Steam deck becomes the ideal handheld for hobbyists

The Steam Deck is a computer game console and a touch pad produced by Valve Corporation. Its exit is scheduled for December 2021.

For whom did Valve actually design the Steam Deck? Several months before the release, this question is not so easy to answer. In the editors, the enthusiasm is great, finally Nintendo gets something competition again, the huge Steam library invites you already to dream. From reality, this idea is far away, because Valves portable mini-PC could neglect exactly the virtues, actually value the console players in the inside: accessibility and comfort.

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Steamos makes many PC titles compatible, but not all

Valve uses the Steam Deck a customized version of the Linux-based SteamOS operating system. However, the vast majority of all computer games uses Microsoft s interface Direct3D, which is not compatible with Linux. Therefore, Valve has been working on Proton for a few years, an additional software layer that translates Direct3D commands for the open standard volcano.

Most of the rights DirectX titles work very well and offer equal performance. However, some games can also cause problems, which is inter alia by a low frame rate, graphic error or INPUT lay. Then it has to be readjusted at the right places, workarounds are sometimes very technical.

Currently, according to the Database Protondb is still particularly multiplayer games. A good 85% of the most popular singleplayer titles on Steam are excellently playable, just now and then adjustments are required.

Compatibility: singleplayer multiplayer

But much can change: Proton is continuously developed. Optimizations for Steam Deck could be easier to implement, as this is so far a solid hardware design.

Many native Linux titles

If we sort the entire Steam library after playing with real Linux versions, the selection of just under 58,000 titles shrinks to narrow 8,500. Below are many PC-Exclusives like FTL: Faster Than Light, RimWorld and Factorio. We discover large productions, on the other hand, mainly from the areas of strategy, only the modern Tomb Raider series and metro: Exodus offer technically complex action fireworks.

It is almost excluded that something changes to this situation, since Linux represents a niche for most publishers and does not pay out more expenses financially. For small studios or PC-typical genres, the target group expansion may be worthwhile, which is why the replenishment will not swear so quickly.

An understandable store is elementary: Valve promises compatibility to visualize Steam Deck using four classifications in the store: Perfect playable, playable with adjustments, not supported and unknown. Verification takes an internal test team. How many games of the Gigantic Steam Library receive a rating is still unclear. An integration of protondb could serve as additional buy aid, especially in titles received from Valve no rating. The community has been collecting numerous workarounds for the major compatibility defects for years and takes detailed classifications.

Here we have summarized all the information about how the compatibility of a game in Steamos is deposited:

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Steam Deck: How to check in the future if a game is compatible

graphics settings are annoying

As we always install PC versions of the games on the handheld, we inevitably come into contact with setting options that are completely new for pure console players and thus may be disturbing. Fortunately, the resolution of the display is automatically found, but we have to specify everything else.

Texture details on funds? Shadow rather low? Does the game benefit from a complex environmental coverage? What is that? While PC players are already well acquainted with such terminology and know about what attitude causes, console players rarely or never in contact.

Presets could help: The ideal case would be that the developers are implementing specifications that are perfect for steam deck. However, only a few studios will deal with this, because on the one hand, the success of Steam Deck is not guaranteed, on the other hand, a great test effort is associated.

Although many PC games are approximate recommendations for a variety of hardware configurations, they are particularly in rare cases. Especially since it is not so easy to find the balance between high picture quality, a liquid frame rate and (in the mobile segment) of the battery power.

Out of the Steam Deck, a lot can be picked up - if you are a little technically caused

The strength of the Steam Deck is not in the pre-installed software, but the possibilities that the open platform reveals us. Valve sells a mobile PC, we can install what we want.

Windows 11, for example, if the compatibility question would have done. The operating system is designed for mobile use, we just start from there games in Steam. In terms of performance, we will have to accept no smears; Steam deck becomes an all-rounder, without system-specific optimizations. An increase in the refresh rate is even more realistic due to the DirectX programming of most games.

An alternative operating system also opens up access to additional programs. Sound enthusiasts can set under Windows Room sound simulations such as Headphone: X and Dolby Atmos for Headphone, Retro fans enjoy their collection pieces on emulators and cineasts are available tens of multimedia apps.

Valves Game Store is only part of the Steam deck fascination. As an open platform, we offer you infinite many opportunities - this openness could become a veritable hurdle for console players.

Do you see the potential of Steam Deck or get the open concept?