\n
Love it or hate it, fail or succeed, the Steam Deck<\/a> will go down in gadget history. It\u2019s a bold attempt to make PC gaming more portable and <\/em>affordable than ever before, an ultimate gadget with exotic features and infinitely customizable controls, and perhaps the most powerful gaming PC ever sold for a mere $400. <\/p>\n
But it also shipped incomplete. We titled our February 28th review \u201cSteam Deck: it\u2019s not ready\u201d<\/a> \u2014 even though I also<\/em> called it the most fun I\u2019ve had in years.<\/p>\n
One month and many updates<\/a> later, has anything changed? Yes and no!<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what I learned spending another month with the Steam Deck, as well as the answers to many burning questions I wasn\u2019t able to address in our original review. <\/p>\n
Consider this our Steam Deck FAQ.<\/p>\n
What is the Steam Deck, in one sentence flat?<\/strong><\/h2>\nIt\u2019s a Linux gaming PC that runs many but not all Windows games, on the go like a Nintendo Switch, only with way<\/em> more horsepower, shorter battery life, and a seriously noisy fan. <\/p>\nOr, optionally<\/a>, it\u2019s a Windows gaming PC that runs more games \u2014 but often poorly \u2014 without as much portability, without speakers, and a whole bunch of other weirdness because Valve isn\u2019t officially supporting Windows on Deck. <\/p>\n
I\u2019ll talk about Windows more later, but TL;DR: I don\u2019t recommend Windows on Deck at all.<\/p>\n
How noisy is that fan? <\/strong><\/p>\n
Here, take a listen<\/a>!<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t exactly overpower the Deck\u2019s excellent speakers, and I don\u2019t think it\u2019d be audible over the noise of an airplane, and my wife hasn\u2019t kicked me out of bed for repeatedly playing Elden Ring<\/em> past midnight \u2014 yet. <\/p>\n
Isn\u2019t it… heavy to hold above your head in bed? <\/strong><\/p>\n
It\u2019s no Nintendo Switch, that\u2019s for sure, and at 1.47 pounds, I tend to lie on my stomach and play it prone instead. The USB-C port\u2019s on the top, so you can still charge it that way. <\/p>\n
How much does it hurt to drop it on your face? (Is it more late <\/strong>Harry Potter<\/strong><\/em> or <\/strong>A Game of Thrones<\/strong><\/em>?)<\/strong><\/p>\n
Do you really<\/em> need to know? The things I do for readers… <\/p>\n
OW, MY NOSE. Yes, that\u2019s definitely worse than a Nintendo Switch. At least there\u2019s nothing pointy on the Steam Deck, unlike some of the book corners I\u2019ve brained myself with over the years.<\/p>\n
Just how powerful are we talking?<\/strong> Should I buy this instead of the PS5 that never wants to hop into my online shopping cart?<\/strong><\/p>\n
It\u2019s more PS4 than PS5 \u2014 and our friends at Digital Foundry<\/em> have the video to prove it<\/a>, running God of War<\/em> on both the Steam Deck and a PS4 at the same settings. But PS4 power in a handheld is unheard of. (Compare to the Nintendo Switch, where The Witcher 3 <\/em>looks like dirt by comparison<\/a>.)<\/p>\n
And in some games, I\u2019d argue the Steam Deck does better than a PS4, at least at its given resolution. When I\u2019m playing games like Control<\/em> at 60fps, it feels more like a PS4 Pro.<\/p>\n
\n\n  <\/p>\n    <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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    <\/span><\/p>\n
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        Photo by Vjeran Pavic \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n
    <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
OK, but can it run Crysis \/ Doom \/ INSERT GAME HERE???<\/strong><\/p>\nYes<\/a>. Yes<\/a>. Probably? Like I say in the video review<\/a>, you can\u2019t be 100 percent sure a game will play brilliantly even if Valve has \u201cverified\u201d it \u2014 and over the past month, early adopters have discovered Valve\u2019s verification system is anything but foolproof.   <\/p>\n
Examples:<\/p>\n
\n\nDeathloop<\/em> has a green \u201cDeck Verified\u201d badge but doesn\u2019t play well, with slowdown and stuttery controls<\/li>\n
\nVampire Survivors <\/em>has a green \u201cDeck Verified\u201d badge, which worked perfectly for me at launch but no longer detects the Deck\u2019s controls at all<\/li>\n
\nSlay the Spire<\/em> has a green \u201cDeck Verified\u201d badge, which worked great at launch, but the controls are broken and buggy now<\/li>\n\nLinusTechTips<\/em> says<\/a> Horizon Zero Dawn<\/em>, which has a green \u201cDeck Verified\u201d badge, only started stuttering after the first six to seven hours of the game<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nPerhaps as a result of this, Valve is now polling Steam Deck owners to verify its verification system<\/a> so it can adjust its testing.<\/p>\n
All that said, most games seem to work! I\u2019ve put loads of hours into the brand-new Elden Ring <\/em>and Control Ultimate Edition<\/em> on the Deck with no real issues, and even the majority of \u201cunverified\u201d games I\u2019ve tried generally worked. Some games that didn\u2019t work at launch, like Cyberpunk 2077<\/em>, now do with caveats.<\/p>\n
When games didn\u2019t work for me, it was mostly due to anti-cheat software \u2014 allegedly an easy thing for game developers to patch. <\/p>\n
If it\u2019s so easy, why aren\u2019t game developers enabling anti-cheat? <\/strong><\/p>\n
That\u2019s the question, isn\u2019t it? Fear, uncertainty, a sense that it wouldn\u2019t be worth the effort<\/a>. <\/p>\n
But some companies actually are: Elden Ring <\/em>and Apex Legends<\/em> now have working online multiplayer on Deck because their dev enabled Easy Anti-Cheat. Neither of those games worked at the Steam Deck\u2019s launch one month ago. <\/p>\n
And though Halo Infinite<\/em> still won\u2019t even let you launch its single-player mode, Microsoft did update Halo: The Master Chief Collection<\/em> so you can do classic Halo campaigns. <\/p>\n
Can the Steam Deck be my daily driver gaming PC? (Is it yours?)<\/strong><\/p>\n
If I\u2019m being totally honest, it\u2019s my daily Elden Ring<\/em><\/a> machine right now. It works great native, and it works great streamed from my desktop to the Deck, too. And if I were just playing single-player games like that, there\u2019s no end of titles to keep me busy: I\u2019ve been sucked back into Into the Breach,<\/em> Resident Evil 2<\/em>, The Witcher 3, Fallout 4<\/em>, even Metal Gear Solid V<\/em>, <\/em>which seems to run butter-smooth at 60fps. (I guess I\u2019m on a sequel kick.)<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s before we talk about the wide array of things you can access from the Linux desktop, like GameCube, PlayStation, Wii and even Nintendo Switch emulators, as well as launchers like Heroic<\/a> that can give you access to the Epic Games Store and games from GOG.com. Some community members are so enthusiastic they\u2019re building custom software for the Deck like EmuDeck<\/a>, an app designed to automatically configure emulators for the system. <\/p>\n
\n<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"osNluS\">But no, I can\u2019t quite make it my only computer because buds play online games that still don\u2019t work on Deck \u2014 no <em>Halo Infinite<\/em>, no <em>Duck Game<\/em>, no <em>PUBG. <\/em>So I\u2019m still swapping back and forth between the Deck and my desktop PC. <\/p>\n<p id=\"C6aQzj\"><strong>Who\u2019s actually going to play competitive games with joysticks on a 7-inch screen? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"m6byCO\">Yeah \u2014 after an <em>Apex Legends <\/em>session or two, I don\u2019t think I enjoy the challenge of spotting distant enemies on the Deck\u2019s display. It\u2019s hard! But remember: you can plug in a USB-C hub for monitor, mouse, keyboard, power, and wired internet simultaneously. And the Deck\u2019s built-in global AMD FSR upscaling makes the Deck look remarkably OK blown up to a 1440p monitor. <\/p>\n<p id=\"9ev1TK\">Here\u2019s a close-up with <em>Elden Ring (<\/em>more examples <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/22959533\/steam-deck-fsr-upscaling-nintendo-switch-pro-dlss\">at this link<\/a>).<\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"dnQouB\">\n<div class=\"c-imageslider\" data-cid=\"apps\/imageslider-1648651418_3129_15513\" data-cdata='{\"caption\":\"My own close-up of <em>Elden Ring, <\/em>with and without RSR, upscaled to 1440p on the Steam Deck.&#8221;,&#8221;image_left&#8221;:{&#8220;ratio&#8221;:&#8221;*&#8221;,&#8221;original_url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23284980\/elden_ring_no_fsr.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;network&#8221;:&#8221;verge&#8221;,&#8221;bgcolor&#8221;:&#8221;white&#8221;,&#8221;pinterest_enabled&#8221;:false,&#8221;caption&#8221;:null,&#8221;credit&#8221;:null,&#8221;focal_area&#8221;:{&#8220;top_left_x&#8221;:0,&#8221;top_left_y&#8221;:0,&#8221;bottom_right_x&#8221;:600,&#8221;bottom_right_y&#8221;:400},&#8221;bounds&#8221;:[0,0,600,400],&#8221;uploaded_size&#8221;:{&#8220;width&#8221;:600,&#8221;height&#8221;:400},&#8221;focal_point&#8221;:null,&#8221;asset_id&#8221;:23284980,&#8221;asset_credit&#8221;:null,&#8221;alt_text&#8221;:&#8221;&#8221;},&#8221;image_right&#8221;:{&#8220;ratio&#8221;:&#8221;*&#8221;,&#8221;original_url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23284981\/elden_ring_fsr.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;network&#8221;:&#8221;verge&#8221;,&#8221;bgcolor&#8221;:&#8221;white&#8221;,&#8221;pinterest_enabled&#8221;:false,&#8221;caption&#8221;:null,&#8221;credit&#8221;:null,&#8221;focal_area&#8221;:{&#8220;top_left_x&#8221;:0,&#8221;top_left_y&#8221;:0,&#8221;bottom_right_x&#8221;:600,&#8221;bottom_right_y&#8221;:400},&#8221;bounds&#8221;:[0,0,600,400],&#8221;uploaded_size&#8221;:{&#8220;width&#8221;:600,&#8221;height&#8221;:400},&#8221;focal_point&#8221;:null,&#8221;asset_id&#8221;:23284981,&#8221;asset_credit&#8221;:null,&#8221;alt_text&#8221;:&#8221;&#8221;},&#8221;credit&#8221;:null}&#8217;><\/p>\n<div class=\"c-imageslider__images\">\n<div class=\"c-imageslider__image c-imageslider__image--left\">\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23284980\/elden_ring_no_fsr.jpg\"><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-imageslider__image c-imageslider__image--right\">\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23284981\/elden_ring_fsr.jpg\"><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__meta\"><figcaption>My own close-up of <em>Elden Ring, <\/em>with and without RSR, upscaled to 1440p on the Steam Deck.