In July 2021, Valve revealed the Steam Deck, a Switch-like handheld device packed with features including a huge variety of control options, a 7-inch touchscreen, the ability to connect to external displays, and a quick suspend / resume feature. The device began shipping in February 2022, starting at $399. With an unprecedented degree of support from Valve and the help of the gaming community, it progressed from being a “glorious mess” in our initial review to becoming one of The Verge’s favorite gadgets of 2022 and something other companies couldn’t really match. More than two years after the Steam Deck launched, the landscape is very different now that new competition has arrived in the form of Windows-powered handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally, the Lenovo Legion Go, and Ayaneo’s assorted decks. Valve’s revision of the Steam Deck added an OLED screen along with tons of other improvements that Sean Hollister said make it “everything the original should have been.” [Video: Steam Deck OLED review: Valve pulled a Nintendo in the very best way] We’ve been keeping a close eye on the Steam Deck and rivals, and you can read all of our coverage here.
