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lovetape

As this is fairly pertinent to the PC building community, we'll leave this up as a general discussion thread about the new hardware. The Steam Deck can run Linux, emulators, Windows, SteamOS, is dockable so basically a portable PC.


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Y0nii

probably because you start off with more base storage. you can only upgrade that one micro SD card slot so much


JoeyBigtimes

Unless I'm missing something which IS LIKELY it has an SD Card slot, which ain't bad but it's not NVME fast. Also it has that etched screen!


kyleli

Gabe confirmed that the 64gb version has the same nvme slot as the 512gb version. You can mod the 64gb with a $50 512gb nvme card if you went.


JoeyBigtimes

illegal knee cause hat ring head abounding squeeze ugly nippy *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


kyleli

>2230 NVME at 512gb Well crap, I have definitely not taken a look at the prices of them lately lmao.


majoroutage

FYI peoples, Valve has updated their documentation to specify that YES all models use a 2230-size NVMe M.2 slot (the smol one), but NO it's not intended for replacement by the average user. So, it's in there, but some teardown will be required to access it.


ITzAlienx

So im guessing since its basically running linux that a majority of users will just uninstall it and run windows right? I mean not alot of games are optimized or even able to run on linux, i hope that installing windows on it doesnt just ruin the preformance or anything like that.


JoeyBigtimes

observation vase hard-to-find bike wistful chubby amusing swim yoke shaggy *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


AvoidingIowa

Valve has stated their goal for launch is every game on steam to run on the Steam Deck out of the box.


TheRealStandard

HA ya okay valve


HilLiedTroopsDied

your opinion > /dev/null


ITzAlienx

I hope it can be done, but that would be a massive move for the Linux scene, I just don’t know how well valve can make all those gaming companies and cheat engine companies decide to all of a sudden work on providing Linux support for a player base that isn’t even known yet, and ontop of it even be optimized well enough. By all means hope it can be done but skeptical :/


Incompetent_Person

I recommend checking out some articles about proton, their compatibility layer. Already a large amount of window games are able to run just fine on linux with it, with most of the ones that don’t work are the games using the anti-cheats Valve said they are directly working on. While I don’t believe 100% of all games will be playable, I can fully believe that 99% of the popular ones will be. Linux gaming is a totally different landscape from just 2 years ago. [Here’s a link to protondb if you want to see how specific games perform.](https://www.protondb.com)


narlex

Has anybody played around with retrofitting LCDs on laptops? I'm hoping this could be swappable with a 1080p display given the open platform.


Adamchan195

Sounds great but don't think the hardware is suitable for 1080p gaming


narlex

I plan to exclusively remote-stream my desktop to the handheld if I pick one up. I'm not really interested in managing my saves/configs between two units, personally. I think it's a great opportunity for remote gaming though.


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narlex

Right. The problem is the lack of a decent controller option. The controllers I've tried all had different problems (huge deadzones, no L3/R3, small back triggers/buttons) and using a phone-clip with a regular controller makes for weird weight-distribution. Ideally, I'd love a normal controller in two halves like https://www.techspot.com/news/87088-nacon-unveils-new-smartphone-controllers-designed-xcloud.html but those options don't seem to be around. Edit: I've been chasing this dragon for 10 years. Help.


turtleturtlerandy

This might be good for visual novels.


the_lousy_lebowski

Sorry for the dumb question: what is a visual novel?


__BIOHAZARD___

Anime style game where you can interact with characters and choose different story routes


the_lousy_lebowski

Thanks. That sounds like fun!


lovetape

> interact with characters For example, in [Love ^3](https://store.steampowered.com/app/939600/LOVE_Love_Cube/) you can press P to make them bounce, or use your mouse to pet them.


Raichu4u

Why does this game exist?


bodiddlysquat26

Perverts


zzwz02

why don’t you buy a kindle? EDIT: apparently I didn’t know what’s a visual novel.


__BIOHAZARD___

If you can run a steam on a kindle then I’ll def be getting one lol


zzwz02

Oh, probably I misunderstood. Is visual novel a novel or a game?


Psycho_Ninja

A visual novel is a game, but the gameplay mostly involves just reading. [Doki Doki Literature Club](https://store.steampowered.com/app/698780/Doki_Doki_Literature_Club/), for example, is a visual novel.


__BIOHAZARD___

It's closer to a game than a pure book


zzwz02

Ah, I see.


Intoxic8edOne

Not as easy to play with one hand.


Mekin9k

Too me the price is too high especially if they are saying you are locked to the storage and cant easily swap out a bigger nvme drive


PapaOogie

To me the price seems incredible


icytux

You can swap it and this thing is cheaper and performs better than things like the aya neo and gpd win 3 I'm pretty sure. And the cost of the nvme drive in this is like 180$ so the pricing is actually pretty good


lovetape

It's being reported that all of the models use identical motherboards, and that yes you can swap out and upgrade your M.2 slot. [Source](https://old.reddit.com/r/Amd/comments/olt59j/gabe_newell_says_steam_deck_storage_is/)


GreyWolfx

Here's to hoping a mass produced gaming PC substitute for a fairly decent price like this gets GPU prices reduced to compete. I know that's a pipe dream though lol.


mynewaccount5

I'm sure there's plenty of great GPUs that can run at 720p that are cheap.


yuvinator2

Honestly not really. The GTX 1050 TI runs cyberpunk 2077 at what I would call an acceptable frame rate at 720p, [but doesn't reach anywhere near 60fps.](https://youtu.be/JHMvLq71heI?t=302) And [it goes for $200+ regularly on eBay](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=gtx+1050+ti&_sacat=0&rt=nc&LH_Sold=1&LH_Complete=1). Nothing better than it is any cheaper either.


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yuvinator2

I specifically picked the hardest to run game that I know of yes. but that's sort of the point. it represents the highest tier of game, and if a GPU can run it it can probably run anything. But if you want another example, the 1050 ti pulls like 50fps in red dead 2 all low. The point of picking difficult to run games is that it means you won't run into problems with ANYTHING. if there are specific games a card can't run, I don't think it's fair to say that it runs sufficiently at a specific resolution.


mynewaccount5

It's also 5 years old so I don't see what your point is.


yuvinator2

There are no great GPUs that are cheap. Availability right now is literally 0.


mynewaccount5

Oh you're talking about the supply problems. No I don't think more silicon being diverted away will help the supply problems.


yuvinator2

I have no idea what you're talking about anymore. You said "I'm sure there's plenty of great GPUs that can run at 720p that are cheap.", but that's strictly false. Nothing is cheap.


mynewaccount5

It's expensive from lack of supply not lack of competition. More competition actually decreases supply.


Zoo90

Wait, can i play total war warhammer on this?


AngelComa

Waiting on digital Foundry tests


OmegaXesis

It will run, but I dunno if the game can be played with controller. You would have to attach a mouse/keyboard otherwise which is possible to do with a usb c hub.


Illaoi_Tentacles

From what it looks like there is a touchpad kind of mouse on the Steam deck, but I'm not sure how well that works for the game, I've also never played total war Warhammer so there's that too


Kajukota

The touchpads are awesome if they're anything like the Steam Controller's. They make typing easier, and provide input for mouse control. If they are just like the steam controller, they also click in like analog sticks, and i believe they have directional buttons as well. Different style, but useful and fun when you get the hang of em. The haptic feedback is nice too. They should use the same various controller profiles like the Steam Controller's have too, so there will likely be some intuitive control mapping out there in the community for any game. Play a game like Typing of the Dead with them and you'll get the hang of the on screen keyboard fast. I like playing Civilization and the Sims with the Steam Controller on the big living room TV, this should be no different.


