Valve’s Steam Deck is still considered the industry lead when it comes to handheld games consoles: boasting all the benefits of a gaming PC in a convenient and portable format. But if you’re torn between investing in the console or upgrading your current computer, it may be helpful to know the Steam Deck GPU equivalent.
We’ve got all the information you need and more on this interesting question. Whilst you likely won’t be able to replicate a Steam Deck’s specs one-to-one, it serves as a solid benchmark for gaming PC power. Given that the best GPUs are steadily increasing in price, is investing in a Steam Deck perhaps a more comprehensive investment?
Valve Steam Deck OLED
Storage Capacity
512GB
Operating System
Linux
Battery Life
3-12 hours
Steam Deck GPU Equivalent
It’s hard to precisely pin down the Steam Deck GPU equivalent, as it boasts a unique architecture which doesn’t exactly align with that of a typical PC. It employs the RDNA 2.0 graphical architecture, which is the same used in consoles such as the PS5, though that’s not to say it’s comparable to such full-fledged consoles. The processing power of the Steam Deck is limited by it’s form factor, with slower overall clock speeds making for slower performance.
Therefore in terms of graphical hardware, Steam Deck is roughly comparable to GPUs such as the Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti, or an AMD Radeon RX 550. Though both these cards are rather outmoded in 2024, with only a handful of gigabytes of memory between them, it’s the GPU architecture that allows the Steam Deck to compete with more modern consoles and computers. The custom version of RDNA 2.0 that it runs on is tailored to the console, and has received periodic updates and optimization across the handheld’s lifetime.
This means that the Steam Deck can run most games at its native 1080p resolution, with less graphically intensive games running up to 60FPS – though more demanding games will drain frames and battery life to a greater degree than on console or PC. As the Steam Deck becomes more readily available, and new models like the Steam Deck OLED join the market, support is patched in for modern games to ensure better performance.
Steam Deck GPU Equivalent: At A Glance
| Steam Deck | Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti | AMD Radeon RX 550 | |
| GPU Architecture | RDNA 2.0 (Custom) | Pascal GP107 | Polaris GCN |
| VRAM | 1-4GB | 4GB | 4GB |
| Boosted Clock Speed | 1.6GHz | 1.4GHz | 1.1GHz |
Though these specifications aren’t set in stone, they highlight the average comparative between the Steam Deck and the GPU contemporaries.
FAQs
When it comes to MSI Claw vs Steam Deck, the two consoles each have their own respective strengths and weaknesses. The MSI Claw has a better battery life and performance, whereas the Steam Deck is more affordable and virtual memory.
Though they tend to be outperformed by gaming PCs and consoles, the option of having a handheld that you can take anywhere is an incredibly appealing one. For long commutes or even simple convenience, having a handheld console is worth the cost.
In Summary
Though it’s hard to concretely define a Steam Deck GPU equivalent, thanks to its outdated hardware but optimized software, we think that there is a sensible benchmark a few GPU generations ago. That doesn’t necessarily make the Steam Deck outmoded: as for the cost of a Steam Deck you gain a dedicated gaming machine – at a fraction of the cost of a full equivalent PC.
