Steam Deck in review: A powerful handheld, but a PC with various quirks

PC Games

28.2.2022

Translation: machine translated

Valve's Steam Deck wants to be nothing less than an eierlegende Wollmilchsau. A mobile PC that sets new standards as a handheld and opens up new possibilities as a small PC alternative. We put the device's promises to the test in detail during our two-week review.

This is an article from our content partner "PC Games". Here you can find the original article by author Matthias Dammes.

It was a medium surprise when Valve announced a handheld PC with the Steam Deck in July 2021. Clearly, the Steam operator had already tried its hand at various hardware projects in the past. From the Steam Link to the Steam Machines to the Valve Index with sometimes less, sometimes more success. Now they are venturing into the handheld market, where other big players like Sony have already burned their fingers. On the other hand, Nintendo has been successful in this field for decades, and the Switch has not only taken the handheld-loving domestic market by storm, but also Western buyers.

Valve is now aiming for something similar with the Steam Deck and an ambitious concept. Unlike Switch and the like, the Deck is not just a mobile console, but a small portable PC. Accordingly, Valve lures with the promise that potential Steam Deck users can theoretically access their entire game library that they already own on Steam. A tempting outlook. But can the device live up to the expectations placed in it? We had the opportunity to try out a Steam Deck in detail ourselves before the official sales launch.

Three models

The Steam Deck will be offered in three different variants at launch. The biggest difference is the storage space built directly into the device. The cheapest version, at 419 Euros, only offers 64 gigabytes on a flash memory basis. In contrast, an SSD of the NVMe standard with 256 gigabytes is installed for 549 Euros. The most expensive model costs 679 Euros and offers a 512 GB SDD as well as a display with high-quality anti-reflective and etched glass. The rest of the hardware and thus the performance of the deck is the same in all three models.

We were only provided with a copy of the most expensive model for the test. Therefore, our subsequent assessments will be based on it. This is especially important when making statements about the display and loading times. Accordingly, we could not examine the differences to the non-anti-glare display and the weaker flash memory of the smallest model. Apart from that, Valve did not give us any specifications about what we can do with the device. Accordingly, we thoroughly put the Steam Deck through its paces, also with the help of our experienced colleagues from PC Games Hardware.

What you get here for 420 to 680 Euros in mobile hardware is already quite impressive on paper. The core, an APU based on Zen 2 and RDNA 2 technology that was specially developed by AMD for the Steam Deck, delivers roughly the performance of a Playstation 4, but in a portable format. This makes the deck worlds more powerful than the Nintendo Switch. So, for the price, it probably offers the best handheld gaming power on the market right now. However, it cannot keep up with a real desktop PC. Thus, the device should not necessarily be purchased as a replacement for the computing powerhouse at home or a notebook. There are also a few other reasons for this, which we will get to later.

Size and weight

Let's first look at the external values of the Steam Deck. The device is delivered with a rather manageable size. The deck itself is already packed in its carrying case, and the power adapter and a screen cleaning cloth are also included. But that's about it. Apart from a safety and warranty warning, there is no printed product information. So, if you want to study a manual or instructions first, you'll be left out in the cold. The carrying case has a nice sturdy construction and is perfectly adapted to the device's outer forms on the inside. Thus, no elements are unnecessarily stressed and the deck still lies relatively stable in it. With the hard outer shell, falls from usual carrying heights should not be a problem. The case also has a recess on the underside where the power adapter can be stored. However, there is no storage space for other accessories.

Handheld fans will have to adjust to new dimensions in terms of size. With a width of 30 centimeters, a height of 11.7 centimeters and a depth of 5 centimeters at the analog sticks, the Steam Deck is significantly larger than the Nintendo Switch, although the latter also has a 7-inch screen in the OLED variant. Despite its size, the deck is lighter than you might initially expect at 675 grams. It thus also clearly exceeds the Switch again, but still does not feel uncomfortably heavy. We have compiled some comparative values for you in the following table for a better understanding.

Setting up the Steam Deck is child's play and there is actually hardly anything to consider. On a cardboard cover from the packaging, there is only a note that the device should first be connected to the power before turning it on for the first time. Obviously a precautionary measure, because the battery was properly filled. So we could start right away. After a short boot sequence, we first set up a WLAN connection in a simple menu. After that, we have to log in to a Steam account. This is also pretty self-explanatory in the tidy screen. If you want, the Steam Deck will also remember all the information, so you won't have to log in every time in the future. Once this hurdle is overcome, the Steam user interface, which was developed especially for the Steam Deck, starts. But we'll get to the inner values of the device later.

Input options

Let's first take a look at the handling of the device. To the left and right of the screen, we find pretty much everything we are used to from usual controllers. Two analog sticks, a digital directional pad, four cross-shaped action buttons. In addition, shoulder buttons and triggers on the top of the device. The latter are analog and not only digital like on the Switch. Thus, racing games, for example, can be controlled with the necessary precision. The sticks also work precisely. They fit well on the thumb, are very slip-proof and have a good amount of tension for the jump into neutral. For more advanced players, the Steam Deck also has four buttons on the back that are operated with the middle and ring fingers.

Usually, these buttons are assigned with the commands of the four action buttons to trigger them without having to take the finger off the stick. However, like so many other control elements, the buttons can be individually assigned with various functions. It is even possible to create predefined action sets, so-called macros, and assign them to these buttons. However, the handling of these back keys takes some getting used to. The keys have a rather heavy pressure point, which doesn't feel so good especially with the ring finger.

Another special feature of the Steam Deck is underneath the analog sticks. There, a square trackpad is attached in each case. The right one serves as a mouse replacement by moving the cursor over the screen with the right thumb and triggering the left mouse click with the right trigger. Sounds strange, but that's how it is. This is enough to operate a menu here and there. With a bit of practice, it can also be used to control games that rely on mouse input, but the trackpad will never come close to the precision of a real mouse. The left trackpad is occasionally used for special purposes. In the Steam interface it serves as an alternative D-pad, while in Crusader Kings 3 it serves as DeepL access to various game menus.

To round off the Steam Deck's input portfolio, the screen naturally also has touch functionality. This is the fastest way to use the user interface because it is made for it with its large icons and buttons. In games, at least menus can be operated in the same way, since a touch on the screen is basically just a mouse click on the touched spot. Games would have to be specially adapted for a use in gameplay. At least the touchscreen is still useful for conveniently using the virtual keyboard when there is always a text field to fill in somewhere.

Hand comfort, external peripherals

The comfort of using the Steam Deck depends largely on the player's personal preferences and hand size. Due to the fact that the action buttons and the D-pad are located to the side of the analog sticks, the entire holding area to the left and right of the screen is significantly larger than on the Switch. This is especially beneficial for people with larger hands. For them, the device is very stable in the hand and the buttons are all easy to reach. We did not notice any signs of fatigue even after a longer gaming time. Of course, this always depends on the posture. Colleagues with smaller hands report other experiences. The device is too clunky for them and the distances from the analog stick to the action keys are almost too far. It can also be difficult for people with smaller hands to use the trackpad and the right trigger at the same time. However, we did not have enough time for extensive long-term tests with different hand types.

Alternatively, external input devices like mouse, keyboard and controller can be connected to the Steam Deck. With a corresponding adapter/distributor for the USB-C port of the Steam Deck, we were able to connect wired mice and keyboards without any problems. Now, such a wired economy is rather less suitable for mobile use. Therefore, the use of Bluetooth devices is recommended. These can be very easily paired with the Steam Deck via the settings and put into operation.

However, the Steam Deck lacks an important feature for operation with external peripherals: a stand. Unfortunately, there is no fold-out stand like on the Switch. The manufacturer Valve has announced its own dock for the Steam Deck for the future. However, it is not yet known when this will be available.

Display, sound, fan

The heart of the Steam Deck is of course the 7-inch screen, which has the same diagonal as the Switch OLED. However, Valve "only" used an LCD screen with 60 Hz and ambient light sensor, which can adjust the brightness to the external circumstances. The color and black levels cannot keep up with the Switch's OLED, but the picture on the Steam Deck is still more than okay. The maximum resolution is 1280x800 pixels, which is quite sufficient for the size of the display. Depending on the incidence of light, reflections can occur even in the anti-reflective variant. For example, when the sun shines directly on the screen from behind. Unfortunately, we cannot yet say whether this is worse on the cheaper versions without anti-reflective coating due to the lack of a comparison device.

