The Steam Deck has been out for just over a month now and, since launching, the developer has been keen to get feedback from the community so it can continue to improve its potentially era-defining handheld device. With Valve saying there are more than 2,000 games now verified for the portable PC, the journey has really only begun as gamers continue to get to grips with it and the company uses responses to make improvements. With that, a short video has been released which briefly goes over all the things that have changed with the Steam Deck in the last few weeks.
On the Steam Deck website, the clip, which lasts just under three and a half minutes, demonstrates what's been done to the device since it released on February 25. With it still being a new piece of kit, it's understandable that there will be teething problems. But in such a short amount of time, it seems evident that Valve has thrown a lot into making sure the Deck continues to make an impact on the mobile gaming sphere.
Along with the Steam Deck adding drivers for Windows 10 compatibility, one of the improvements made to the device is through the onscreen keyboard. The video mentions a "dual trackpad" that allows for more natural typing. There are also more options when it comes to categorizing games in a user's library, with the clip showing a list of titles that have been labeled as "single player." On top of that, there are numerous additional features that make scrolling through games easier. Given that this is a gaming device, it makes sense that the company would want to focus on this.
One of the other ways Valve has altered things is by implementing ways for users to improve the battery life of the Steam Deck. One of the methods that can be employed is limiting a game's framerate, with the ability to drop it all the way down to 15 fps. This seems low, but the video goes on to say that this may be ideal for those who are playing visual novels or puzzle games.
Despite Valve's history of unsuccessful hardware projects, it's clear that the Steam Deck is something the developer is dedicated to see thrive. It's already received a lot of praise from both gamers and reviewers, and while there are notable issues that need addressing, it seems that Gabe Newell and company are on the case, especially given how much has been improved on the device already.
Source: Steam Deck