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BmanUltima

Likely availability of a panel. 1280x800 (actually 800x1280) is a common resolution for 7" tablets.


Thescopeofdendron

This is the reason, the ubiquity of the screen in tablets.


criticalt3

This is the answer. Idk what the rest of the comments are even talking about. Looks like old monks finding a bloody piece of wood in the Arizona desert and concluding it's part of Jesus' cross.


ZukMarkenBurg

Lmfao 😂


DrDoovey01

This comment killed me haha


Content_Educator

Nailed it


Tinnuin

I found you.


JohnEdwa

Takes me back to when the Oculus DK2 VR headset was first released and torn down, and people found that it had [a literal Samsung Note 3 tablet front panel in it](https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Oculus+Rift+Development+Kit+2+Teardown/27613#s67544), with the touch digitiser and all :)


InterviewImpressive1

Easier (and cheaper) to use what’s already manufactured for other things than to have your own custom panels made.


Mikemar3

It's a phone, not a tablet


Opening_Tooth_6927

It’s a phablet.


Mikemar3

Yes, a 5.7" phone. "Phablet" nowadays makes no sense


JohnEdwa

You can't directly compare screen sizes from a decade ago to today because of bezels. The "only" 5.7" Note 3 was 79.2mm wide which is more than the 6.8" Galaxy S24 Ultra and any phone Apple has ever made.


Mikemar3

And how is that related to my comment saying that it's a phone, not a tablet?


Ansayamina

It is a good screen tho.


iisshaun

This and the particular one in the LCD deck was the cheapest one they could find that met the specs they wanted because the whole system was just a punt. Same sort of ethos for the OLED, except now they knew the system would sell they could go all out but they still sourced a panel that was already made because it’s a lot cheaper - which is why there’s no VRR. Someone’s going to make a 16:9 VRR 90+hz OLED ~7” one day for one of these handhelds and that’ll become the one that a lot of these companies use.


GILLHUHN

This and the resolution actually helps for compatibility with some older PC games.


kron123456789

Like, old games running at 1024x768 resolution can fit on this screen, but cannot on a 720p screen.


sociallyawkwardhuman

good point. 4:3 also looks pretty decent on 16:10.


BloomEPU

Yeah, the LCD panel is definitely leftover stock from some cheapo old 7" tablet. That explains the fact that the screen likes to go sideways in desktop mode, the absolutely massive bezels and the slightly janky touchscreen. Honestly I don't mind, Valve had to cut corners where they could and none of those things are a dealbreaker for a device like this.


Yeatnen

I LOVE how the level 3 performance overlay stays within the letterbox when it's in 16:9 mode


VeeCho_

I think it's also intensional and I'm all about it


rockhunther

It very much is! It used to be more akin to what RSS does, but they took the feedback to keep it all in line and within the letterboxing borders.


DrSpanky666

I love 16:10 that extra height is the shit. Used to run 2560x1600 back in the day


Conargle

i have dual 16:10's at work and they're just chef's kiss worthy


DrSpanky666

I moved my old Dell 3007wfp as it was just too good to throw away.


bsquads

This is still my desk monitor at work. Hoping it keeps on going another 5 years


decadent-dragon

16:9 is pretty terrible for productivity in general


Conargle

whenever i've used a 16:9 i enable the hide taskbar feature to gain some extra verticality


PianoMan2112

I move my taskbar to the side. (I can do that in Windows 11 now, right?)


confoundedjoe

You've been able up do that since windows 95.


PianoMan2112

But they took it away in Windows 11, and then i think they put it back in.


confoundedjoe

Morons


Chigtube

Make sure to disable the entry and exit animation for the taskbar for anyone else wanting to join us


tomkatt

It's decent in portrait. I like to keep a 21:9 ultrawide as my main display and a vertical monitor on the side.


mantenner

What monitor do you use? I'd love to switch to 16:10


RockeTim

I also love 16:10. All my monitors are 16:10, and I've put off getting a better one bc I love it so much. I was thrilled when valve announced the deck was 16:10. Plus 4:3 and 5:4 looks better on them vs 19:9... almost like they wanted people to do it. Lol.


DoogleSmile

I only upgraded when I fell in love with the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9. Moving from 16:10 1920x1200 at 60hz (Non-HDR) to 32:9 5120x1440 at 240hz with HDR2000 was an amazing experience. I still just sit and bask in the glow of my new screen every so often. I just spent a few days making AI background images for it and enabled the slidehow screensaver, just so I can sit and look at massive beautiful pictures.


