Steam Deck officially launched: all the info you need to know

 Valve has presented its own handheld console with the "Steam Deck". This allows you to play your Steam games on the go. We have summarized all the important information for you.

Valve has introduced a handheld console with the “Steam Deck” . The new console is already being discussed and many users want to know for whom the console is suitable and which games can be played on it.

We have summarized the most important information for you and present all known information about the Steam Deck in this article. Should there be new information, we will add the article for you.

Steam Deck Release - When will the console be available?

When can I buy Steam Deck? You can pre-order the new handheld console since Friday, July 16, 2021. You can pre-order the Steam Deck directly in the Steam Store (via steampowered.com ).

When is the Steam Deck release? Valve had announced that the Steam Deck would be available for purchase from February 2022 and that it would then be shipped. The first delivery period from December 2021 had been postponed due to delivery problems.

Steam Deck Price - What will the console cost?

How expensive is Steam Deck? The prices for the console start at $399. For this you get the basic equipment with 64 GB and a carrying case.

If you want a better screen or more memory, the console will be more expensive. The extended version with larger and faster memory already costs $529, for the best version with particularly high-quality glass you pay $649.

Steam Deck Design - This is what the handheld console looks like

The console comes in a simple, black design. In general structure and format, the new console is reminiscent of a Nintendo Switch, which also uses buttons to the right and left of the display.

Otherwise you get 2 thumbsticks, 4 triggers (2 bumpers and 2 analogs), 4 grip buttons and 2 track pads. There are also 8 additional buttons (ABXY / View / Options / Steam / Quick Access), a control pad and buttons for power and volume. The buttons are arranged around the display.

Steam Deck Specs - This is in the handheld console

What hardware is built into the console? An AMD processor with graphics chip is built into the new handheld console. The fast combined processor fires a 7-inch display with a maximum resolution of 1200 × 800 pixels with a maximum repetition rate of 60 Hz.

Can I expand the memory? The 64 GB version of the Steam Deck has a slot for a memory card and can be easily expanded.

You have to consider whether it is worthwhile to expand the cheaper 64 GB version externally or to go straight to the expensive model. If you have an extensive game library on Steam and want to play a lot of games, then you should consider whether you want to use the larger memory right away.

How much does the Steam Deck weigh? Valve's handheld console is said to weigh 669 grams, making it more than twice as heavy as the Nintendo Switch, which weighs around 300 grams.

What do the specs look like in detail? Valve relies on AMD hardware for its handheld console. Here we present the specs clearly in a table.

operating system	SteamOS 3.0 (based on Arch Linux)
Display	7-inch display, 1200 × 800 pixels, 60 Hz repetition rate
brightness	400 nits
processor	AMD APU, Zen 2 4c / 8t, 2.4-3.5GHz
Graphics chip	8 RDNA 2 CUs, 1.0-1.6GHz
random access memory	16 GB LPDDR5 RAM
Internal memory	64 GB eMMC / 256 GB SSD / 512 GB SSD
Expandable storage	MicroSD (but only for 64GB model)
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.0
WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS	Dual-band WiFi, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
Headphone jack	3.5mm stereo headphone jack / headset jack
battery	40 Whr battery, 2 - 8 hours of playtime
size	298 mm x 117 mm x 49 mm
weight	~ 669 grams

What are the versions? Valve has currently presented three different versions of the Steam Deck. All three cost differently and offer you different features:

• The first version offers you 64 GB of internal memory (eMMC) and the familiar hardware. Here the price is $399.
• The second version offers 256 GB of internal storage (NVMe SSD), which is significantly faster than the first version. Here the price is $529.
• The third version offers 512 GB of internal memory (NVMe SSD) and an additional high-quality anti-reflective glass display. Here the price is $649.

Steam Deck - What accessories are there?

This is known so far: Valve has already stated in its official post that there will also be a docking station for the Steam Deck.

Here, however, neither the release date nor the price is known. We also don't yet know what this docking station might look like.

If there is more information here, we will update the article for you.

Steam Deck Gameplay - Which games are running on the device?

How well will the games work? Since the console has a resolution of 720p, most games should run smoothly on the console. Even demanding games that require fast hardware shouldn't be a problem.

The console uses the SteamOS operating system, which is based on “Arch Linux”. To play games, SteamOS uses “Proton”. “Proton” is a so-called compatibility layer that makes Windows programs run on Linux.

The only restriction is that the games must also work with Proton, because that's what the games on SteamOS rely on. From our own experience, we can report so far that games with third-party software (Origin, Uplay and Co) only work to a limited extent on Proton. You have to wait for usable information and tests until the official release in February 2022.

Does gameplay already exist? You can watch the first gameplay at IGN, where the console has already been tried out. We have embedded the video here for you:

Steam deck battery - how long can we gamble in one go?

A 40 watt hour battery is built into the Steam Deck. According to Valve, the battery should last 2 to 8 hours.

How long you can ultimately gamble with it depends on which game you want to play on the way. In the IGN video embedded above, the editors were able to play Portal 2 with full details for around 4 hours. If you want to play very demanding titles, the battery life should decrease accordingly.