You should not expect any miracles from the integrated sound. At least the Steam Deck has two quite large speakers on the left and right front of the device, which are much more impressive than the two small slots of the Switch. The sound emitted through them sounds clear without any distracting effects. Of course, an even better listening experience can usually be achieved with decent headphones that can be connected via jack or Bluetooth. We tried out different devices and could not determine any compatibility problems. Bluetooth headphones were recognized immediately and connected at the push of a button.

On the subject of sound, however, we also have to talk about the volume development of the device itself. Of course, there are fans installed in the Steam Deck, which provide cooling for the hardware. Unfortunately, these are more than clearly audible in operation. Our colleagues from PC Games Hardware were able to measure a fan noise of around one sone at a distance of 25 centimeters even in idle mode, when the device is only busy downloading a game. That is a volume that is at least perceptible in a quiet environment. It gets really loud under full load when the temperatures of the main chip approach 70 degrees. This case was measured with The Witcher 3, where the volume reached values of up to 3.4 sone at a distance of 25 centimeters. These are fan noises that are perceived as very annoying even in a louder environment like an open-plan office. For comparison: The Nintendo Switch reaches maximum rates of around 0.3 sone even with The Witcher 3 under full load.

The battery

One of the most important components in a mobile device is of course the battery. The manufacturers from Valve have installed a 40 watt-hour battery in the Steam Deck, which is supposed to allow two to eight hours of gameplay according to their own information. However, these values are based on

Lab tests with predefined device settings. We had different experiences in our own tests. For example, the battery was sometimes drained after 90 minutes when playing The Witcher 3. The battery lasts much longer in indie games like Stardew Valley. In idle mode, i.e. when the device only displays the Steam interface, it can even last 8 to 10 hours.

How long the battery lasts in which games also strongly depends on various settings. For example, the screen brightness and the volume of the sound output affect the power consumption. There is also a frame limiter that limits the frame rate to 30 FPS, which also helps conserve battery life. In the future, it should also be possible to set a maximum frame rate via a slider to allow a compromise between FPS and battery consumption.

If the battery is empty, the only solution is to connect it to the power supply. A power bank with about ten percent remaining power needs about two hours with the 45 watt power supply to be fully charged again when the Steam Deck is not used any further. If the user continues to play, the charging process naturally takes longer. By the way, it is not possible to simply change the battery. The power storage is permanently installed in the device and coupled with its own controller. This ensures that the power supply is as gentle as possible for the two battery cells.

Steam interface, Proton, SteamOS

Now we come to the inner values of the Steam Deck, the software. When you turn it on and land in the dedicated Steam interface, you might mistake the Steam Deck for a closed-system console. However, it is a PC running the SteamOS operating system version 3.0 in the background, which is a Linux-based operating system. In order to run the mostly Windows-based games of the Steam library anyway, Valve's specially developed runtime environment Proton is used. Proton version 7.0 was released right on time for the Steam Deck launch during our test phase. This improved the compatibility of many games once again or even made it possible in the first place. Valve's goal is to make the entire Steam library run on Linux via Proton in the long run. The Steam Deck is also an investment in the future. To give the player a better orientation, games are divided into four categories on the Steam Deck. The titles marked with a checkmark on a green background are verified for the Steam Deck and partly even specially adapted. Few to no problems are to be expected here. Games marked with an "i" on a yellow background basically run on the Steam Deck, but might require adjustments from the user, for example, when setting the controls. Games that are definitely excluded are marked with a gray bar. This includes VR games, for example.

All other titles that cannot be clearly assigned to one of the first three categories are marked with a question mark. This simply means that they have not been reviewed yet. However, it is still possible that the corresponding games work without problems. We tried out quite a few games classified as "Unknown" during our testing phase. All but one of these worked and were playable without problems. Only Cyberpunk 2077 refused to work, but according to the error message displayed to us, this was more due to the Steam Deck's hardware power not being sufficient for the game.

