Steam Deck

A handheld gaming PC manufactured by Valve and released in February 2022, running SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system built on Arch Linux with a custom game mode UI called 'Gaming Mode' that presents the Steam library in a console-style interface. The Steam Deck is powered by a custom AMD APU (CPU + GPU on one chip) providing enough performance to run the vast majority of the Steam library at 60fps or above in medium to low settings, and it supports the full range of PC peripherals via its USB-C port for use as a desktop. Valve rates games in three tiers on the Steam Deck: Verified (fully compatible), Playable (works with minor caveats), and Unsupported (doesn't launch or has major issues). Many Windows-only games run via Proton, Valve's compatibility layer, which translates Windows DirectX calls to Vulkan. The Steam Deck OLED, released in November 2023, significantly improved battery life and upgraded to a vibrant OLED display. The device created a new category of portable PC gaming that competitors, Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and MSI Claw, have since entered with Windows-based alternatives. For players with large Steam libraries, the Steam Deck offers a way to play existing owned games portably without repurchasing a separate portable library.