Of late, the Steam Deck has emerged as a highly sought-after handheld gaming machine. It combines the power of a modest PC and portable gaming console to create an experience parring innovation.
Before you jump on the bandwagon and put your money on it, let’s have you know why the Steam Deck is so popular and answer if it is worth it.
Why Is Steam Deck Gaining Popularity?
Valve’s Steam Deck is an ambitious and high-quality product, almost always drawing instinctive comparisons with the popular Nintendo Switch, which has amassed a huge fan base in portable gaming. However, the Steam Deck is bigger and more powerful.
Tech buffs are bowled over by the Steam Deck’s complete desktop experience. They hail it for the over-the-edge power and the ease of its Linux-based SteamOS supporting an array of Windows games.
The Steam Deck’s latest AMD technology with an excellent 7-inch 1,280×800 anti-glare display and x86 processor sets it apart from other handheld gaming machines. Its build is robust and offers a good software experience. It is also acclaimed for setting up emulators on it, which is quite simple.
Is Steam Deck Worth Getting?
In the most real sense, the Steam Deck is not for everyone. Some games listed as “Verified” by Valve work right off the bat. But other games require undergoing the troubles of working around the settings and troubleshooting to be able to play. Thus, in this respect, hard-core PC gamers have the upper hand with the Steam Deck.
Having basic Linux language knowledge helps you make the most out of the Steam Deck. If that sounds like you, then go for it because some functions, like emulation on the Steam Deck, are easier for Linux users.
Although it takes a while to be comfortable with the big and bulky design of the Steam Deck, it gives you a real portable gaming experience. Additionally, it offers all the desktop features, and Linux is no barrier to the users’ access to Windows functions.
Thus, the answer to the question “Is Steam Deck worth getting?” depends on various factors. Every product has its pros and cons. In our opinion, the Steam Deck has yet to achieve its full potential, which gives it an edge over its counterparts. Additionally, we felt it is a bit on the expensive side for the kind of service it offers.
Is Steam Deck More Powerful Than Switch?
Yes, Steam Deck is more powerful than Switch. Steam Deck is the latest handheld gaming machine as opposed to Switch, which is not up-to-date with the 2022 needs of gamers.
While both Steam Deck and Switch have a similar design which explains the comparisons they draw, the former provides a more expansive, all-PC experience, unlike the latter. The highest storage capacity of the Switch is 64GB, whereas the highest storage capacity of the Steam Deck is 512GB.
The basis of Switch’s APU and GPU architecture is the Custom Nvidia Tegra X1 and Nvidia Maxwell, respectively, which is not in keeping with the demands of 2022 gaming. On the other hand, the Custom AMD Van Gogh (Aerith) APU and AMD RDNA 2 GPU architecture in Steam Deck are state-of-the-art handheld gaming technologies.
What Improvements Would We Like to See?
Steam Deck can up its game by improving its battery life. Although more and more game testing is in progress, we will still list it as an improvement to happen until it happens!
The Steam Deck could also work on improving its ergonomics. It can aim for a sleeker design that is more handy and comfortable. Additionally, the resolution quality is not as great as you would expect.
Finally, the delivery time of the Steam Deck is quite long, and it can take months to arrive.
Final Words
In this article, we touched upon several aspects of Steam Decks. Among other things, we also discussed the three types of Steam Decks of varying storage capacities. If you are confused about which Steam Deck you should get, we recommend investing in at least the mid-tier model, as features function faster as the model tier increases.
We understand that the Steam Deck is not equally affordable for everyone, so you can look for the many at-par Steam Deck alternatives available on the market, which will also be light on your pockets. At the end of the day, it is for you to decide what works best for you!
We hope we were able to resolve your queries regarding the Steam Deck. Feel free to post any more questions you might have; we would love to get back to you with the right solutions.
