More Steam Deck details have been confirmed before launch
Valve's Steam Deck is set to release in February 2022 and we're learning more and more as that time draws near.
The company has revealed plenty about the console, with various media outlets getting hands-on time and more being revealed online.
Valve also held a developer conference in mid-November to give deeper insights into its plans. What came out of that conference has appeared on the Steamworks documentation page alongside the information already on the official FAQ page.
There are certainly some interesting nuggets about the workings of the Steam Deck that have come out of these docs. Including plans for the handheld console and how it will work. On the FAQ pages, Valve has answered a number of burning questions:
Would Valve be interested in having any Steam Deck exclusive titles?
No, that doesn't make much sense to us. It's a PC and it should just play games like a PC.
How many sound channels does Steam Deck support?
We support two when using the onboard speakers, but we support multi-channel when using HDMI or Bluetooth.
Are there any plans to add 5G or LTE at this point in time?
No plans to add cellular, however, you can always tether to your phone.
How Much VRAM does Steam Deck have?
Steam Deck has 16 gigabyte of unified memory. One gigabyte that's dedicated for the GPU, but depending on workload the GPU can access up to 8 GB.
Will Steam Deck performance be any different, depending on if it's plugged in or if it's running on battery?
We are focused on providing you the full performance available from the APU both on battery and when you're plugged in. Our expectation is that performance is the same across the board in either configuration.
Does Deck only support full screen mode?
The Steam Deck will automatically run games in full-screen by default. However, if you drop to desktop, you can run games in windowed mode.
Will Steam Deck support VR?
Technically it's possible. We've seen people jury rig it, but we didn't design and optimize Steam Deck for VR.
Will AMD FSR be incorporated into Steam Deck?
FSR is already available for some applications that support it. Games that already include FSR will work as is, but also FSR support will be included as part of an OS future release. Once that happens, games could potentially make use of FSR even if the games themselves don't natively support it.
Does the Steam Deck support Local Multiplayer/Couch Co-op?
Definitely - you can play local co-op on the Steam Deck in a few different ways. You can hook controllers in via Bluetooth, or directly via USB. You can also play with Remote Play Together, where other players are on other Decks or PCs.
When will Steam Deck be available in more countries?
We're still finalizing plans with a bunch of other countries and territories. Nothing solid to announce or confirm yet, but we can say that we're working really hard on making Steam Deck available in Japan and Australia.
Other highlights from the main FAQ are hints at the possibilities of use cases when the Steam Deck finally arrives.
One such nugget is the fact that owners will be able to add multiple Steam accounts to their Steam Deck. Each user account will have their own separate save data and settings too. So you'll be able to share it with other family members for a good time.
Another interesting highlight is that Valve says the Steam Deck can also be connected to a PC then used as a controller for that gaming machine. The company also notes that PC VR headsets can even be connected to the console, but it's not optimised for it.
Users will also be able to boot games directly off a microSD card which should help with storage space.
The FAQ also speaks a bit about docking and external hardware support. It seems that external GPUs won't be supported, which is a shame and docking with a PC won't improve performance as it's designed to run best in portable mode.
It also seems that the user interface for Steam Deck will eventually replace Steam's Big Picture mode, so there's plenty to look forward to, both on and off the console.
Steam Deck pre-orders are said to start shipping in February to the United States, Canada, European Union, and the United Kingdom. Valve has said it's working on getting Steam Deck to other regions too.
from Pocket-lint https://ift.tt/3zOvcHD
via IFTTT
No comments: