In July 2021, Valve revealed the Steam Deck, a Switch-like handheld device that lets you play your Steam games on the go. The device is packed with features, including a huge variety of control options, a 7-inch touchscreen, the ability to connect to external displays, and a quick suspend / resume feature so that you can pause your games and pick them up where you left off. The device began shipping in February 2022 starting at $399.
In our initial review, Sean called the Deck a “glorious mess,” but things soon improved. With an unprecedented degree of support from Valve and the help of the gaming community, it became one of The Verge’s favorite gadgets of 2022. Nearly a year after launch, we explained how no other company has anything quite like it, and increased our review score. Here’s our latest interview with Valve about what’s next.
We’ve been keeping a close eye on the Steam Deck, and you can read all of our coverage of it here.
Mar 28
Maybe don’t buy The Last of Us on PC yet?Sony has broken its streak beautifully bringing its biggest games to PC. The Last of Us just arrived on Steam and 67% of user reviews are negative. Beyond crashes and excessive VRAM use, it’s not Steam Deck Verified and doesn’t run well there, despite game creator Neil Druckmann’s tweet last December suggesting it would “grace” the portable.
Guess that’s why Sony didn’t send journalists review codes until today!
Mar 28
Dolphin, the fantastic GameCube and Wii emulator, is coming to Steam.Sure, you could download Dolphin for free any number of ways — but this one should make it that much easier for, say, Steam Deck owners to experience. (While saying nothing of the sort, the announcement comes with a low-resolution 16:10 screenshot to tease such possibilities.)
ETA: Q2 2023. Price: free.
Coming Soon: Dolphin on Steam![Dolphin Emulator]
Mar 16
The Steam Deck and Steam’s Big Picture Mode now support custom startup movies.It got a little buried in my story about how the Steam Deck is on sale for the first time ever, so just want to make sure you see! You can use them with your desktop too when you launch Big Picture Mode.
Steam’s Points Shop now includes 20 custom startup movies. Mar 15
One does not simply build an OLED Steam Deck.Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais tells PC Gamer that a new screen is not exactly a “drop-in” or “incremental” upgrade. Is he hinting we won’t see a mid-cycle refresh like Nintendo did when it introduced the Nintendo Switch OLED?
Valve’s Steam Deck designers told me months ago that screen and battery are the pain points they’d most like to address in an eventual sequel.
Feb 22
I wouldn’t trade my $400 Steam Deck for this $1,300 Ayaneo 2
Ayaneo 2 review: you can’t play a spec sheet.
Feb 19
The Steam Deck now supports game transfers from PCs
The latest Steam Deck update lets you copy an already-installed game from a PC on your local network to the handheld, saving you from redownloading it again.
Feb 13
Atomic purple? Yes please.I almost wish I’d waited before buying JSAUX’s excellent transparent heatsink backplate for my Steam Deck...because it now comes in better colors, too! Oh BTW: don’t do the RGB mod yet.
Feb 3
The Steam Deck is finally a true gaming PC.All it took was RGB LEDs.
(And a JSAUX transparent backplate, and a M0 microcontroller, and competent soldering skills, and 1-3W drain on the Deck’s battery... instructions here.)
This Steam Deck is spittin’ rainbows. Photo by u/WUBBSY (Reddit)Feb 2
Updated Steam? Now try pressing that little “expand window” button at the upper right.Steam’s new Big Picture Mode has made it to the stable ring at last, giving you a way more responsive way to select PC games from your couch, touchscreen, or with a Windows portable like the Ayaneo 2 I’m trying right now. It basically gives you the Steam Deck UI on your PC.
Jan 25
Debunk: Game developers did NOT just say they’re “unsure” about the Steam Deck.PCGamesN has already deleted its story (and tweet) but just to be clear, the GDC survey in question was from an entire year ago, before the Deck even went on sale.
GDC’s new survey just came out last week. While it doesn’t ask about the Deck, a majority of developers say PC is the platform they’re most interested in — just like they did last year.
Jan 24
My favorite new Steam Deck mod is this $30 see-through heatsink backplate
See inside your Steam Deck and make it cooler
Jan 19
The Steam Deck wasn’t born ready, but it’s ready now
♫ So I’m glad I got burned, think of all the things we learned ♫
Jan 9
Transferring games between PCs (and Steam Decks) is about to get easier.Why re-download a game on Steam Deck if you’ve already got it installed on another PC? Valve has been asking itself that question, too! SteamDB noticed it’s working on a feature where you can transfer games directly over LAN, saving time and/or your data cap.