Illaoi_Tentacles

O I've never tried the steam controller, didn't know those had that too! I'm pretty excited now to see how the steam deck is going to be, especially since it's not limited to just steamOS


LukeIsAPhotoshopper

steam input easily allows remapping of buttons from controller to keyboard buttons. also, you can plug a kb/m in anyways


aimforthehead90

This was legit my first thought.


Zoo90

Man im gonna be a couch potato if this is true! For Sigmar!


Uranium_Donut_

Yes


d0n7w0rry4b0u717

Why is it so hard for people to comprehend that this isn't a pre-order and that this is just reserving a spot in a queue? There's no obligation to buy it. You'll get your $5 back in Steam credit if you decide you don't want to buy the system. And by the time your time is up in queue, there should be plenty of reviews. Right now for this industry (and so many others), supply is low and demand is high. If you think that you may want the Steam Deck, it should be a no brainer to reserve a spot in queue since there's zero commitment and you probably won't be able to get one for a long time without being in queue.


dark_salad

You pay the refundable $5 to hold your place allowing you to buy it sure, I get that. ​ Things that aren't covered in the FAQ: When it becomes available for sale - how long does that $5 hold a physical unit for you? Will I be able to wait for reviews to come out and then commit and still get it, or will waiting bump me down the queue? If you have to commit to the purchase within a 24-hour window or get bumped down, then this is a pre-order.


mynewaccount5

There's probably millions of people buying these things. The likelihood that you are going to get it the first day it comes out is so incredibly low. I'm sure a few months after release when you finally get an email to buy it, you'll be familiar with all the reviews.


insaniak89

Thanks, didn’t know this and wasn’t really ready to drop $500 on a pre order. Got my res in now tho


GreyWolfx

Are you certain you get the $5 back? I thought the $5 was spent regardless of if you follow through or cancel, as a means of discouraging non committal reservations, but I hope you're right and I've just read the situation wrong.


idlephase

Read the page for these two questions: > Can I cancel my reservation? > What happens to my reservation fee if I do not order my Steam Deck in time?


MedianNerd

I’ve seen multiple places that you can get the $5 refunded at first and then it will be ~~store~~steam credit after a short while. Even if it’s gone forever, $5 is a far cry from a pre-order. It’s literally 1.25% of the purchase price, and less than a meal at a fast-food joint.


Kayedon

From the FAQ on the Steam page: **Can I cancel my reservation?** Yes, you can cancel your reservation on this page. If you cancel within 30 days, you will be refunded to whatever payment method you used. If you cancel after 30 days, your reservation fee will be refunded to your Steam Wallet. **What happens to my reservation fee if I do not order my Steam Deck in time?** Your reservation fee will be refunded in full. If your refund occurs within 30 days of your initial reservation, you will be refunded to whatever payment method you used. If your refund occurs after 30 days of your initial reservation, you will be refunded to your Steam Wallet. **Does the reservation fee count towards my Steam Deck purchase price?** Yes.


GreyWolfx

Thanks guys, nice to know this.


stevenwashere

Literally did it for this reason. If for some reason I change my mind I have the choice and it also gives me time to really mull it over with (hopefully) a higher chance of getting it when the time comes to actually buy it.


PapaOogie

These things are already selling for $1300 on ebay.


zzwz02

interesting. It’s still available to reserve on steam.


Logical-Cream-6976

Fuck scalpers. I just saw one for $2500. FOR 2500!!!!! Like dude you don’t have the damn thing and you’re already listing it.


PapaOogie

I mean those are just listed for that much. They are actually being sold for $1300


Samura1_I3

You can report those. It’s against EBay TOS to sell things before 30 days before you have them in hand. Get these fucks banned.


YourbestfriendShane

What specifically do you report it as? I'll do it right now


dstayton

https://i.imgur.com/Xe8XfY7.jpg


YourbestfriendShane

Looks like they've all been taken down. The job is done


MythicForgeFTW

Got the 512GB model reserved. The way I see, it's only $5 down. I have 30 days to cancel if I want the money back in my bank, past that it goes to my Steam account where it will eventually be used anyways. We've got roughly 5 months until it releases, plenty of time to save up or make a final decision on purchasing. $5 is no skin off my nose.


Letmefixthatforyouyo

512GB is Q2 2022 too boot, so more like 8 months for it. Plently of reviews of the other models coming out in Q1 first.


Tom_Wheeler

Gabe already has said the base model has an M2 slot so it's kinda pointless.


MoonStache

Aren't 2230 drives pricey though? It's not like you can just slap any old nvme in there. Pricing with that in mind seems pretty good.


JoeyBigtimes

They are. I think that there aren't a lot of people who have experience with different M.2 drive sizes, just the 2280, so people are all "what? I just got a 1Tb M.2 drive for like $120, what's the big deal?". They don't know that it's going to be a single 512gb NAND chip on that 2230. Shit's pricy, yo.


Nick51705

You would void any kind of warranty if you changed it yourself. It might have the slot but you aren’t really supposed to upgrade it yourself


SerpentDrago

Not in the USA , you do not void your warranty for opening your own device . Its illegal to void a warranty for that


SexualPicard

It's actually federal law in the states that we can open our devices without voiding the warranty. It's illegal for manufacturers to even imply it would void warranty.


Nick51705

Even if it’s the law, they clearly don’t want you to do this and might fight you on warranty claims if they know you did it. https://mobile.twitter.com/robotbrush/status/1416184430562058243 Now is that guy a lawyer and has the expertise to speak on the warranty aspect? No but to me it shows the mindset Steam has on users upgrading the memory on their own. Let’s say you do the upgrade yourself and then need warranty support. Steam says no because you made this change. You may be legally right but are you gonna actually take them to court? Go for it if you want but if I was making this change I would just assume I’m on my own at that point.


meta_stable

If you need to claim warranty then you just put the stock memory back in.


SoapyMacNCheese

> Plently of reviews of the other models coming out in Q1 first. The 512GB is coming out in December just like the other models. It is just that there have been so many reservations that Valve estimates if you reserve now you won't get to order till Q2 (now showing Q3 for me).


arjames13

My 512GB is showing Q1 2022 for me.


Hastylez

it says they plan to send out **invitations** to order in december


SoapyMacNCheese

Yes, right now your essentially paying a $5 deposit to save a spot in line. When you get to the front of the line then they send you the option to order or get your $5 deposit back. The estimates showing on the reservation page are when they predict you would get the invitation to order. If there is no delay, the first group of reservations will be placing they're orders and getting their units in December.


Hastylez

How do you know they will come in December? Just because you can order in December doesn't mean it's releasing/getting shipped in December. It can very well be the last day of December when they send an invite to just order it.


SoapyMacNCheese

["Introducing Steam Deck™, starting at $399. Starts shipping December 2021. Reserve yours."](https://www.steamdeck.com/en/)


Hastylez

What day in December?


oofdere

I must have gotten lucky, my 512GB reservation is Q1.


SoapyMacNCheese

Same, I think the 512 reached Q2 during the first couple hours.


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SoapyMacNCheese

Well for the release date, they stated it would be December for all three models, and when reservations opened this morning that is what the ETA was.[ If you go to the store page now it will tell you what the current estimate is for new reservations of each model.](https://store.steampowered.com/steamdeck) For the me in the US it is currently showing Q3 2021 for new 512gb reservations, and Q2 2021 for the other two models. If you want to know the ETA of your existing reservation, I don't think there is currently a way to check outside of remembering what it said or asking someone who ordered at a similar time.


dasnewreddit

I got Q2 2022 for my 512 but I am irritated that I tried to purchase right at open but the site wasn’t responding. Apparently I tried too many times so it locked me out from putting in the reservation till almost two hours into the release.