<\/figcaption><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"j86vPq\"><strong>What about streaming games to the Deck? Google Stadia, Xbox Cloud Gaming, GeForce Now, or maybe from that desktop you mentioned?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"3ysDRf\">They all work as of today \u2014 if your internet and Wi-Fi are up to snuff, you can play <em>Destiny 2<\/em>, <em>PUBG<\/em>, and <em>Fortnite<\/em> on a Steam Deck without installing Windows. But each has caveats, so let\u2019s do a quick rundown.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-float-right c-float-hang\">\n<aside id=\"3Wew9x\"><q>Try Stadia first, I\u2019d say<\/q><\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"lTf1wO\"><strong>Google Stadia<\/strong> is the lowest hanging fruit because it\u2019s free, easy, and responsive. Flip over to the Steam Deck\u2019s desktop mode, use the Discover app to install Google Chrome, log in with your Google account at <a href=\"http:\/\/stadia.google.com\">stadia.google.com<\/a>, maybe set a Chrome profile to automatically launch that website, then <a href=\"https:\/\/help.steampowered.com\/en\/faqs\/view\/4B8B-9697-2338-40EC\">add Chrome to your Steam library<\/a> so you can access it from the Steam Deck\u2019s regular interface. The only time-consuming part is mapping controls \u2014 unfortunately, Chrome still doesn\u2019t support the Steam Deck as a gamepad, so you\u2019ll need to have it emulate a keyboard and mouse. Still, that\u2019s free access to <em>Crayta, Destiny 2<\/em>, <em>Hitman<\/em>, <em>PUBG <\/em>and<em> Super Bomberman R Online<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p id=\"51qqK5\">If you pay Microsoft for Game Pass Ultimate<strong>,<\/strong> I\u2019d definitely recommend giving <strong>Xbox Cloud Gaming<\/strong> a go, too. <a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/topic\/xbox-cloud-gaming-in-microsoft-edge-with-steam-deck-43dd011b-0ce8-4810-8302-965be6d53296\">It\u2019s a lengthy setup process<\/a>, but when you\u2019re done, it almost feels like a native app with a whole additional library of games, including <em>Halo Infinite <\/em>and<em> Microsoft Flight Simulator<\/em>. But Microsoft\u2019s cloud gaming service is a tad laggier than the competition \u2014 <em>Dead Cells <\/em>and<em> Hades<\/em> felt playable but maybe not as responsive as on my Nintendo Switch, and I wouldn\u2019t play <em>Halo<\/em> multiplayer that way.<\/p>\n<p id=\"5hNO0v\"><strong>GeForce Now<\/strong> has largely the same simple setup process as Stadia, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/22750246\/nvidia-geforce-now-rtx-3080-google-stadia-cloud-gaming\">its impressive but expensive RTX 3080 tier<\/a> is incredibly responsive, too. If you told me its copy of <em>Fortnite <\/em>was running natively on the Steam Deck, I\u2019d probably believe you. But Nvidia\u2019s web client and \/ or the Chrome browser need work: not only do they not detect the Deck\u2019s gamepad, but the login fields also wouldn\u2019t properly detect the Deck\u2019s virtual keyboard, and I had to stab the touchscreen to get past prompts before games would fully load. GeForce Now refused to launch for me in Microsoft Edge, even though it claims to support it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-wide-block\">\n<figure class=\"e-image\">\n  <span class=\"e-image__inner\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__image \" data-original=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352340\/fortnite_steam_deck_gfn.jpg\"><\/p>\n<picture class=\"c-picture\" data-cid=\"site\/picture_element-1648651418_7395_15515\" data-cdata='{\"asset_id\":23352340,\"ratio\":\"*\"}'><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/Okcko6g3v8SxtKjk5K-DQff2Li4=\/0x0:3000x2250\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2250):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352340\/fortnite_steam_deck_gfn.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/CyoHnRYO2a6aoUpogalHcb47Wbk=\/0x0:3000x2250\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2250):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352340\/fortnite_steam_deck_gfn.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/Ph800EQ6TNYbX8zNT1hAYeeEgqk=\/0x0:3000x2250\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2250):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352340\/fortnite_steam_deck_gfn.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/boasUAdF7IUB6z7k0zGf2w_csg4=\/0x0:3000x2250\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2250):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352340\/fortnite_steam_deck_gfn.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/geZeJRw0FgVPzHOX_Tp9c5ySR1M=\/0x0:3000x2250\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2250):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352340\/fortnite_steam_deck_gfn.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/ZK-s9JSdw3H5W8nG9tM4NsIBS3w=\/0x0:3000x2250\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2250):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352340\/fortnite_steam_deck_gfn.jpg 1320w, 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srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/FlKElUY23i_JPOo9zbOl8phzgis=\/0x0:3000x2250\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2250):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352340\/fortnite_steam_deck_gfn.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/gSIS6XBBvte2wTJ4wRHpwo-S0R0=\/0x0:3000x2250\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2250):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352340\/fortnite_steam_deck_gfn.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/8oGuu7NjIVZhI-WCftMIsuFaGAU=\/0x0:3000x2250\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2250):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352340\/fortnite_steam_deck_gfn.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/EV6pZoi3GaVApQhX0WEEq2E6JkM=\/0x0:3000x2250\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2250):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352340\/fortnite_steam_deck_gfn.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/Ohyv30_lZBhdbkKHuRv5o-w5OoA=\/0x0:3000x2250\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2250):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352340\/fortnite_steam_deck_gfn.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/DDtA4DqAYEHdDgUYfMdJv8QwkNY=\/0x0:3000x2250\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2250):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352340\/fortnite_steam_deck_gfn.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/5Ab0Ct4iBIvRBxiLgTjUR4-G0sU=\/0x0:3000x2250\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2250):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352340\/fortnite_steam_deck_gfn.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/sbzHgDdAN3H6MSABBSpzmmnEJWU=\/0x0:3000x2250\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2250):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352340\/fortnite_steam_deck_gfn.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/BjJ36O-CMEuWnXJ-55R4WagAepA=\/0x0:3000x2250\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2250):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352340\/fortnite_steam_deck_gfn.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"90vw\" alt=\"\" data-upload-width=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/S1UmtynlHZAyO1x0VcfPy7MSd_g%3D\/0x0%3A3000x2250\/1200x0\/filters%3Afocal%280x0%3A3000x2250%29%3Ano_upscale%28%29\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352340\/fortnite_steam_deck_gfn.jpg?w=1140&#038;ssl=1\"><\/p>\n<p><\/source><\/picture>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__meta\"><figcaption><em>Fortnite on a Steam Deck, via GeForce Now.<\/em><\/figcaption><cite>Photo by Sean Hollister \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"4JLRHM\"><strong>Steam In-Home Streaming<\/strong> lets you sling your games from any gaming PC to another over your home network, and it works beautifully on Deck with two annoying quirks: you\u2019ll need to set the Deck and \/ or your streamer PC to send higher resolution video (because by default, it looks <em>real bad<\/em>), and you can\u2019t properly map the Deck\u2019s controls because Steam In-Home Streaming still uses the old controller configuration interface. For gamepad-first games like <em>Elden Ring<\/em>, it\u2019s OK, but I really miss the Deck\u2019s gyroscope for games where I have to aim. <\/p>\n<p id=\"KbMQKz\">Oh, and don\u2019t forget to turn off the Deck\u2019s built-in framerate limiter, which can make these streaming services artificially choppy. I learned that the hard way. <\/p>\n<p id=\"RGKPT4\"><strong>Can you stream from Steam Deck to another PC? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"R39bDX\">Yes! If you want to stream your Deck to a shitty laptop that happens to have a larger screen, that totally works. It\u2019s way uglier than just plugging the Deck into a monitor, though, particularly since you don\u2019t get AMD\u2019s fancy FSR upscaling. <\/p>\n<p id=\"wKXuiK\"><strong>Sounds like there\u2019s a mountain of games to play on Deck and more all the time. What\u2019s the issue?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"zkpPGX\">One month ago, the Deck was a buggy mess \u2014 and while I think it\u2019s getting better, I still run into issues almost every day. <\/p>\n<p id=\"wnAfAB\">Sometimes the Wi-Fi just drops out. It\u2019ll often forget to reconnect after waking, too, and always asks me for the Wi-Fi password even though the Deck has it saved. The last time I tried to connect to a new Wi-Fi network, it wouldn\u2019t recognize the input from the Deck\u2019s own virtual keyboard. Sometimes it won\u2019t reconnect to the Steam servers until I completely reboot the system. Occasionally, it won\u2019t recognize my USB-C hub until I reboot the Deck. A few times (including today), it\u2019s refused to fully power on without a hard reboot. I\u2019ve had a handful of crashes and freezes, including one that Valve introduced when it rolled out a new way to install the Chrome browser that wasn\u2019t ready.