Not far from the December launch date, we finally have some real clues about how Valve’s Steam Deck could perform. Now undergoing compatibility testing, interested potential customers now have an idea of whether or not the system is the right fit for them or their lucky loved ones in the holiday season. Though the system is powerful in itself, for many users, questions about the Steam Deck tie into its capacity for high-speed internet. Sure, the Steam Deck is powerful for a handheld, it still pales in comparison to a modern PC. For this reason, when playing at home, streaming could be the better choice for some users.
With high-speed WIFI, the Steam Deck could make the most demanding PC games streamable from anywhere in your house. In theory, this could allow these games to make a similar jump to those experienced by online casino games when they made the move to mobile phones. Playable at full speed without limitations, the implications this could have for handheld gaming are immense if the system manages to take the right steps.
How do online casinos manage?
Fundamentally, online casinos operate a little differently than streaming on the Steam Deck will, though the result is much the same. In a modern online casino, games like Age of Gods and Twistar are hosted on a player’s mobile, where the low demands make playback an easily flawless experience. This same concept applies to live titles such as Lightning Roulette, which again have demands that are easily met by mobile processing and network speeds.
Unlike early mobile phones, there’s no degradation of quality when traveling this route on modern systems. In the PC-handheld streaming space, however, quality problems are still an issue that is yet to be completely overcome.
What gives the Steam Deck an edge?
Overcoming the limitations of older handhelds and streaming systems has been the inevitable result of both the Steam Decks hardware, and generally improving home-network infrastructure. Aiding in the streaming ideal is the Steam Deck’s dual-band 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz WIFI. These systems give it the capacity to hook into cutting-edge routers, a must for low-latency streaming play. Since streaming in this instance will come from the user’s home rather than an offsite server, the latency issue is further reduced.
In theory, using third-party programs like Parsec could also extend the playable Streaming radius of the Steam deck out to hundreds of miles, provided users have access to a fast router and internet connection. While this isn’t quite the same level of availability that online casinos enjoy, it still illustrates a profound step in a similar direction. Plus, with greater 5G mobile hotspot availability, this gap could shrink even further.
“Red Dead Redemption 2 / Viewing Point” (CC BY 2.0) by Stefans02
Ultimately, the primary focus of the Steam Deck is undoubtedly its ability to run games directly. It’s also targeted at PC gamers, however, and PC gamers often value performance above all else. If the system lives up to its potential, the Steam Deck could illustrate the perfect play ideal that mobile casinos hit years ago, at least within a limited radius. If you’re someone who’s ever dreamed of playing Red Dead Redemption 2 maxed out from the comfort of your bed or porch, Valve’s machine could be a game-changer. That is if it lives up to the hype.