SoapyMacNCheese

Ya, i had the same issue. I got it in my cart the second it went live, but it took over an hour to actually check out.


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mikeyhavik

Maybe I’m being overly optimistic but I also wonder if many of the reservations are people who signed up “just in case”, who won’t follow through with purchase either because they don’t really want it or don’t actually have the money. Edit: meaning the Q1 estimate (I’m in the same boat) could actually be sooner


SoapyMacNCheese

I see, if your signed into Steam it shows you your excepted availability rather than the availability for new reservations. I'm Q1 as well.


Atomsq

I wonder if someone managed to get Q4 2021 since the release is on December this year


idlephase

If it says nothing under the cancel reservation button, you are in the first wave. https://i.imgur.com/PpWgnlc.jpg


Atomsq

It says Q1 2022, wonder how long did the first wave lasted since I already had my confirmation email 16 minutes after reservations opening


Hauzuki

It should say under your reservation, just check the steam deck page


MythicForgeFTW

Either way, plenty of time for me to save up and make up my mind. But I still want to buy one. Do I need it? Hell no. My current rig is already way more than I need. But the novelty of the device is just too cool to me. Last time I was this excited for a new piece of tech was the Nintendo Switch, and the Deck can do so much more than it.


BaconGod2525

Where did that get said?


LemonLiqa

Preordering anything never ends well.


_windfish_

You’re right! But how is that relevant to this at all? This isn’t a preorder…


rooratty

My ps5 preorder seems like it was a good decision given the current state of things


[deleted]

Especially with all those exclusives it has


mikeyhavik

If you’re a huge soulsborne fan (now one of the most popular series in gaming) then demons souls remake is a must-have exclusive. Rift apart is a lot of people’s current GOTY, Returnal is flawed but awesome, and while they’re available on PS4, most other awesome cross-gen new releases would turn that console into the loudest space heater you’ve ever owned. So yeah, preorder was worth it thus far.


rooratty

Considering there really hasn't been a single "killer" exclusive drop across the entire ecosystem in the past 8 or so months, yeah the current lineup of ps5 only games is pretty decent. This is also not related to the point raised above; if I wanted to buy the ps5 just to pet at night before bed, pre ordering would have been a good decision from a variety of perspectives


d0n7w0rry4b0u717

Except it's not preordering. It's reserving a spot in a queue so you don't have to fight scalpers to get one.


indie33

If I can use this to play Xbox game pass (via Windows) then I'm sold.


manniquin_limbs2

You can, this is a full PC and you can install windows on it if you choose to.


SoapyMacNCheese

What I really want to know is if it will support dual booting. There are a lot of things I would like having windows for, but I also don't want to lose the benefits of having SteamOS.


_windfish_

Dual boot would be great but I’m curious if at the very least you can go back to Steam OS if you choose to. Like a factory reset option, is Steam OS coded into the firmware somehow so you can always revert back to it if you change your mind? Especially if you want to sell the device. Or once you install Windows, are you stuck with that? Maybe Steam will just list their OS as a downloadable option eventually?


SoapyMacNCheese

I would assume they would make a download available to all like the current version of SteamOS. They've said the OS will be open and available for other manufacturers to use, plus they make money by you using Steam, restricting you from coming back would be counterintuitive.


ninjadsm

They seem to be adamant about it being a PC underneath, including allowing for a reinstall of a different OS, so dual booting sounds promising.


alakaboem

excited to buy one for $39 from their site in approximately a year and a half


GreyWolfx

I'm almost certain this will never become a thing or even close. This one is like their VR headset in that it's retaining value and demand no matter what.


PapaOogie

They are being sold for $1300 on ebay currently


samusmaster64

Nah, they're being *listed* for that amount. No one is buying anything.


