Valve Steam Deck Docking Station Review: "A Premium Accessory That Won't Be For Everyone"

© Future / Sam Loveridge Zero

The official Valve Steam Deck docking station has arrived, making connecting the Steam Deck to your TV or monitor relatively easy. Almost a year after its launch, other manufacturers have stepped in to fill the gap to be the best steam floor, good options in the race, but now the question is whether the official collection of Valve is really the best option. Especially when these versions are so much cheaper than Valve's $89/£79 version.

Design features

Valve's Steam Deck Dock is a neat little device that effectively acts as a storage shelf for your Steam Deck while providing the various ports you need to connect it to your TV or gaming monitor. The design is well thought out, with grooves. To hold the steam bridge and the bottom of the tire firmly. The Steam Deck has an anti-slip edge that does not cover the screen in any way. It's also nameless, so it allows the steam floor to exist as part of your office or living room setup.

The back of the dock has all the ports you could possibly need. There are three USB 3.1, HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 ports (something not found on many competitors' official docking stations). There's also an Ethernet port and a USB-C port for power. It's handy with its own power bank, the same charger as the Steam Deck, and then a USB-C cable running along the back to connect to the top of the Steam Deck and connect to the dock. It comes with a charger, which can't be said about any of its competitors, meaning you can mount the dock wherever you want without having to unplug cables to power up your vaporizer. go over

These USB ports are essential for connecting all the devices you want to use. In testing, we sampled a wired Xbox One controller as well as a wireless gaming keyboard and mouse. Everything worked without a hitch, Steam Deck changed the interface to recognize the Xbox One controller and match buttons, including the Xbox logo. However, since the ports are on the back, using a wired controller can make setup quite complicated, especially if you plan to connect other inputs.

Overall it's incredibly easy to set up, but you'll need your own HDMI/DisplayPort cable and then it's pretty much attached. The design is so good, in fact, that others have upped the ante, including the iVoler Dock 5-in-1 Steam Deck, which does everything this official version has except for Ethernet and DisplayPort connections.

However, compared to iVoler alternatives, this official tool can be considered as a premium package. Well made, good build quality and feels solid. It's enough to take with you for a portable setup without worrying about damaging it.

Performance

Valve's Steam Deck Dock is the best way to provide a plug-and-play experience for Steam Deck. For all Steam Deck tests, it automatically adjusts the settings you need to get the best results from your TV or monitor. For example, Wolfenstein 2. The New Colossus or Uncharted. The Legacy of Thieves Collection release is not only smooth, but looks great.

Valve's Steam Deck currently supports resolutions up to 4K 60Hz or 1440p 120Hz and can offer multi-display support if you use both HDMI and DisplayPort (instead of dual HDMI). An update is available to fix this problem, but it has not yet been released at the time of this writing. The same can be said for FreeSync support, which is coming back but not yet available.

It's important to remember that you haven't added any processing or graphical appeal when you burn your Steam deck, so you're still limited by the hardware limitations of the ship. Some games require adjustments and setup issues, so it's not always possible to boot up and assume you're getting the best for the big screen. Plugging in your Switch has never been easier, especially navigating the Steam Deck UI when connected to the Steam Deck in your hand.

in general. Is it worth buying the official Steam floor?

But for the most part, and for most of the games we tested, the official port was great, especially if you're comfortable tweaking settings and getting into menus. The design is top of the line and stands out from many competitors, especially when it comes to the number of ports.

It's still a solid investment at $89/£79, so if you're not sure you'll get the most out of the big screen, it's worth checking out a cheaper alternative before committing. The Valve Stem Deck is a premium accessory that may not be for everyone.

How we tested the valve steam surface

We've been trying to put the Valve Stem Deck Dock through its paces with the 512GB version of the deck for a few weeks. We tested the official device with a TV and monitor - the LG Group G1, an excellent 120Hz 4K TV, and an ASUS 4K gaming monitor - and various games from our Steam library. Games were tested using both an Xbox One controller and a Razer wireless keyboard and mouse combo.

You can read more about gaming technology in our full GameRadar+ hardware policy.

For more information on Steam Deck setup, check out our guides to the best Steam Deck headsets and best gaming monitors to improve your immersion .

[FIXED] Beware of keys... they cause serious Steam Deck issues