Tag: Steam Deck

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Destiny 2 will probably never natively run on Valve’s Steam Deck

Destiny 2 players hoping that Bungie’s shooter would eventually be updated with Steam Deck compatibility are about to be disappointed.

It looks like the now Sony-owned company has no plans to ever bring native compatibility with Valve’s recently released handheld. According to the game’s ‘help page,’ as first reported by The Verge (via Wario64), Destiny 2 doesn’t support the Steam Deck and players could even be outright banned.

The full statement from the help page reads as follows:

“Destiny 2 is not supported for play on the Steam Deck or on any system utilizing Steam Play’s Proton unless Windows is installed and running. Players who attempt to launch Destiny 2 on the Steam Deck through SteamOS or Proton will be unable to enter the game and will be returned to their game library after a short time.

Players who attempt to bypass Destiny 2 incompatibility will be met with a game ban.”

It’s unclear why Bungie has taken this stance given the developer already ported Destiny 2 to Linux to get the game running on Google’s Stadia streaming service. The Steam Deck’s Proton operating system is based on Linux.

There’s a possibility that the handheld could run Destiny 2 once Windows is available for the portable, which Valve says it’s currently working on. That said, this will likely entail a complicated, multi-step process.

In a series of recent tweets, Epic Games’ CEO Tim Sweeney says that his company has no plans to bring Fortnite to the Steam Deck either despite the Linux porting process likely being a relatively straightforward process. Sweeney says Epic has concerns regarding Fortnite’s anti-cheating software running on the Steam Deck.

On the more positive side, Elden Ring plays great on the Steam Deck and features an anti-cheat system. That said, the trend of major titles not being updated with Steam Deck compatibility doesn’t bode well for thehandheld’s future.

Image credit: Bungie

Source: Bungie, Wario64 Via: The Verge

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Valve’s Gabe Newell is delivering Steam Decks to some customers

The best part of this video is how confused some Steam Deck buyers are when Valve co-founder and president Gabe Newell shows up at their house to deliver the company’s recently released handheld gaming device.

That said, several of the Steam Deck buyers featured in the video below recognize Newell when he shows up at the doorstep to drop off their Steam Deck. However, there are instances where other people living in the house accept the order, leading to even more confusion. This makes sense because while Newell is a famous video game developer, he is only well-known amongst a specific group of people.

Amusingly, Newell also seems a little embarrassed that he signed some of these Steam Decks and even says, “Hopefully, people won’t get mad that I’m signing them.” The entire video is extremely awkward in a very endearing way, but it’s also a great promotional video for the Steam Deck given its focus on collaborating with owners to improve the device.

In an interview with PC Gamer, Newell said that Valve has no plans to build a game subscription service and that it wants to find a way to bring Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass platform to its new handheld console. On another Steam Deck-related note, Elden Ring runs surprisingly well on the powerful handheld following an upcoming update that’s currently available in beta.

I’ll have more on the Steam Deck in the coming days, including a review of the portable.

Image credit: OnDeak (Screenshot)

Source: OnDeak Via: The Verge 

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Elden Ring’s Steam Deck stability issues could soon be fixed

This past weekend I spent a lot of time playing FromSoftware’s Elden Ring on Valve’s Steam Deck.

While it’s undeniably cool to be able to play a recently released game with PS4/Xbox One level graphics on a dedicated handheld, the experience has been far from flawless even when Elden Ring’s graphics settings are turned down.

However, that could soon change.

Regardless of how low the graphics are set, I found myself encountering bouts of lag while playing Elden Ring on the Steam Deck, mainly when there are multiple enemies on the screen at once or when fighting on my faithful Spectral Steed, Torrent. Though this doesn’t happen all the time, I’d describe these parts of the game as nearly unplayable at times.

After a particularly frustrating fight where two mounted enemies disappeared from the screen only to reappear and kill me immediately, I almost pulled the trigger on buying the Xbox Series X version of Elden Ring and abandoning playing on the Steam Deck altogether.

According to a tweet from Valve coder Pierre-Loup Griffais, the company is already working on a fix for this issue.

“The graphics team has been hard at work on optimizing Elden Ring for Steam Deck,” said Valve employee Griffais in a recent tweet. “Fixes for heavy stutter during background streaming of assets will be available in a Proton release next week, but are available to test now on the bleeding-edge branch of Experimental.”