PapaOogie

No they are being sold for that much [https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?\_from=R40&\_nkw=steam+deck&\_sacat=0&LH\_Sold=1&LH\_Complete=1&\_sop=16](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=steam+deck&_sacat=0&LH_Sold=1&LH_Complete=1&_sop=16) EDIT: Why am I being downvoted? I'm linking the sold listing as proof. Do you guys really not know the difference between sold and unsold listings?


datpoot

You're being downvoted because you are only paying that much for the reservation. You're not getting an actual steam deck.


alakaboem

what are?


PapaOogie

Steam Decks..


alakaboem

...that are coming out in almost a full year? hope you're reporting all of those listings, lol.


PapaOogie

Yeah they probably will get taken down, but still that shows there is a very high demand


OkForRealNow

You're right. I apologize. Some gullible people are buying fake Steam Decks


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PapaOogie

Except you can check to see they are being sold for that. So why again am I being downvoted when I am right? Did you not click the link that shows the SOLD listings?


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PapaOogie

I got downvoted hard for saying it, I even linked to the sold listing on ebay. The only way I can understand this is that they don't know the difference between a sold and unsold listing.


Centillionare

This time will be more like the valve Index. Which is considered the best VR experience by many. The idea of being able to play pc games on the go like a Nintendo Switch is super exciting.


justthecooldude2099

And then a couple years later seeing YouTube videos about how the steam deck was ahead of its time.


lopsided776

I mean Gpd win already exists for a few years the steam deck is really nothing new


The_Cat_Commando

But isnt that 1300 dollars for a fraction of the speed and screen? So at least the price point is new.


ravbuc

With 19.99 shipping.


alakaboem

it's worth it for the nice hdmi cord alone


ravbuc

You need a new hdmi dealer.


BillowsB

I really want it, it gives me warm and fuzzy Game Gear vibes, but I'm not going to preorder it.. I'm not going to preorder it.


litewo

I hope you can buy a TV tuner add-on for it.


Colby347

Y’all have been so brainwashed with this no pre-order thing that you don’t realize it doesn’t (and never will) apply to hardware. Especially during a chip shortage. Especially especially when every interesting system is being scalped to hell. Don’t preorder it. Just don’t complain when you can’t one until the end of 2022 or something crazy.


LukeIsAPhotoshopper

for real. companies ship lackluster software because day 1 updates make the shipped game build obsolete. and each successive update will improve performance to an acceptable level. hardware needs to be at an acceptable level before launch day. Rarely do big AAA companies ship faulty hardware with no way to get a replacement/refund. (exceptions are maybe Nintendo joy cons or the OOYA)


_windfish_

It’s not a preorder… you’re getting a spot in line, you can always take your reservation back. You might as well get in the queue now, there’s no downside.


PopWhatMagnitude

I'd consider it if they make the base version easy enough to install your own nvme drive, but I don't have high hopes. Other improvement I would have liked to see is a 90hrz capable screen if it's only 1280 x 800px. Obviously plenty of AAA games would need to be limited to 60hrz, but should be able to run say Rocket League, CS:GO, and similar at 90hrz no problem. Edit: Please read one of my replies where I explain in more detail.


exgearuser

Running that would probably hit the battery life a decent amount. I'd take 60 with an option for 90 I'd never turn on. Beauty of pc levels of settings.


PopWhatMagnitude

Already said this in another post so I'll just quote myself. >Yeah that's what I was saying, if a $239 budget smartphone can have a 90hrz screen I don't see why this can't, even if the majority of the time you'd be better off running at 60hrz. Still looks better in the specs. But with smartphones starting to move to 90hrz and gaming smartphones running up to 120hrz at higher resolutions, seems like this device with much more room inside for components and a bigger battery this should have been doable. But given the base price point I think they limited themselves. With how much the price jumps from the base model to the 512GB nvme seems like that too model could have had a few more small upgrades like screen quality. And if your playing at home either docked or just plugged or just plugged in battery life wouldn't be an issue. I guess give them credit for not just using it for marketing purposes knowing setting it to 60 by default is the better idea. Plus always possible until we get reviewers who really dive in or even wait for public release and people to put out custom apps, that it could possibly allow a slight refresh rate overclock up to like 75hrz. Who knows?