<\/p>\n<p id=\"6LxSxe\">Last I checked, Bluetooth audio was still too laggy for me to use in games, and the auto-brightness adjustment still doesn\u2019t work. And though you\u2019ve been able to launch multiple apps simultaneously since launch, it doesn\u2019t work for multiple <em>games<\/em>: each app continues to run simultaneously, audio and all, consuming processing power instead of pausing. <\/p>\n<div class=\"c-wide-block\">\n<figure class=\"e-image\">\n  <span class=\"e-image__inner\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__image \" data-original=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg\"><\/p>\n<picture class=\"c-picture\" data-cid=\"site\/picture_element-1648651418_5735_15516\" data-cdata='{\"asset_id\":23270013,\"ratio\":\"*\"}'><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/hIrB5w5Zuj4gVbPo0K4PW59NnrU=\/0x0:2040x1360\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/6CSiOIzGdq9XmeJ4s5F1KUBT8Uc=\/0x0:2040x1360\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/cGhwUh7xjOpKXGgCSpwyIDVF4w8=\/0x0:2040x1360\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/fdQb0zelwwqSvk39BYZkVx525uA=\/0x0:2040x1360\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/RM8tCdmHF4_nR2HElYaRAXcu--Y=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/OYBhNLtLNukZl-_YXs2vW_YJKbA=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/-iFqujOptNRMiRv4ebPRbBacgHw=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/X5I8mWnyGzbykIqfHiXlHULLJV4=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/dbdQhY2nMxFODIw_Jym5j6dHdxM=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"90vw\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/xTOJqIb-wSbyxXbLUHeoFJrl1fY=\/0x0:2040x1360\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/-gqM1sU5PHxvViR6uAGmRCdhP0k=\/0x0:2040x1360\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/izL9tDNCDq2X4XUC8X-u-oYlXyg=\/0x0:2040x1360\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/hUr04a9nnFdmeTZs9xKR7RTwEak=\/0x0:2040x1360\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/vGX-x3wbEU_P-EKXC2Ejgvp6voA=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/ILjMjmj-3NLZfPXTHr3LfA1COmA=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/1zJAtOT3ukrICLrrFZVUTlK0v3w=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/ZiU9m-fc7vxOBVURHhcXnM3IhE0=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/YHcatmb93T6oXKOvZbeI0daOed0=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"90vw\" alt=\"\" data-upload-width=\"2040\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/N0YUXOqbVMDf1EbXmxYeq24pfiE%3D\/0x0%3A2040x1360\/1200x0\/filters%3Afocal%280x0%3A2040x1360%29%3Ano_upscale%28%29\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270013\/vpavic_220210_5030_0093.jpg?w=1140&#038;ssl=1\"><\/p>\n<p><\/source><\/picture>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__meta\"><figcaption><em>Power and I\/O.<\/em><\/figcaption><cite>Photo by Vjeran Pavic \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"jNAJ8W\">My Deck is also often confused about what it does and doesn\u2019t have patched after I wake it from sleep \u2014 there\u2019ll always be a handful of patches for my Steam library<em> <\/em>every time I wake the Deck, and some of them look suspiciously similar. I downloaded a 654.6MB patch for <em>Halo: The Master Chief Collection<\/em> three times in two days, for example. The Deck also still refuses to move some games between the SD card and internal storage.<\/p>\n<p id=\"TrAI4s\">A lot of games also refuse to use the Steam Deck\u2019s full 1280 x 800 screen resolution, forcing themselves to run at 1280 x 720 instead, which makes the Steam Deck\u2019s big bezels look even bigger. <em>Elden Ring<\/em> is one of those games.<\/p>\n<p id=\"EFScHp\"><strong>Those&#8230; don\u2019t seem great. Is Valve fixing any of this?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"B4UtQj\">I\u2019m a little bummed that some of the issues I pointed out in my review are still kicking around a month later, but Valve is indeed issuing lots of patches \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/news\/collection\/steam\/?emclan=103582791470414830\">nearly a dozen since launch, read their changelogs<\/a> \u2014 and I\u2019m pretty sure I\u2019m seeing fewer big crashes and slightly smoother UI than before. <\/p>\n<p id=\"zaUgbc\">Valve\u2019s added a few new features, too: you can now see which games your friends are playing, set the framerate limiter to 15 fps instead of just 30 or 60, there\u2019s an added average-FPS-only overlay that doesn\u2019t block as much of your game, and a \u201creturn to gaming mode\u201d button on the Linux desktop that pops you back into Valve\u2019s controller-friendly interface.<\/p>\n<p id=\"8Czqh2\">Oh, and though I complained about patches coming <em>too<\/em> quickly during the review period and introducing new bugs, that\u2019s not (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2022\/3\/1\/22956866\/valve-steam-deck-stick-drift-replacement\">quite)<\/a> as much of a problem anymore: you can now choose from \u201cStable\u201d and \u201cBeta\u201d update channels from the system menu. <\/p>\n<p id=\"Dqe5wA\"><strong>Why not just <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2022\/3\/10\/22971108\/valve-steam-deck-windows-runs-drivers-no-support\"><strong>install Windows<\/strong><\/a><strong> and make the problems go away?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"qBseno\">Ha, afraid it doesn\u2019t quite work that way!<\/p>\n<p id=\"EgfnJz\">I tested Windows 10 on Deck for a week, and I found it a worse experience in almost every way, due to unfinished drivers, games that wouldn\u2019t launch properly, similar or worse performance to Linux, and a complete lack of features to make Windows comfortable on a 7-inch portable gaming PC. <\/p>\n<p id=\"7u2iTw\">I\u2019d launch a demanding game like <em>Red Dead Redemption 2<\/em> or <em>Cyberpunk 2077<\/em> and sometimes find it would bluescreen or tell me it wasn\u2019t properly installed or launch at an incredibly low resolution and \/ or ignore my attempts to fullscreen the game. With games that did work reasonably well, like <em>Shadow of the Tomb Raider, <\/em>the framerate wasn\u2019t any better \u2014 and in <em>Elden Ring<\/em>, where it did seem to be a minuscule 1-3fps faster, it also <a href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/gaming\/2022\/03\/how-valve-made-steam-deck-the-first-pc-to-smoothly-run-elden-ring\/\">came with some nasty hitches<\/a>. <\/p>\n<div class=\"c-wide-block\">\n<figure class=\"e-image\">\n  <span class=\"e-image__inner\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__image \" data-original=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg\"><\/p>\n<picture class=\"c-picture\" data-cid=\"site\/picture_element-1648651418_7776_15517\" data-cdata='{\"asset_id\":23352345,\"ratio\":\"*\"}'><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/15kNdahdHEbiZl4pgBiQW2bLktk=\/0x0:3000x2000\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/xyccdtAeOwZ3vksA2vp-8aojICw=\/0x0:3000x2000\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/1C3LXWbWf1Pw_fXFtJQ78sqK09Y=\/0x0:3000x2000\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/HfdCaa0OojKcIV-TJ_UZdWB0Hd0=\/0x0:3000x2000\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/gYRGzjYO34n7mBZlH-X_p6EZYiM=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/GsbBrEsqZ0pjYKHtjl9lcc17sqE=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/meaeLRM2E1PHSK-ix5Q1u3tQ5Xc=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/JJn_LnwwqKaUuGwUS_7Pw0Y1Qc0=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/bmDwu2qvIoakQ86jdGrpYiIWKGo=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"90vw\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/kx6P29Ks_TC62tbGSYjGbeoXx2g=\/0x0:3000x2000\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/ZEkkZqqOkM6hHDgrSkoTlaWQIb4=\/0x0:3000x2000\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/DaDKxJDH8DN8L04PQvYP1TPhpm8=\/0x0:3000x2000\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/4gXm1dBHsgFjynPnzpSmq4ItMJ4=\/0x0:3000x2000\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/E6Ol2KW9n4EV1pPbpFshBSkPFiY=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/bvB1KIoX08C1hpfLN5FmEDj-90k=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/9vNW8giEsSjpAWYRiMKbgMQ8ado=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/q2yVbFLSFzmZoLhYsIW_GuRY04s=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/58VcskNGxRQacFHp9rJGW7aPiSI=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"90vw\" alt=\"\" data-upload-width=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/SExmCSWbe-B6vmpoc2ctBKIh2Ts%3D\/0x0%3A3000x2000\/1200x0\/filters%3Afocal%280x0%3A3000x2000%29%3Ano_upscale%28%29\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352345\/sean_hollister_20220310_181931.jpg?w=1140&#038;ssl=1\"><\/p>\n<p><\/source><\/picture>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__meta\"><figcaption><em>I installed Windows on the Steam Deck and lived to regret it.<\/em><\/figcaption><cite>Photo by Sean Hollister \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"7pmOqf\">And while worst-case battery life seems similar \u2014 I got two hours of demanding games, same as with Linux \u2014 there\u2019s no Gamescope or similar performance overlay to let you fine-tune the battery vs. performance equation here. It\u2019s one of the best things about the Steam Deck, but Valve\u2019s Greg Coomer told me there\u2019s currently no plan to add anything like that on the Windows side of things. Given that we\u2019ve gone two weeks without an audio driver (the speakers and headphone jack still don\u2019t work on Windows), I wouldn\u2019t hold my breath.