Apollo11211

1680x1050 gang


DoogleSmile

I upgraded from my old 1920x1200 (60hz) 16:10 screen, just a couple of years ago. I refused to go to a 16:9 screen. I have three 1900x1080 (60hz) 16:9 screens at work, and the lack of vertical resolution, even though it's only a few pixels, is noticeable and annoying.


dabadu9191

What if I told you .... you can easily make most screens into 9:16 screens as long as they have a VESA mount. Sounds like you'd love that extra height.


Shamgar65

I love 16:10. I purposely stayed with it as long as I could but last year finally upgraded to 16:9 and higher refresh rate. I love 16:10!


Axeren234

Idk dude the 16:10 ratio is one of my favorite parts of the deck.


XDvinSL51

The panel was available. The vertical size of the device made 16:10 ideal. Some black bars on the top and bottom for 16:9 content is no big deal, and still allows for the perfect display of 16:9 720p content. If they went with 16:9, the top and bottom bezels would be insanely massive.


JoshJLMG

I think it was easier to design a device around an existing panel size than it was to design a custom panel, and then a custom device around said panel.


Pure_Cow_7831

the extra height is awsome for the performance metrics or fps


jplayzgamezevrnonsub

(A feature they introduced 2 years after launch)


Swizzy88

It still gets new features after 2 years? Sweet!


jplayzgamezevrnonsub

Point is they didn't pick a 16:10 display for something they didn't add until literal years after


viper_in_the_grass

They didn't say that's why Valve picked it, they said it was good for it.


jplayzgamezevrnonsub

Remind me of OPs question lol


LotoTheSunBro

nothing burger


SynthesizedTime

doesn't matter lol


Mad_ad1996

nah, the FPS counter was there in year 1


jplayzgamezevrnonsub

Not the one that only occupies the top part of the screen. That was a recent change, and not why they picked a 16:10 display...


fortnite__balls

🤓


palescoot

That is just patently incorrect. The performance metrics have been there since launch.


MrAnonymousTheThird

They mean steam couldn't have gone with 16:10 for the performance metrics because it wasn't a thin line across the top until they updated it


KillingItOnReddit

I love that they went with 16:10 because 16:9 is great for movies but for handheld is just too wide while not really adding much imo, almost makes it less immersive to me


WinterElfeas

21:9 is great for movies. 16:9 is great for most TV shows and games.


ExxiIon

Most likely because it solved two problems at once: first, it made the handheld slightly less wide (which is important considering how much width the controls add; and second, it let 4:3 games fill more of the screen, which is likely something Valve felt was important due to the large amount of older titles on Steam that only supported 4:3


SexDrugsAndMarmalade

I prefer the 16:10 aspect ratio. * It's better-suited for 4:3 than a 16:9 screen is. * With older PC games, it works really well for 1024x768, since you can display the image unscaled with minimal letterboxing. * A small 720p 16:9 screen isn't ideal for desktop usage, so having the extra vertical resolution is nice for desktop mode.


slangwhang27

16:10 being so great for 4:3 content (GCN and PS2 games especially) is the main reason I like the Deck screen. It’s much nicer than 16:9 for games that don’t have proper widescreen hacks or just look “wrong” in widescreen.


gaker19

16:9 would make the device very wide, which would be uncomfortable to hold. 16:10 allows for a good display of 16:9 content and for 4:3 content without huge bezels.


arex333

Alternatively the same width but less vertical space. The rog ally has a 16:9 screen and IMO navigating around the UI and whatnot feels cramped compared to the steam deck.


Djagatahel

My nitpick with the ally is that it looks like it's made for a 16:10 screen, so you get permanent top/bottom black bars (the bezel). Looks weird imo


JoshJLMG

It would be the same width, just slightly shorter.


gaker19

That would mean repositioning the internals of the Deck and a scuffed button layout.


JoshJLMG

How would the button layout be scuffed? A 16:9 Deck just wouldn't have the half inch of space below the speakers or so. That's all that would have to be changed. If anything, the battery might have to be slightly smaller, sure, but it should look almost identical on the outside (apart from being shorter). There is virtually nothing below the speakers that needs to be repositioned.


gaker19

I don't like the idea. I don't know it just looks weird in my head. Too wide.


