Valve's new SteamDeck - arriving Dec 2021
Play all your PC Steam games using a handheld device, thus Valve made a mini-PC - more info here: https://www.steamdeck.com/en/?snr=1_4_4__118 Hardware: https://www...
Forum Discussion
I thought the Steam Deck looked compelling enough that I put in a reservation for the 512 GB version--and managed to get into the queue in the first minute! (If only I'd had such success with queuing for an RTX 3080!) I previously wouldn't have been interested in a handheld gaming device, but owning a Quest has opened my eyes to the joys of portable gaming. I'm not sure whether I'll end up buying it, but there's no risk in making a reservation (the $5 reservation fee will be refunded into my Steam Wallet if I decide not to buy).
I've read claims that its chipset is comparable to the performance of a PS4. You can also install Windows on it, which would be necessary if one was going to attempt to use it for VR via Link.
I was a bit concerned with how good the gaming experience would be on a small screen, especially for the types of PC games I enjoy (FPS and XCOM-style strategy), but I do watch Let's Play videos of these types of games on small screens without a problem, so I think it'll be fine. I'll probably have to wear my reading glasses to play, but such are the trials and tribulations of getting old.
The original PS4 had 1.84 TFLOPS, so 1.6 is indeed close (since TFLOPS are all we have for comparisons at the moment). Maybe I have been too negative - and if you wish to play 2D Steam games on a small screen, Valve probably did a good job making that happen.
But compared from the massive brute force in the latest Series 30, the hardware in the SteamDeck is very far from that - of course Valve is well aware of that. I don't consider SteamDeck anything close to high-end, but it could be a nice way to play PC games when you're not close to the rig (vacations/travelling).
Btw, just some numbers - because PS4s arent all the same etc:
SteamDeck: 1.6 teraflops.
PS4: 1.84 teraflops.
PS4 Pro: 4.2 teraflops.
Xbox One S: 1.4 teraflops.
Xbox One X: 6 teraflops.
PS5: 10.3 teraflops.
Xbox Series X: 12.1 teraflops.
- and for the fun:
GTX 1080 = 8.9 teraflops.
RTX 2080 Ti = 13.5 teraflops.
RTX 3080 = 29.8 teraflops.