Is it a console? Is it a computer? NO! This is Steam Deck – equipment unlike any other [TOPtech]

At the first contact with the Deck, its dimensions may overwhelm us a bit. With its 7-inch screen and massive body, it is much larger and heavier than such a Nintendo Switch, which looks like a toy console with the VALVE hardware.

All this does not negatively affect the convenience of use. Steam Deck is great in the hands, and the placement of analogs, buttons and triggers has been very well thought out.

Of course, with prolonged use of the device, there is a slight fatigue in the wrists. After all, we are talking about equipment that weighs almost 700 grams.

THE PLUS: THE EFFICIENCY BEAST…

Steam Deck is without a doubt the most powerful portable gaming hardware. We find here a quad-core AMD system made in the Zen 2 architecture and a GPU with 8 RDNA2 computing units. In addition, there is up to 16 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of NVMe memory, which can be expanded with a microSD card.

Seriously, for a long time I couldn’t get over how well this device copes with quite demanding titles. The fact that in “Red Dead Redemption 2” I managed to get well over 40 frames per second with very decent graphics settings basically says it all.

I’ve also played on Steam Deck. “Uncharted 4”, the new Spider-Man, “Evil West” or “Fallout 4” and in each of these games Valve’s hardware was also doing very well or even excellent.

The deck can do something that is currently unattainable for consoles such as Switch. It allows you to play titles previously reserved for the so-called “big consoles” and PCs.

ON THE MINUS: …WITH AN AVERAGE SCREEN

I have to put a small minus next to the screen. It’s not even that it works in 720p resolution, because that’s quite understandable, and at the same time it allows for better performance in games.

The problem is rather the use of an LCD panel with IPS backlight, which offers quite average black and contrast. Especially if we combine it with the OLED display in Nintendo Switch.

To make matters worse, a slight glow can be observed at the edges of the screen, which is particularly noticeable when we play the device at night.

Another problem is the work culture. Steam Deck has active cooling, which is simply loud. Enough that at times it can drown out quite decent sounding speakers.

PLUS: GIGANTIC GAMES LIBRARY

The undoubted strength of Steam Deck is the fact that this console gives us access to the gigantic library of games accumulated on the Steam platform. If you’ve been a Steam user before and built your collection of games over the years, you can now play them on Deck as well – without any additional fees.

Does Deck support all Steam games? NO. Each title available in the Valve store has information on whether it is fully compatible with the Deck.

Importantly, Steam Deck also supports titles from other platforms, such as GOG, Epic Games Store or Xbox Games Pass, although to install them on the device, you need to put in a bit more effort and look at several online guides.

ON THE MINUS: SteamOS CAN “SHIP”

Steam Deck runs on Steam OS, a Linux-based operating system developed by VALVE. It’s quite a nifty and intuitive OS, but it also has its dark sides.

Steam Deck, as befits a PC, can hang, throw us out of the game to the desktop, and at other times “sprinkle” with an error. During the tests, it also happened to me that – for unknown reasons – the on-screen keyboard stopped working.

Fortunately, the remedy for most such problems is to restart the device. Of course, this does not change the fact that Valve has a lot of work ahead of it to make Steam OS a more stable platform.

PLUS: IT CAN BE TURNED INTO A PC

Steam Deck also has a desktop mode. After its activation, the device becomes a full-fledged computer. We can connect a docking station, mouse, keyboard and monitor to it and change it into a work tool.

What’s more, if you don’t like Linux, nothing stands in the way of installing the latest version of Windows on the Deck.

All right. We may be hindered by lack of time or lack of skills. I finally gave up on switching to Windows, because the mere thought of looking for and installing the right drivers made me sick.

ON THE DISADVANTAGE: THE BATTERY DOESN’T WELCOME

If Valve is thinking of a Steam Deck successor, and it probably is, battery should be high on the list of priorities. The battery with a capacity of 40 Wh – to put it mildly – does not impress.

During the tests, it was rare for the device to last longer than 3-4 hours on a single charge, and in the case of more demanding games, the Deck was able to discharge even after only two hours.

SUMMARY

Steam Deck is not a console, at least not in the common sense of the word. It’s just a pie. Only portable – with all the advantages and disadvantages of this platform.

If you like to “fuddle” with the settings, mess with the graphics settings to squeeze those few FPS more, and you don’t get a fever when you hear the word “Linux”, then you will feel like a fish in water.

However, if you are a “console” and are looking for equipment that will not require you to spend many hours on configuration and searching geeky forums, then you should rather keep your distance from Steam Deck.