Is the 64GB Steam Deck Slower? An In-Depth Look

The Short Answer

Yes, the 64GB Steam Deck is slower than the 256GB and 512GB models. But how much slower depends on what you‘re doing. For game load times, expect only 2-5 seconds longer on average. Boot speeds will lag behind by about 6-8 seconds. The real downside is the tiny 64GB of usable storage, which severely limits how many games you can install natively. To summarize:

• Real-world game load times just 2-5 secs longer on 64GB eMMC
• Boot speeds around 6-8 secs slower on 64GB model
• Biggest limitation is small usable space – fills up fast
• With microSD card, some large games still need internal storage
• 64GB version only recommended for light indie gaming

Let‘s dive into the details…

Comparing Steam Deck Storage Configs

The Steam Deck comes in three models – 64GB eMMC, 256GB NVMe SSD, and 512GB high-speed NVMe SSD. As a quick refresher:

• 64GB model – Uses slower eMMC 5.1 chip storage
• 256GB model – Uses faster NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD storage
• 512GB model – Uses highest performance NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD storage

NVMe SSD storage offers vastly higher sequential read/write and random I/O speeds compared to eMMC chips. But how does this translate into real-world gaming usage? Let‘s look at some tests.

Game Loading Time Comparison

In testing by The Phawx, loading Marvel‘s Spiderman Remastered from internal storage took:

For Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the loading times were:

So in real-world game loading, the 64GB model added only 2-5 extra seconds versus the fastest 512GB version. Not a massive difference during gameplay.

Boot Speed Comparison

For boot times, Valve claims the 64GB Steam Deck is 25% slower than the 512GB model. Here are The Phawx‘s tested boot speeds:

So the 64GB eMMC storage was about 6-8 seconds slower to boot versus the NVMe SSD models. Again, while noticeable, still reasonably quick.

Real-World Performance Summary

Looking at actual gameplay usage, the 64GB Steam Deck is only moderately slower for game loading, while boot speed is also hampered but less so:

• Game load times just 2-5 secs longer on 64GB eMMC
• Boot speeds around 6-8 secs slower on 64GB model
• In total usage, 64GB perf impact not drastically worse

The storage technology gap looks much wider in synthetic benchmarks. But for general gaming usage, the real-world speed difference is less problematic. Now let‘s examine why eMMC storage is slower.

Demystifying eMMC Storage

eMMC stands for embedded Multi-Media Controller, referring to flash storage chips directly integrated into a device‘s motherboard. This provides some benefits versus removable SSDs:

• Cheaper manufacturing and compact size
• Durable with no moving parts
• But slower sequential and random I/O speeds

Here‘s a comparison of eMMC 5.1 versus a fast NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD:

The much lower sequential throughput and random I/O limits eMMC storage compared to SSDs. This is especially apparent for games requiring many small file reads. Still, eMMC provides decent light usage performance considering its low cost.

Evaluating the 64GB Steam Deck

Given everything we‘ve covered, is the 64GB model worth considering for your gaming needs? Here are some pros and cons:

Potential Pros:

• Only $399 making Steam Deck more accessible
• Real-world speed hit versus SSD minimal
• MicroSD slot allows storage expansion

Potential Cons:

• Just ~50GB usable space – fills extremely quickly
• Large games require SSD‘s faster seek speeds
• Must install some games on slower MicroSD card

Clearly the tiny usable space is the biggest downside. Even with a 1TB microSD card added, many large titles will need to stay on the internal eMMC storage.

I‘d only suggest the 64GB for light indie gaming. For heavy AAA gaming, please consider the 256GB or 512GB models. The extra usable space and NVMe SSD speeds are worth it for serious players.

If primarily playing small indie games under 10GB however, the 64GB Steam Deck can provide a great mobile experience. Just be sure to also budget for a sizeable microSD card to supplement the paltry internal storage.

Bottom Line Recommendations

If you made it this far, hopefully you now have a detailed understanding of whether the 64GB Steam Deck makes sense for your needs. To summarize:

• Only consider 64GB model for light indie gaming due to limited internal storage
• For heavy AAA gaming, upgrade to 256GB or 512GB for extra usable space and faster SSD
• Supplement 64GB with a large microSD card, but some big games still need internal storage
• Real-world speed hit versus SSD models is minimal during actual gameplay
• Biggest limitation of 64GB is tiny usable storage after OS, fills up insanely fast

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to chat more about finding the right Steam Deck storage configuration for your budget and gaming needs. Wishing you many exciting journeys in PC gaming!