Valve has introduced a brand new Steam Deck handheld PC model, however it’s not a one-size-fits-all improve for each gamer.
It is going to be obtainable on Monday, November 18 and is essentially white, as an alternative of the standard all-black model.
Its face buttons and controls are gray, whereas the facility button supplies one splash of color: orange.
Nevertheless, the white Steam Deck just isn’t essentially an interesting improve for present Steam Deck followers. It’s not a useful improve over the usual OLED mannequin, launched in November 2023.
“Steam Deck OLED: Restricted Version White has all the identical specs because the Steam Deck OLED 1TB mannequin, however in white and gray,” says Valve.
Regardless, it might additionally promote out shortly as a result of Valve says it’s a real limited-run product.
“This mannequin will solely be obtainable in restricted portions, with inventory allotted proportionally throughout every area,” Valve says.
“As this can be a limited-edition launch, we won’t be making extra of this explicit design. As soon as we’re bought out, we will probably be bought out.”
White Steam Deck launch date
The Steam Deck OLED: Restricted Version White will go on sale from the Steam retailer at 11pm UK time on November 18 and can price £599. That is £30 greater than the usual black model. It features a white case to match the console’s colors.
Why launch a brand new mannequin not as highly effective as the usual Steam Deck OLED from a yr in the past, which is simply barely higher-performing than the unique 2022 LCD model?
One take is Valve desires to capitalise on the pre-Christmas shopper. One other idea is that the Steam Deck OLED: Restricted Version White is a aspect impact of exploratory supplies engineering work Valve is placing into the Steam Deck 2.
Altering the product’s color is extra difficult than it sounds, with variances within the plastics’ really feel, end, sturdiness and power requiring testing.
Just lately Valve additionally reaffirmed its intention to not launch a very upgraded Steam Deck quickly.
“We’re not going to do a bump yearly. There’s no motive to do this. And, actually, from our perspective, that’s sort of probably not honest to your prospects to return out with one thing so quickly that’s solely incrementally higher,” Lawrence Yang from the Steam Deck design staff advised Opinions.org.
Steam Deck is taken into account a giant success, despite the fact that customers comprise solely 0.74 per cent of gamers on the Steam platform, in keeping with the October 2024 Steam {Hardware} Survey.
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