After several months (years even) of rumours surrounding Valve creating some sort of portable device we've now got the full reveal. The Steam Deck, a portable device that "brings the Steam games and features you love to a powerful and convenient form factor that you can take wherever you go". Yeah, and it's powerful enough to run even the most demanding titles in your library.

On that front, as per an exclusive hands-on over at IGN, running games like DOOM Eternal or Death Stranding is possible thanks to the 720p display and the custom APU developed in partnership with AMD.



IGN's Tom Marks writes.

All-in-all, I’m extremely impressed with what I’ve seen of the Steam Deck. $399 for the entry-level model is a very attractive price point for folks who are either new to the PC space, or are looking for a more powerful alternative to the Nintendo Switch. And for PC veterans, the higher-end models offer the storage space needed to tote around a handful of triple-A games in their backpack – at a price point that’s actually quite compelling compared to a cheap gaming laptop, let alone a full desktop PC build.

With its 720p display the Steam Deck includes full controls in addition to track-pads for mouse-like movement for games that require that input. No doubt Valve have packed this thing with just about everything, and the Steam Deck is set to launch with three models, each upping the storage -- starting at the consumer friendly price of $399 USD.



Here are the full specs.

Compute

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• CPU: (AMD APU) Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)
  
• GPU: (AMD APU) 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

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All models include high-speed microSD card slot

• 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)

Controls and Input

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• Gamepad controls: 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

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• Resolution: 1280 x 800px (16:10 aspect ratio)
  
• Type: Optically bonded LCD for enhanced readability
  
• Display size: 7" diagonal
  
• Brightness: 400 nits typical
  
• Refresh rate: 60Hz, Touch enabled, Ambient light sensor

Connectivity

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

Audio

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

Power

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

Expansion

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• 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

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• Size: 298mm x 117mm x 49mm
  
• Weight: Approx. 669 grams

Software

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

And in keeping the theme of Nintendo Switch but Steam, Valve will be releasing an official dock to allow the Steam deck to connect to a display and additional peripherals, meaning it doubles as a full-blown PC too.

Just taking a look at your Steam Library there's no doubt this will be a huge hit for Valve, full Steam functionality including chat, cloud saves, the store, remote play, and more. The OS will feature quick access to everything too, and will be able to boot right into the Steam interface making it act for all intents and purposes like a console.

The Steam Deck is on track for a December 2021 release for the United States, Canada, European Union, and the United Kingdom - with other regions to follow.