Steam’s Switch-like portable console launches this December

By Andrew Zucosky Published April 25, 2023

Steam revealed a new portable console called the Steam Deck, which will be available to purchase this December. The Steam Deck is a handheld system that allows players to play their Steam games on the go. There will be multiple versions of the console available starting at $399 and players can currently reserve one in specific regions.

Steam's new handheld console, the Steam Deck. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Steam Deck, which looks quite similar to the Nintendo Switch, is a way for players to carry around their Steam library wherever they go. The device features a custom APU that was created with AMD. The portable device will also have a dock for players to connect the system to a television set or other external display.

The Steam Deck is not just a portable device that can play Steam games. Valve says that it is a full gaming PC, just in the shell of a handheld console. The Steam Deck has a Linux-based desktop that can be used as a web browser and can download third-party applications. Along with the expected buttons and triggers for a console in 2021, the Steam Deck also has two touchpads right below the joysticks as well as a touchscreen.

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There are currently three pricing options for the Steam Deck. The first option is the $399 version that includes 64 GB of internal storage as well as a carrying case. The next step up is a $529 option that has 256 GB internal storage, a carrying case, and an exclusive Steam Community profile bundle. Finally, the last version is a $649 option that boasts 512 GB of internal storage, an anti-scratch screen, an exclusive carrying case, a virtual keyboard, and the exclusive Steam Community profile bundle. Each version of the console will also include a microSD slot.

Currently, reservations are available in the United States, Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom.

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