Even though the number of verified titles seems quite small compared to the total size of the Steam library, it still has to be said that no console has ever launched with such a huge launch library. It pays off that the Steam Deck is "only" a PC. And you can do more with it than just play games, at least theoretically. It is possible to install Windows on the device without any problems. However, we couldn't do much with this installation yet, since suitable drivers from AMD for the deck's hardware are still missing. However, these should be available in time for the launch.

How do the games run?

Accordingly, we had to limit ourselves to those games in the test that are actually available via Steam. Fan favorites like Anno 1800 and Diablo, which require a different launcher, were left out for now. Of course, this did not detract from the range of testable games. We pushed the deck to its performance limits with graphically opulent titles like Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3 and Forza Horizon 5. According to the colleagues from PC Games Hardware, the computing power of the AMD chip, which combines CPU and GPU, is roughly on the level of a Playstation 4. Therefore, the hardware already failed in the startup process of Cyberpunk 2077, as already described.

In contrast, The Witcher 3 and Forza Horizon 5 ran smoothly. However, only with significant drawbacks in the graphical quality. Although the hardware only has to calculate a resolution of 1280x800 pixels, there is hardly any performance left for the complex graphics effects of these games. Forza Horizon 5 in particular only ran at minimum graphics settings, where nothing remained of the game's actually so impressive graphics splendor. The game's already noticeable problem with long loading times seemed to have increased even more on the deck. The Witcher 3 does a better job, achieving a fairly stable 40 to 45 FPS with high graphics settings. Horizon: Zero Dawn also ran surprisingly well and visually appealing, which can be run at a stable 30 to 40 FPS with a mixture of medium and high settings.

On the other hand, there are hardly any visual compromises to be made with titles like Crusader Kings 3 and Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition. Both games are untested so far, but they ran without problems in our tests - at least on the technical side. The bigger problem with these PC-only games, which are actually designed to be played with a mouse and keyboard, is the handling. Crusader Kings 3 emulates its controls quite well to the possibilities offered by the Steam deck. It even has a very useful DeepL access to individual game menus via the left trackpad. But it still doesn't play quite smoothly. For example, there is no way to zoom the map view in the default settings. The menus and fonts are partly very small, which might cause problems for some gamers.

I already mentioned that the simulation of the mouse via the trackpad is not as precise. In a rather slow game like Crusader Kings 3, this doesn't really matter. However, we had more problems with this in Age of Empires 2. As long as you are still among yourselves and only command a few villagers, it may still work. But as soon as things get hectic and you want to command your troops effectively, the trackpad control is hardly usable. In any case, we can't imagine playing a game like Age of Empires without a real mouse in the long run. Games that are designed or adapted for controllers have a much better chance on the Steam Deck.

Of course, this also applies to indie hits like Stardew Valley and Valheim. The popular farming adventure does not pose a particular challenge to the hardware and can be operated excellently. Valheim has the usual quirks that it has on normal PCs, but otherwise works as usual, even in online mode. Speaking of online, games with online components depend a lot on the multiplayer technology and whether the developers of the respective game have created the right conditions. For example, we tried out the current hypetitle Lost Ark. However, it cannot establish a connection, which is due to the EasyAnticheat used. This program is indeed supported by Proton. However, the developers also have to allow it to work on Proton in their settings, which has not happened with Lost Ark yet. We have observed something similar with Absolver's online mode.

By the way, Dead Cells showed us that verification is not always reliable. The indie hit is displayed as a verified title, but did not run at all in our test. After starting a game, we were only presented with a permanent black screen until we manually ended the game.

The mobile PC is a diva

In contrast, the functionalities around the games worked well. Thanks to cloud saves, we could continue playing our game saves from the PC directly in the Steam deck. If available, mods from the workshop were also transferred for the corresponding games. Thus, we were able to seamlessly continue a modded game started on the PC in Crusader Kings 3 on the Steam deck. The standby mode, which makes games pausable at any time, works similarly smoothly. We put a game of Age of Empires 2 that we started in bed at night into sleep mode and simply continued it in the office the next morning.

