In 1996, Valve Corporation was formed in Washington, by former Microsoft employees. Their debut game was a game that went on to become a breakout smash hit, Half-Life. Since then, Valve was releasing more, and more smash hits. In 2003, Valve released Steam and became the defacto store for PC gamers worldwide. In 2010, Valve started releasing hardware: Steam Machine, Steam Link, HTC Vive, and Valve Index VR devices. On July 15, 2021 – Valve announced a new handheld, and it’s called “Steam Deck.” To learn more about Steam Deck, click on this link to get a deep dive into the hardware. I’ll keep this simple: I’ll just post one image, and post the full specs so you can draw your own conclusion about the new handheld…
Speeds and Feeds
Compute
Processor
AMD APU
CPU: 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)
APU power: 4-15W
RAM
16 GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM (5500 MT/s quad 32-bit channels)
Storage
64 GB eMMC (PCIe Gen 2 x1)
256 GB NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4)
512 GB high-speed NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4)
All models use socketed 2230 m.2 modules (not intended for end-user replacement)
All models include high-speed microSD card slot
Controls and Input
Gamepad controls
A B X Y buttons
D-pad
L & R analog triggers
L & R bumpers
View & Menu buttons
4 x assignable grip buttons
Thumbsticks
2 x full-size analog sticks with capacitive touch
Haptics
HD haptics
Trackpads
2 x 32.5mm square trackpads with haptic feedback
55% better latency compared to Steam Controller
Pressure-sensitivity for configurable click strength
Gyro
6-Axis IMU
Display
Resolution
1280 x 800px (16:10 aspect ratio)
Type
Optically bonded IPS LCD for enhanced readability
Display size7″ diagonal
Brightness
400 nits typical
Refresh rate
60Hz
Touch enabled
Yes
Sensors
Ambient light sensor
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.0 (support for controllers, accessories and audio)
Wi-Fi
Dual-band Wi-Fi radio, 2.4GHz and 5GHz, 2 x 2 MIMO, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Audio
Channels
Stereo with embedded DSP for an immersive listening experience
Microphones
Dual microphone array
Headphone / mic jack
3.5mm stereo headphone / headset jack
Digital
Multichannel audio via DisplayPort over USB-C, standard USB-C, or Bluetooth 5.0
Power
Input
45W USB Type-C PD3.0 power supply
Battery
40Whr battery. 2 – 8 hours of gameplay
Expansion
microSD
UHS-I supports SD, SDXC and SDHC
External connectivity for controllers & displays
USB-C with DisplayPort 1.4 Alt-mode support; up to 8K @60Hz or 4K @120Hz, USB 3.2 Gen 2
Size and Weight
Size
298mm x 117mm x 49mm
Weight
Approx. 669 grams
Software
Operating System
SteamOS 3.0 (Arch-based)
Desktop
KDE Plasma
With the tech specs, Valve announced a dock similarly to Nintendo Switch’s supplemental accessory, called a “dock” which allows the handheld to connect to another device like a TV. That’s what a “dock” is. But Valve is changing the standard and adding more features to allow for more pathways to do things…
Official Dock
Sold separately. Specifications subject to change.
Expansion
Peripherals
1 x USB-A 3.1 Port
2 x USB-A 2.0 Ports
Networking
Ethernet
External displays
DisplayPort 1.4
HDMI 2.0
Power
Input
USB-C Power Delivery passthrough input
Deck connection
6″ USB-C captive cable with low profile 90° connector
Size and Weight
Size
117mm x 29mm x 50.5mm
Weight
Approx. 120 grams
To order Steam Deck, go to their main website here, you can also pre-order the handheld. You can also get it from Steam’s own store here. Steam Deck is being released in December 2021 in 3 different SKU models…
Base: US$399 / €419 / GB£349
Mid: US$529 / €549 / GB£459
High: US$649 / €679 / GB£569