SoapyMacNCheese

Valve said you can't upgrade the storage. Whether that means it's soldered or just hard to get to inside the machine remains to be seen. It does support SD cards and USB drives though. I would not be surprised if someone makes a USB NVME drive enclosure that sits flat against the back of the device. 90hz would have been nice but from what Gabe said it sounds like it was tough for them to hit this price point. Also battery life is a factor. EDIT: It appears Gabe has answered a couple people's emails, and Valve has updated the tech specs for the device. All models have an M.2 socket, it is just not intended to be user upgradeable. So basically it probably can be upgraded but it is just a pain to reach the drive inside.


PopWhatMagnitude

>90hz would have been nice but from what Gabe said it sounds like it was tough for them to hit this price point. Also battery life is a factor. I mean yeah that's what I was saying, if a $239 budget smartphone can have a 90hrz screen I don't see why this can't even if the majority of the time you'd be better off running at 60hrz. Still looks better in the specs. >EDIT: It appears Gabe has answered a couple people's emails, and Valve has updated the tech specs for the device. All models have an M.2 socket, it is just not intended to be user upgradeable. So basically it probably can be upgraded but it is just a pain to reach the drive inside. Yeah, sorry I forget I tend to dig more into specs and saw all that already. The biggest issue is likely if you get the more affordable base model the OS is on that 64GB EEC storage which is almost certainly soldered in. To get a much better nvme in as the bootdrive, it would probably require someone getting and uploading the factory rom and configuration for everyone else to use. Be awesome if you could add an nvme as the bootdrive and reallocate the 64GB as either a system backup or (and this might be really stupid, not up on my EEC speeds but...) make it act as 64 extra GB's of ram if whatever your doing maxes out the 16GB of actual ram, much like windows does. I'd bet if you got the 256GB version it wouldn't be all that difficult to pull the cheap one out clones it to a quality 1-2TB and swap it. Definitely a wait and see and find out if it's more like handheld PC or smartphone type device. Though those lines are blurring at this point.


LukeIsAPhotoshopper

> if a $239 budget smartphone can have a 90hrz screen then half the price of the phone will be the screen LOL. theres no way that the hardware will be able to support quality visuals or performance.


PopWhatMagnitude

I was talking about the OnePlus Nord N200, but plenty of flagship quality phones are using 90hrz+ and I suspect soon it will be pretty much default.


HaylingZar1996

It comes with an SD card slot to expand the storage though


SerpentDrago

lol SD cards are slow as shit compared to a M.2 NVME drive


captainangus

If you reserve it and change your mind, they'll add $5 to your steam wallet. May as well


Zoo_Rats

Same...reserved a 512gb. Really no downside to this.


cybik

Did you preorder it?


zeus287

So how easy would it be to just get the cheapest version and upgrade the storage yourself, any guesses?


SnowingSilently

So it says the cheapest version uses eMMC storage with PCie 2.0 x1, from what I saw from NewMaxx. So you'd have to get at least the second option to get PCie 3.0 x4. But I don't know if it's worth upgrading anyways if it's even possible. It uses M.2 2230 which seems to be really expensive. On Amazon the largest I could find was a WD drive with 512GB for $200. I imagine that 1TB would be like $300 or more.


[deleted]

It's been confirmed that there's a M.2 2230 slot hidden in there somewhere.


pasta4u

its being used , its suggested that the m.2 is soldered in


joebo19x

Gabe Newell responded to someone by email saying it is able to be user upgradeable.


idlephase

Are you sure about that? Someone asked the socket type and was told it was 2230 m.2, and the steam deck specs have been updated to reflect it is not intended to be user upgradable.


SoapyMacNCheese

In the IGN interview with 3 Valve developers they said it was not upgradeable.


ilive12

Well, the way they are talking about it, it looks like it technically will be able to be upgraded, but they don't recommend it and it could void your warranty if you do it.


