Steam’s Switch-like portable console launches this December

By Andrew Zucosky Published April 25, 2023

Steam revealed a new portable console called the Steam Deck, which will be available to purchase this December. The Steam Deck is a handheld system that allows players to play their Steam games on the go. There will be multiple versions of the console available starting at $399 and players can currently reserve one in specific regions.

Steam's new handheld console, the Steam Deck. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Steam Deck, which looks quite similar to the Nintendo Switch, is a way for players to carry around their Steam library wherever they go. The device features a custom APU that was created with AMD. The portable device will also have a dock for players to connect the system to a television set or other external display.

The Steam Deck is not just a portable device that can play Steam games. Valve says that it is a full gaming PC, just in the shell of a handheld console. The Steam Deck has a Linux-based desktop that can be used as a web browser and can download third-party applications. Along with the expected buttons and triggers for a console in 2021, the Steam Deck also has two touchpads right below the joysticks as well as a touchscreen.

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There are currently three pricing options for the Steam Deck. The first option is the $399 version that includes 64 GB of internal storage as well as a carrying case. The next step up is a $529 option that has 256 GB internal storage, a carrying case, and an exclusive Steam Community profile bundle. Finally, the last version is a $649 option that boasts 512 GB of internal storage, an anti-scratch screen, an exclusive carrying case, a virtual keyboard, and the exclusive Steam Community profile bundle. Each version of the console will also include a microSD slot.

Currently, reservations are available in the United States, Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom.

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Andrew has been playing video games since he was a small boy, and he finally got good at them like a week ago. He has been in…

Gaming

Is Stardew Valley cross-platform?

Stardew Valley Multiplayer Fishing

Stardew Valley is a game made by just one person, but it has seen more success than most games made by dozens, or even hundreds, of people. It's even one of Digital Trends' top 50 video games of all time. Since its release in 2016, the game has been updated regularly with new features and content to keep its avid fans coming back. This includes an online multiplayer component that allows you and up to three friends to hang out on each other's farms. And with the recent trend of games allowing players on different platforms to join together, you may wonder if Stardew Valley offers cross-platform functionality. Here's everything we know about cross-platform support in Stardew Valley.
Is Stardew Valley cross-platform?
Stardew Valley does not offer cross-platform support, meaning you can't play online multiplayer between any of the systems the game is on. So if you want to team up with some friends, make sure you all are playing on the same platform, such as the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, or PC. Also be aware that whoever starts a multiplayer game is saving that shared world locally, meaning no one else can reenter that world without the host present.

The sad fact of the matter is there doesn't seem to be any indication that crossplay will come to Stardew Valley. The game's official Reddit still lists it as not being supported, and there was only one mention of it by the developer on Twitter back in 2018, when he responded to a question asking if crossplay would come to the game. He replied, "Unfortunately, there will not be crossplay. Apparently, the technical barriers are very high. It's still something I really want to add and I promise to look into it more closely, but first priority is getting the update out there." This was many years ago, and there has been no further information about cross-platform play since, so it seems very unlikely that we will see support for this functionality come to Stardew Valley.

Gaming

All Fallout 4 cheats and console commands

Fallout 4 key art featuring the power armor suit hung up in an armory.

Cheat codes have somewhat become a thing of the past in modern gaming, with mods coming in to take their place. Most Bethesda games, such as Starfield and Fallout 4, enjoy plenty of mod support, but also have plenty of ways that you can tweak the game using some old-fashioned cheats and console commands.

Even as big as Fallout 4 is, it has shown its age at this point, so why not try out a few cheats to keep things exciting in the wasteland? Here are all the cheats and console commands you can use, and how to activate them.

Computing

A Redditor ‘didn’t know’ about the Steam Deck, so they built their own

The homemade Ryzen Deck sitting on a desk.

It's hard to imagine that anyone interested in portable gaming hasn't heard of the Steam Deck, but one Redditor says they "didn't know" it existed. And because of that, they decided to build their own.

The 3D-printed contraption comes from Raven0606, who shared images of the completed handheld on the r/SBCGaming subreddit, which is dedicated to handheld emulators. The build took nine months to complete, and Raven0606 dubbed it the Ryzen Deck in honor of the Steam Deck (they found out about Valve's handheld halfway through the build process).