The Steam Deck is a handheld gaming computer that you can connect to a monitor or just play it on the screen. Valve, one of the top gaming distributors in the world created it to directly compete with the Nintendo Switch. As more and more computing is moving away from the desktop model to mobile, Valve released this one on February 25th, 2022, so users could take it with them on the move. Reception-wise, many critics loved it, but it does have some issues. If you are able to find one of these wonder machines, we suggest connecting to a VPN while playing it.
| Rank | VPN Service | Our Score | Server Locations | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 9.8 | 160 |  |
| 2 |  | 9.4 | 87 | |
| 3 |  | 9.2 | 95 | |
| 4 |  | 9.0 | 110 | |
| 5 |  | 8.8 | 73 | |
As we mentioned, as good as this new console is, it has some issues. Most notably, the battery life is relatively weak. If you are trying to play an intensive game like God of War, you’ll only get about an hour and a half. That will certainly change as time goes on, but as of this point, battery life may be less than desirable.
How to Connect to a Steam Deck Server through a VPN
Steam Deck’s style and chip design makes it ideal whether you are playing it as a handheld or playing. When you are on your home network playing it as a console system, you’ll want to make sure to connect to a VPN when on WiFi. Luckily, ExpressVPN has set up guides to get that straightened out. For this example, though, we are going to talk about the Windows version. Other apps ExpressVPN offers include Mac, Linux, Windows, iOS, and Android. However, if you have specific questions about setup, their 24/7 support team is always glad to help you out.
Here is the step-by-step process when using their Windows client.
After you’ve had a chance to download and install the software, go ahead and connect. Launch the ExpressVPN client and select a server location. Here is the step-by-step process when using their Windows client.
- Sign up for ExpressVPN (includes a 30-day risk-free money-back guarantee)
- Download and install the ExpressVPN app on your device.
- Since many gamers like to connect to servers in the US, we used that country for our guide. New York City and Los Angeles are a couple good server options.
- Once you open it up, we suggest you let the client select your protocol. Typically, it is set to auto (Lightway) by default. If you want to test out different protocols, we suggest trying Lightway (UDP) or IKEv2 for the best performance.
- Click the big round connect button. After a few seconds, you’ll see the circle around the button turn green. There will also be a message letting you know the VPN is “Connected.”
- You now have an IP address in the USA, as far as anyone can tell online. As such, you can reach any site as if you were sitting there. The same would be true if you connected to a server in the UK or anywhere else in the world.
And that is all that you need to do. Now that you have an IP address from an ExpressVPN server in the US, you can game, browse the Internet or watch shows and movies on your Steam Deck, just as if you were there. Connecting to a server in the UK may give you early access to some games. You can say the same for other countries.
VPNs open access to content worldwide and help you find less busy areas to play your favorite Steam Deck games. That could make a real difference if one data center is more active than others. If you like to play competitive games like FPS games. If you are not in the US, you can play on the US servers or choose a region that might be more friendly to the game you want to play.
Steam Deck System Highlights
Now, we’ll take a look at the different Steam Deck models and the differences between them. The Steam Deck comes in three different versions.
- 64GB – This version has a 64GB eMMC internal storage unit, runs on PCI Express 2.0, and has a carrying case, for $399.00.
- 256GB – With this version, you get four times the space with 256GB of storage through an NVMe SSD set-up. You also get an exclusive community profile bundle for $529.00.
- 512GB – This half of a TB version provides you with the NVMe storage, premium anti-glare etched glass, the community bundle, an exclusive virtual keyboard theme, and both this version and the middle-tier run PCI Express 3.0 for $649.00.
Again, these numbers will only get better, and hopefully that means the price will go down as supply increases. Just like Nintendo Switch, this portable console model has quite a bit of potential and the multiple game development will be top notch. If you are going to get one, we suggest going to the top version. Sure, it is more, but it may last longer and you could be more ready for the future.