<\/p>\n<p id=\"3uMnkh\">I also had a whole bunch of glitches just navigating around Windows, with disappearing cursors and randomly popping-up Steam virtual keyboards. Brightness adjustment is finicky, too. (There was also a major issue with writing data to SD cards on Windows, though <a href=\"https:\/\/help.steampowered.com\/en\/faqs\/view\/6121-ECCD-D643-BAA8\">a new SD card driver<\/a> appears to fix it.) <\/p>\n<p id=\"w00U7W\">Oh, and you\u2019ll have to wipe your Deck if you want to install Windows on the internal SSD because there\u2019s no dual-boot installer yet. <\/p>\n<p id=\"zUIBqV\">If you\u2019re looking for a Steam Deck alternative built for Windows, my colleague Sam Byford <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/22972334\/aya-neo-next-review-vs-steam-deck-windows\">recently reviewed the (comparatively pricey) Aya Neo Next<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p id=\"Z4FUb7\"><strong>How easy is it to swap the Deck\u2019s internal SSD, anyhow? Or are SD cards good enough? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"mjVtGY\">I\u2019m hoping to answer this question more fully when I get my own 64GB model in Q2 (with its slower eMMC storage), but I\u2019ve already got some pretty strong feelings about this \u2014 I <em>have <\/em>found myself running into issues with SD cards, and replacing the SSD isn\u2019t <em>quite <\/em>easy enough for me to recommend just anyone do it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-float-right c-float-hang\">\n<aside id=\"U0HS0p\"><q>Patching big games on SD can be painful<\/q><\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"8stxnn\">Early reviews showed that <em>game load times<\/em> aren\u2019t that different between the SD card and an internal SSD, and that\u2019s been my experience, too, save a few outliers like first-time loads for <em>Red Dead Redemption 2<\/em> and <em>Deathloop.<\/em> <\/p>\n<p id=\"Clo2ru\">But <em>writing<\/em> games and patches to an SD card is a whole different story \u2014 and the difference between an SD card with 10MB\/sec or 30MB\/sec or 50MB\/sec sustained write speeds and a true NVMe SSD might mean hours of your life. When <em>Elden Ring<\/em> recently needed to update every nook and cranny of its 50GB install on my 400GB SanDisk Ultra card, downloading and patching and verifying, it took 45 minutes before I could play. It happened again with the next patch, too, and I\u2019ve seen that on a different game as well.<\/p>\n<p id=\"XyJ1Ts\">And while it\u2019s pretty neat how you can swap out entire SD cards full of games like they were a Nintendo Switch cartridge, I think it\u2019s worth noting that I\u2019ve put three microSD cards into the Deck that no longer work. They worked fine before; they started behaving weirdly with the Deck, I formatted them there, and now they don\u2019t work anymore. I don\u2019t mean to scare you \u2014 it could be those bad Windows drivers or user error, and some of my other cards work fine. But I\u2019m <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/SteamDeck\/comments\/tkqwqt\/so_this_is_their_solution_for_sd_card_that_can\/\">not the only one with that story<\/a>, and I am one of the few people outside Valve who have been hammering the Deck with a wide variety of microSD cards for well over a month. <\/p>\n<div class=\"c-wide-block\">\n<figure class=\"e-image\">\n  <span class=\"e-image__inner\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__image \" data-original=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg\"><\/p>\n<picture class=\"c-picture\" data-cid=\"site\/picture_element-1648651418_3219_15518\" data-cdata='{\"asset_id\":23352346,\"ratio\":\"*\"}'><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/0Dyr-xRUe38mgsak_CUXVsAkI4Y=\/0x0:3000x1979\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/Uf3AiOkchIS2dQTXnM25NdyUz_I=\/0x0:3000x1979\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/7XpMGf7VqV3MwR4GViiW_kf0MPg=\/0x0:3000x1979\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/1_hd9pcztalQ2DbcHi0NNnt-cGk=\/0x0:3000x1979\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/TSgmmMP_pzWYTITyXTqnwbLvLsA=\/0x0:3000x1979\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/-M3IJQpJEfZKORQd6ACuKKAMCWQ=\/0x0:3000x1979\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/jlpczHyrEq_WvfxovQ54nYyr7Uw=\/0x0:3000x1979\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/bGxVSX7A3nuGjd1AMJw-zzn5va0=\/0x0:3000x1979\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/_Wikiw74nx9wgd5HXEakGjuUqag=\/0x0:3000x1979\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"90vw\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/Gbr1_zPLLfcO6cuFkXksHRbis3g=\/0x0:3000x1979\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/PsRrJK4vlMGlUC1MsEJjjGbB0oA=\/0x0:3000x1979\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/LCIXKGCZp48YerSXoMFw6Ta23hk=\/0x0:3000x1979\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/AYw6ZVDAb3DqP4vNbugBCVeW3Uc=\/0x0:3000x1979\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/Y8JqT-Xr08MN5nwthR3SCG3J2f4=\/0x0:3000x1979\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/QdjE4c6md0KX6pGXckpqdg4dD5Y=\/0x0:3000x1979\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/SpoZ1KvVwEvWtCv02lF2PiGE1qE=\/0x0:3000x1979\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/bCASnopO5piPn0FgFEiK8kXAQwo=\/0x0:3000x1979\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/Dxf53ZUY-e-i5wz3R5DOlXm9Zhw=\/0x0:3000x1979\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x1979):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"90vw\" alt=\"\" data-upload-width=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/1LqnOKQhg-gwWQ0fEYOMEYAUVUA%3D\/0x0%3A3000x1979\/1200x0\/filters%3Afocal%280x0%3A3000x1979%29%3Ano_upscale%28%29\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352346\/sean_hollister_20220310_173828.jpg?w=1140&#038;ssl=1\"><\/p>\n<p><\/source><\/picture>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__meta\"><figcaption><em>Inside the Steam Deck. The fabric tab beneath the fan is the one you need to pull to disconnect the battery. Do that before going any further.<\/em><\/figcaption><cite>Photo by Sean Hollister \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"Cyc8qR\">If you know what you\u2019re doing, it\u2019s actually quite easy to swap the internal SSD: just eight case screws, unsnap the case, unplug the battery, three internal screws and a bit of foil tape to remove the internal shield, one last screw to get at the M.2 drive, then swap your own single-sided<em> <\/em>M.2 2230 drive in. (You can find small capacity drives cheap on eBay and Amazon: $40 for 256GB.) But some teardowns skip over the \u201cunsnap the case\u201d part, and that can be a little daunting \u2014 there are a lot of potentially fragile plastic clips in there, and you\u2019ve gotta gently but firmly shove a plastic tool into the edge of your Deck to pry them open. (If you use a metal screwdriver, you might damage them.) I managed it OK twice, but I can see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2021\/10\/6\/22713075\/valve-steam-deck-teardown-repair-open\">why Valve warns people away.<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"4dmazh\"><strong>What about external USB drives?<\/strong>\t<\/p>\n<p id=\"l7Mxuc\">For whatever reason, the Steam Deck\u2019s gaming mode only recognizes the internal SSD and a single microSD card right now, but you can mount whatever you want on the Linux or Windows desktop. I was able to set up a Steam Library on an external NVMe SSD and download games to it incredibly quickly. <\/p>\n<p id=\"STHArk\">But you\u2019ll need to plug in sufficient power for that drive, too \u2014 I actually burnt out that NVMe drive by relying on the Deck\u2019s own USB-C bus, which can only supply 7.5W for peripherals. No warning, just poof, no more working drive. If you\u2019re using a USB-C hub with a Power Delivery input, you should be able to prevent that by plugging in external power or using an external drive with its own power supply.  <\/p>\n<div class=\"c-wide-block\">\n<figure class=\"e-image\">\n  <span class=\"e-image__inner\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__image \" data-original=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg\"><\/p>\n<picture class=\"c-picture\" data-cid=\"site\/picture_element-1648651418_3301_15519\" data-cdata='{\"asset_id\":23352347,\"ratio\":\"*\"}'><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/Y4Nj4f8MMWT_8jewAFqIkr84iyg=\/0x0:3000x2000\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/X740AYfJWg_sKA42XZkMK_qnXsA=\/0x0:3000x2000\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/GL278I_jUN10O3XRaYm5BihBZnQ=\/0x0:3000x2000\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/weBKpg7KLT9gEqa6kT-K0Gd-dl8=\/0x0:3000x2000\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/ttHq-6S3EST9ddd__uLamvtQ3_w=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/t9TGnpTnNBafGwyOz6ebTRj2SlE=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/sBZjYKhZcEGjeJ-FilfAT3Xoglg=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/_9vqZ4MgLZBtUeSoZIjpR56CCYc=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/F6UlYa_7plt9adh2j0ySIfsTXKY=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"90vw\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/hV1pjFQboF2fsVLzIWwSyfrEh4Y=\/0x0:3000x2000\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/3ZWTbVpOFcsdRSj7cxTQ-2Dbisc=\/0x0:3000x2000\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/HowxCs0p9YytVraDQ8bLegii3t8=\/0x0:3000x2000\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/x3j4yBYNrlKAUYzHytC0iu3iKOg=\/0x0:3000x2000\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/4UaZfQ_Nw8EfdiXpWyBc1Ctxj6g=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/jEXTVcOjSXbwKTb8VxwM4-WaUKE=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/o3Y-buarZlJ-owHXJDRfgKSV4YE=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/Ve88len8266ujrqH08VTPw_J3W0=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/bqFye8bVSQwdptDFpzULiR0tlGc=\/0x0:3000x2000\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:3000x2000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"90vw\" alt=\"\" data-upload-width=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/x0wrJUhT5QQnZYXmbifCx11ja2Y%3D\/0x0%3A3000x2000\/1200x0\/filters%3Afocal%280x0%3A3000x2000%29%3Ano_upscale%28%29\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352347\/sean_hollister_20220310_174316.jpg?w=1140&#038;ssl=1\"><\/p>\n<p><\/source><\/picture>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__meta\"><figcaption><em>Here\u2019s the M.2 slot, with one last screw holding in the internal drive.