Steam Deck
- Dimensions
- 11.7 x 4.6 x 1.9 inches (298 x 117 x 49mm)
- Brand
- Valve
- Weight
- 1.48 pounds (669 grams)
- Chipset
- Custom AMD Zen 2-based processor (4 cores, 8 threads, up to 3.5GHz)
- RAM
- 16GB LPDDR5 5600MHz
- Storage
- Up to 512GB M.2 2230 SSD
- Wireless Connectivity
- Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0
- Display
- 7-inch IPS, 1280x800, 60Hz touchscreen, optional scratch resistant glass coating
- Output resolution
- Graphics
- AMD RDNA 2-based graphics, 8 CUs
- Ports
- 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (DP Alt Mode), 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD expansion
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How to install and use Moonlight on Steam Deck
Moonlight is a great way to make more games playable on your Steam Deck, and it only takes a few minutes to set up.
The Steam Deck is capable of playing a lot of games, but it's noticeably underpowered compared to some of the best Steam Deck alternatives on the market. If you want to play some of your most intensive games on the Steam Deck, then you'll probably want to use Sunshine and Moonlight. Sunshine is a re-implementation of the Nvidia GameStream protocol and can be used to stream games using your GPU to your Steam Deck running Moonlight. It's pretty easy to set up, and supports Intel, AMD, and Nvidia.
How to replace the SSD in the Steam Deck
Although the Steam Deck's higher-end models come with SSDs, they're pretty expensive. Here's how to install your own for less.
Although you can get a Steam Deck for as little as $400, the base model only comes with 64GB of storage. Even the top-end model only comes with a 512GB SSD, which can be a problem considering many modern games are 50GB or larger. Thankfully, the Steam Deck is easy to break into, and there are plenty of gaming-focused SSDs that'll fit into this handheld PC. Installing an SSD into the Steam Deck isn't too difficult, and here's how you do it.
How to clone your Steam Deck's SSD
If you want to get a new SSD for your Steam Deck but aren't sure how to clone it, this is the best way to do so.
If you've bought a new SSD for your Steam Deck, then you might be looking to clone your drive over to ensure that it's as seamless a process as possible. It's pretty easy to clone your Steam Deck's SSD using on-device commands, and we'll show you how to do just that. If you don't have a lot of games installed or have a fast internet connection, it's probably easier to just start from scratch, but you can copy everything over if you want.
How to Use CryoUtilities to improve your Steam Deck's gaming performance
The Steam Deck is a powerful PC gaming handheld, but you can squeeze some more performance out of it using CryoUtilities.
The Steam Deck is a powerful PC gaming handheld, but there are some titles that will never run well on it. There are others that may struggle without decreasing their settings massively, but CryoUtilities is a Steam Deck plugin that you can use to help improve that somewhat. It's not a silver bullet that will solve all of your performance woes, but it will make things significantly better.
MSI Claw vs Steam Deck OLED: Which is right for you?
Is there a new king in the handheld gaming world?
When Valve first released the Steam Deck in 2022, it made a huge impact on the portable gaming market. Its instant popularity carved out a new niche for PC-based portable gaming consoles, and top gaming accessory companies wasted no time creating imitations. While brands like Asus, Lenovo, and Razer have had mixed success producing their handheld gaming hardware, MSI looks to break the streak with the release of the Claw.
EmuDeck hands-on: The best emulation suite for the Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, and more
If you want to emulate on the go using a PC gaming handheld, then EmuDeck is by far the best way.
EmuDeck is the best emulation suite that you can get on the likes of the Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and so much more. It gets its name from the Steam Deck where it originated, but there are now builds for Windows and even Android. It downloads and configures a ton of different emulators, integrating with Steam ROM Manager so that you can add those games to your Steam library, too.
4 gaming handhelds to look forward to this year
2023 was a great year for PC gaming handhelds, and 2024 is shaping up to be even better
Gaming handhelds like the original GPD Win and Pandora existed long before the Steam Deck, though it was the latter that truly made PC handhelds a worthwhile alternative to bulky gaming laptops. Following the success of the Steam Deck, many firms, including big-name brands like Asus and Lenovo began working on their own spin on the PC handheld formula to capitalize on the growing popularity of these portable gaming systems.
EmuDeck just got a big update with more emulators
If you have a Steam Deck, you'll love this new EmuDeck update.
EmuDeck is one of the best ways to experience emulators on your Steam Deck. While the emulation community has taken somewhat of a hit recently, EmuDeck is still full steam ahead with its update to EmuDeck 2.2, complete with some new emulators, too. While it does remove Citra and Yuzu, the developers have confirmed on their Discord that both Citra and Yuzu won't be removed if you already have it installed.
4 reasons the Switch can't compete with PC gaming handhelds
The Nintendo Switch might be more mainstream, but PC gaming handhelds are superior.
The Nintendo Switch is one of the best-selling consoles ever, and it's still moving considerable units more than seven years after its initial release. With great battery life, Nintendo exclusives, and a low cost of entry, it isn't hard to figure out why the handheld is so popular. Although there are clearly benefits to owning a Switch, the console pales in comparison to the best PC gaming handhelds you can get today. With better specs, performance, game support, and versatility, you'll get more out of a PC gaming handheld than a Switch.
How to install Windows on your Steam Deck
The Steam Deck is powered by SteamOS, but you can install Windows on it with the proper installation media
The Steam Deck and the Steam Deck OLED come pre-installed with SteamOS, which is a lightweight Linux-based operating system developed by Valve that lets you run games natively through Steam. But if you're not a fan of the OS and want your handheld to be like other Windows-based Steam Deck competitors, such as the ROG Ally or the Lenovo Legion Go, you can install the Microsoft operating system to make it close to a full-blown PC.
How to install Discord on the Steam Deck and talk to your friends
If you picked up a Steam Deck and want to play games with your friends, then Discord is a platform that works very well.
If you have a Steam Deck or are looking to pick one up, you'll know that it's not just a portable games console, but technically a mini-computer that runs SteamOS. It's based on Arch Linux and Valve hasn't locked down access to that system. You can do whatever you want with it as if it were your own computer, and that includes installing your own software or even operating system.
This 1TB M.2 SSD is down to its lowest price ever, making it the perfect Steam Deck upgrade
If you've been thinking about upgrading the storage on your Steam Deck or similar device, now's going to be the perfect time
If you've been looking to upgrade the storage of your Steam Deck, now's going to be the perfect time, with this affordable M.2 SSD that's now down to just $69.99. While there are a lot of different types of SSDs on the market, this one strikes the perfect balance with its affordable price and excellent performance. Be sure to grab it while you can, because at this price, this deal won't last long.
Steam Deck is great, but it's still not quite there yet for me
As a desktop PC gamer, I'm not completely ruling it out
The Steam Deck has been around for some time now but I've still yet to pick one up. I already own a Nintendo Switch and do enjoy some lighter console gaming, but I'm going to run through some reasons why I have yet to pick up Valve's console, running the same operating system as my primary gaming PC. It all comes down to the choice of games I play, competition, ergonomics, and preferring the mouse and keyboard.
Best PC gaming handhelds in 2024
Play your favorite PC games anywhere with these PC gaming handhelds.
You can now play many of your favorite PC games on the go, thanks to the rise of the PC gaming handheld. They differ from consoles or smartphones, running on the Windows 11 or Linux operating systems, and can access a vast library of PC games from various platforms such as Steam or GoG. While the trend started mostly with the Steam Deck, there are now plenty of excellent alternatives. We weighed the selections based on their performance, design, battery life, and price. Whether you are looking for a powerful machine that can handle the latest AAA titles or a budget-friendly option for playing the newest indie games, there is something for you.
Best cases for Steam Deck in 2024
Your Steam Deck is a significant investment so take care of it with a good case.
The Steam Deck is an incredible portable PC gaming machine that offers access to thousands of games through Valve's Steam storefront. It's not a cheap device, however, so we highly recommend using some form of protection. Valve includes a high-quality carry case with the portable console, but this is only handy while you're not in-game. For those times when you find yourself with an opportunity to score some goals and smash some skulls, we've compiled a list of the best cases to help protect your Steam Deck.
AMD’s custom APU is part of what makes the Steam Deck so great
The Steam Deck is a fantastic gaming handheld, but part of what makes it so great is the custom APU inside. Will we see more custom APUs?
While gaming handhelds are practically a dime a dozen at this point, the Steam Deck is still one of the most popular of the bunch. Despite its weaker hardware and lack of complete game support, it's managed to arguably still be the face of the PC gaming handheld world. One of the biggest reasons that's the case is that the Steam Deck has a custom AMD APU inside.
Palworld on Steam Deck: Best settings and optimization guide
Palworld is a game that's difficult to run on the Steam Deck, but these are the best settings for playing it on the go.
Palworld is a game that has recently taken the world by storm. A cross between ARK, Pokemon, and Rust, it's a survival game already set records on Steam. It's also a pretty intensive game that's hard to run, especially so on the Steam Deck. While it's marked as "Playable," performance out of the box is less than ideal. We've tested the game to find the most ideal settings you can play under, so you don't have to.
PC gaming handhelds already all look the same, but that's actually a good thing
If you're looking at PC gaming handhelds and thinking that they all look the same, you're absolutely right.
PC gaming handhelds were one of my favorite trends of 2023, and that's because I'm a fairly ardent gamer. I've reviewed a ton of gaming handhelds here at XDA, including the Lenovo Legion Go, the Steam Deck OLED, the Asus ROG Ally, and the Ayaneo Kun. With more gaming handhelds around the corner, like the MSI Claw, I'm excited. Still, I feel like we're already reaching the "boring" stage of gaming handhelds with ubiquitous designs and homogenized feature sets.
Jsaux 7-in-1 docking station review: A great starter dock for your gaming handheld
If you don't need the fastest or the most ports, the Jsaux 7-in-1 dock is a great way to expand your gaming handheld without breaking the bank.
Plenty of USB docking stations are out there pushing the boundaries of what can be connected with a single cable. The best docks available have support for Thunderbolt 4, multiple external displays, multi-gigabit Ethernet speeds, and much more. But not everyone needs all that in a docking station. In fact, owners of great PC gaming handhelds might just need to connect to a few peripherals to transform a device like the Asus ROG Ally or Steam Deck into a full desk setup.
In the age of PC gaming handhelds, competitive matchmaking needs to get better
Sorting players based on console or PC isn't enough anymore. Until competitive matchmaking improves, handheld players face a massive disadvantage.
Following the launch of the Steam Deck a few years ago, PC gaming handhelds have taken off. There are a bunch of options from a variety of manufacturers, and it feels like more are announced each month. Just last year, we saw the Steam Deck OLED, Asus ROG Ally, and the Lenovo Legion Go debut to a lot of hype surrounding them. Gaming handhelds aren't perfect; Linux-based devices have compatibility issues and Windows-based devices have user-interface problems. But generally, they have been well-received by reviewers and buyers alike.