Given only developers and the media have the Steam Deck, Valve and FromSoftware have a short window to improve Elden Ring’s compatibility with the Steam Deck before it gets into the hands of consumers. The first batch of Steam Deck units started shipping out to customers last week.

Given how much fun I’ve had diving into Elden Ring on the Steam Deck, I’m really hoping this update solves the game’s problems on the handheld (I may even give the ‘experimental’ update a shot). In fact, I’m surprised I’m enjoying Elden Ring at all given my usual distaste for soulsborne titles and their extreme difficulty level. Thankfully, FromSoftware has added several quality of live improvements to Elden Ring that make the title easier for newcomers to get into, including simple fast travel, an overall slower pace and frequent save points (Sites of Grace).

For more on Elden Ring, check out Dean Daley’s in-depth look at the game. Also, be on the lookout for my Steam Deck review on MobileSyrup in the coming days.

Source: @Plagman2 Via: IGN

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Valve’s official Steam Deck dock won’t be available at launch

While orders for Valve’s anticipated Steam Deck are close to shipping, the handheld’s official dock won’t be available at launch.

According to a recent blog post from Valve, the dock will arrive in “late spring.”

“We are also looking forward to getting the official Dock for Steam Deck into customers’ hands,” said Valve.

Not much is known about Valve’s official Steam Deck Dock beyond the fact that it connects the handheld to an external display, works with USB accessories, powers the console and, of course, props up the Steam Deck on a stand. Valve says that the Steam Deck can also output to a television or monitor through any powered USB-C hub and that it doesn’t require the official dock.

Along with details on the Steam Deck Dock, Valve also outlined that “first batch” reservation holders will receive an email regarding shipping at 1PM ET/10AM PT on Friday, February 25th. Pre-order holders who receive the email will then have 72 hours to complete their purchase. Those who cancel will have their reservation released to the next person in the pre-order line.

To find out when you’ll receive your Steam Deck pre-order, check out Valve’s reservation queue. It’s also now possible to check what titles in your Steam library are already compatible with the handheld.

MobileSyrup will have more on the Steam Deck in the coming weeks.

Source: Valve Via: The Verge 

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Valve’s portable Steam Deck is more repairable than you think

Though Valve initially informed Steam Deck buyers that repairing the handheld console themselves likely isn’t a great idea, that might not entirely be the case.

Teardown experts iFixit dismantled a production Steam Deck to confirm that the portable is actually pretty easy to repair — at least for the most part. The device opens easily, features clear white labels on most major components and is even pretty modular, allowing you to fix or replace components without taking the entire Steam Deck apart.

For example, the SSD can be replaced with one screw, thumbsticks easily pop out and even the display just requires a suction cup and minor heat to remove. That said, iFixit also says that replacing the Steam Deck’s battery is a “rough” process and that its USB-C port/microSD card slot are attached directly to its motherboard.

“But, we also found a lot to like. The opening procedure is simple and straightforward; there’s above-average modularity for most components; and you only need one Phillips screwdriver for all your repairs,” writes iFixit in its blog post regarding the Steam Deck’s repair process. “The storage solution here outclasses a lot of current laptops. Overall the Steam Deck nets a 7 out of 10 on our repairability scale.”

iFixit says that it will sell official Steam Deck replacement parts on its website. Valve’s Steam Deck starts at $449 and is expected to start shipping towards the end of February.

Image credit: iFixit

Source: iFixit Via: The Verge

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Upcoming Steam update will let you check game size from the library screen

Valve-owned Steam will soon let users check out the size of titles on the ‘library’ page before they install them.

Normally, you would have to click install to see the required disk space and estimated download time (as seen in the image on the left), but with the upcoming update, these details will be available to view front and center (as seen in the image on the right).

While this isn’t a major update, it sure does make the process of scouring through games relatively easy. The feature is rolling out as part of a beta update, and should be available to all steam users in the coming weeks.

This comes shortly after Steam redesigned its downloads page to display more information on download and installation progress, along with an improved section to manage storage.

This latest update arrives almost half a month before Steam’s long-awaited Steam Deck goes on sale.  The handheld PC was delayed last year due to parts shortages but will be available starting February 25th, starting at $499 CAD.