<\/em><\/figcaption><cite>Photo by Sean Hollister \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"eGXQkc\"><strong>What size and speed of storage do you recommend?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"ts4AN8\">Even with a 512GB Steam Deck review unit and a 256GB SD card, I felt like storage was filling up pretty fast with a handful of 30GB, 50GB, and the occasional 80GB and 100GB game. But with a 400GB card, I\u2019m feeling pretty comfortable with a huge library of games. If you\u2019re looking to mostly carry around older or less graphically intensive titles, you might be able to get away with quite a bit less. <\/p>\n<p id=\"ILzpFu\">Personally, I bought a cheap 256GB SSD and a 512GB card to swap into my 64GB eMMC Deck when it arrives, and I\u2019m thinking that between those and the 400GB card, I\u2019ll have plenty of room for everything I want to take on the go. <\/p>\n<div class=\"c-float-right c-float-hang\">\n<figure class=\"e-image\">\n  <span class=\"e-image__inner\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__image \" data-original=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg\"><\/p>\n<picture class=\"c-picture\" data-cid=\"site\/picture_element-1648651418_5126_15520\" data-cdata='{\"asset_id\":23352348,\"ratio\":\"*\"}'><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/x0Q4k1XQOSCOHfwIXln25aIwkeo=\/0x0:2996x3000\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/CZyuKjBOSTShkwCiIRygNFFwY_c=\/0x0:2996x3000\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/mS3VJBk4cU0ucp2aL_aHU5oSg60=\/0x0:2996x3000\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/x_eC6oH8l1p-nPViXuCh_MGTjjs=\/0x0:2996x3000\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/V7uuA7IjkR_wJodox3rBUfNgs50=\/0x0:2996x3000\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/XT5gi5BHJjPjWSYCEGRVyzNHzRM=\/0x0:2996x3000\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/3b5q6Y5oDMwKW7R8QZlVJLIfdw4=\/0x0:2996x3000\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/6eA4T0thsTpjYXvwcdRXxsshvUs=\/0x0:2996x3000\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/v5yBwUdxzxZy4hsT7omcxrSsDKY=\/0x0:2996x3000\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/ET20fOb-lHki42Zzh8YUpcDrWuc=\/0x0:2996x3000\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/kFzy-LA4XVJ7OhdzTjug2NPgAFI=\/0x0:2996x3000\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/ftdU7luZmSdB9MA5jljeC4SCMWw=\/0x0:2996x3000\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/8adea19uhG7QQM15k6TNFbCTDqg=\/0x0:2996x3000\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/WjWEWlhGr4oZcpWqey3aONK1X4o=\/0x0:2996x3000\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/y7B-qvlaQTP6pWw5BsZ6L0k03Ks=\/0x0:2996x3000\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/4DqS5zY035HtUj5sWm1SEX0LWBQ=\/0x0:2996x3000\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/liwHYzM2oCZmZAR5abwne2f2rrU=\/0x0:2996x3000\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/HVf4ojTKACoBLafMzQvv6STv6Rk=\/0x0:2996x3000\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2996x3000):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw\" alt=\"\" data-upload-width=\"2996\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/XkONfmHgi6otcugSdfJqSFY4p3Y%3D\/0x0%3A2996x3000\/1200x0\/filters%3Afocal%280x0%3A2996x3000%29%3Ano_upscale%28%29\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352348\/sean_hollister_20220310_174652.jpg?w=1140&#038;ssl=1\"><\/p>\n<p><\/source><\/picture>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__meta\"><figcaption><em>You\u2019ll want an M.2 2230 drive that has storage modules on one side of the board only, like this  $20 128GB Samsung PM991A.<\/em><\/figcaption><cite>Photo by Sean Hollister \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"PvOwNc\"><strong>Can I backup games from my Windows machine and play them on the Deck? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"FmcTgE\">Both Windows and Linux read the NTFS filesystem just fine, so I formatted my external drive that way, and the Deck\u2019s SteamOS was able to read my backups there \u2014 but it took so long to decompress and install one that I\u2019d have been better off downloading from scratch. <\/p>\n<p id=\"sGxqUX\">Valve\u2019s Lawrence Yang says another way is to copy your steamapps folder to the root of a microSD card formatted for Steam Deck, but you\u2019d need a good way to write to the ext4 filesystem: \u201cWe have ideas for improving this in the future, but for now, the best way to get games on Deck is to download them directly via Wi-Fi (or Ethernet if you have an adapter).\u201d <\/p>\n<p id=\"DHIrOo\"><strong>What\u2019s the pick-up-and-play experience like between a Steam Deck and another PC? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"TtXzkv\">You can\u2019t just suspend the Deck, sit down at your Windows desktop, and be playing exactly where you left off quite yet. <\/p>\n<p id=\"mWTyFO\">While the Deck has an (awesome) instant suspend function of its own, it doesn\u2019t necessarily save your game to the cloud when you put it to sleep \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/22779252\/steam-deck-things-we-learned-from-valve-developer-summit#:~:text=VALVE%E2%80%99S%20CHANGING%20HOW%20CLOUD%20SAVES%20WORK%20SO%20YOU%20CAN%20PICK%20UP%20AND%20PLAY\">that\u2019s the idea<\/a>, but developers would have to take advantage of Valve\u2019s new cloud APIs. <\/p>\n<p id=\"Maphka\">In the meantime, you\u2019ll either see a lot of messages like this: <\/p>\n<figure class=\"e-image\">\n  <span class=\"e-image__inner\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__image \" data-original=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg\"><\/p>\n<picture class=\"c-picture\" data-cid=\"site\/picture_element-1648651418_2661_15521\" data-cdata='{\"asset_id\":23351662,\"ratio\":\"*\"}'><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/YDy30_V27KbaaxNV9jJx0BUFJXA=\/0x0:621x540\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/yzcIFIjnQXoF0R0jhGB4ePNEQKg=\/0x0:621x540\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/reBCtIhGwZrUF7KX1-bba2Os1MU=\/0x0:621x540\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/oSOEj5G6-xNtlRbjHrTQgmg1Ooo=\/0x0:621x540\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/xt8ZPBObJ3yKYzl0WAki1Oml8f8=\/0x0:621x540\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/kL4vx1KUjRmT7dqZzOCQ6nt6Kzs=\/0x0:621x540\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/WVKE38CoWnPoobip4gSog-Mm8zQ=\/0x0:621x540\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/RiZoUwB6_kP1r90OCZHduuzrW8k=\/0x0:621x540\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/5ZyerWlIZbLULqikeSj1qcrcyoQ=\/0x0:621x540\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/t1e_fuxyeqGoI1XNa1TLgsO85Pg=\/0x0:621x540\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/_DCN7Oy5FbbKPj3DnQHkWf99aaM=\/0x0:621x540\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/KOjgyqt6mKcjD9TlKhpm9btlGWw=\/0x0:621x540\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/CA8ZPNayz7dmP1jHD2PHK1DgQIo=\/0x0:621x540\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/0XdSk8jZNcNoTKtL2NmcmdXOeK8=\/0x0:621x540\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/FESWFjZJs0KKbUbHHbNGGttA62c=\/0x0:621x540\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/c2K_xYQv0V3hd0xBLY6Er3WVQRk=\/0x0:621x540\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/SWQoPmKA3ceuTq6rmWsaUcrg3Jo=\/0x0:621x540\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/FougTQdPc_PvYvjLJCOerFicStw=\/0x0:621x540\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:621x540):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw\" alt=\"\" data-upload-width=\"621\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/dmX4aQFZ-7OMOUsTc-UCgM30iEA%3D\/0x0%3A621x540\/1200x0\/filters%3Afocal%280x0%3A621x540%29%3Ano_upscale%28%29\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23351662\/elden_ring_sync.jpg?w=1140&#038;ssl=1\"><\/p>\n<p><\/source><\/picture>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__meta\"><figcaption><em>You\u2019ll see a lot of these messages if you try to swap between Deck and desktop without quitting out of games.<\/em><\/figcaption><cite>Screenshot by Sean Hollister \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p id=\"lckI6T\">Or you\u2019ll need to save and quit a game before you pick it up on the other end. <\/p>\n<p id=\"iQpnKI\">Or, if you\u2019re home, you can just stream your desktop game to the Deck, then use your desktop\u2019s mouse and keyboard when you get there. <\/p>\n<p id=\"Lmtby9\"><strong>The SD card slot doesn\u2019t have a cover&#8230; does it just&#8230; pop out?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"xkGjUi\">It\u2019s one of those little mechanical doohickeys where you push it in, then it pops out. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s much danger of it falling out on its own, but I\u2019ve definitely had it miss my thumbnail on the way out and shoot across the room. A cover might be nice on future models. <\/p>\n<p id=\"Mbt7AI\"><strong>Why not just turn down the fan curve so it\u2019s less noisy?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"wDDcqp\">That\u2019s not something that Valve or AMD are letting users adjust quite yet \u2014 on Windows, none of the sensors are exposed to apps like MSI Afterburner, either. <\/p>\n<p id=\"CSqleZ\"><strong>Does the screen break if you drop it? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"VoMn3U\">That\u2019s not one I\u2019m going to test because the Deck\u2019s in short supply, but I did accidentally drop my phone <em>onto<\/em> the Deck and left a nasty scratch. I only see it when the screen\u2019s reflecting light right back at me, thankfully. <\/p>\n<p id=\"0Kb4zM\"><strong>Can it get dim enough for a dark room? Bright enough for outdoors?