The Nintendo Switch (OLED model) wasn't the "Pro" upgrade many expected it to be with 4K support and new internals but before its announcement, other handhelds aimed to take the role of the "Switch Pro". The AYA NEO and GPD Win 3 are among those devices shooting for that nickname since they are able to run recent AAA PC games on the go, given that they are handheld gaming PCs. Their efforts and popularity, although niche, enticed companies like Lenovo and Tencent to make similar concepts or patents; indicating that these indie companies might have more serious competition in the future.

It seems like this will indeed be the case and these handheld gaming PC manufacturers will need to brace themselves as Valve is itself entering this market with a Valve-branded handheld gaming PC. This news was actually reported back in May and today we have the official confirmation. In a Steam post today, Valve revealed the Steam Deck, an AMD-based handheld gaming PC that is expected to begin shipping in December 2021 in select regions.

The software giant partnered with AMD to create a custom APU for the handheld that is said to be "optimized for handheld gaming". "It is a Zen 2 + RDNA 2 powerhouse, delivering more than enough performance to run the latest AAA games in a very efficient power envelope," reads the announcement.

It will run on SteamOS 3.0 (Arch-based) and there will be several models of the Steam Deck, which differ on the storage capacity, with the base model starting at $399. However, every model will include a microSD slot for additional storage capacity. For more details about the models available and their price, refer to the image below:

You can find additional specs details in the images below (click/tap to enlarge):

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And just like the AYA NEO and GPD Win 3, the Steam Deck will also have a dock which will be sold separately. This accessory will provide ports for external displays, wired networking, USB peripherals, and power. More details about the dock's pricing will be announced at a later date but you can find some specs details in the thumbnail below:

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Valve says that the Steam Deck will start shipping this December to the United States, Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom, with more regions coming in 2022. However, to be able to purchase one, you will need to book a paid reservation which will let you pre-order when the time comes. This reservation fee will also count towards the Steam Deck purchase price.

"The main reason for reservations is to ensure an orderly and fair ordering process for customers when Steam Deck inventory becomes available," writes Valve in the announcement FAQ. "The additional fee gives us a clearer signal of intent to purchase, which gives us better data to balance supply chain, inventory, and regional distribution leading up to launch."

Reservations for the Steam Deck will open Friday July 16th, 10am PDT. For more details about the new handheld gaming PC, head to the source link and official Steam Deck website linked below.

Are you interested in getting one?

SOURCE
Steam Deck Official Website

 

[ertaboy356b]

wait..there is lwed games on steam?

https://store.steampowered.com/tags/en/NSFW/

 

[wolffangalchemist]

Wow, calling me out. Thanks but I have enough shit to deal with without having to listen to your condescending bullshit. Have a nice day and piss off.

carry on my wayward son, edited miss read some things.... your not wrong price wise though it could have a bit better storage. not saying drop the price but increase the capacity a bit. games are quite large nowday, especially pc games and 256gb on the high end is rather low for this.

 

[the_randomizer]

some people have more expendable income than others for various reasons and like to brag and belittle.... your not wrong price wise though it could have a bit better storage. not saying drop the price but increase the capacity a bit. games are quite large nowday, especially pc games and 256gb on the high end is rather low for this.

Did I ever come across as belittling or bragging? No, I didn't, so don't accuse me of that because I don't play those games. The price for the storage upgrades is too much per GB and SD cards aren't that great compared to NVMe storage. If people don't like what I say then that's not my problem and they should just get over it. Sheesh. So sorry for breathing the same air as you guys.

If people have proof of my bragging and all that, I would love to see proof.

 

[wolffangalchemist]

Did I ever come across as belittling or bragging? No, I didn't, so don't accuse me of that because I don't play those games. The price for the storage upgrades is too much per GB and SD cards aren't that great compared to NVMe storage. If people don't like what I say then that's not my problem and they should just get over it. Sheesh. So sorry for breathing the same air as you guys.

If people have proof of my bragging and all that, I would love to see proof.

actually i was speaking in favor of you and against the latter persons statement albeit i may have miss read some things , also i have had afew.... forgive my miss reading of some things. you are good bro do your thing.

 

[ZeroT21]

Hmmm, limited storage for a portable is always a drag, maybe having a part of the steam library onboard, while the rest is on a supported external storage, but then again I got 0 experience with steam OS or what it's capable of

 

[the_randomizer]

actually i was speaking in favor of you and against the latter persons statement albeit i may have miss read some things , also i have had afew.... forgive my miss reading of some things. you are good bro do your thing.

Sorry, I didn't exactly have a fantastic day at work. I can't stand it when people like him accuse me of stuff I haven't done. And if I came across that way, it wasn't my intent, I've never had a job like this, esp. one that pays as well as it does. So yeah, I have a PC and consoles, but if people think I brag about it or whatever, they are dead wrong.