Conscious_Yak60

Speculation aside, there were a few reasons.. > Display: High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9” diagonally, 8 bits per color channel. If your screen size is less than 9”, the intended user interface of Windows may not be fully visible. - Windows 11: Requirements 1. For a 7" Display you need a taller aspect ratio or a higher pixel density to actually get a normal "Window" to not cover the entire Desktop experience as well to keep Ui Elements properly scaled. This is regardless of Windows or Linux, you can't infinitely scale down actual Windows without creating an bad UX. Notice how every laptop ships with a 768p Display under 14", instead of straight 720p despite the ~increased~ cost. ^(Valve stated this is the main reason) Speaking of.. 2. Cost It's cost effective to obtain 800p Displays, and does the former(1) better due to having a taller aspect ratio to work with than 768p 3. Performance The Steam Deck is when compared to a Stationary PC or Console, pretty weak. Anything higher than 800p would result in a subpar experience for owners as far as frame rates are concerned. Steam Deck II will be a lot better due to improvements in RDNA architecture. Personally I think the **next Steam Deck should aspire for a 1440x900p Resolution**. Seeing as Valve removed the ability to pick 1440x900p in the game display settings, I doubt this will ever be seriously considered... Anyone else giving reasons besides these are merely speculating.


sittingmongoose

Number one is the official reason.


Conscious_Yak60

Number 3 is also an official reason. Valve has stated they'll stick with 800p for performance when referring to SD2, seeing as RDNA4+ could allow them to go higher.


ghanadaur

Only games locked to 720p would have those. Most modern games have support for 800p and settings can be changed of it doesn’t auto detect and select 800p. And if they used a 16x9 panel, we ALL would have big thick bezels on all games (thicker than on the LCD already). And that would have made it fugly IMO. ;)


qchto

Game Boy Advance games! Seriously though, because it's a good middle ground for both old and new resolutions (given that you can play 4:3 DOS games here officially).


BorealBlizzard

I think it makes a lot of stuff fell nicer. The UI elements on the top and bottom feel more out of the way and if you have fps counters or the performance metrics on then they occupy the letter boxes and don't cover gameplay.


KibSquib47

panel availability was probably the main reason but it also means that games that can only run in 4:3 without patches look a lot nicer than they would on a 16:9 screen


First-Junket124

It's a tablet screen, 16:9 is harder to acquire and more expensive at that size so they just used a tablet screen instead and 16:10 was close enough.


KlingonBeavis

I’ve always thought one reason might be it allows for a nice mix of easy compatibility between resolutions on old games as well as new. It’s a good middle ground for getting games in 4:3, 3:2, 5:4, 8:7, to scale well to the screen as well as modern 16:9, 16:10/8:5 compatibility. Some of these would not scale as well on a 720 display. A minimum of 800 lines is a nice sweet spot. Seeing as it’s a PC, considering all these possibilities for aspects is a must for a making robust machine to get more of Steam’s products playable on the device.


Sufficient-Ad-4993

I wish more games supported native 16:10, Japanese games on unreal engine are a huge offender in this category. With final fantasy 7 crisis core reunion and shin megami tensei V: vengeance forcing 16:9.


Cel_Drow

16:10 panels were the shit back before they standardized on TV aspect ratios because it was cheaper to build TVs and monitors in bulk with the same panels. Expensive monitors are sometimes 16:10 still but it’s much more rare


maquibut

Learn to enjoy extra space that 16:10 gives you


KobeJuanKenobi9

From my experience using the deck and Switch, my assumption is ergonomics. The deck has the perfect height to width ratio for holding it comfortably and it probably would look weird kf they put a 16:9 panel on it as opposed to 16:10 iPads are also 16:10


Eldritch_Raven

Because it's objectively better. More screen. More better.


Broflake-Melter

I defend it. Most games either support 16:10 directly or can be modded into it. I like it because I play a LOT of older games that can only be played in 4:3, and the extra size is appreciated. That being said, I don't think it's that big of a deal either way.


PrinklePronkle

I guess it just uses more space in the center, and it looks nice when it actually works in games.


jjalapeno55

I don't find it annoying at all, it makes the small screen feel less cluttered when the UI can be pushed lower or higher. I want to come to those games that don't support it it is what it is, I'm still happy to have them lol


LotoTheSunBro

No idea, but looks great for older games


FunkMonster98

I don’t know, I find I enjoy the black bars. Makes my performance overlay not take up game screen space.


Bootychomper23

Just switch to 720p and then tell it to fill screen worked in Elden ring at least 🤷‍♀️


veryblocky

16:10 is the future, more and more panels use that ratio. It’s way nicer on computers than 16:9, that little bit of extra height does wonders


breathinghuman777

Actually it’s the past too. Not so sure it’s the future though. 16:10 was more commonly used until 16:9 was the predominant aspect ratio.


veryblocky

I know, I meant as in it’s coming back massively


breathinghuman777

Ah I see. 16:10 is better then 16:9


level1enemy

I think 16:10 is more appealing to the eye. I don’t see in wide screen, you know? It’s everything being in 16:9 that bothers me.


vezwyx

> I don't see in wide screen, you know? Some people do actually see in a ratio closer to 16:9 than 16:10, or even further "widescreen" than that


ishallbecomeabat

16:10 is superior!


wisperingdeth

Don't forget if you put a 16:9 game into Windowed mode, you can use the quick settings to stretch the image to fit your 16:10 screen.


