All the questions (and answers) we have about Valve’s Steam Deck

following a significant delay amid supply chain issues and material shortages, Valve steam cover it’s still on track for a February release. In an update on January 13, the company said that the device is scheduled to launch.

It is a hot product. Valve introduced its Nintendo Switch-like portable PC gaming device on July 15. The next day, Valve’s site was bombarded with people trying to snag bookings.

There are still many questions about the device. We are here to answer some of them.

When will Valve’s Steam Deck be released?

If you’ve already pre-ordered a Steam Deck, you can expect the device in February. the laptop computer games The console was expected to ship in December 2021. But Valve sent an email to customers on November 10, saying that the device had been delayed two months. Valve also updated their FAQ page to confirm the delay.

“We’re sorry about this: We did our best to address global supply chain issues, but due to material shortages, components are not arriving at our manufacturing facilities in time for us to meet our initial release dates,” Valve said. in that email.

Those who pre-ordered their Steam Deck can visit their Steam page to see the time window in which it will ship.

How long does the Steam Deck battery last?

Valve says that the Steam Deck’s battery will last 7-8 hours, depending on the games you play. More graphics intensive games require more power, especially on higher graphics settings.

The Portal 2 game, for example, can be played on a Steam Deck for 4 hours at 60 frames per second. But if you lower the FPS to 30, it will last 6 hours, according to Valve.

How long the battery will last for non-gaming activities is still unknown.

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Valve’s Steam Deck is a portable, handheld PC

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Can I increase Steam Deck storage?

Yes. Steam Deck has a microSD slot that allows for enhanced storage. What we don’t know yet is what kind of microSD cards are required. Some cards have faster read and write speeds than others.

We’re also not sure if it will support the larger microSD cards out there, like a 1TB card, which can costs almost $200.

Can I use an Xbox or PlayStation controller with a Steam Deck?

Thanks to Bluetooth, a variety of devices can work with the Steam Deck, such as game controllers and headphones.

Does the Steam Deck stream 4K to a TV?

Steam Deck can actually go up to 8K through its USB-C port. Supports 8K at 60 Hz or 4K at 120 Hz.

Can I use Steam Deck as my desktop PC?

Sure. Steam Deck is itself a portable PC. It uses Valve’s SteamOS, which is based on Linux, so if you’re familiar with that system, you can start using it like a PC.

If you’re not familiar with Linux, Valve says you can install Windows. But it’s not yet clear if the Windows experience on a Steam Deck will be the same as it is on your desktop or laptop.

Should I risk buying Valve hardware?

This depends on whether you want to invest your money in a company that has done amazing things with its software but has made some questionable decisions with its hardware.

In 2014, Valve revealed that it was getting into the hardware business with its Steam engines. Enthusiasm for Steam-focused gaming devices was initially high, but faded when it became clear that they would only come with SteamOS and not the typical Windows operating system, therefore making devices unable to play even the newest games because they were not compatible with the operating system.

With the steam engine came the steam controller, a customizable controller that could work with a variety of games, but had a steep learning curve, making it unpopular with gamers. Back in 2019, Valve sold the Steam Controller for just $5 during one of their sales, apparently to deplete their inventory.

The steam link it was another device from Valve that was designed to stream computer games to your television. While it worked, a gaming PC still had to be part of the equation and there was an issue with input lag. Valve eventually replaced the hardware with their steam link app, but it’s still not the smoothest experience.

While Valve’s track record may not be ideal, handheld gaming devices are of interest to hardware companies, thanks to the success of the Nintendo Switch. The Razer Edge Y nvidia shield were the first attempts at this design in 2013. Last year, Dell tried its luck with the Alienware Concept UFO Prototype.

Considering that the Steam Deck pre-order platform clogged Valve’s site when it first launched, there is clearly a demand for handheld gaming devices to play PC games.