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"dPtfNT\">Like <em>LinusTechTips<\/em>, I\u2019m really pleased with the range of brightness on the screen. I play a bunch of games late at night, and it\u2019s important not to wake the wife. It<em>\u2019<\/em>s <em>nowhere near<\/em> as vibrant as an OLED screen, so we\u2019re talking about a pretty washed-out gray image at the lowest brightness levels, but it\u2019s comfortable for low-light gaming. <\/p>\n<p id=\"oXV1Nz\">Even with the anti-glare treatment, it doesn\u2019t get bright enough to play in direct sunlight, but I found it fine for indirect light with games that aren\u2019t terribly dark. <\/p>\n<div class=\"c-wide-block\">\n<figure class=\"e-image\">\n  <span class=\"e-image__inner\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__image \" data-original=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270011\/vpavic_220210_5030_0091.jpg\"><\/p>\n<picture class=\"c-picture\" data-cid=\"site\/picture_element-1648651418_2840_15522\" data-cdata='{\"asset_id\":23270011,\"ratio\":\"*\"}'><source 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https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/Cv1yT3Qu7cHSWOwEz5MetxxRMoE=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270011\/vpavic_220210_5030_0091.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/oWZPHrjvNVEZQxw5wkyQbsc-avk=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270011\/vpavic_220210_5030_0091.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/x33dsm-UiaTJ4BN1NOJaRulct_c=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270011\/vpavic_220210_5030_0091.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/wwB_2IiCj6Q0ChgO94jegUggaO8=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270011\/vpavic_220210_5030_0091.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/KWiPrmZQAawY5EygDflaxIRcGBs=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270011\/vpavic_220210_5030_0091.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"90vw\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/reht2KMH7kjUzUwiIfUlu_RsyTw=\/0x0:2040x1360\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270011\/vpavic_220210_5030_0091.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/09hfMu5gfICB3OK_CI6HL-g447s=\/0x0:2040x1360\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270011\/vpavic_220210_5030_0091.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/ItSSQb0NLvwscB8Ze2Tp-Ezvhoc=\/0x0:2040x1360\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270011\/vpavic_220210_5030_0091.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/vFYon971uD8FiEBMEDtrY11juDY=\/0x0:2040x1360\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270011\/vpavic_220210_5030_0091.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/rxFAXDh8p7AfGy0pLoo0I0CNLks=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270011\/vpavic_220210_5030_0091.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/amj4sLSzRorUT9O4yf1Ib_gEvOQ=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270011\/vpavic_220210_5030_0091.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/gsEweWGsSTL8yNfE1wv5Soru1Y4=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270011\/vpavic_220210_5030_0091.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/BTTmNBvPyat0mCls5bsbt3p3aqo=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270011\/vpavic_220210_5030_0091.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/T4aZoC3d_wN0X8fdZYTyqIqyIvY=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270011\/vpavic_220210_5030_0091.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"90vw\" alt=\"\" data-upload-width=\"2040\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/Yr23OcE6s0uLayvrBF-5DlHBGx8%3D\/0x0%3A2040x1360\/1200x0\/filters%3Afocal%280x0%3A2040x1360%29%3Ano_upscale%28%29\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270011\/vpavic_220210_5030_0091.jpg?w=1140&#038;ssl=1\"><\/p>\n<p><\/source><\/picture>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__meta\"><figcaption><em>The face buttons rattle a bit, but I find it comforting.<\/em><\/figcaption><cite>Photo by Vjeran Pavic \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"cbbbsh\"><strong>How do all the controls feel \u2014 and I mean <\/strong><em><strong>all the controls<\/strong><\/em><strong>, don\u2019t skip any!<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li id=\"yeY5ow\">The joysticks feel fantastic to me, as high-quality as the latest Sony and Microsoft, except for two things \u2014 they\u2019re a little taller than usual, presumably so your palms don\u2019t brush the touchpads, and occasionally, I can feel them brush against the unusual ribbon cables they have inside to power their capacitive touch sensors. Both things are weird at first but very manageable. Ditto the smooth tops of the sticks. Like every modern gamepad, each stick clicks in to become its own button, too<\/li>\n<li id=\"iRviy0\">The analog triggers have a nice long, smooth throw, way better than Switch, though they feel a little hollow and only have a single physical stage \u2014 you can set a threshold for the second stage and add some basic vibration, but nothing even close to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/21562206\/ps5-dualsense-controller-review-games-features-vibrations\">what Sony\u2019s DualSense<\/a> can manage<\/li>\n<li id=\"QA3m3c\">The bumpers are a little weak, IMO. Reaching up to activate them feels weird, and the way they waterfall into the triggers just makes my fingers want to slip off and hit the triggers instead. A month in, I\u2019m finding myself binding bumper commands to the triggers or grip buttons just so I can avoid them<\/li>\n<li id=\"wVruDR\">The grip buttons have VERY little throw and take a bit of force to press, which is nice for buttons you can hold without accidentally pressing them all the time and less nice if you imagined yourself holding those buttons down or hammering them repeatedly. I use \u2018em for quick jumps and parries and grenade throws and force powers and things<\/li>\n<li id=\"ITIRRZ\">The ABXY, start, and select face buttons have slightly loose, rattling tops on my unit, not unlike those on an Xbox 360 gamepad, but much more than most modern controllers. I actually like the old-school sound<\/li>\n<li id=\"rd1URy\">The D-pad is a little squishy, with a low pivot point, fully rollable, fine, but nothing to wax poetic about (but I prefer sticks anyhow)<\/li>\n<li id=\"4PZWyU\">The \u201cSTEAM\u201d and \u201c&#8230;\u201d quick access buttons are extremely, annoyingly shallow for me, hard to tell when you\u2019ve successfully pressed them<\/li>\n<li id=\"OzeRC8\">The volume up and down buttons are firm but with a very solid, obvious, individual press and responsive physical that makes them easy to use<\/li>\n<li id=\"UGflxl\">I\u2019d describe the power button the same as the volume buttons, just shallower<\/li>\n<li id=\"10YN6T\">The touchpads are \u2014 well, the feel differs depending on how much feedback you add, whether you\u2019ve got them set up as virtual trackballs or D-pads or straight touchpads and how you set their pressure sensitivity. With the system off, they actually give a bit when you press. They\u2019ve got a hard but smooth textured plastic surface rather than the glassy feeling of most laptop trackpads, but the action\u2019s fairly smooth. I don\u2019t mind how small they are.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"AZvHgf\">One month later, I still feel like almost all the controls are in the right places for me and my average-sized hands \u2014 but I\u2019ve soured on the bumpers a bit, and I still feel like the touchpads only fit when I tilt the screen parallel to the ground. But I don\u2019t really mind since I\u2019m mostly using the Deck\u2019s gyro aiming when I want precision control.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-wide-block\">\n<figure class=\"e-image\">\n  <span class=\"e-image__inner\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__image \" data-original=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg\"><\/p>\n<picture class=\"c-picture\" data-cid=\"site\/picture_element-1648651418_3841_15523\" data-cdata='{\"asset_id\":23352300,\"ratio\":\"*\"}'><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/KULEard1qEnpxnyE3AhGezFJXGM=\/0x0:2500x2279\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/E3zYiUeqtKAvBQrEBeRRywZAp5w=\/0x0:2500x2279\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/ICjxPq6UQlGBxg_2HGLKhE6NX-k=\/0x0:2500x2279\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/zoQe_aXrYdQfweS_69WXAPuMPwI=\/0x0:2500x2279\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/j8jYyqSkFC4pY9L5IZ2gszQL-f0=\/0x0:2500x2279\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/rkuUYn9ddmoNXC21S18Rs2CVoJ0=\/0x0:2500x2279\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/J04CpK_IcxVl4XTt_hgY7j-rnag=\/0x0:2500x2279\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/VPXmIjyLc5J3HnJWqmeviYyySlA=\/0x0:2500x2279\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/a_PoJeVoAYPAtymjw7RVae1qxUI=\/0x0:2500x2279\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"90vw\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/9iQSgqOhwZ733WrcISyq9ncLhfY=\/0x0:2500x2279\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/Y_KGHdJyXKgdSH0KESNsXTTvqR8=\/0x0:2500x2279\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/SD_oBKWi4HQSUN4pbGg56cm5VNU=\/0x0:2500x2279\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/X6tdI4zOywmwhQok0fVNu9Agy3Y=\/0x0:2500x2279\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/yDQcA1rZse7y9OKyM8ZMIsFbUdE=\/0x0:2500x2279\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/TXApfp-KdIhiBz9I9GKhTWisXAo=\/0x0:2500x2279\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/4H2zHcGoqoaMiWkNkMTUf-0n5o8=\/0x0:2500x2279\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/3fnSoGJLh48IoYHASiMpdM9HHsc=\/0x0:2500x2279\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/ZoOLK3uLmieG5FpN2gCqmDZWoj0=\/0x0:2500x2279\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2500x2279):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"90vw\" alt=\"\" data-upload-width=\"2500\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/1r7W_bWmcujUGQYVlaa74XrZdmM%3D\/0x0%3A2500x2279\/1200x0\/filters%3Afocal%280x0%3A2500x2279%29%3Ano_upscale%28%29\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23352300\/prototypes01__1_.jpg?w=1140&#038;ssl=1\"><\/p>\n<p><\/source><\/picture>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__meta\"><figcaption><em>Valve went through quite a few prototypes while settling on the design.