Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Answers for Frequently Asked Questions related to the Steam Deck.
We don’t know when Steam Deck sales, refurbished re-stocks or when the Steam Deck 2 release will happen.
Is The Steam Deck A Good Choice For You?
Pricing
- Most likely the Deck will be the cheapest option new if you want a PC handheld
- It’s worth looking for sales or on the used market to see what the competition is going for as well
New Or Refurbished?
- Both have warranties
- Refurbished stock usually gets sold out pretty fast and a lot of time can pass between re-stocks
- Refurbished offers best value though local used market could go even lower depending on region
- Refurbished comes in different packaging but most of the time the device itself looks like brand new (from user reports so far on r/SteamDeck)
- Valve has said many times that they will iterate slower with the Deck compared to the competition
- Newer AAA games are already pushing the limits or barely run at all (poor optimization and “weak” hardware don’t mix together well)
- Lacking features:
- External GPU support (without tinkering)
- Variable refresh rate display
- 2nd USB port
Game / Software Compatibility (SteamOS / Linux vs Windows)
- Not all software is available or works under SteamOS (Linux)
- Competitive games that have anti-cheats most likely don’t work (eg. Call Of Duty, Fortnite)
- Under SteamOS specifically flatpaks are the way to go limiting your choices even more (immutable distro)
- Modding games might be harder (specifically non-Steam-Workshop modding)
- Frame-generation isn’t that good on Linux yet
Need for portability
- If it would be mostly docked a console or a PC might be a better choice
Other uses
- Media consumption, doing work etc…
- Might benefit from a larger screen, built in keyboard or more ports which the Steam Deck lacks (unless a hub / dock is used)
- Steam Deck or other solutions? (Laptop, Other Handhelds, Consoles etc…)
Previous / Current Sales
- Contains lists of various accessories and manufacturers
- Differences Between Various Versions (LCD, OLED, Limited Editions)
- Battery and Charging
- Remote Wake
- SSD Swap
- Operating Systems (SteamOS, Windows, Other Linux Distros)
- Decky (3rd party plugins)
- Emulation (eg. Emudeck)
- Remote Play
- Cloud Gaming
- Proton & Wine
- Non Steam Launchers
- Tips for playing and buying games for your Steam Deck
Different Use Cases
- Primary (Desktop) PC
- Emulation Machine
- Development Computer
- Living Room Console
- As A Controller
Other Resources / Communities