Gaming PC meets Nintendo Switch, but can Valve’s Steam Deck live up to gamers’ big expectations?
After an unexpected delay, the Steam Deck is almost upon us and the reviews are rolling in. It seems as though Valve’s handheld PC is making a big impression — in more ways than one. Some of the system’s pros and cons are fairly constant from person to person, but of course there’s some wiggle room depending on everyone’s own preferences and what they were expecting to get from the Steam Deck in the first place. The overall consensus is that it’s a cool piece of gaming hardware that’s a great way for Steam users to enjoy some of their games while traveling or even just detached from their PCs, as well as a good jumping off point for people who might be interested in exploring PC gaming for the first time. That is, assuming they can get ahold of one. At the moment Valve has only started sending shipping notices to people who were able to reserve a Steam Deck back when that window was first opened in July of 2021, and even then it’s going in reservation order. So if you weren’t able to toss your lot in last summer you’ll have to make a reservation through Steam and wait until – according to Valve – sometime in Q2 of 2022 for it to come in. Most of the Steam Deck’s positives have been unanimous, with Game Informer, Polygon, The Washington Post, and pretty much everyone else praising its ability to play so many games from their Steam libraries in a more portable fashion. And of course the portability itself has been a big talking point as the Steam Deck offers better performance, better visuals, and a more extensive selection than it’s only real competitor: the Nintendo Switch.
