Valve has revealed their long-rumoured handheld gaming PC, the Steam Deck.
The portable device will launch this December, at a £349 price point. The Steam Deck features a custom AMD co-developed processor, which allows the device to run titles from the user’s Steam library, and will also work with non-Steam programs and hardware.
Interestingly, it seems that it will be possible to install other game stores on the platform: “Browse the web, watch streaming video, do your normal productivity stuff, install some other game stores, whatever,” said Valve.
The Steam Deck features a 7 inch screen (the same size as the upcoming Switch OLED), two analogue sticks, two touch pads, four triggers, ABXY face buttons, gyro controls and four user-assignable buttons on the rear of the console. The £349 edition of the console comes with 64GB storage, but increased storage options at £459 for 250GB SSD and £569 for 512GB SSD. The £569 model also has “premium anti-glare etched glass.”
“We think Steam Deck gives people another way to play the games they love on a high-performance device at a great price,” said Valve’s Gabe Newell. “As a gamer, this is a product I’ve always wanted. And as a game developer, it’s the mobile device I’ve always wanted for our partners.”
According to Valve, the device is “comparable to a gaming laptop with the ability to run the latest AAA games,” and has a 40Whr battery capable of 2 – 8 hours of gameplay.
The device will have also a dock, sold separately, in order to connect the Deck to external displays and for charging, but it will not be available at the device’s launch.
Paid reservations to buy the device open on July 16th July to anyone with a Steam account that has made a purchase prior to June 2021, limited to one device per customer – presumably in a measure to stop scalpers. For everyone else, paid reservations go live on the 18th of July. Reservations will be available to users in the UK, EU, US and Canada, and the reservation fee will be deducted from the overall price.
