CEN TERFOLD
Centerfold
46 MAXIMU MPC APR 2022
PERFORMANCE GEAR LAID BARE
THE STEAM DECK IS HERE! Well, it might be, if you were
quick off the mark with your pre-order. Yes, rather than a
big launch, it seems as though Steam Decks are going to be
drip-fed into the market for the rest of the year. Thankfully,
we were able to get our paws on the finished hardware this
month, so we wasted no time getting it into the studio.
First of all, this is technically a portable console, but at
1.47lbs and nearly 12-inches across, it’s not going to slip into
your pocket unless your jeans are very baggy indeed. Other
than the limited portability, though, we’re impressed—the
interface feels fairly comfortable, the screen is substantial
and the AMD Zen 2 CPU and RDNA 2 GPU are impressively
specced for the price.What stands out at this stage is that the Steam Deck
doesn’t feel ready for primetime, yet. Some games work
better than others, some drain the battery in under a couple
of hours, and some won’t work at all. We expect a lot of this
will be ironed out once we’re able to install Windows but,
for now, it’s a roll of the dice as to how well any game works.
Valve should be applauded for how easy it’s made the
console to modify and fix, though. Anyone’s who’s ever
mended a laptop should be able to upgrade the internal
SSD immediately or replace the thumbsticks if they begin
to drift over time. We’ll have lots more on the Steam Deck in
the coming months, but here’s what we learned so far from
our limited time with the finished hardware. –GUY COCKERSteam Deck
1
UPGRADABILITY
Now that we have a
finished unit, we’ve dug
deeper into the ins and outs
of the retail Steam Deck. You
can take the console apart
using a Philips screwdriver,
although Valve advises that
the case will be less rigid and
more prone to damage as a
result. Joystick replacements
and hard drive updates are
simple enough, but we were
disappointed with how tricky
battery replacements are in
comparison. To help extend
the battery life, use mains
power where possible.