Valve's Steam Deck Is A Portable PC, Will Launch December 2021 For $399

PC gamers looking for solutions on the go now have their answer as Valve has announced the Steam Deck--a portable Steam-capable PC that will launch this December starting at $399. The announcement comes mere hours before the Nintendo Switch OLED preorders are set to begin.

Steam Deck is a portable PC platform that features a 7-inch touchscreen, two thumbsticks with a D-pad, and a four-button control layout. The Steam Deck will play games from the user's Steam account using only the device itself with no streaming needed. A charging dock that can connect to external displays via HDMI or USB-C will be sold separately from the device, and you can also use other powered USB hubs if you have them already.

Three models of the Steam Deck will be available from the start: a 64GB model for $399, a 256GB NVMe SSD for $529, and a 512GB NVMe SSD for $649. All three versions will come with a carrying case included, while the more expensive model includes perks like exclusive Steam Community profile bundles and, for the 512GB, anti-glare etched glass.

Preorders go live Friday July 16 at 10AM Pacific / 1PM Eastern on Steam's official website, with an intended ship window of December 2021. No specific date in December has been provided at this time. The official spec list from the Steam Deck's official website is below, and you can check out our Steam Deck vs. Switch comparison for more.

Processor

• AMD APU
• CPU: Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)
• GPU: 8 RDNA 2 CUs, 1.0-1.6GHz (up to 1.6 TFlops FP32)
• APU power: 4-15W

RAM

• 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM (5500 MT/s)

Storage

• 64 GB eMMC (PCIe Gen 2 x1)

• 256 GB NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4)
• 512 GB high-speed NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4)
• All models include high-speed microSD card slot

Controls and Input

• A B X Y buttons
• D-pad
• L & R analog triggers
• L & R bumpers
• View & Menu buttons
• 4 x assignable grip buttons
• Thumbsticks
• 2 x full-size analog sticks with capacitive touch

Haptics

• HD haptics

Trackpads

• 2 x 32.5mm square trackpads with haptic feedback
• 55% better latency compared to Steam Controller
• Pressure-sensitivity for configurable click strength

Gyro

• 6-Axis IMU

Display

• 1280 x 800px (16:10 aspect ratio)
• Optically bonded LCD for enhanced readability
• 7" diagonal
• 60Hz Refresh Rate
• Touch enabled
• Ambient light sensor

Connectivity

• Bluetooth 5.0 (support for controllers, accessories and audio)
• Dual-band Wi-Fi radio, 2.4GHz and 5GHz, 2 x 2 MIMO, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac

Audio

• Stereo with embedded DSP for an immersive listening experience
• Dual microphone array
• 3.5mm stereo headphone / headset jack
• Multichannel audio via DisplayPort over USB-C, standard USB-C, or Bluetooth 5.0

Power

• 45W USB Type-C PD3.0 power supply
• 40Whr battery. 2 - 8 hours of gameplay

Expansion

• microSD
  • UHS-I supports SD, SDXC and SDHC
• External connectivity for controllers & displays
  • USB-C with DisplayPort 1.4 Alt-mode support; up to 8K @60Hz or 4K @120Hz, USB 3.2 Gen 2

Size and Weight

• Size: 298mm x 117mm x 49mm
• Weight: 669 grams (approximate)

Software

• Operating System: SteamOS 3.0 (Arch-based)
• Desktop: KDE Plasma