Steam Deck Test – That’s what the first reviews say about Valve’s gaming PC in handheld format
With the Steam Deck, Valve introduced a gaming PC in handheld format. The device will officially be released on February 25, 2022, but the first three reviews of the Steam Deck have already been published. MeinMMO summarizes the first impressions and thoughts of the testers for you.
What is the Steam Deck? In the summer of 2021, Valve introduced a handheld console that reminded many users of a Nintendo Switch Pro. The handheld should be able to offer you all the functions of a gaming PC. However, you shouldn’t have to make the usual compromises, such as with the PS5 or Xbox Series X. Instead, you can install whatever you want on the device.
Update, 7. Februar 2022: The first YouTubers were finally allowed to officially test Valve’s Steam Deck. The first reviews come from the YouTubers Linus Tech Tips, Gamers Nexus and The Phawx.
Are there already tests or reviews? Developer Valve has already sent the first devices to testers and reviewers. Meanwhile, the first reviews are out. You can expect more information on February 25, 2022, because this is when the device will be officially released.
As soon as the device is officially released, we will supplement and expand the article for you with further tests. You can also read everything important about the release of the Steam Deck on MeinMMO.
Steam Deck Release – When will Valve’s handheld be released and who is it worth it for?
The article first appeared on November 16, 2021, with first impressions. We updated the article on February 7th, 2022 and added the first 3 reviews from Linus Tech Tips, Gamers Nexus and The Phawx.
That’s what the first three tests say about the Steam Deck
This is what Linus Tech Tips says: Linus from Linus Tech Tips reviews Valve’s Steam Deck in a YouTube video. In his video, he explains what he likes about the device and where there are problems:
- The device lies very well in the hand and all buttons and keys are easy to reach.
- The temperatures are pleasant even during longer gaming sessions. The volume is also reasonable and the device does not boom like a PS4 under full load.
- The performance is significantly better compared to the handheld alternatives. Only in the game Dead Cells does the Steam Deck lag behind the competition. Here Linus believes that it is a pure optimization problem.
- Battery life is decent too, clocking in at 3.5 hours on Ghostrunner in medium quality.
- According to Linus, the absolute highlight should be the built-in display, because the Steam Deck easily beats the competition here. The colors are richer and the dimming is really good.
- However, some questions, such as compatibility with some games or accessories that can be purchased, remain unanswered.
You can see the whole video and Linus’ impressions in the English video:
Gamers Nexus says: Gamers Nexus was also allowed to test the Steam Deck. Gamers Nexus’ Steve Burke explains what he tried out with the device in the channel’s video.
- The Steam Deck offers a mature hardware design with a very good thermal design. This means that the temperatures stay within a comfortable range even under load.
- The device is audible under load, but the noise level is not disturbing
- The Steam Deck achieves an average of 36.4 FPS in the shooter “Control” with medium settings. According to Gamers Nexus, the game remains playable and the device’s response in fast games is also okay.
However, Gamers Nexus also explains that the Steam Deck software is far from mature. It would also depend on the software whether the Steam Deck was really worth the money.
We have also embedded the Gamers Nexus video here for you:
The Phawx says: “The Phawx” was also allowed to test the Steam Deck. In his video, he shows how the Steam Deck performs in some games and also goes into temperatures and other special features:
- The Steam Deck only gets warm in the center below the display and reaches temperatures of around 45 degrees here. The sides and handles remain cool, making it easy to hold the device in your hands.
- Compared to Nvidia’s MX450 laptop graphics card, the Steam Deck is superior in most cases. Overall, the device not only offers better performance than the notebook chip, but also delivers the better overall package.
- The SSD of the Steam Deck is significantly faster than a built-in micro SD card, the loading times from the SSD are twice as fast on average.
We’ve also embedded The Phawx’s entire video here for you:
These are the first impressions of the Steam Deck
The fear that the Steam Deck is too heavy is not true. The Steam Deck is large, explains the tester from TomsHardware, but still feels good in the hands (via tomshardware.com). The difference between the Steam Deck and the Nintendo Switch is noticeable, but it doesn’t interfere with gaming.
There is also praise for cooperative gameplay. Gamesradar explains that playing a co-op game like “The Ascent” across multiple devices is also possible with the Steam Deck without any problems (via gamesradar.com). In addition, you don’t feel that one user is playing on the PC and the other on the Steam deck. There is no delay in the flow of the game, or at least it was never noticeable.
While the Steam Deck doesn’t offer the performance of an Xbox Series X or PS5, all tested games run smoothly on medium details without making the game feel uncomfortable (via theverge.com). For example, the testers played The Witcher 3 or Doom, both of which are considered more demanding game titles.
Tech channel Linus Tech Tips also got a chance to try out the Steam Deck. And his first impression is really positive. He praises the design and the good feel of the built-in buttons and thumbsticks. Linus also considers the resolution to be appropriate for the handheld.
First experiences with Steam Deck are positive – battery and performance are still a big question mark
Overall, the first impressions are very positive, even almost enthusiastic. The testers like many aspects of the new handheld:
- The device is well made.
- Despite its size, the Steam Deck is comfortable to hold.
- The speakers offer “solid” sound.
- Seamless gameplay between Steam Deck and PC.
- At the current time, the Steam Deck already offers the feeling of a gaming PC in handheld format
But some questions remain unanswered:
- How long-lasting is the built-in battery of the Steam Deck? Valve had given 2 – 8 hours here.
- How much performance does the Steam Deck offer in the end?
- Will games that rely on complicated copy protection mechanisms also work?
These are all open questions that the testers could not evaluate or explain in their short test time. We still have to wait for solid benchmarks or comprehensive battery tests.
6 important things you should know about Valve’s Steam Deck
So far, benchmarks for the Steam Deck are still missing
What information is still missing? At the current time (as of November 16, 2021) there are no full tests that offer tangible benchmarks for the games. So if you’re waiting for benchmarks that show you how much FPS you can play your games on the Steam Deck, then you’ll have to be patient.
There are now at least unofficial benchmarks that limit the performance of the Steam Deck a little. MeinMMO has summarized the most important information for you.
How much power is in the Steam Deck? First benchmarks show the performance
Reference-mein-mmo.de