Valve just announced the Steam Deck, a handheld, fully-featured portable gaming machine. It's a powerful little device that starts at $399 (USD), but we didn't really share just how powerful this hardware is.
Let's take a little look at the Steam Deck's technical specs, its design, the hardware, and the software powering it all.
Compute
Processor:
Controls and Input
Gamepad controls
Display
Resolution
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Audio
Channels
Power
Input
Expansion
microSD
Size and Weight
Size
Software
Operating System
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
- 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM (5500 MT/s quad 32-bit channels)
- 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 include high-speed microSD card slot
- All models use socketed 2230 m.2 modules (not intended for end-user replacement)
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
- 2 x full-size analog sticks with capacitive touch
- HD haptics
- 2 x 32.5mm square trackpads with haptic feedback
- 55% better latency compared to Steam Controller
- Pressure-sensitivity for configurable click strength
- 6-Axis IMU
Display
Resolution
- 1280 x 800px (16:10 aspect ratio)
- Optically bonded LCD for enhanced readability
- 7" diagonal
- 400 nits typical
- 60Hz
- Yes
- Ambient light sensor
Connectivity
Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.0 (support for controllers, accessories and audio)
- 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
- Dual microphone array
- 3.5mm stereo headphone / headset jack
- Multichannel audio via DisplayPort over USB-C, standard USB-C, or Bluetooth 5.0
Power
Input
- 45W USB Type-C PD3.0 power supply
- 40Whr battery. 2 - 8 hours of gameplay
Expansion
microSD
- UHS-I supports SD, SDXC and SDHC
- 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
- Approx. 669 grams
Software
Operating System
- SteamOS 3.0 (Arch-based)
- KDE Plasma
Valve also briefly touched upon the Steam Deck's official dock. This "official dock" as it's simply called, will be sold separately. Valve hopes to share more details about the dock soon. Until then, there is a handy diagram of the dock to check out along with some technical specs (that are subject to change).
Expansion
Peripherals
Power
Input
Size and Weight
Size
Peripherals
- 1 x USB-A 3.1 Port
- 2 x USB-A 2.0 Ports
- Ethernet
- DisplayPort 1.4
- HDMI 2.0
Power
Input
- USB-C Power Delivery passthrough input
- 6" USB-C captive cable with low profile 90° connector
Size and Weight
Size
- 117mm x 29mm x 50.5mm
- Approx. 120 grams
Valve also touts the connectivity of the Steam Deck. You can connect Bluetooth-capable peripherals to the Deck. This obviously includes hardware such as a Bluetooth mouse, keyboard, headphones, or controller. You can also use the included USB-C connector on the Steam Deck itself to connect another device.
Want to plug the Deck into your PC? You can. The USB-C port can carry all of that data. Optionally, you can use the optional Steam Deck dock with its included ports to make that a bit easier to manage.
On the operating system side of things, Steam Deck comes with SteamOS 3.0, the latest version of Valve's Linux-based operating system. The Steam experience on Steam Deck is akin to what you would get on a normal desktop experience. You still have all of the Steam features you've come to know and maybe even love. There is still Steam Chat, Remote Play, notifications, the Steam Store, cloud saves, access to the community, and everything else.
If you're looking for a more hands-on experience, of which we here at TGN have none, you should check out IGN's latest video. They were able to go hands-on with an early build of the Steam Deck. I've included their video below for easy viewing.
Steam Deck goes on sale starting July 16, 2021. You will need to put down $5 for a reservation. Orders will begin shipping in December 2021.
