Steam Deck VS Xbox Series X: The Ultimate Comparison

Valve finally launched its portable console and is known as Steam Deck. And on the other hand, you must be thinking about how it’s different from Xbox Series X.

Well, one thing everyone knows is that Valve released the Steam Deck on 25th Feb 2022 whereas the Xbox Series X is in the market since 12th December 2019.

But for some of you who couldn’t buy the brand new Xbox Series X at that time but now have the money to buy or are looking to replace it with a Steam Deck then we will be giving you a closer look at the differences they both have such as size, price, performance, availability, and much more.

xbox series x vs steam deck 2
Steam DeckXbox Series X
Price $399, $529, $649$499
Resolution7 in. IPS, 1,280 x 800, 400 nits, 60HzUp to 4K at 120Hz / 8K at 60Hz
Memory 16GB soldered LPDDR516GB GDDR6
ProcessorAMD APU with quad-core Zen 2 CPU, 8 compute-unit RDNA 2 GPU (4-15w)AMD RDNA 2 GPU 52 CUs @ 1.825GHz
Storage64GB eMMC or 256-512GB SSD, micro SD (UHS-1) expansion slot1TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD (2.4GB/sec uncompressed, 4.8GB/sec compressed)
Expandable Storage microSD slot1TB Expansion Card
Disc DriveN/A4K UHD Blu-ray
Display OutUSB-C with DisplayPort 1.4HDMI 2.1

Price

There are a total of three versions available of Steam Deck and their price varies according to the storage size.

Steam Deck

$399 USD for the 64GB
version

Xbox Series X

$499 USD for the 1TB
version

  • Steam Deck specced with 256GB of NVMe storage for $529 USD / £459 GBP comes with more and faster storage as well as an exclusive Steam Community profile bundle and the aforementioned carrying case
  • And $649 USD / £569 GBP for 512GB which offers the fastest storage with its high-speed NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4). This version comes with a premium, anti-glare, etched glass screen; a unique carrying case.
steam deck all you need to know

Whereas, the Microsoft Xbox Series X comes with an Xbox Wireless controller and an Ultra High-Speed HDMI cable, and all of these you can get at a price of $499 and has a 1TB internal space.

Availability

Steam Deck is only available at the Steam Deck store and can be reserved for a $5 (£4) deposit. That $5 deposit will go toward the cost of the Steam Deck if you do decide to follow through and order one. It’ll be refunded if you change your mind and decide to cancel.

But the Xbox Series X is kinda hard to find as Microsoft warned before on the supplies of the console due to global chip shortage in 2022.

But, if you are still desperate to get one then you will be able to get your hands on a console at some point, even though restocks are selling fast. It is still possible to scoop up the new console. That’s why we recommend sticking to retailers you know and trust.

As of today, it’s short on Amazon too.

So, it’s hard to find an Xbox Series X console rather than easily reserving for a Steam deck that will be delivered on time.

Steam Deck VS Xbox Series X : Specs and Performance

Xbox Series X outranks the Steam Deck. Steam Deck with a Linux-based operating system based on SteamOS, Deck is less like a handheld gaming console and more like a fully-functional PC as the Steam Deck uses a custom-designed “APU”, a combination CPU-GPU architecture built by AMD.

The CPU is the equivalent of a Zen 2 laptop processor with a 4/8 core setup of primary and secondary cores maxing out at 3.5GHz. The GPU is an integrated 8-core RDNA 2 design.

Whereas, the Xbox Series X has an 8-core AMD Zen 2 CPU @ 3.8GHz which is twice the Steam Deck. One more difference is that Xbox Series X has 8 cores/16 threads and an operating frequency of up to 3.8 GHz.

However, they both are somewhat similar when it comes to RAM as the Steam Deck has a total of 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory whereas the Xbox Series X use the same too but with the GDDR6 variant as this allows the console for higher memory bandwidths which by extension, allows the GPU chips to reach its full potential.

Design and Display

Both the consoles are way more different in these categories as on one hand there’s a handled console and chargeable whereas the Xbox Series X is just connected with a power supply and play as long as you want.

However, the Xbox Series X displays up to 4K at 120Hz resolution while the Steam Deck’s LCD screen supports 1280 x 800 resolution at 60Hz.

Compared to Steam Deck the Xbox Series X has a far larger volume, is most likely to accommodate airflow, and will help overcome Xbox Series X overheating. Microsoft has stated that it built it this way to ensure that it is virtually silent.

But one more important thing is that most users don’t play at 4K 120fps on Xbox Series X due to low performance, we don’t say that this feature is useless but most of the time users play on 2K which the Steam Deck can also support easily.

Supported Games

As there are tens of thousands of games on the Steam platform but the company can’t test them all the same time but there are some famous title games being tested right now that will run on Steam Deck.

Whereas the Xbox Series X games are widely available on the Microsoft Store and on retail shops. But the best part is you can even play Xbox One including OG Xbox games and Xbox 360 games that are backward compatible such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Call of Duty Warzone: Black Ops Cold War, Borderlands 3, and much more.

Also, you can download and play over 300 games on Xbox Series X for one monthly fee by availing yourself of an Xbox game pass.

Also, note that Valve Steam Deck runs on SteamOS, which skips out major games like Valorant, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Genshin Impact, Minecraft, Call of Duty Warzone, Black Ops Cold War, Overwatch, and a lot more.

Steam Deck VS Xbox Series X: Outlook

For now, it’s impossible to tell which console is the best because both of them have their own differences such as the Xbox Series X wireless controllers for easy multiplayer, and these you won’t get in Steam Deck and you have to connect it directly to your monitor or TV.

Although we know that the Xbox Series X has been already on the market and it’s getting short day by day. You never know as the Steam Deck is available on its own store as they are still testing some games for the users to play so, due to the shortage of Xbox Series X the Deck may have an upper hand on the sales.

So that’s everything you need to know about Steam Deck compared with Xbox Series X and it’s high time you get in love with the video games due to high quality and fun games so, it’s up to you which system you choose.

So, do let us know what do you think that which console is the best according to price, design, and availability?

You can leave your answer in the comments section below.

Zul
Zul

Zul is an avid gamer with a passion for RPG and racing games. He enjoys playing games like Need for Speed and Grand Theft Auto 5 and is also skilled at fixing errors and crashes to enhance the gaming experience. Zul stays up-to-date with the latest gaming news and enjoys sharing his knowledge through writing gaming guides and articles.
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