

However, there are also software tricks that you can't really find in the settings, such as the ability to extend your Steam Deck's display to another monitor or a TV, and it doesn't need a dock to work (though that would make it easier). You can impose a wattage limit if you'd like, and Steam OS will then throttle the device to only use the amount of power you chose for it. You can enable performance overlays in your games so that you can see how much of the CPU and GPU a game might use, and it'll even show you the wattage that's being drained with an estimated playtime. It's packed full of features, and Valve really gives you a lot of control over what you see. You get a normal library browser (as you would expect), some settings (some of which are surprisingly advanced), and a pretty clean UI. However, if you do stick to Steam OS and nothing more, there's a lot to explore. You get so much control that is unimaginable on any other console, and it really opens up the possibilities of what you can do on it. You can go your entire Steam Deck's life without ever using desktop mode if you don't want to, but to be honest, you're missing out.

The software on the Steam Deck is Arch Linux and uses the Plasma KDE for its desktop environment. Dual-band Wi-Fi radio, 2.4GHz and 5GHz, 2 x 2 MIMO, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac.512 GB high-speed NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4 or PCIe Gen 3 x2*)Īll models use socketed 2230 m.2 modules (not intended for end-user replacement) All models include high-speed microSD card slot Some 256GB and 512GB models ship with a PCIe Gen 3 x2 SSD.256 GB NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4 or PCIe Gen 3 x2*).Optically bonded IPS LCD for enhanced readabilityġ6 GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM (5500 MT/s quad 32-bit channels).Games like Portal, Grand Theft Auto: V, and Half-Life are among some of the stellar titles that I've been able to play on the go, and I'm amazed by just how well it all works. It's one of the best investments I've made in a long time, and it has consumed a ton of my free time since I picked it up. I've been using the Steam Deck for a few weeks now after I bought it the same day they opened up for general sale, and I have been loving it. Forget the Nintendo Switch, Valve has taken that form factor, strapped rockets to it, and flown further than Nintendo has ever gone. It's a gaming handheld that has one significant leg up over every other traditional handheld in the industry: It plays PC games.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard of Valve's Steam Deck.
