The highly anticipated Steam Deck will officially start selling on Feb. 25. However, early access users warn about one serious issue: its battery life.
Steam Deck launches on February 25th, 2022! 🎉https://t.co/6WKynbibkv pic.twitter.com/Un54Jwdq1H
— Steam (@Steam) January 26, 2022
Video game company Valve is launching its first-ever handheld console called Steam Deck. According to earlier reports, this will be a hybrid gaming device that can play any game registered on Steam. Note that Steam Deck will work like a "gaming laptop" with upgradable software and hardware.
Steam Deck Reviews: Gamers Comment About Battery Life
Sources from The Verge compiled some hardware reviews about the Steam Deck from GamersNexus, Linus Tech Tips, and The Phawx. These technicians gave their first impressions about Steam Deck ergonomics, performance, battery life, and more. One of the reviewers shared their battery tests with Steam Deck. Surprisingly, the console showed terrible results.
- 6 hours of "Dead Cells" at 50 percent brightness
- 2 hours of "Devil May Cry 5" at high settings with VSync
- 4 hours of "Forza 5" capped to 30fps
- 3 hours and 21 minutes of "Ghostrunner" capped to 30fps
- 5 hours and 40 minutes of "Portal 2" capped to 30fps
- 6 hours of Steam Link streaming at 50 percent brightness
- 3 hours of VLC 4K 60fps playback at 50 percent brightness
In general, Steam Deck could play four hours on "average" settings. But if gamers increased their fps or brightness settings, then the battery life will quickly shut down in less than 90 minutes. Many other gamers complained about these issues on Twitter. One fan said Steam Deck would only play for two hours "unless you playing Pac-Man."
The big concern for the #SteamDeck for me is battery 2-8 hours gunna be 2 hours let's face it unless you playing pac-man pic.twitter.com/NOanIoTjS0
— Prism Gaming UK (@PrismGamingUK) July 16, 2021
Another fan twitted a GIF of a battery running out. This fan pointed out that Steam Deck seemed to be as energy-hungry as PC.
Has anyone stopped to consider the battery life on the #SteamDeck? You know how power hoggish some PC games tend to be...#FizzVsGaming pic.twitter.com/mB14ABCUy1
— Michael Scally 🏳️🌈 🐀 (SAME USERNAME ELSEWHERE) (@FizzVsTheWorld) July 15, 2021
ComicBook noted that Valve might be targeting 30fps as an average with the Steam Deck. Unfortunately, limiting their hardware means gamers can only experience half the fun on game titles.
#Valve is targeting 30fps performance on #SteamDeck to help the platform save battery life, but as a whole, games are said to be able to run at much higher levels. https://t.co/lBvi1zbonk pic.twitter.com/OGArOrABv8
— ComicBook.com (@ComicBook) July 25, 2021
Twitter user Flbond speculated that Steam Deck would not replace its competition, Switch.
How to Improve Steam Deck Battery
Gamers who noticed Steam Deck's battery issues immediately started finding workarounds for the problem. Sources from PCGamesN suggest that users can tweak Steam Deck settings to improve its battery life, especially when playing indie and triple-A games.
#SteamDeck battery life could get a boost thanks to VRS enhancements by Valve https://t.co/x4Q2Rn5L14 pic.twitter.com/7wS1RdjKCV
— PCGamesN (@PCGamesN) January 27, 2022
Users who own a Steam Deck are recommended to turn on their VRS enhancements to improve battery performance. Gamers are also advised to cap their fps rate at 30 and never at 90. Lastly, gamers should adjust their brightness to 50 percent and lower.
It is worth mentioning that on the flip side, Steam Deck's poor battery life is the product of its amazing performance stats. Users said the game console had crisp keys and smooth graphics, which all contribute to an immersive experience.
Hopefully, Valve is aware of the problem and would provide other solutions to its battery problem.