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Mobile Syrup

Upcoming Steam update will let you check game size from the library screen

Valve-owned Steam will soon let users check out the size of titles on the ‘library’ page before they install them.

Normally, you would have to click install to see the required disk space and estimated download time (as seen in the image on the left), but with the upcoming update, these details will be available to view front and center (as seen in the image on the right).

While this isn’t a major update, it sure does make the process of scouring through games relatively easy. The feature is rolling out as part of a beta update, and should be available to all steam users in the coming weeks.

This comes shortly after Steam redesigned its downloads page to display more information on download and installation progress, along with an improved section to manage storage.

This latest update arrives almost half a month before Steam’s long-awaited Steam Deck goes on sale.  The handheld PC was delayed last year due to parts shortages but will be available starting February 25th, starting at $499 CAD.

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Valve says the Steam Deck will now launch on February 25

Valve has confirmed that its Steam Deck handheld PC will go on sale starting February 25th.

This lines up with the February window the company had promised last year when the system was delayed out of the holiday season.

In a Steam blog post, the company says customers who have reserved the system will be sent emails after 10am PT/1pm ET on that date. Upon receiving the email, you’ll then have 72 hours to place their order. Otherwise, their reservation will be released to the next person in the queue.

Valve says the first units will then be shipped to customers starting on the 28th, with subsequent order email batches being set out on a weekly basis. Therefore, if you’ve reserved the Steam Deck but aren’t in the first wave of people on the 25th, you should stay tuned during March for an email.

It’s worth noting that Valve says the review embargo for the Steam Deck also lifts on February 25th, should you be waiting to hear more hands-on impressions before buying.

The Steam Deck starts at $499 CAD in Canada and goes up to $819 depending on the bundle. However, new reservations (at the time of writing) for the device aren’t expected to ship until “after Q2 2022,” per Steam.

Source: Valve

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Valve’s Steam Deck portable should start shipping at the end of February

Those disappointed when Valve revealed back in November that the Steam Deck’s release would be delayed until 2022 will be pleased to know that the gaming giant has confirmed that shipments will start in February.

Early pre-orders will likely ship in the February release window, with later orders arriving a few months later. Of course, given we’re still in a pandemic and chip shortage/manufacturing delays are common, there’s a possibility this shipping date could shift.

Valve also says that it shipped “hundreds” of Steam Decks to developers last month to ensure their titles are compatible with the handheld’s controls and AMD chip. Valve’s gaming retail platform Steam will also display a green checkmark on titles that have been tested and are compatible with the Steam Deck. As someone that was skeptical about game compatibility when the Steam Deck was first revealed, this is a good sign.

While it’s great to see Steam revealing more information about the Switch-like Steam Deck, it’s still unclear how much its dock that allows titles to be played on larger displays will cost.

Source: Valve

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Here’s our best look at Razer’s Qualcomm-powered Switch-like handheld yet

Qualcomm is working with gaming accessory maker Razer on a Nintendo Switch-like handheld video game console built on its Snapdragon G3X chip.

Leaked slides presumably set to be shown off during Qualcomm’s annual Tech Summit in Hawaii that VideoCardz obtained, show off a device called the ‘Snapdragon G3X Handheld Developer Kit.’ With the portable’s name in mind, Qualcomm and Razer could be trying to more directly target developers with this device.

Other notable features related to the handheld include a USB-C Port, DisplayPort support over USB-C, a 6,000mAh battery and a 1080p webcam. The portable’s screen is reportedly an HDR OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. The device also supports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 and 5G mmWave.

While Razer’s handheld console bears a striking resemblance to the Switch, it also looks a lot like Valve’s upcoming Linux-based Steam Deck. The Steam Deck’s release was recently pushed back to 2022 due to supply-chain issues.

It’s unclear if this will end up being a consumer product or is a proof-of-concept offering an example of how hardware makers could take advantage of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon G3X chip for portable gaming devices. For example, the chip maker adopted a similar approach a few years ago with a concept virtual reality headset.

VideoCardz also says that Qualcomm’s next flagship smartphone processor will be called the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.

With the Snapdragon Tech Summit currently underway, we likely won’t have to wait long for more details regarding Razer and Qualcomm’s handheld gaming project.

Image credit: VideoCardz

Souce: VideoCardz Via: The Verge