Steam Deck Will Last Up to 5 Hours on Battery
We've learned that devkits of Steam Deck last between 2 and 5 hours on battery, depending on the game.
- Steam Deck is supposed to last between 2 and 5 hours on battery depending on the game;
- The device does not overheat and is relatively quiet;
- Steam Deck is supposed to be more convenient to use than Switch.
Steam Deck is a portable device, so the key question is how long it will last without charging. According to recent reports, the battery will provide between 2 and 5 hours of gameplay, depending on how much load the game puts on the device's APU.
The information comes from Boiling Steam, which obtained it from a person with access to a devkit of Steam Deck. It should be taken into account that the consumer version may differ in this regard, although probably not to a great extent.
Steam Deck vs Switch battery life comparison
Steam Deck seems to offer decent battery life, but it falls well short of Nintendo Switch's performance.
Device | Estimated battery life: |
Steam Deck | 2-5 hours |
Nintendo Switch OLED | 4.5-9 hours |
Nintendo Switch Lite | 3-7 hours |
Nintendo Switch with serial number starting with XK | 4.5-9 hours |
Nintendo Switch with serial number starting with XA | 2.5-6 hours |
There was some other interesting information in the article. Loading games installed on a microSD card is supposed to go very well. The developer did not measure the exact loading times, but they are supposed to be similar to when the game is installed on the device's SSD.
Steam Deck also has a good cooling system - the device supposedly never gets too hot. The fan volume is similar to that of the Switch. The developer also claims that Valve's gadget is more ergonomic than Nintendo's console. Especially with longer sessions, the controls are supposed to be more pleasant, and the distribution of the weight is better.
Recall that the shipment of the first copies of Steam Deck to consumers is expected to begin this February. Initially, the release was planned for 2021, but it has been delayed. According to the developer speaking to Boiling Steam, it was a good decision. Even if there were no problems with parts availability, the device's system would not likely be ready in time.
Unfortunately, all of the units being shipped for February have already been reserved. If you make a reservation today, you will have to wait until the second half of 2022 for delivery.
