmark tests during my hands on time, I played Death Stranding, Doom Eternal, Control, and several others, all of which looked great and played smoothly."

The Steam Deck runs a custom version of Steam OS that gives you a console like experience on the surface, though it's a full blown PC under the hood and users are free to customize it however they feel, they can even install a different OS if they desire. This is a boss move!

All of Steams features, like cloud saves are fully functional, this means you can start playing a game on your PC, save it and quit, then load up and continue playing portably on your Steam Deck. You can also suspend games indefinitely on the Steam Deck itself, similar to how the Nintendo Switch works.

While the Steam Deck is designed as a portable device, it's fully functional as a desktop PC. Using a USB-C dock, you can connect it to a monitor, keyboard, mouse, ethernet and whatever other peripherals you want.

I'm sure you can think of other possible uses for this device with the freedom it offers.



CONCERNS:

So, the main issue with this device is the battery life, and entirely depends on how you intend to use the device.

Valve developer Pierre-Loup Griffais told IGN: "It's about 2-8 hours, depending on what you're doing. You can play Portal 2 for four hours on this thing. If you limit it to 30 fps, you're going to be playing for 5-6 hours."

That is not a long time for serious gaming, not to mention more demanding games and powerful apps running will drain the battery at a considerably faster pace.

This will could be an issue for people who are looking for a handheld PC/Gaming device to take away from an electrical outlet for the day.

Personally speaking, I hope they can improve the battery life before release, it is not easy to justify paying up to £569 for a device that only lasts 2-4 at maximum load.

Although, for casual gamers who enjoy a few hours here and there, it would be perfect! Especially for families who have kids and regularly make trips that last a few hours.



VIDEO:

For those who wish to watch the YouTube video which some of this information has been sourced:



« Last Edit: July 16, 2021, 03:39 PM by Komito »