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Steam announces new handheld console Steam Deck

Allowing you to enjoy Steam games and features hassle-free.

Xynthea Ong

Expert pinterest scroller and bubble tea lover.

Published: 16 July 2021, 1:56 PM

Gamers will be able to enjoy a new form of gaming with the Steam Deck this 2022.

Combining the features of a gaming PC and other portable gaming consoles like the Nintendo Switch, players will finally be able to enjoy Steam games in a comfortable and convenient manner.

A custom version of SteamOS is built with Steam Deck for an optimised handheld gaming experience – a different operating system compared to the ones on desktop PCs. The new version comes with Proton, a compatibility layer that makes it possible to run games without the need of any porting work from developers.

The Steam Deck is built for extended game play with their variety of control options, including trackpads that give players precision for first-person shooter games and a gyroscope for motion controls.

These new features allow players to enjoy games that were previously available on PC. PHOTO CREDITS: STEAM

With the help of their USB-C port, the Steam Deck is able to connect with different external devices.

There are many features players can enjoy with the click of a button. In the main menu, sections such as the Steam Chat, Steam Store and Community tab will be accessible.

All notifications will also be in one place with the help of the Quick Access menu, allowing players to check on them without interrupting their gaming session.

Rest assured, progress for current games won’t be lost as the Steam Library will already be included into the account once players have logged in. PHOTO CREDITS: STEAM

For those interested, the Steam Deck has three different price tiers, starting at US$399 (S$540) that comes with 64GB of eMMC internal storage. For more storage, players can choose to purchase the 256GB NVMe SSD internal storage and 512GB NVMe SSD internal storage versions at US$529 (S$720) and US$649 (S$880) respectively.

At the higher price tiers, there will be extra features such as a carrying case and an exclusive Steam Community profile bundle.

An official dock is also sold separately which helps prop up the Steam Deck while it’s connected to external displays, wired networking, USB peripherals and power.

Shipping starts in Dec 2021 to selected countries – the United States, Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom, with reservations opening on Jul 16. More regions will be released in 2022.

For more information, one can head over to their official website.