Steam Deck Review

Since yesterday, I am the happy owner of a new portable video game console! I present to you my review of the Steam Deck!

I can assure you that I have been waiting for this Steam Deck! During its presentation, I loved this concept of portable console/small gaming PC. Roughly speaking, it's a super-charged Nintendo Switch with astonishing raw power. I struggled last July to validate my order for theSteam Deck64 GB, and to my delight I received it yesterday.

What does this Steam Deck look like?

Already a first impression, she is physically impressive! It is massive, this portable console does not go unnoticed! It reminds me of my childhood with the imposing Sega Game Gear. I have the same feeling with the Steam Deck, I have the impression that it’s a new Sega Game Gear!. It's black, it seems solid, I even find its look original. The “wow” effect is present, it’s a beautiful beast! The handling is good and very appreciable, the Steam Deck has two real robust joysticks! Nothing to do with the joy con of the Nintendo Switch… I was afraid that the buttons would be poorly placed, but ultimately they don't bother me, even with my small female hands :p Concerning its weight, yes the Steam Deck is much heavier than the Nintendo Switch but honestly I did 2 hours of video game sessions and I didn't feel any discomfort. Well, I would have muscular arms with this console, it's beach Body Ready for me ^^!

Steam Deck Features

Without going into too much technical detail, this Steam Deck has a 7-inch IPS touchscreen LCD screen. 16 GB of ram. An AMD APU bringing together a Zen 2 processor and an RNDA 2 graphics part. For its storage, the Steam Deck is available in 03 offers. A 64 GB model for €419, another 256 GB SSD for €549 and finally a final 512 GB SSD model for €679. Clearly I didn't bother, I took the basic Steam Deck for €419 and added a fast 512 GB micro SD! Honestly I don't regret it, the loading times are slow even on my micro SD! The Steam Deck has a power button, as well as volume buttons, a jack, a USB C port for charging and for connecting it to a screen. It also has a slot to accommodate the Micro SD.

Unboxing/turning on the console

It’s always a great time unboxing a new video game console. Well, we're not going to lie, the Steam Deck box is clearly minimalist, it's a stupid rectangular cardboard box! On the other hand, I really appreciated that Valve provided a very good quality solid/rigid carrying case. The Steam Deck is perfectly well protected inside. We also find in the box a power supply to recharge the beast.

As indicated in the box, I loaded the Steam Deck with its mains socket and turned it on... After setting the time zone, entering my wifi code and adding my Steam account, the Steam Deck already offered me an update to improve its stability and performance. After restarting, the Steam OS presented me with the interface. It’s very intuitive, I quickly understood how to navigate the different menus.

The portable console classifies our Steam video game catalog by compatibility. Indeed, without going into geeky details, the console runs under Steam OS, based on Linux. A “proton” protocol will take care of running video games. The machine tells us which games are running perfectly on the Steam Deck, as well as which ones are running “partially”. For other games, the console specifies that they have not been tested. But be careful, this does not mean that they do not work, quite the contrary. I tested some old games and frankly they work really well. I haven't had any crashes or bugs. I tested different types of games, from indie games to big triple AAA games. I have 100 games, for the moment I only have Sonic Générations which does not launch. This is surprising because it's marked as a fully functional game for Steam Deck, but it's likely I'll find a solution ^^. When launching a video game, the Steam Deck indicates the default key mapping used. It is possible to change this mapping, use those proposed by the community, or simply make your own mapping.

I say thank you to my Micro SD card which allows me to be comfortable in terms of storage for the Steam Deck. I rushed to download lots of games from my catalog. Obviously with my fiber optic connection the games download quickly, the Steam Deck's Wifi also seems to perform well. What is certain is that it is much superior to the mediocre Wi-Fi of the Nintendo Switch. For the sound part, the Steam Deck does the job well, and like the Nintendo Switch it also has in-game vibrations.

Getting started with the Steam Deck

We feared that the handling of the console would be average/poor because of its weight and the layout of the keys. Ultimately it’s quite the opposite.  I like playing with this Steam Deck. The handling is good, the joysticks are great, the directional cross is correct and the buttons are not too small. The triggers are well laid out and the touchpads feel good. The Steam Deck fits perfectly in the hand, there is no risk of dropping it, which is a very good thing.

Screen quality

Obviously the Steam Deck screen does not equal that of the Nintendo Switch Oled, which is logical. There is nothing better than an OLED panel but it remains more expensive... The Steam Deck screen nevertheless remains excellent. It’s a 7-inch IPS LCD touchscreen panel, with a resolution of 720p like the Switch in portable mode. The screen is very bright, even outdoors you can play without difficulty, the game remains perfectly visible. In addition to being bright, the screen is responsive. I tested different games, I did not notice any latency, the response time seems low.

The power of the Steam Deck

We're getting to the heart of the matter. I don't think I'm wrong, the Steam Deck is much more technically powerful than the Nintendo Switch. IN terms of raw power, it crushes the Switch, it is much more powerful than a PS4 and the Steam Deck has the latest graphics technologies from the PS5 and Xbox Series thanks to the Amd RNDA 2 APU. This is felt in game. A GTA 4 or GTA V doesn't scare it. These older AAA games run in high mode at 720p. Yes, the Steam Deck can even run recent games like a certain Cyberpunk 2077! I invite you towatch videos on youtube, the game runs between 30 and 45 frames per second... Unthinkable on a Nintendo Switch and impossible to run... The Steam deck has no difficulty running current video games (in medium/low) thanks to its RNDA 2 graphics technology but also via the FSR which makes it possible to boost the performance of current video games as well as future ones. I could talk to you for hours about it but instead watch lets plays of the Steam Deck on YouTube, you will see that it runs any game :) This Steam Deck is powerful. Obviously this power comes at a price. When we play we hear a small fan spinning, fortunately it's not very annoying.

The autonomy of the console

I tested different games, roughly speaking the Steam Deck lasts 2h30-3h00. I expected it, it’s logical given the power this Steam Deck carries. There is the possibility of restricting one's abilities to increase autonomy but clearly that does not interest me. I prefer to play at full power so that the gaming experience is more enjoyable. In any case, I rarely play more than 2 hours at a time.

My verdict on the Steam Deck

Well! I am not disappointed with this Steam Deck! It’s a beautiful technological beast. Certainly she is not discreet. It obviously doesn't fit in the pocket of his jeans ^^. But what raw power for a portable console! It is capable of running all current video games in medium/low 720p at 30 frames per second or more. Old AAA games like GTA V and others of the same generation run in high mode at 60 frames per second! Valve has really technically optimized its Steam Deck! This bodes well for his future! Its Steam OS operating system is still young and will evolve. In the meantime, almost all of my games work, I am very satisfied with them. I am convinced that the Steam Deck will soon offer services such as video games via subscription and via the cloud (Xbox Game Pass and others). It is likely that VOD services will also arrive. It will even be possible to install Windows 10! This console is open to tinkerers and geeks. Well, if I have to mention the faults of this Steam Deck, clearly it is the lack of discretion with its Sega Game Gear design ^^. I also note its necessarily limited autonomy because of the raw power of this portable console.

What is certain is that if you are a nomadic player, this Steam Deck is made for you! You can take all your games and play them anywhere! Bravo valve for this powerful portable console, pleasant to use and very intuitive!

PS: My test will evolve over time. I plan to purchase a HDMI USB C adapter to connect my Steam Deck to a screen. I also plan to add various features to it :)

https://youtu.be/AvokyBOYe8Y

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