As Valve's first entry into the portable gaming market, the Steam Deck makes a lasting first impression that can only get better with age.
This unlikely duo will have no trouble winning you over.
Another Genesis-inspired shooter for the collection? Yessir!
Hope you like cheese puns and great action.
Pretty much exactly what I expected from this. Based on all the reviews and videos I'd say Steam Deck is a solid +7/10 if you're not use to PC gaming or +8/10 for the rest of us.
Hardware / Performance: 9/10 (The best handheld performance, but at PS5 / SX cost)
It offers PS4/XBO performance but typically at 720p / 800p resolutions, but with all the additional benefits of the Xbox Series S (better CPU, 2x as much RAM, RT support, and much faster drive depending on the model). It runs Forza Horizon 5, God of War PS4, Horizon, as well as your PC library and more all on a handheld on the go. It's a bit bigger than the Switch in height and length, but noticeably bigger in width (🌝). MicroSD cards are plug and play and I have my 1TB ready to go.
Games / Software: 7/10 (it's going to get better with time, but it needs to get better quarterly not annually or worse)
Here's where it's a slight problem, but will be improved with time. The software is solid and works for the most part, however, the Game Compatibility while good has a way to go before it's anywhere near 100% Windows Steam compatible. Speaking of there's no Windows support / drivers currently, so installing windows isn't an option......yet. And there are limited emulation options for those interested in having an AIO system......for now. While the OS features are great, but it is based around SteamOS and better keyboard support would be nice as well as common feature like downloads during suspend state.
Battery: 7/10 (Someone make a battery adapter that's not intrusive to squeeze out an extra hour or two)
If you're playing AAA without a 30fps cap you're getting just over an hour. If you're playing AAA games with the 30fps cap you're getting 2 - 3 hours. If you're playing older (PS360 quality or older) or indie games you can get 4 - 6 hours. So for Switch level gaming experiences you get Switch level battery life, for PS4/XBO level gaming you're getting around 2:30 hours.
Improvements Needed for newer models or a successor:
OLED display for better mobile screen quality, updates to Software, add additional services, Windows and Emulation, any improvements to battery life, possible 5G connectivity, RDNA 3 / 4 for successor 8CU - 12CU GPU (2x the performance).