Steam’s existing vestigial backup feature didn’t work well with Deck; can’t wait to do this instead.
Dec 31, 2022
9 great games for your Steam Deck from 2022
If you’re the proud owner of a shiny new Steam Deck, here are some of The Verge’s favorite games to enjoy on Valve’s handheld.
Dec 25, 2022
Playing Metroid Prime on a Steam Deck shouldn’t feel this good
While Nintendo sleeps on releasing Metroid Prime games for the Switch, emulating them (legally) on the Steam Deck is very fun and very simple to do.
Dec 23, 2022
It’s probably safe to download the Steam Deck update now.I warned you yesterday after I heard a few horror stories and got stuck on the boot screen myself, but Valve has now pushed two fixes to the supposedly Stable ring — 3.4.1 and 3.4.2. They revert and defer the SD card pathing change that was tripping up people with emulators and symlinks, fix “regression causing games to crash due to missing dependencies”, and fix hardware acceleration for remote play.
Since Valve is putting 3.4.3 into preview rather than just shipping it, it seems the flurry of fixes is done for now.
Dec 22, 2022
Steam Deck gets SteamOS 3.4 update, here’s what’s inside.The highlights for me: a new horizontal performance overlay that uses the wasted space when you’re running games at 16:9, a fix for weird fan behavior, and the ability to manually eject (read: unmount) SD cards to be extra safe before you yank ‘em. But there’s way more, too.
I wonder if the weird adaptive backlight glitch is why my Duck Game starts stuttering after a few full rounds of play.
Update: I might wait a day to download this one. Valve already had to revert one SD card pathing change and I’m seeing owners complain of missing dual-boot partitions and getting stuck on the boot screen. My Deck sat on that screen for 30 min before I worked up the courage for a hard reset. Seems OK now.
Dec 16, 2022
Even if you didn’t win a Steam Deck, you might have still won a Steam Deck.Another good reason to check your email today!
And if you’re curious about what’s next for the Deck, check out my interview with two of its lead developers.
Dec 15, 2022
Valve answers our burning Steam Deck questions — including a possible Steam Controller 2
The updates must flow
Dec 5, 2022
Many EA games are borked on Steam Deck, but fixes are on the way
Here’s how to get a game working in the meanwhile
Dec 1, 2022
Valve will give away a free Steam Deck every minute during The Game Awards
Free Steam Deck, anyone?
Nov 30, 2022
The Steam Deck arrives in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on December 17th
Valve’s handheld gaming PC could be particularly popular in Japan, where handhelds dominate.
Nov 7, 2022
3D-print yourself a better way to hold up your Steam Deck in bed?Behold: the RestDeck. “The design is very human, very easy to use,” says creator Andrew_HL2.
While that phrasing made me chuckle quite a bit, particularly once I gazed upon its full set of appendages, I would have killed for something like this after the electric scooter accident that sent me to the hospital and savaged my hands and wrists. Something like this could be even handier for those with more permanent conditions.
Files here ($6.99); you can peruse the full instruction manual before you take the plunge.
Oct 21, 2022
Valve will soon tell you what components are in your Steam Deck
The beta feature will help with servicing and repairs by listing component information for each Steam Deck handheld.
Oct 18, 2022
Valve’s new dock won’t replace your Switch, but it makes the Steam Deck more useful
The official Steam Deck dock is a great accessory to play your PC games on your TV. But in my testing, it worked exactly the same as the USB-C hub I use with my office desk, so Valve’s dock isn’t necessary for big-screen gaming.
Oct 14, 2022
Valve’s latest Steam Deck update introduces longer custom boot animations
Users can now create videos up to 30 seconds in length to play when starting up the gaming handheld
Oct 6, 2022
Valve’s Steam Deck Dock is now available to order
The long-delayed dock will cost $89 and will add some ports as well as help set up your PC gaming handheld for play on bigger screens.
Sep 29, 2022
Dbrand’s Steam Deck case is so good it almost makes you forget its big flaw
Finally, a Steam Deck case that I don’t hate. Unfortunately, the kickstand’s powerful magnets could be a problem.
Sep 26, 2022
It only took a month to turn a Steam Deck deposit into a purchase
In case you’re thinking about joining the queue for Valve’s PC handheld, the time to buy a Steam Deck is getting shorter and shorter. You can take Valve at its word.
Sep 13, 2022
These working prototypes reveal the Steam Deck’s evolution
Take a look at the Valve handhelds that didn’t make the cut
Sep 9, 2022
Valve now has repair centers that can fix your Steam Deck
If you don’t want to fix your Steam Deck yourself, Valve has another option
Aug 24, 2022
Your Steam Deck might be coming by the end of September instead of Q4
‘Steam Deck production has continued to outperform our estimates,’ says Valve
Aug 10, 2022
The Steam Deck makes PlayStation’s biggest games portable
Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered is just the latest example
Aug 9, 2022
How to get your Steam Deck to access the Epic Games Store and more
You can use this method for GOG and Origin, too
Aug 4, 2022
You can now preorder the Steam Deck in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan
The first batches will ship later this year
Jul 29, 2022
Valve says you’re getting your Steam Deck by the end of the year
Check your reservation — it might be Q3 or Q4 now
Jul 29, 2022
How to fix the Steam Deck’s noisy fan
The iFixit-sourced Huaying replacement fixed the whine immediately
Jul 9, 2022
The Steam Deck is changing how I buy games
What used to be an easy decision is much harder
Jun 30, 2022
The Steam Deck’s best button is its software
Don’t like what a button does? Just change it
Jun 27, 2022
Valve is doubling Steam Deck shipments, so you might get yours faster
More Steam Decks are on the way
May 27, 2022
A Steam Deck software update is turning fan noise way down
In my initial testing, it’s made a big difference
May 23, 2022
iFixit’s Steam Deck repair guides and parts are live (but the best pieces are MIA)
We’re not seeing motherboard, fans, or the anti-glare screen
May 21, 2022
iFixit will sell nearly every part of the Steam Deck — including the entire motherboard
You might even be able to upgrade your fan or screen
May 12, 2022
A new Steam Deck update adds one of the most-requested features
Like most parts of the Deck, there’s more work to be done
Apr 28, 2022
Valve says you shouldn’t fix the Steam Deck’s noisy fan this way
But it totally helped me
Apr 26, 2022
You can now set a lock screen for your Steam Deck
The update adding the lock screen and other features is available now
Apr 21, 2022
Valve upgrades its Steam Deck dock ahead of release, but we still don’t know how much it costs
The official dock will be available in ‘late spring’
Apr 6, 2022
My favorite thing about the Steam Deck is its ultra-portable case
Now I can touch grass while I touch grace
Apr 4, 2022
Valve says it’s ‘ramping up’ Steam Deck shipments
And it will ‘sometimes’ send order emails twice a week
Mar 31, 2022
The Steam Deck just got a dual-touchpad keyboard and some much-needed fixes
Wi-Fi, deadzones, and more
Mar 29, 2022
Steam Deck, one month later
We kept using Valve’s handheld game console — here are answers to your burning questions
Mar 18, 2022
Xbox Cloud Gaming now supports Steam Deck through Microsoft Edge
Microsoft is throwing its support behind the Steam Deck
Mar 10, 2022
The Steam Deck now runs Windows
Valve offers no Windows support beyond these drivers, and the speakers won’t work yet
Mar 7, 2022
New Steam Deck orders won’t ship until at least October
If you’re interested, you may want to make a reservation now
Mar 4, 2022
iFixit’s Steam Deck replacement parts will be available beginning this summer
You’ll be able to buy new parts to fix up your Deck
Mar 3, 2022
The Steam Deck’s FSR vividly shows why a Nintendo Switch Pro would rule
Elden Ring, Cyberpunk, Fallout and more look better on big screens with intelligent upscaling
Mar 2, 2022
Valve says the Steam Deck’s ‘stick drift’ was a bug and it’s already shipped a fix
Valve calls it a ‘deadzone calibration issue introduced in a recent firmware update’
Mar 1, 2022
Bungie rejects Steam Deck’s Linux, threatens to ban Destiny 2 players there
‘Players who attempt to bypass Destiny 2 incompatibility will be met with a game ban.’
Mar 1, 2022
You can now play Valve’s free 30-minute Portal spinoff, even if you don’t have a Steam Deck
It just won’t control the same
Mar 1, 2022
Watch Valve’s Gabe Newell deliver Steam Decks to mostly confused customers
‘I signed it, I hope that’s ok’
Feb 23, 2022
The official Steam Deck dock won’t be available at launch
Valve says it will launch in ‘late spring’
Feb 23, 2022
Steam’s new tool shows which of your games can run on the Deck
Touching things up for the handheld’s imminent launch
Feb 16, 2022
The Steam Deck will now play these breakout hits from PlayStation Vita, Switch, and Xbox
And Apex Legends might be coming, too
Feb 15, 2022
iFixit has a Steam Deck teardown — and will officially sell replacement parts from Valve
The fourth Steam Deck teardown we’ve seen