The Steam Deck and its dedicated Steam interface basically work without major problems. However, this is only true as long as you stay in this controlled environment and behave like a normal gamer who just wants to install and launch games. As soon as you behave like a PC user who does everything possible with his machine, various teething problems and peculiar behavior of the software come to light. The Steam interface can hang up when you play around with the more advanced hardware settings. We also observed strange behavior from time to time in connection with externally connected peripherals, such as menus that did not load properly or dropouts that required a restart. There are also problems when you leave the Steam interface and switch to the Linux desktop of the SteamOS. If you try to use this interface without external input devices, you will quickly reach your limits. For example, it is almost impossible to open the virtual keyboard in the desktop view, which could be used for all kinds of inputs. Even simple surfing on the Internet becomes a big challenge. Using the Steam Deck as a PC replacement doesn't really seem to be an advisable plan under the current circumstances anyway - at least until the corresponding dock is released.

Apart from the jack for headphones, the device only has a USB-C port for the physical connection of devices. Thus, you need an adapter if you want to connect things like a monitor here. We managed to connect an HDMI screen, mouse, keyboard and controller as well as the power supply and headphones via a multiple adapter in the test. However, we did not succeed with every monitor. We have not yet found a reason why it works with some devices and not with others. However, you can't really get much use out of such a setup at the moment anyway. The range of programs for SteamOS is limited and Windows does not work properly yet for the reasons mentioned. Connecting a monitor is not even worthwhile for gaming. The operating system and the dedicated Steam interface run in the monitor's native resolution, but you are still limited to the maximum Steam deck resolution of 1280x800 for the games, which naturally looks very modest on a large screen.

Conclusion

After two weeks with the Steam Deck, it's not easy to draw a meaningful conclusion about this new piece of hardware. It's probably the biggest, most powerful and most versatile handheld on the market today. A handheld that benefits from the fact that it can fall back on an already existing game library of thousands of titles. You won't find anything comparable on the market for the price of 420 to 680 euros at the moment. Whether the Steam Deck ultimately fulfills what you expect from it depends on what you intend to do with the device.

If you really only want to use it as a mobile gaming console to play your favorite titles on vacation, on the train or in the park, you will definitely have a strong alternative to the Switch and other handhelds. As long as you do not move beyond the "console user" mode, you will also not have to struggle much with the software's still existing diseases. You will only have to put up with the really loud operating noise or switch to headphone use from the start.

As soon as you expect more from the Steam Deck, if you really want to use this mobile PC as such, you might be better off with a laptop in the end. SteamOS still has its problems and it is not yet certain when Windows will run without errors. Especially since it remains to be seen how well the device performs with Windows. The potential is definitely there, but it is not fully utilized yet. Valve is still working on the development of Proton and the in-house dock is still to be released. So, there is still room to expand the usage options of the Steam Deck.

The only question when looking to the future is how long the limited hardware will be enough to live up to the promise of "play your Steam library on the go." If games like Cyberpunk already fail to run due to lack of power, this problem will only increase as the gaming landscape continues to evolve. For now, though, the Steam Deck is certainly a powerful contender in the handheld market, and one that is likely to enjoy more success than the infamous Steam Machines. However, a revolution of the gaming market will probably not come from it.

For me, the Steam Deck was primarily interesting as a Switch alternative for mobile gaming from the beginning. Since I don't have to buy all my favorite games again, but have direct access to my extensive Steam library. And that's exactly what the Steam Deck does extremely well. I would have liked the mouse emulation to work better with the trackpads, so that I could play mouse-based games better, but otherwise I am actually very satisfied. The fact of the noisy fans is a pity, but it is also to be expected when you squeeze so much performance into such a small space. The fact that the Steam Deck ultimately fails as a PC because there are still too many teething problems in the software, missing drivers and other quirks is of course not so nice for all the PC enthusiasts who had more planned for the device. But I would also have been very surprised if an eierlegende Wollmilchsau would work right away without any problems.

The official launch of the Steam Deck is today, February 25, 2022, and as of now, reservations that could be made last year can be converted into corresponding orders of the device. This is done in steps and is currently associated with longer waiting times. Those who currently sign up to reserve a Steam Deck will probably not be able to move on to an order before the third quarter of 2022. Those whose turn it is will receive an email from Valve and then have 72 hours to turn their reservation into an order. If you still have questions about the device despite the extensive article, feel free to ask them in the comments. I'll try to answer them as much as possible there, or use the suggestions for subsequent articles.

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martin.jungfer@digitecgalaxus.ch

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