Steam Deck specs, price and release date
Steam Deck specs
All first-generation Steam Deck (available in 2021) models share the same specifications, except for storage capacity (type) and LCD finish.
Core unit
| item | details |
|---|---|
| chip set | AMD APU |
| CPU | Zen 2 4c/8t、2.4～3.5GHz（Max 448 GFlops FP32） |
| GPU | 8 RDNA 2 CU, 1.0～1.6GHz（Max 1.6 TFlops FP32） |
| APU power | 4～15W |
| RAM | 16 GB LPDDR5 Onboard RAM（5500 MT/s Quad 32bit channel） |
| Storage | 64 GB eMMC 256 GB NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3（x 4）or PCIe Gen 3（x 2） 512 GB High Speed NVMe SSD（PCIe Gen 3（x 4）or PCIe Gen 3（x 2）) |
The core main part of the device is based on AMD's proprietary customized chipset of the Zen 2 generation, with 16 GB memory, which is a high spec even for a portable PC.
Display
| item | details |
|---|---|
| resolution | 1280 x 800px（aspect ratio 16:10） |
| type | IPS LCD |
| size | 7 inches |
| brightness | 400 nit（default） |
| refresh rate | 60Hz |
| Touch sendor | x |
| other sendor | Ambient light sensor |
The LCD size of the Steam Deck is 7 inches, which is large for a portable gaming device, but is on the smaller side when viewed as a UMPC.
The LCD resolution is also somewhat modest at 1280 x 800px, although many UMPC models have Full HD or higher. This seems to have been decided by balancing gaming performance and battery life.
The top-of-the-line 512GB model has a "premium anti-glare etching" finish on the LCD screen.
Connectivity
| item | details |
|---|---|
| USB | USB type-C x 1 |
| earphone | 3.5mm Stereo mini jack |
| micro SD | UHS-I(SD、SDXC、SDHC) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0（Supports controllers, accessories, and audio） |
| Wi-Fi | Dualband Wi-Fi、2.4GHz/5GHz、2 x 2 MIMO、IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| Display output | DisplayPort 1.4 Alt mode USB-C(USB 3.2 Gen 2) (Max 8K @60Hz or 4K @120Hz) |
The Steam Deck has only three physical ports for connectivity: USB type-C, 3.5mm stereo minijack, and micro SD, with Wifi and Bluetooth for communication connectivity.
The power port is the unit's only USB type-C port, so a stock docking station or third-party USB hub is required for USB expansion.
How to output via HDMI with Steam Deck
Power
| item | details |
|---|---|
| input | 45W USB Type-C PD 3.0 |
| battery | 40Whr battery (2～8hours game play) |
The Steam Deck has a built-in battery, but as mentioned above, the Steam Deck is charged via a USB type-C port. The included AC adapter is a 45W PD (Power Delivery) standard.
Even lower power outputs, such as 30W, can be used to charge the Steam Deck if they meet the PD standard, so it is possible to charge the Steam Deck with a mobile battery or other device.
Size and Weight
| item | details |
|---|---|
| Size | 298mm x 117mm x 49mm |
| Weight | 669g |
Both size and weight are heavy for a portable gaming device. However, it is astounding considering the specifications, which are in the class of entry-level gaming notebook PCs of a few years ago.
OS
| item | details |
|---|---|
| OS | SteamOS 3.0（Arch Linux Base） |
| Desktop | KDE Plasma |
The Steam Deck's standard operating system is Steam OS, an original Arch Linux-based operating system. The desktop environment is KDE Plasma, but the Steam UI unless called from the unit's menu.
Although Linux-based, many games for Windows can also be played by employing "Proton," which converts Windows game APIs in Linux.
Steam Deck lineup and selling price
The Steam Deck lineup is divided into three models, each with a different selling price, mainly due to differences in storage.
| Item | Price | Storage | LCD | Accessories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam Deck 64GB | $399 | 64GB eMMC | - | USB type-C power adapter Carrying case |
| Steam Deck 256GB | $529 | 256GB NVMe SSD | - | USB type-C power adapter Carrying case Exclusive Steam Community Profile Bundle |
| Steam Deck 512GB | $649 | 512GB NVMe SSD | Premium anti-glare etched glass | USB type-C power adapter Limited Carrying case Exclusive Steam Community Profile Bundle Limited Virtual Keyboard Theme |
Steam Deck Benchmark Scores
Steam Deck runs on Steam OS, but we will summarize the benchmark results in a Windows installed environment.
| Benchmark | Target | Score |
|---|---|---|
| GeekBench Single Core | CPU | 830 |
| GeekBench Multi Core | CPU | 3,666 |
| 3D Mark (Night Raid) | GPU | 16,126 |
| 3D Mark (Fire Strike) | GPU | 4,340 |
| 3D Mark (Time Spy) | GPU | 1,722 |
CPU performance is about the same as the 7th generation Core i7 desktop version of Intel CPUs, and about the same as the Ryzen 5 2500X desktop version of the Ryzen series.
The GPU performance is similar to the desktop Radeon RX 550 or higher, or the GTX 960M dGPU unit for notebook PCs, with graphics performance on par with "old-school gaming notebook PCs".
Steam Deck and AMD-V (virtualization environment)
The Steam Deck is equipped with an AMD CPU, but it was unclear whether it supports AMD-V, AMD's virtualization technology.
However, since some users are running macOS Catalina on Virtualbox installed on Steam Deck, it is safe to assume that Steam Deck's AMD CPU supports AMD-V.
However, because the Steam Deck is a proprietary customized model of AMD's Zen2 CPU, the graphics area is special, and the graphics accelerator does not work when using Virtualbox as a desktop environment.
Therefore, it is not realistic to play games on a virtual machine such as Windows running Virtualbox on the Steam OS, and at present it is only for use on Linux servers and the like.
In the future, if graphics drivers for Virtualbox are enhanced, it will be possible to play games on Windows in Virtualbox on Steam OS.
Where can I buy Steam Deck?
For the U.S. and Europe, Valve, the operator of Steam, sells Steam Deck directly, but for Japan and other Asian countries (Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea), Komoco Inc. handles sales operations, so they are purchased from Komodo.