Gaming has become one of the most influential and standard norms in modern society. It is rarely an occurrence where one has not been introduced to different forms of gaming, which takes us on an exciting journey and opens up a portal to an immersive world full of challenging quests and rewards.
It is quite a daunting task to select a high-profile, reliable, and highly compatible gaming emulator to suit your personal preferences.
One of the highly intuitive and popular choices includes buying a Steam Deck, owned by Valve, which is an extremely versatile and portable gaming handheld console equipped with better and much more advanced features.
Steam Deck has caught the attention of a number of gamers all across the globe, but what befuddles them the most is making a selection between the three models of Steam Deck, which differ at a minor level, but still, they are quite the same.
Therefore, I will lay some emphasis on the three models, take several factors into account, and give my personal verdict regarding which model is the most favorable and suited for you based on your personal preferences and desires.
A Brief Analysis of the Three Models of Steam Deck
Before we get to delve into the topic, it is worthwhile to take a look at the precise and much-summarized differences between the value of the actual model and its price, which gives a little head-start over what will be our key focus.
| General Data: | Steam Deck Model 1 (64 GB). | Steam Deck Model 2 (256 GB). | Steam Deck Model 3 (512 GB). |
| Screen | 7-inch touchscreen (1280 x 800 resolution). | 7-inch touchscreen (1280 x 800 resolution). | 7-inch touchscreen (1280 x 800 resolution). |
| Battery life | It lasts up to a maximum of 8 hours. | It lasts up to a maximum of 8 hours. | Last up to a maximum of 8 hours. |
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Memory Type | eMMc | NVMe | NVMe |
| Additional benefits associated with the model | Exterior carrying case Can use a screen protector. | Exterior carrying case Steam Community profile bundle Can use a screen protector. | Exclusive exterior carrying case Exclusive Steam Community profile bundle Anti-Glare Screen Exclusive virtual keyboard theme. |
| Price | $399 | $529 | $649 |
From the data table given above, it is quite explicit that there’s no such large-scale difference between the three models, and it’s not fairly easy to know why such small-looking changes account for the hefty difference in the prices.
The slight differences, as illustrated above, are that of total storage capacity, the technology used in designing the texture of the display screen, and different types of storage memory, contemporary with additional features and equipment.
Therefore, there is no need to discuss and go into depth about each model. Rather, it’s imperative to explore the differences, why they matter, and account for the set price.
Let’s have an insightful exploration of the following list of major differences between the three models:
- Total storage capacity matters when it comes to playing heavy games.
- Types of memory affect the overall speed, processing, and responsiveness of the device.
- Screen technologies come in handy at times, which is a prominent factor to consider.
With a larger storage capacity, plenty of room to play more games:
There’s a huge desire to have a larger storage capacity to load every heavy, memory-consuming game.
However, you can always upgrade the storage in a 64 GB Steam Deck by making use of the micro SD expansion slots and purchasing additional storage.
However, there are games such as Resident Evil 8: Village, Red Dead Redemption 2, and other AAA titles games which require a large amount of available memory with quicker processing times, which makes 256 GB and 512 GB more suitable.
You won’t have to buy SD cards and go through such a hassle, given that those hefty games may not run well on a 64 GB Steam Deck due to the difference in the type of memory and damage to the device, running games which it isn’t quite compatible on this model.
While 256 and 512 GB means that you can have loads of games to download and run them smoothly.
There isn’t necessarily a need to have 512 GB, though, because people normally don’t use such an extended amount of available memory, so it’s not used up to its full potential, whereas the middle model gets the job done for most gamers and gaming enthusiasts.
Therefore, it makes sense that 256 GB worth of available storage, with the option of always expanding it, stands out as the most reasonable option to choose.
Difference between eMMc and NVMe
The 64 GB Steam Deck model comes up with an eMMC (an embedded Multimedia Card), while the other two models use an NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express).