<\/em><\/figcaption><cite>Image: Valve<\/cite><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"1ORFZ7\"><strong>Does the Deck work for people with small hands?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"4sCLC6\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/steam-deck-review-small-hands-180026719.html\">Jessica Conditt at <em>Engadget <\/em>wrote about that<\/a>, and it sounds like it could be a problem. <\/p>\n<p id=\"3Ekgvk\"><strong>Didn\u2019t I hear something about joystick drift, too?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"6z3wcl\">That was actually <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2022\/3\/1\/22956866\/valve-steam-deck-stick-drift-replacement\">a bug Valve introduced<\/a>, and it\u2019s already fixed.<\/p>\n<p id=\"d2sSSe\"><strong>There\u2019s no fingerprint sensor. Is there any other way to lock it? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"tYkhH6\">Weirdly, no. Once you enter your password to log into the system the first time, there\u2019s no login or password check or two-factor to type in thereafter. Makes it really easy to resume games inside your house, though. <\/p>\n<p id=\"2QkAlX\"><strong>Can you connect a second controller for local multiplayer?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"6EcYo2\">Yep \u2014 and not just two! The Steam Deck lets you mix and match loads of different external controllers over USB and Bluetooth. As an example, I just fired up a four-player session of <em>Speedrunners<\/em> with one PS4 controller over Bluetooth, two Xbox 360 controllers plugged in to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/22244488\/gaming-gear-recommendations-favorite-nintendo-logitech-microsoft#:~:text=MICROSOFT%20XBOX%20360%20WIRELESS%20RECEIVER%20FOR%20WINDOWS\">the ancient-but-amazing<\/a> Wireless Receiver for Windows, plus the Steam Deck\u2019s internal pad. Plug that into a TV, and you\u2019ve got a killer couch gaming session. <\/p>\n<p id=\"oPZioW\">And because the Steam Deck itself can emulate both mouse and keyboard and gamepad simultaneously, you could technically get some two-player games working on a single Steam Deck with no additional controls. I started building a controller profile for <em>Towerfall<\/em> that lets two people play one-handed, one on each side of the Deck.<\/p>\n<p id=\"RmBuKg\"><strong>Can you connect a VR headset or an external graphics card?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"lAmYZi\">Valve doesn\u2019t support either of them, but VR is technically possible with Windows \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Zmg-Lc-byAs\">here\u2019s Chinballs Gaming<\/a> playing what looks like an absolutely terrible session of <em>Half-Life: Alyx<\/em> with an Oculus Quest 2 plugged into the system.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-float-right c-float-hang\">\n<div id=\"Oput81\">\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Zmg-Lc-byAs?rel=0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" scrolling=\"no\" allow=\"accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"t7smeX\">Someone will probably hack an eGPU onto the Deck by tapping into the PCIe slot, but it\u2019ll also probably defeat the purpose of having a portable console.<\/p>\n<p id=\"pyBtfW\"><strong>How\u2019s the virtual keyboard, and is typing to someone a chore? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"soJVW4\">Valve has a new, fairly barebones virtual keyboard on the Steam Deck, and it\u2019s not terrible \u2014 solid haptic and audible feedback when you stab a key, a full number row, and you can navigate it with the analog stick or D-pad if you don\u2019t want to grease up your screen. But if you do want something better than hunt-and-peck and a bank of emoji, you\u2019re out of luck for now. There\u2019s no swipe typing, no autocomplete suggestions, and Valve\u2019s awesome <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=V1wYD_sb0wU\">dual-touchpad Steam Controller keyboard<\/a> isn\u2019t available outside of the Linux desktop mode.<\/p>\n<p id=\"608sSl\">On the plus side, the Steam Deck makes it super easy to fire up a quick Steam voice chat. <\/p>\n<p id=\"hpzse9\"><strong>How\u2019s the touchscreen in general?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"TQzFcM\">It\u2019s plenty serviceable, given the price, but a far cry from what we expect on a flagship smartphone or tablet these days. Part of that\u2019s down to the SteamOS interface, which just doesn\u2019t respond instantly to any kind of input, let alone a tap. But I\u2019d also find myself missing small touch targets on the desktop and have to stab again and again. I stick with the joysticks when I can. <\/p>\n<p id=\"rw1P7x\"><strong>Do Android games work?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"h9fG2H\">I haven\u2019t dug into this myself yet, but ETA Prime shows it\u2019s at least possible through emulators, getting playable performance out of a bunch of top Android games <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=htjOkII-oZc\">in this YouTube video<\/a> \u2014 though he did have difficulty mapping some of the controls to the Steam Deck\u2019s gamepad in titles like <em>PUBG Mobile<\/em>. <\/p>\n<p id=\"ot99Iy\"><strong>Can I binge my shows on Deck?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"nvIqMg\">Netflix and YouTube definitely work via the Chrome browser once you\u2019ve got that installed, and you can easily set up a Chrome profile just for those for easy access via Steam. I haven\u2019t checked other streaming services yet. <\/p>\n<p id=\"hexzxw\">VLC and Kodi also both have Linux clients in the Discover store, and Plex has a third-party client there, too. I haven\u2019t gotten around to setting up my NAS yet, but I\u2019ll let you know when I do.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-wide-block\">\n<figure class=\"e-image\">\n  <span class=\"e-image__inner\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__image \" data-original=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270014\/vpavic_220210_5030_0094.jpg\"><\/p>\n<picture class=\"c-picture\" data-cid=\"site\/picture_element-1648651418_9256_15524\" data-cdata='{\"asset_id\":23270014,\"ratio\":\"*\"}'><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/W9U-GbYXAjer8s0W0w_B39MV-BM=\/0x0:2040x1360\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270014\/vpavic_220210_5030_0094.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/Ze10gF71AJ-yUZI4MsCid8Oo0Zo=\/0x0:2040x1360\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270014\/vpavic_220210_5030_0094.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/RyASm-Q3lkeFIO-4XtW7zfpswss=\/0x0:2040x1360\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270014\/vpavic_220210_5030_0094.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/5nsQT47Mi7kQaRtEqwu-8eJjZZQ=\/0x0:2040x1360\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270014\/vpavic_220210_5030_0094.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/ArBLS6FTuR3uTXl8UpeTc1-nECg=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270014\/vpavic_220210_5030_0094.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/POlYm2GUwXI5Ka1JsoN48ToH7Yw=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270014\/vpavic_220210_5030_0094.jpg 1320w, 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srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/WCysqLTAj3zhpQbPU4YOhkbFgO4=\/0x0:2040x1360\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270014\/vpavic_220210_5030_0094.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/PbZeW7vKWzap61cXaA8c4moybec=\/0x0:2040x1360\/520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270014\/vpavic_220210_5030_0094.jpg 520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/WLOF0yuaQPLKnz9aowjBxOmSg4g=\/0x0:2040x1360\/720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270014\/vpavic_220210_5030_0094.jpg 720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/87TmDIPB5o9zFmuCUEgpz8RAFhk=\/0x0:2040x1360\/920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270014\/vpavic_220210_5030_0094.jpg 920w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/Cz_qRx1Dn1xHcU1hBTey3AE8gL4=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1120x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270014\/vpavic_220210_5030_0094.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/BHQc1ZKo9AsGyWu-mzY5nHbg1rQ=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270014\/vpavic_220210_5030_0094.jpg 1320w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/XGwzqce9NbFjnAyyn5_VpINdRkA=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270014\/vpavic_220210_5030_0094.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/sZW-fJzid_XlXS-ZQkO_QEoE35Q=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1720x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270014\/vpavic_220210_5030_0094.jpg 1720w, https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/E9SUQRINa5WwhpK9cponlkThaAg=\/0x0:2040x1360\/1920x0\/filters:focal(0x0:2040x1360):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270014\/vpavic_220210_5030_0094.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"90vw\" alt=\"\" data-upload-width=\"2040\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/o9CaWUOxTFyIJIauPrV0TfTtxuU%3D\/0x0%3A2040x1360\/1200x0\/filters%3Afocal%280x0%3A2040x1360%29%3Ano_upscale%28%29\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/23270014\/vpavic_220210_5030_0094.jpg?w=1140&#038;ssl=1\"><\/p>\n<p><\/source><\/picture>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"e-image__meta\"><figcaption><em>No kickstand on this Switch-shaped portable.<\/em><\/figcaption><cite>Photo by Vjeran Pavic \/ The Verge<\/cite><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"qvQ8bd\"><strong>Does the Deck have a kickstand?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"s5FvsE\">No, and not a day goes by that I don\u2019t wish it did, partly because of Netflix and partly because you still have to leave the screen on while installing games. (Connected standby is on Valve\u2019s roadmap but hasn\u2019t been implemented yet.)<\/p>\n<p id=\"pPpL69\"><strong>Where\u2019s the Steam Deck Dock? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"wsHU6K\">We\u2019re still waiting to find out: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2022\/2\/23\/22947985\/valve-steam-deck-dock-launch-details-order-time\">Valve delayed it till \u201clate spring.\u201d<\/a> You can use your own USB-C hub in the meantime, though I\u2019ve heard dual-monitor ones don\u2019t yet work. <\/p>\n<p id=\"ZA7use\"><strong>Can you buy screen protectors for it?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"1CE6OY\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s?k=steam+deck+screen+protector\" has-subtag=\"true\" data-cdata='{\"rewritten_url\":\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s?ascsubtag=[]vg[p]22724577[m]m-placeholder[s]s-placeholder[t]w[c]c-placeholder[r]r-placeholder[d]d-placeholderu0026k=steam deck screen protector\",\"subtag_max_length\":99,\"subtag_delim_length\":2,\"subtag_key\":\"ascsubtag\",\"subtag_data\":{\"ascsubtag\":\"[]vg[p]22724577[m]m-placeholder[s]s-placeholder[t]w[c]c-placeholder[r]r-placeholder[d]d-placeholder\",\"k\":\"steam deck screen protector\"},\"encode_subtag\":false}'>Yes.<\/a> There\u2019s a handful of protective cases, too, but I haven\u2019t tried them yet.<\/p>\n<p id=\"cliciv\"><strong>What\u2019s that USB cable in your review, the one with the built-in screen?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"FofGQU\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2022\/1\/28\/22907150\/usb-c-pd-cable-power-meter-100-watt-power-delivery\">It\u2019s this!<\/a> Came in super handy while testing how quickly the Steam Deck charges its battery.<\/p>\n<p id=\"xQhdVE\"><strong>Speaking of batteries, can you use an external battery pack?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"TccKmj\">Absolutely, but you\u2019ll want to be careful which one you buy. I\u2019ve got a 15,000mAh, 54Wh, 20W PD battery that can get the Deck from 0 percent to 90 percent just fine \u2014 but only while the Deck\u2019s turned off. If you\u2019re hoping to play and charge at the same time, you should really look for a 45W PD battery or better \u2014 the same amount Valve\u2019s own AC adapter puts out. <\/p>\n<p id=\"bbYVYS\">The Deck will only draw as much as you need, so it doesn\u2019t hurt to go over. I\u2019m primarily using a 100W PD battery myself, even if that\u2019s a bit overkill.<\/p>\n<p id=\"szlOQv\"><strong>How often do you actually need to use Linux, and how hard is it? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"JACVbf\">I\u2019m a Linux n00b myself, and I\u2019ve been pleasantly surprised! Word is that Valve\u2019s chosen Arch Linux and KDE Plasma desktop are among the more Windows-like options anyhow, and it\u2019s extremely easy to download apps from the Discover package manager, navigate the Dolphin file browser and play around with desktop settings, like setting up a second monitor.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mZEboh\">That said, I did most of my navigating with a physical keyboard plugged in because KDE doesn\u2019t seem to have a decent virtual one \u2014 and the way Valve segregates the user and system data, you\u2019ll probably only want to install Flatpak applications from the package manager unless you know what you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n<p id=\"9tfBEG\">But if you just want to play Steam games, you\u2019ll never need to touch the Windows desktop, and a few brief trips are enough to get emulators, browsers, and cloud gaming platforms up and running. <a href=\"https:\/\/help.steampowered.com\/en\/faqs\/view\/671A-4453-E8D2-323C\">Here are Valve\u2019s tips on how to use the Linux desktop<\/a>, including how to sudo.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mLWmaw\"><strong>Can you work from the Deck?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"R3Gz7J\">I did it for a day and mentioned it in my review \u2014 if you work on the web, like me, it\u2019s not particularly hard as long as you\u2019ve got an external monitor and keyboard. Some are pushing it further just because they can: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ozqDg9FpjlY&#038;feature=share\">here\u2019s a video of Maya and Blender on the Deck<\/a>. <\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"O6HtXI\">\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ozqDg9FpjlY?rel=0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" scrolling=\"no\" allow=\"accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"aL2O9E\">I wouldn\u2019t necessarily recommend anyone buy a Steam Deck as a work PC \u2014 while it might be the most potent complete computer you can buy for $400, I think you\u2019d need to be deep into Linux to get the most out of it. <\/p>\n<p id=\"yoJtod\"><strong>Can you record and stream games from the Deck?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"h8Ro9V\">OBS Studio came out with its own flatpack Linux app <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamingonlinux.com\/2022\/02\/obs-studio-272-is-out-bringing-flatpak-support-and-much-more\/\">just last month<\/a> and has <a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/news\/app\/1905180\/view\/3091164432526320493\">now made its way to Steam<\/a>, so perhaps&#8230; it\u2019s on my list of things to try <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/StarFire2258\/status\/1503515402017533953\">now that I finally have a worthy internet connection<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p id=\"YjuqXe\"><strong>Can you take screenshots? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"AECkAA\">Yep, there is a built-in shortcut: <strong>Steam<\/strong> + <strong>Right Bumper<\/strong>. They\u2019re not the easiest to share, though \u2014 you can upload them to your Steam Profile and Activity Feed, but if you want to fling \u2018em to social media or a thumb drive, you\u2019ll have to go hunt down the game folder in the Linux filesystem in desktop mode. <\/p>\n<p id=\"HsONZc\"><strong>Any other handy shortcuts?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li id=\"TUiOf1\">\n<strong>Steam<\/strong> + <strong>Left Bumper<\/strong> is a built-in magnifier that works in any game<\/li>\n<li id=\"5nzxCA\">\n<strong>Steam<\/strong> + <strong>Up \/ Down<\/strong> on the thumbstick raises and lowers screen brightness<\/li>\n<li id=\"7mY5X0\">\n<strong>Steam<\/strong> + <strong>hold down B<\/strong> can force-close a misbehaving game<\/li>\n<li id=\"swwVvP\">\n<strong>Steam<\/strong> + <strong>joystick or trackpad<\/strong> instantly gives you a mouse cursor whenever you need one, overriding your other controls<\/li>\n<li id=\"xcKb5d\">\n<strong>Steam <\/strong>+ <strong>Left D-Pad<\/strong> is the escape key (handy for quitting out of fullscreen browser apps)<\/li>\n<li id=\"Gr1LgX\">\n<strong>Steam<\/strong> + <strong>Right D-Pad<\/strong> is enter <\/li>\n<li id=\"GNErvk\">\n<strong>Long-press Power<\/strong> to get to the power menu (sleep, shutdown, restart, switch to desktop)<\/li>\n<li id=\"ZmlHGL\">\n<strong>Volume Down<\/strong> + <strong>Power<\/strong> (when powered off) to get to the boot manager<\/li>\n<li id=\"B9NYOC\">\n<strong>Volume Up<\/strong> + <strong>Power<\/strong> (when powered off) to get to the BIOS<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"HiccX5\">Oh, and as <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RyTron\/status\/1508873522273259522\">RyTron on Twitter points out<\/a>, you can actually activate these with the \u201c&#8230;\u201d button instead of the Steam one. \u201cGreat for quick dimming the screen without needing to be a contortionist,\u201d he says, and it\u2019s true!<\/p>\n<p id=\"k08HdH\"><strong>Will developers actually optimize games for the Deck?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"yHAHOE\">I really think they might! I wasn\u2019t sure Valve would sell enough of them at first or make enough of a splash, but the community\u2019s more enthusiastic and vocal than I\u2019ve ever seen for a non-Nintendo, non-Sony handheld. Some developers are already on board, too: for instance, the <em>Cyberpunk 2077<\/em> team is working on a Steam Deck-specific graphical setting, <em>Valheim\u2019s <\/em>developers <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jsmars\">tweaked a few things<\/a>, and I\u2019ve heard that <em>Fall Guys<\/em> may not stay incompatible with the Deck for long. <\/p>\n<p id=\"AsHgeA\"><strong>Are you still having fun? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"Vjm0Uk\">Absolutely. Even if the Steam Deck doesn\u2019t wind up fulfilling all my portable PC gaming dreams, it\u2019s one of the coolest gadgets in recent memory \u2014 and a fantastic way to get in bite-size game sessions on the couch while my wife and I binge television.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-end-para\" id=\"ZKYP0k\">If you\u2019ve got other worthy questions about the Deck, please leave \u2018em in the comments below! I\u2019ll try to answer the best ones in a future update to this post.<\/p>\n<p id=\"9VAH6H\"><em><strong>Update, 6:24PM ET: <\/strong><\/em><em>Added mention of the battery cable pull tab, just in case people try an SSD swap without reading a good walkthrough.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><code><br \/><\/br><\/code><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/22960536\/steam-deck-faq-valve-one-month-later\">https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/22960536\/steam-deck-faq-valve-one-month-later<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Source: Love it or hate it, fail or succeed, the Steam Deck will go down in gadget history. It\u2019s a bold attempt to make PC gaming more portable and affordable than ever before, an ultimate gadget with exotic features and infinitely customizable controls, and perhaps the most powerful gaming PC ever sold for a mere [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Steam Deck, one month later - Science and Nerds<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/03\/30\/steam-deck-one-month-later\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Steam Deck, one month later - Science and Nerds\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Source: Love it or hate it, fail or succeed, the Steam Deck will go down in gadget history. 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