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The Steam Deck is a handled gaming PC released by Valve on February 25, 2022 running SteamOS, and designed to run games on its Steam storefront. It was designed in order to bring a desktop-like experience to console/mobile users, and for Valve to break into the consumer portable market. It came to market at $791 (512GB model), the price has fluctuated significantly since.[1]
| Basic Information | |
|---|---|
| Release Year | 2022 |
| Product Type | Gaming, Gaming Handheld |
| In Production | Yes |
| Official Website | https://store.steampowered.com/steamdeck/ |
Consumer impact summary
editThe Steam Deck is generally seen as particularly good on the user freedom front, allowing PC-style software usage, third-party storefronts, and operating system modification.[2] Some concerns do remain around how tightly users are bound to steam for the smoothest experience. Privacy-wise, the main concern is the amount of account, usage, and debug information that Steam reports back to Valve. In terms of market control, most concerns are less about lock-in and more about the company gaining outsized control over the PC handheld standards, distribution, and discoverability.[3]
Incidents
editThis is a list of all consumer-protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the Steam Deck category.
Harmful flicker/PWM on Steam Deck OLED screen
editAs documented in a GitHub issue, the Steam Deck OLED model uses a screen that flickers at a harmful rate due to PWM dimming. Users who are sensitive to this flicker may experience eye strain, migraines, and blurred vision as a result. One user even reported that the flicker raised their eye pressure to the point that their optometrist suspected they had glaucoma.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Steam Deck [512 GB] price chart". PC Price charting. 2026-05-28. Archived from the original on 2026-01-29. Retrieved 2026-05-28.
- ↑ Thurrott, Paul (27 Feb 2022). "Gabe Newell talks Steam Deck and why the PC industry won't tolerate closed platforms". Thurrott. Archived from the original on 2022-03-21. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
- ↑ Strickland, Derek (26 Feb 2025). "Handheld PC market to hit nearly 8 million by 2025, segment growth is 'amazing' AMD's Azor says". TweakTown. Archived from the original on 2025-03-27. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
- ↑ "Analysis of the PWM of the Steam Deck LCD screen and its level of visual fatigue (and the same style of analysis for Steam Deck OLED next week)". Reddit. 18 Nov 2023. Archived from the original on 24 Sep 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2026.