This mainly accounts for the difference in prices among the three models. It’s because eMMC, which is embedded in the 64 GB model, is quite slow and is not a good option if you wish for those games that require high responsiveness and efficient processing to ensure that they run well, giving a seamless gaming experience.
eMMc is the reason why the 64 GB is cheaper than the other two, and even if you upgrade the storage, you would have to buy eMMc internal storage, which suggests that there wouldn’t be any marked improvement in the overall processing of the hefty games, and thus isn’t a wise choice to do so.
However, NVMe is considered to be very reliable as well as has faster read and write operating abilities, which is why they’re a bit expensive, but still quite worth the sky-high demand and its price.
Having NVMe built-in memory means that you can play as many games as you would possibly like to have with no processing issues. You can install, process, and load games with no obstruction!
This clearly tells us why such a difference in price exists in the first place. However, from what we know, the 512 GB one still does not have much of a significant difference over the 256 GB, so its skyrocketing price is still not quite validated, which is why the middle model still stands as a viable option.
Screen technology:
Steam Deck Model 3 has an anti-glare screen, which means that you can play games, typically those of darker-themed mode on bright sunny days, while on the go.
Anti-glare screen technology consists of a protective coating to reflect light, thus avoiding glares, and allows you to play with a clearer display during extreme daylight, protecting from severe eye strain and ensuring that your gaming experience is not adversely affected due to certain weather conditions.
However, the other two models don’t have such a feature but can have a screen protector.
This is one such added feature along with extra available storage in Model 3, but still, I wouldn’t say that the number of additional features is not that significant and does not fairly account for the difference in the prices between Model 2 and 3.
Which Is the Best Choice Based On One’s Personal Preferences
It all comes down to the question of which is the best Steam Deck Model one should purchase based on what they truly prefer and what model can fulfill those desires.
For starters, if you want to play light games, are just a simplistic casual gamer, and aspire not to play heavy AAA title games, then buying a 64 GB Model will prove to work the best for you based on these wants.
You can have a screen protector on and play low-memory and light games such as Monster Train, given that you have a low budget. This is probably a good choice. Still, it’s very unlikely that gaming enthusiasts would go for playing games, excluding popular AAA titles.
What model stands out to be the best one personally for me is Model 2. It has a fair and valid reason for a price of over $500, and its additional improved features are worth the price.
You can play a handful of AAA titles games due to the large available storage and run them quite smoothly.
Having NVMe memory and adding extra storage will prove beneficial as you can load more games and have them running efficiently. No barrier standing in between installing, booting, loading, and processing the games as well as buying a tactile screen protected at a low cost.
The Steam Deck Model 3 is not a very wise choice, given its price. Added facets include more storage, which is usually not used up, virtual keyboard customization options, and an anti-glare screen.
An anti-glare screen for an overly high price of over $600 dollars is not quite appealing, and it’s only worth it if you are in the sun all the time, which is not usually the case.
Similarly, the extra elements that constitute its value do not seem to add up to the price, and one such feature of large storage availability is not even acquired to its full potential.
Therefore, the Steam Deck Model 2 is truly the best pick, offering a catalog of improved and additional enticing features and fulfilling the general preferences, all fairly aimed at a moderate price!
Conclusion
- Gaming is one of the most socially evolving cultured facets in modern-day society, and the popularity of having the best gaming emulators, such as Steam Deck, is still on the rise among gamers worldwide.
- There are three models of Steam Deck, with exactly the same outstanding-looking exterior and features, with few little differences, such as the storage, types of memory, and screen technology.
- Model 1 uses eMMC, while the other two come with NVMe, a much better and faster memory, so it can run games smoothly.
- Model 1 has low available memory, so it can have fewer games played and downloaded compared to the other two.
- Model 3 has an anti-glare screen, which is the best for use on bright sunny days, but you can’t use a screen protector as it will damage the screen, while the other two can have a screen protector.
- Model 2 is regarded as the best choice, in my opinion, as it contains all the innovative and enticing additional features at a fairly adequate price and is worth a purchase compared to Models 1 and 3.