Valve’s portable gaming PC, the Steam Deck, was initially announced in July 2021, and after a few months of anticipation, it was finally released in December of that year. One year later, it has evolved in some significant ways.
The Steam Deck is essentially a handheld PC, allowing gamers to play their favorite PC games on the go. It has a 7-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1280×800, and it runs on Valve’s custom Linux-based operating system called SteamOS. The device is powered by an AMD APU (accelerated processing unit) with a quad-core Zen 2 CPU and an RDNA 2 GPU, making it more than capable of running modern games with ease.
One of the biggest changes to the Steam Deck since its launch has been the expansion of its storage options. At launch, the device was available in three storage configurations: 64GB eMMC, 256GB NVMe SSD, and 512GB NVMe SSD. However, Valve recently announced that they will be introducing a new 1TB NVMe SSD option in Q2 2023, providing even more storage for gamers who need it.
Another significant change has been the improvement of the Steam Deck’s firmware and software. Valve has released several updates since the device’s launch that have improved its performance, stability, and compatibility with games. They’ve also added new features like the ability to connect a keyboard and mouse, and support for Bluetooth audio.
Valve has also been working with game developers to optimize their games for the Steam Deck. Some games, like Doom Eternal and Control, have received official updates that improve their performance and make them more playable on the device. Valve has also created a feature called “Deck Optimized” mode, which automatically adjusts game settings to ensure the best possible performance on the Steam Deck.
Overall, the Steam Deck has been a successful release for Valve, and it’s clear that they’re committed to improving the device over time. The addition of more storage options and continued software updates and optimizations will make the Steam Deck an even more appealing option for gamers who want to play their PC games on the go.
