This button brings up the system menu and pauses the game. On the left there is a Steam button, this functions much like the Xbox logo button or PlayStation logo button on their respective controllers. There is also a gyroscope that many games can use for movement. Around the back, there are 2 back buttons on each side, along with L and R bumpers and triggers. Next to that are adjacent joysticks, four traditional face buttons, select, and start.

I almost never used them over the joysticks while playing but they may serve as an accessibility feature for disabled players. Once you get past the size, you will notice the dual touch-mouse pads on the front, these have haptic feedback. Although The $400 entry point tied to the Steam Deck may be a better option for some.

As for teens and young adults, a gaming laptop would be a more versatile tool to meet their needs. The smaller, lighter Nintendo Switch is a better form factor for kids 6 to 12 years old for sure, I just do not see my nieces and nephews holding onto the Steam Deck as long as they would a Switch. Yet I am now convinced this is not a suitable form factor for kids. If you are prone to Eczema rashes on your hands from heat, the Steam Deck could be a trigger. I should also note the Steam Deck gets very hot. Had I been playing normal healthy hours, this would not be a problem. The size feels right but after countless hours of playing for our content, I developed tennis elbow and forearm fatigue. The buttons and the dual mouse pads are ergonomically arranged around the 7 inch display. While a difference of two inches or 5 cm does not sound like a lot, the Steam Deck feels significantly wider than the Switch.įor the most part, I love the size, it fits me perfectly. The 23.6 ounce Steam Deck weighs nearly twice as much as the OLED Nintendo Switch. I was taken back when I first held it in my hand, it is huge. Of course, you can see thousands of pictures and videos online but, they genuinely do not do it justice.

When you unbox your Steam Deck, the first thing you are going to notice is its size. Now that we have had our unit for some time, we ask, is it worth the cost? While it may not open your pocket, it certainly does open your backpack to a brand new way to play. The cost-effective gaming PC on the go opens your PC library up to a new form factor. Valve’s new handheld PC hopes to regain the ground lost to mobile devices and the Nintendo Switch.

Nearly a year after our first Steam Deck order was placed, our unit has arrived.

Steam deck 512gb price