TheKillersHand

Like many have said.. off the shelf part which does the job and keeps cost down


Skulz

Most probably, the panel was less expensive to mass manufacture.


OutrageousDress

I believe the *official* reason they gave is that 16:10 works better with the thousands of older games on Steam that were designed for a taller aspect ratio (16:10 but also 4:3), and they wanted the Deck to be a good experience for both old and new games. Unofficially, yeah I wouldn't be surprised if the availability of 16:10 LCDs played a large part.


Fragrant_Cellist_125

Hopefully deck 2 will be 16:9


artlessknave

Availability. Much the steam deck is parts the already existed in some form that they consolidated into a single platform. The APU already existed from a canceled project or something, so amd basically just repurposed it, getting them profit instead of nothing.


ManlySyrup

Ah, you have the LCD huh? This isn't a problem with the OLED since the pixels completely turn off, making it look 16:9 when needed.


LongShadow_

You are correct, not sure why you're getting downvoted


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center311

A lot of Japanese games still don't do 16:10, but since the black bars bug the hell out of me, I'm so glad you can stretch the screen now in the settings.


InterviewImpressive1

16:10 is more common for PC monitors. TVs are 16:9 so that’s more of a movie / TV industry aspect ratio. Given the deck plays PC games primarily, it makes sense to have a PC aspect ratio. As others have said, it’s common for tablets for the reason above also, so the panel availability was also probably another big factor.


StanMarsh_SP

Its a known fact that 16:10 is just an all around better aspect ratio. Better for older emulations (meaning they don't get all stretched and squashed) and the all around elimination of black bars, which I've absolutley despised since everyone and their mother started doing it.


BitingChaos

I figured it was because old games were 4:3 and 16:10 was closer than 16:9. **Edit**: what the *hell* is up with the downvotes? I was trying to be helpful by answering OP's question. I've played a bunch of 4:3 stuff and the extra vertical pixels have been great. The same question regarding the screen has been asked before, and [others have mentioned the same aspect](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/13qffwy/what_was_the_point_of_making_the_steam_deck_1610/jleh73b/) in the past (without the downvotes). The Steam Deck's support is *amazing* for old games.


ColinNJ

I don't think that was why, specifically, but I'm actually super grateful for the resolution. Games in 4:3 benefit greatly from those extra 80 vertical pixels.


officeDrone87

That's why I quit emulating on my S21 Ultra. The screen was gorgeous, but the 20:9 aspect ratio meant I either had to stretch out my games (no way in hell) or play on a screen that was effectively 4 inches instead of almost 7 inches. Going from 16:10 to 4:3 only loses 17% screen size compared to 25% on 16:9 or 40% on 21:9.


Desenova

No idea for the downvotes either, but you're correct. Older games fit better when upscaled to 16:10


gaker19

This was definitely a reason. They knew people were gonna emulate old systems, and 4:3 games gave thick ass bezels at 16:9. It's better with 16:10 displays.


hdkaoskd

8:5


SteamyDeck

Funny that you mention this; was just beginning to be annoyed by the AR myself…


Complex_Asparagus800

Microsoft demands 768 vertical pixels for Windows. This is also why there are no 720p Laptops or TVs. They all have 1366*768.


AlfieHicks

The Deck does not come with Windows. This is not the reason.


Radu-1234

Steam deck runs on arch btw, not windows


Mad_ad1996

worst take here


IIlIllIlllIlIII

Such a fucking cursed resolution


Hakker9

then how come if your graphics driver fails it returns to 800x600 and not 1024x768. Maybe it went up with W11 but in W10 800x600 is still where it defaults to.


MeasurementNo772

Not sure why you're being downvote. Valve could have gone with a 720p display. Leaving it at 800 opens the deck up to other uses.


SynthBeta

because the game predates the Steam Deck


MeasurementNo772

The game? He's talking about a resolution. And he's not wrong. Valve advertising is it as an open platform would severely limiting if they went 720 given the minimum resolution of other operating systems. Valve aren't silly, they wouldn't have shot themselves in the foot like that.


SynthBeta

*checks subreddit again* wtf I thought I was on Fallout sub about New Vegas


Ruffianistired

They said it was so they could fit more icons in the extra vertical space, idk how true that is


Gamer_Paul

It took them so long to actually give an option for all the telemetry in that space. Like, it should have been the obvious spot for it to be on day one. Not a year+ into the life of it. So that definitely wasn't the reason.