Everything you need to know about Steam Deck

Anyone who likes games has certainly heard about the Steam Deck. It is a portable console developed by Valve. It's getting the marketing of being the most powerful handheld console.

The best part about it is that it works with your Steam account. In other words, you'll be able to play the best PC games you've ever bought, without having to spend anything else!

All of this, of course, directly in your hands, saving incredibly in terms of space. If you want to know everything about Steam Deck, just check out our complete guide below!

What is Steam Deck?

The first part of the article couldn't be another, right?

The Steam Deck is nothing more than a portable gaming console that was announced by Valve in mid-July. And, as you might guess from its name, the device was made to work with Valve's Steam platform and allow you to play all of your games!

Of course, it makes perfect sense for such a device to be released. After all, the computer gamer community has always been restricted to super expensive desktops or laptops (with an external mouse, because there's no way to play using a touchpad!).

In other words, we've never really been able to play our favorite games while on the train to work, for example. With the Steam Deck, everything changes, as the device is going to be really powerful.

Also, all your progress made on the laptop will be saved in the cloud related to your account. That means you'll be able to play a little bit on your laptop, and then pick up where you left off on your computer!

And when will it be released?

As of the time of writing this article, on August 20, 2021, it does not have a specific release date. Still, Valve has promised that the first units will ship in December 2021.

It is currently only available in the United States, Canada, member countries of the European Union, and the United Kingdom. Even though it will be available in more countries next year, it is not expected to be officially released in Brazil.

What are the Steam Deck specifications?

The official specs have already been released. They are:

In terms of controls, the Steam Deck has 4 buttons on the right being ABXY, a D-pad, the traditional R and L triggers, four additional rear triggers, as well as analogue clicks.

It even has a trackpad on hand that offer tactile feedback.

And how much will it cost?

That's when things get ugly (at least on the Brazilian side). The price of the Steam Deck is certainly quite cheap, considering its dollar cost. But in conversion…

The cheapest model, with 64 GB of memory (slower than other models), is 400 USD. When you buy it, you get a travel case.

The second model comes with 256GB of lightning-fast internal memory, a travel case, and a Steam Community-exclusive profile set. It costs 530 USD.

The most expensive model comes with 512GB of storage as fast as it does, an anti-glare screen, an exclusive travel case, the exclusive Steam Community profile set, and a unique virtual keyboard theme. All this for the 650 USD bargain!

Will Steam Deck really support all games?

The answer is kind of complicated, and it was supposed to be yes. However, the Steam Deck uses SteamOS, which is based on the Linux operating system. The difference from pure Linux is in a software called Proton.

It works as a compatibility layer for even Windows-only games to run on Linux. Unfortunately, it has several compatibility issues, resulting in not being able to play any games.

Still, all games that are currently running on SteamOS will undoubtedly (according to Valve) work on Steam Deck.

There are two main types of games that have problems: heavier ones, and many multiplayer ones, like Destiny 2, Apex Legends, and PUBG. But keep in mind that it's still a few months away from its release.

This means Valve still has plenty of time to find the sources of the errors and fix them to ensure everything works as it should. It's good to mention that the Steam Deck will also be compatible with the Epic Games Store!

What accessories can I use with it?

If you're thinking about using a keyboard and mouse to play games on Steam Deck, it's good to control expectations. It has only one USB Type C port. So if you buy a multi-port USB Type A to USB Type C adapter, you can use them without any problems.

Plus, absolutely any Bluetooth device you have will work with the laptop with absolutely no problem!

How can I order Steam Deck?

Unfortunately, we don't have good news: as mentioned earlier in the article, the Steam Deck is not available for pre-order in Brazil, and possibly will not even officially arrive in our country.

Now, if you're checking out this article, but you don't live in Brazil, just follow the link to the official Steam Deck page, log into your Steam account, and place your order!

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