Sharing my two-week experience with the Steam Deck, a handheld gaming PC. Here I’ll cover various aspects such as performance, game library, screen quality, controls, and other features. Using a portable gaming pc has been a delightful experience during these past two weeks. Nonetheless, I’ll also notice some drawbacks I encountered.
Design and Build
The Steam Deck is a standalone handheld gaming device that weighs 1.5 pounds and lacks the Joy-Cons for smaller handheld like the Nintendo Switch. It can be used with a case, which adds 0.5-1 pound to its weight. The deck has ergonomic grips but cannot be removed like the Nintendo Switch, requiring hand positioning adjustments.
A kickstand is missing, which would be useful with a controller, keyboard, or mouse. However, it supports Bluetooth 5.0 allowing users to connect multiple devices such as keyboards and mice. Additionally you can connect external controllers like Xbox, PS5 or Nintendo Switch controllers for gaming making it suitable for remote play on a PC.
On the back side of the Steam Deck, there are four back grip buttons that can be customized to perform various functions. One of the cool is the ability to set up different control configurations for different games. You can have unique controller layouts and assign different actions to the back grip buttons or the X, A, B, and Y buttons based on individual game requirements.
There’s also a single vent on the back side of the handheld for heat dissipation, adding to a total of two vents. I’ve found that the venting system works well enough for keeping the handheld cool during extended gameplay sessions. Additionally equipped with a six-axis gyroscope providing additional control capabilities.
The controls also offer interesting features such as Steam Haptics and game rumble, Steam Haptics allows for haptic feedback enhancing the immersive experience by providing tactile sensations in response to in-game events. Game rumble, on the other hand, utilizes vibration to simulate physical feedback within the game, further enhancing gameplay immersion.
Buttons and Controls
The Steam Deck features an ABXY button layout, D-pad, analog sticks, and square trackpads with haptic feedback. It also has view and menu buttons, quick access buttons for quick settings, and a Steam button for accessing your library, Steam Store, friends and chat, media, downloads, settings, and power options. The device has stereo speakers but not high-quality sound.
The top features volume controls, a 3.5mm audio jack, and an opening for heat dissipation. A USB-C port is available for charging connecting to a dock or connecting to an external monitor. An LED indicator light shows battery charging status and a power button for sleep or desktop mode. The handheld also has left and right triggers and bumpers (L1, R1, L2, R2) located underneath the handheld. For the best audio experience, third-party headphones are recommended.
Display
The Steam Deck features a large 7-inch IPS LCD touch-enabled screen. I love the touch functionality; it works flawlessly without any issues. The screen has a resolution of 1280 by 800, with a unique 16:10 aspect ratio. It’s not the most common screen resolution like the expected 1280 by 720, but I think it works well for a handheld of this size. However, they could have opted for a 1920 by 1080 screen, and I would have been even happier. Overall screen looks great regardless.
The screen boasts a 60Hz refresh rate allowing for smoother gameplay at up to 60fps making it ideal for gaming like Spider-Man or Assassin’s Creed Origins. Its brightness is 400nits making it suitable for outdoor use. The highest tier model features premium anti-glare etched glass to reduce glares and reflections, which works well in front of windows. However, some reflections are not as prominent as expected. The thick bezels on the screen are not my favorite aspect, as they give the impression of an older handheld and are distracting. Overall the screen is well-suited for gaming and outdoor use.
SD Card and Storage
We have a slot for an SD card allowing you to add an SD card of any size up to the maximum capacity. This way you can have all your games stored on the SD card, providing you with access to even more games on your Steam Deck.
Personally my approach is to put the games I’m currently playing on the onboard NVMe SSD, utilizing the faster storage for those games. Then i store the games I’m not actively playing on the SD card, taking advantage of the slower storage for those titles. However, I’ve encountered a frustrating issue when transferring games between the SSD and the external SD card.
SteamOS and Xbox Game Pass
The Steam Deck comes preloaded with SteamOS which offers a more good user experience. It can be used in two modes desktop mode and gaming mode. Gaming mode is the default mode and provides direct access to recently played games, friends, and recommendations. The Steam button on the device allows users to navigate their library, view different game collections, and determine which games are best suited. In desktop mode, users can download and add applications or games not supported by Steam. However, gaming mode is more frequent, as it allows for quick access to the gaming library. Steam Cloud Saves allow seamless gameplay progress from PC to Steam Deck, allowing smooth transitions between devices.
The handheld relies on Wi-Fi for internet connectivity and does not offer cellular capabilities. However, users can create a hotspot using their phone’s Wi-Fi to connect the internet on the go. Spider-Man, a recently added game to the PC library, has been enjoyable, although the experience may not be on par with high-end PC gaming with higher frame rates. While the Steam Deck is highly user-friendly, it may not provide the same level of gaming experience as high-end PCs with higher frame rates. However its portability sets it apart from traditional PC gaming setups.
For those wondering about Game Pass support, it currently doesn’t officially exist. However, there is a workaround to access Xbox Game Cloud, which works well. I have it set up on my, but it requires an internet connection since it involves cloud gaming. Keep in mind that this workaround doesn’t allow you to download game files directly onto the handheld. If you’re eagerly awaiting Game Pass support, you have the option to install Windows OS.
Battery Life
The battery life of the Steam Deck is its main drawback. It has a 40 watt-hour battery, meaning it doesn’t last long unless you’re playing emulators or retro games.
If you’re into AAA games, which is probably why you got a portable gaming PC, you’ll only get about two hours of gameplay. But even getting those two hours can be tough in real gaming situations. The projected battery life varies based on how you use the console. If you’re not actively gaming, you might get around four or five hours. To play for longer I’ve been using a power bank. While it lets me use on the go, it adds extra weight and goes against the whole idea of having a portable handheld.
I have to carry both the handheld and the power bank making it bulkier. So, if you’re thinking of buying it be ready to invest in a power bank to extend your playtime. Otherwise you’ll have to charge the handheld often or keep it plugged in all the time. And when choosing a power bank, make sure it can deliver the required 45watts of power to charge properly, or you might end up losing battery power.
Price and Specification
On the Steam Deck you have three options to choose from a 64GB eMMC storage model, a 256GB NVMe storage model, and the top-tier 512GB NVMe storage model. Each model has its own price with additional perks like exclusive carry cases or bags. The highest-tier 512GB model features a premium etched anti-glare screen. The price start at 6 for the base model with 64GB of storage and go up to 9 for the highest-tier model.
Keep in mind that you can choose the base model and swap the 64GB storage with a high-speed NVMe SSD of your choice. However this process carries some risks, so make sure you’re comfortable with tinkering before attempting it. Alternatively, you can expand storage using an SD card, although it won’t be as fast as an NVMe SSD. Interestingly, I didn’t notice a significant difference in performance between gaming on the onboard high-speed NVMe SSD and using an external SD card.
The Steam Deck is powered by an AMD APU, featuring a Zen 2 CPU and 8-RDNA CUPs for its GPU, providing a solid setup. Additionally, every model comes with 16GB RAM, which has been sufficient for all the games I’ve so far.
