Steam’s Switch-like portable console launches this December

By Andrew Zucosky July 15, 2021

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.

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.

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

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The Steam Deck OLED on a pink background.

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Key art for Celeste.

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Released by Maddy Makes Games in 2018, Celeste is one of the best indie games of the 2010s; it even earned a rare five-star rating from Digital Trends when it launched. I had the pleasure of playing this game ahead of its wide release then, and I was completely taken aback by how it cleverly reinforces its poignant narrative themes through gameplay, which tasks players with mastering the controls and learning the layout of platforming challenges bit by bit to overcome a massive obstacle. If you haven't checked out Celeste yet, it's a steal at just $2, a 90% discount from its typical $20 price tag.