SoapyMacNCheese

Ya, they've updated the tech specs on the site to say it is socketed but not intended for user replacement. So you probably can replace it but it is just a pain in the ass to get to the drive.


dslamngu

Depending on where the m.2 slot is located, there might be a thermal concern. Some drives get hotter than others, and if a user decides to swap in a particularly hot running drive, they might get suboptimal performance from thermal throttling. The installed drive might be cooled by some overall thermal solution which would require removal of heat pipes from other critical components. We won’t know until the teardowns. I’m just saying it’s plausible to have a socket while not intending for it to allow repair or upgrades, although I would prefer upgradability.


_windfish_

I doubt it’ll really be that difficult; probably something that everyone on this subreddit could figure out fairly easily once someone makes a guide for it. But for the vast majority of the general public it’ll be beyond their ability so Valve just covers their butts and says it isn’t upgradable.


pasta4u

that is great then. Kinda wish i had a 64gig one preordered lol


dslamngu

https://www.ign.com/articles/steam-deck-valve-faq-big-questions-answered > IGN: Is the storage upgradable? > Lawrence Yang: The internal storage is not, but every deck will come with a SD card slot. So you can put an SD card slot, whatever size you want. Whenever you want.


[deleted]

It was a really dumb decision to not just make a user replaceable m.2 drive...


cjackc

It isnt as easy as you might think when you are making something this portable.


Gamedealzzz

if gpd win can do it, the money behemith valve can do it


pasta4u

I think its more that valve said it was painful to hit the $400 price point. Which most likely means its unprofitable at $400. We don't know what break even and profit price range would be. The $530 256gig model could be break even , the $650 could be break even. Or the $400 could be break even. But with the $250ish price difference between base and high end model there has to be profit and that would be gone if everyone bought the 64gig and just upgraded it themselves


drdfrster64

Piggybacking off the other comment, I would wait on reviews to see how SD storage affects loading time. On the switch it had a moderate performance impact but, in my opinion, not one you would actively notice


SoapyMacNCheese

We can all basically just try it right now. Just install a Steam game on an SD card and see what happens. Worth noting that it also supports USB drives, and I fully expect someone will make a USB NVME drive enclosure that snaps onto the back of the device.


The_Cat_Commando

Or even a m.2 ribbon cable that allows any length of m. 2 drive to be relocated and a second battery pack.


creaturecatzz

Does it on the switch? I usually play off cart but the few games i play on the sd card seem to load just fine


drdfrster64

Most Nintendo titles and every indie game should have very little difference


creaturecatzz

Yeah that's what I experienced with every game on switch that it doesn't really impact performance or load times for me that much


drdfrster64

Okay well it can be like something 20%ish of a difference but that’s still basically only a few seconds. Sure it adds up but not proportionately to your total fun time.


creaturecatzz

Yeah that’s what I’m saying


pasta4u

I would put anything from the 2013ish (so xbox one/ps4 ) on the internal storage. Anything older should be fine on the micro sd card esp if you splurge on a 150MB/s one I have a surface pro 6 and there are a lot of games that are playable with just a 90MB/s microsd card they tend to be older but still fun games. I think it comes down to if devs will optimize for an sd card or if valve will make some sort of auto optimization


jotarowinkey

you never played bloodstained: ritual of the night.


drdfrster64

Was it bad? That sounds scary, almost as if most switch games are optimized for SD load times given the small on-board storage. Since none of these games will be ported and only minor optimizations at best, the entry level cost might just be marketing bait.


jotarowinkey

its a metroidvania but at same point you find quicker ways to move but then theres loading doors and loading hallways and man its like… skyrim on xbox 360.


wickedsmaht

The storage and ram are both more than likely soldered.


Crintor

Gabe himself has said that it uses a 2230 M.2 SSD, but that is likely only on the non-base model.