Valve recently started sending out dev kits for its handheld PC device, the Steam Deck, which is slated to launch in December. Feedback on the device soon began to appear on social media, with developers praising the Steam Deck’s sound, controls, screen size, framerate, and the fact that it works with external peripherals like joysticks. But while developers have had many of their questions answered by going hands-on with the device, the general public is still eager for more information about this unexpected game system that was surprise announced only a few months ago.

Since it was first revealed, there have been inevitable comparisons with the Nintendo Switch, a handheld console that has been the only real contender in the portable market since the retirement of the PlayStation Vita in 2019. Many of the similarities between the two devices are mostly on the surface only, with Valve’s Linux-based system potentially offering a much larger game catalog out of the gate and the Steam Deck apparently even working with Microsoft’s xCloud.

RELATED: Patents Provide New Details About Valve's "Sensor-Rich" Steam Deck Controller

To answer many of the lingering questions about its upcoming handheld, Valve has released a new FAQ for the Steam Deck to cover some of the most common inquiries the company has received from the community and press. While some of the answers were not entirely surprising, others emphasized the versatility of the Steam Deck.

For example, owners will be able to install multiple OSes on Valve’s portable device and select which one to boot to. There will be no need to root or jailbreak the system in order to access the BIOS and play around in the backend. The Steam Deck will also support multiple Steam accounts, and each will have its own local save data and settings. And in case the maximum 512 GB storage space isn’t enough, the handheld will be able to boot games from an external microSD card.

steam deck keyboard screen

The FAQ also reiterated some details that had already been confirmed about the device. Unlike the Switch, Valve’s Steam Deck will perform the same whether docked or handheld, with the company comparing docking to plugging a USB-C hub into a PC. The device will still run at peak performance while in portable mode. Other information in the FAQ covered more technical information, such as the length of the charging cable, screen specs, and whether the Steam Deck’s audio jack supports audio and a mic (yes, it does).

Although it turns out that the Steam Deck may not work with every Steam game, despite Valve’s initial claims, that hasn’t stopped excitement from growing as the device’s release date draws nearer. Even Phil Spencer, the executive VP of Gaming at Microsoft, had only good things to say about Valve’s portable PC after testing it out for a week. The Steam Deck will sport an optimized version of the Steam UI that PC gamers are already used to, feature haptic feedback beneath each trackpad, and will be able to play nearly 16,000 games on release.

Steam Deck is expected to launch in December 2021.

MORE: Steam Deck May Have One Unexpected Upside and Downside

Source: Steam Deck FAQ