The handheld console has been in the works for a long time. Valve's Steam Deck is a portable handheld that plays PC games. The Steam Deck can play games made for Windows despite being based on a Linux OS. The Steam Deck is a full-blown PC, capable of loading into a desktop mode where you can browse the web, download apps, and stream music. If the default Steam OS feels too limited, you can install Windows 10 on the device. The steam deck can be overwhelming at first. Thankfully, Valve included features that made it easier to use. There are some tips and tricks that every Steam Deck owner should know.
Upgrade the storage with a microSD card
You will probably run out of storage space at some point, even if you spend a lot on the 512GB Steam Deck. God of War and NBA 2K22 need a lot of storage. Those who purchased the base 64GB Steam Deck could have trouble trying to download one title.
There is a handy microSD card slot on the bottom of every Steam Deck version. The key is to find a card with the fastest write speeds and largest capacity that fits within your budget. Consider brands like SanDisk.
One of the features that sounds great but rarely works is adaptive brightness. I didn't like the constant brightness fluctuation and the battery life boost didn't make up for it. It didn't take long for me to remove the feature from the steam deck.
The button combo trick described on the next slide can be used to adjust the brightness.
When the sun is behind the clouds, you enjoy your steam deck in the beautiful fresh summer air. The 7-inch screen is hard to see in bright conditions. You could open the quick settings and change the brightness to the right. There is no time for settings menus in the middle of a high-octane gunfight.
Thankfully, Valve agrees. You can use the brightness adjustment shortcut to lighten or dim your screen in the middle of a game. It's an awkward button combo, but it does the job: press and hold the steam button while moving up or down on the left screen.
You can use the steam deck to install Windows 10. Should you? It is complicated. I would resist the urge for now. The Steam Deck has the basics needed to download games and play them on Windows. Since there is no dual boot support for Steam OS, you need to wipe it. The Steam Deck's speakers and headphones won't work because Valve has only bare-bones Windows support.
There is a question of performance and stability. You might be tempted to download Windows as a way to get full access to your Steam library or games you own on other stores, since not every Steam game runs on Linux. That sounds great and all, but these games haven't been tested to play on the steam deck, so you'll be the only one who knows.
If you're a tinkerer who considers the reward of getting Windows onto the Steam Deck to be more important than the risk, then you should go for it. Most people should stick with Steam OS.
Some games won't run on high settings. You can't dial up the video settings on steam deck if you are deemed to be a great experience. Control stuttered at the console's native resolution as enemies filled the screen. The frame rate was fixed by dropping the resolution to 720p.
The important thing to remember is that the Steam Deck runs on a custom chip, not a high-powered graphics card combo. Don't get frustrated if a game doesn't run perfectly at the default settings, just keep your expectations in check.
Between the time I received the Steam Deck and the embargo date for the review, I can't remember how many software updates Valve released. Dozens. You can expect more software updates in the months and years to come. There is a yellow exclamation mark over the settings gear icon that indicates a new software version is available to download.
If a game isn't verified for Steam Deck, assume it won't be able to be played. I encountered that in my testing. You can download the game, but it might not open. It's not like Valve is pulling a fast one on us; add a game to your cart that isn't verified and a bright yellow warning appears, stating your game may not function properly on Steam Deck. If you already own a game, try to play it and uninstall it later. Don't buy a game if it isn't already in your library and hope it runs on the steam deck.
There are many buttons in the steam deck. You should take advantage of them. The rear paddle buttons are not typically found on a standard controller. That doesn't mean you can't use them.
You can get an advantage when playing certain games by rearranging the rear buttons. They can act as paddle shifters in the game. To remap the buttons, you have to press the steam button twice. The rear buttons can be assigned to any action.
It's wonderful, hold Steam + A. If you aren't following along, holding the Steam + A keys will bring up a shortcut that will help you navigate the OS. It gives you the button combinations you need to use a mouse and keyboard.
I will go into more detail in the next slide.
Things are going to break. The Steam Deck is a first-generation product that is close to being stable. The Steam Deck is a rushed mess that requires owners to have some patience and understanding. If you don't like patience, you could use the Steam + B button combo. If you hold the two buttons, the game will shut down and you will be able to go back to the main screen.
I don't want to overstate the problems of the steam deck. Game crashes are rare but it needs work. It's nice to have a quick out when things go wrong.
You can use the controller to navigate Steam OS on the Steam Deck, but that's not a way to live. You can use the console to connect wireless peripherals like a gaming mouse and keyboard. It was easy to pair my keyboard and mouse with the Steam Deck and I was able to navigate the web much easier. Since I prefer using a console controller to the controls of the steam deck, I attached my PS5's dualsense to the steam deck and used it instead.
The quick settings menu has an option to set the frame rate at 15 frames per second, 30 frames per second, and 60 frames per second. The console is throttled when you hit those frame rates. Why do you limit performance? To preserve battery life and reduce fan noise. A game that runs at 15 frames per second doesn't use as much power as a game that runs at 60 frames per second.
You don't want to dial down the frame count for every game, but if you aren't playing a fast-action game you shouldn't drop from 60 to 30 frames per second. The option to play at 15 frames per second is the best option for games like Civilization VI.
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