Valve’s portable Steam Deck has been released, and if you put in your preorder early enough, you might have one of the devices in your hot little hands this very minute. For the rest of us, though, we’re stuck waiting until inventory catches up to demand—and that could take a while. (Valve’s official Steam Deck ordering site currently says fulfillment for new purchases will probably happen during or after the second quarter of 2022, so that’s potentially months away.)
Ars’ portable-gaming master, Sam Machkovech, was lucky enough to score a prerelease Steam Deck for testing and review, and you can read his comprehensive take—all 9,000-and-change words of it!—right here. However, if you don’t have time to wade into a deep-dive article, there’s a quicker way: Instead of the article, you could peep the 10-minute review video at the top of this piece!
Sam has thoughts on performance, compatibility, battery life, control feel, screen brightness, and other important Ars-y concerns that Ars-y readers might have about a new (and expensive) portable gaming device. And if you’re in the mood for more Steam Deck news, Sam has also weighed in on how the Steam Deck deals with Linux. (And all’s not necessarily kosher in Steam Deck Linux Land—some publishers really don’t want you playing their games that way.)
If you can’t have your Steam Deck in front of you, the next best thing is to vicariously enjoy Sam’s video tour!
Listing image by Sam Machkovech
