Valve recently announced its first portable personal computer device, Steam Deck, which allows gamers to play games from their Steam library or enjoy streaming platforms on the go.
Steam took to Twitter on Thursday, 15 July 2021, to introduce its brand-new gaming system, Steam Deck. It is a portable handheld device that can play any game in a gamer’s Steam library, among other features.
Initially, fans speculated that the device will compete with the Nintendo Switch, however, it was revealed that it is not a gaming console, but rather, a portable personal computer (PC). According to Valve, users will be able to plug the device into a monitor or television, install software and applications, use it to watch streaming videos, and even install other gaming stores on it.
The portable device will feature SteamOS, a custom Linux operating system that loads into the familiar Steam interface that gamers use on a PC. However, users will reportedly be able to install Windows on the device, meaning that the Deck will be the perfect portable Xbox gaming system. Installing Windows on it would also open this device up to the thousands of games on Steam that are not listed as SteamOS compatible yet. The device features a seven-inch liquid-crystal display (LCD), a rectangle with two thumbsticks, and two trackpads for “PC games that were never designed to be handheld.
In an interview with IGN, Valve designer, Lawrence Yang stated, “We do not think people should be locked into a certain direction or a certain set of software that they can install.” Adding, “If you buy a Steam Deck, it is a PC. You can install whatever you want on it, you can attach any peripherals you want, maybe a better way to think about it is that it is a small PC with a controller attached, as opposed to a gaming console.”
Valve has changed the entire gaming experience for PC gamers with the new portable device. PC gamers will now be able to take not only their games, but their entire PC with them wherever they go, all on a small device. The Steam Deck is scheduled to ship to the United States in December 2021.