Thank you for sticking up for me, more than I can say about a CERTAIN person on this thread.

 

[RedBlueGreen]

wait..there is lwed games on steam?

>he doesn't know about koikatsu party

 

[wolffangalchemist]

Sorry, I didn't exactly have a fantastic day at work. I can't stand it when people like him accuse me of stuff I haven't done. And if I came across that way, it wasn't my intent, I've never had a job like this, esp. one that pays as well as it does. So yeah, I have a PC and consoles, but if people think I brag about it or whatever, they are dead wrong.

Thank you for sticking up for me, more than I can say about a CERTAIN person on this thread.

it happens, and i feel you there just got promoted to management at my work... not a walk in the park and i am basically training myself. shits a bit stressful, just don't let the Internet get to you and do your best, never mind others judgment and focus on the end goal. end of year i will be done with a car payment and while that will be a weight off me i myself plan to buy a house lol. eh cheaper than rent.
also sorry for the off topic, gonna end that here lol

 

[Kioku]

wait..there is lwed games on steam?

Yes...?

 

[Impossible_Igntiz]

Even if valve loses interest in it over time there is a higher chance that community made updates or stuff gets released for a valve product rather than stuff from gpd for example

and there's also Windows 10 OS you can install in case if it does get abandoned which is excellent imo

 

[CrossOut]

I wonder if you will be able to run emulators on this and how well will it work? As will all these consoles and such if this does well they will do an upgraded version of his model and ill probably get that one if it can do emulation and do it well.

 

[Impossible_Igntiz]

Just a thought, but wouldn't this mean ports of other games would be easier to play on a console similar to their original.

By that I mean I'm nerding out about how this could be used with Persona 4 Golden to at least somewhat feel like a PS Vita.

Installing so many awesome mods for it is a start

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wait..there is lwed games on steam?

a hella bunch than the Switch and you can play the uncensored versions of those games without having to jailbreak the device or be stuck with the censored versions

 

[ertaboy356b]

But wouldnt AAA games run super slow off a microsd card? wouldnt loading times be eternal?

Not necessarily.
PC Gaming On an SD Card - How Does It Affect Performance? - YouTube
MicroSD Card vs PCIe SSD . Gaming Performance Compared. - YouTube

 

[Jayro]

The problem is a lot of stuff like Battleye probably won't cooperate. They kick VM users because they claim something like "90% of cheaters were using VMs", when people are still bypassing their crap because client side anti-cheat just isn't effect. People bypassed Vanguard a while ago, and people have been cheating in EAC and Battleye games for ages. For PC gaming in big games they should always be using server-side anti-cheat unless the game uses p2p traffic and only uses a server for matchmaking and account/purchase validation.

You could also do that through proper desktop Linux distro too. Yuzu is open-source like most emulators. The real question is hoe accurate Yuzu is, because if accurate enough that most functions work properly but not so accurate that it emulates slowdown it might actually be better than playing on real hardware.

Given the specs and the high-clocked LPDDR5, I have faith it will perform well, even at 1x resolution.

 

[WG481]

Installing so many awesome mods for it is a start

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------


a hella bunch than the Switch and you can play the uncensored versions of those games without having to jailbreak the device or be stuck with the censored versions

The amount of h**tai's on Steam outnumbers the Switch? That is a battle I do not need to see.

 

[Taleweaver]

What's with the 64 GB of storage? And how much of that is 'wasted' on the OS and steam itself caching their fancy storefront images?

But honestly : it's smooth sailing across the board on every other field. Gotta check a few hands on videos first, but I'll probably reserve me one. And that's exceptional, as I usually wait a few years until all the kinks are removed and /or the price drops on hardware. But in addition to looking good on paper, they announce it at /for a good time : I was considering a new pc somewhere next year (my main gaming rig is about 7 years now). And with the train commuting I'm doing, I was already pondering over gpd max, 3 or that neo. This one just sells to have more access up its sleeve.

(note : I'm using Proton for a couple years now. Most games work without a problem now)

 

[Darth Meteos]

I'm buying it.

 

[videogamefanatic]

I wonder if you will be able to run emulators on this and how well will it work? As will all these consoles and such if this does well they will do an upgraded version of his model and ill probably get that one if it can do emulation and do it well.

Yes. It is literally a linux desktop with Steam Big Picture Mode running on top. They don't restrict player access at all. It's much more of a PC with a comprehensive console UI than a normal console.

Emulators will work and run fine. Even Cemu works through Wine, so it'll work here, but performance will very likely be hit or miss on Wii U, Switch, and PS3. Anything older than that? It'll work fine.

 

[onibaku]

I just want Mass Effect and Fallout New Vegas on the go, I'm excited for this!

 

[slimerancher]

Would be amazing if the controls were better