Totally Rated: The Steam Deck empties our wallets

Season 2 of Totally Rated continues as we discuss the existence of a Dead Space remake and the announcement of and subsequent splash made by Valve's Steam Deck. Elsewhere, we do a deep dive on the new Elgato Facecam to see if it's ultimately worth an investment.

The EA Play showcase didn't disappoint with the announcement of a remake of 2008's Dead Space, the sci-fi horror classic that was originally developed by Visceral Games.

In other news, we discuss the existence of Valve's Steam Deck and how it could seriously shake up the handheld console market. Finally, is the Elgato Facecam worth a streamer's time and money?

Steam Deck vs Nintendo Switch OLED: two different approaches to handhelds
A Dead Space remake couldn't come at a better time
Steam Deck shouldn't suffer from Nintendo Switch's biggest problem

Dead Space remake cut of their limbs blood graffiti — (Image credit: EA)

Dead Space will return spookier than ever

Perhaps the biggest announcement at the recent EA Play showcase was that Dead Space, one of the best horror games of its time, is getting a remake in the Frostbite Engine.

A Dead Space remake has been rumored for years, so many may have seen the announcement coming, but it was a lovely surprise for series fans nonetheless.

Unfortunately, the relatively short CGI reveal trailer would suggest the game is further away than many fans would’ve hoped, and likely needs a lot more time in the oven before release. We reckon we'll see the Dead Space remake release in late 2022 or early-to-mid 2023.

Dead Space became something of a phenomenon when it first came out back in 2008. The game quickly spawned a sequel that's even better, and is arguably one of the best horror games of all time. Dead Space 3, sadly, didn't fare as well, taking the series in a more generic action-focused direction with very few scares.

Here's hoping the remake can repair the damage caused by Dead Space 3's middling reception and cement the series as a horror stalwart for years to come.

Elgato Facecam mounted on monitor — (Image credit: Future)

The Elgato Facecam could be your next big streaming investment

Elgato launched the brand new Facecam, and while it’s good news for experienced streamers with its high quality, the price might be just a little too steep for non-enthusiast purchasers.

TechRadar’s Jess Weatherbed wrote: "The Elgato Facecam fills a gap in the existing family of products that Elgato markets towards streamers and content creators, and it does so with minimal disappointments.

"It hits the nail on the head for features that streamers actually want, unlike some of its competition and makes for a cheaper investment than buying a DSLR and Cam Link.

"The Facecam doesn't come with an onboard microphone or autofocus but these are features that streamers and content creators rarely use on webcams. Instead, you get the Camera Hub software and, well...wow!

"Where the Logitech Capture software offers too few editing options and the Razer Synapse software has a buggy reputation to contend with, the Camera Hub is easy to use and feature-packed, providing a full range of options to change the contrast, saturation, shutter speed, field-of-view, and much more...all with a handy slider to adjust rather than fixed options.

"You can pick up the Facecam right now for $200 USD (around £150 / AU$270) and while it's still a pricey investment, it's fairly priced against its competitors and better equipped at dealing with niche requirements that live public broadcasting demands.

"If you're looking for a webcam to start a Twitch channel and you have the cash to spare, the Facecam is our hands-down recommendation right now."

Steam Deck on background with sparkles — (Image credit: Valve / Future)

Steam Deck: the shakeup that handhelds need?

Finally, Valve descended from its pedestal to announce its handheld console, the Steam Deck.

The Steam Deck allows you to play your Steam library on the go on a 720p handheld screen, picking up your favorite PC games where you left them off on other devices and docking it to your TV or PC for a more conventional console experience.

The official dock will be sold separately and enables your Steam Deck to connect through wired internet, use USB peripherals, as well as both power and charge the device - essentially turning the Steam Deck into a Nintendo Switch-esque PC.

The Steam Deck's pre-orders went up with three different price points, all varying in the feature sets and storage types. The base model ($399 / £349) features a 64GB hard drive, offering an affordable if relatively slow option. The mid-range model ($529 / £459) boasts a 256GB NVMe SSD while the high-end version ($649 / £569) doubles that to 512GB and features an anti-glare screen.

If you're interested, you can attempt to reserve your desired model over on Valve's store page, but availability hasn't yet been set it stone, with most having to wait until Q2 2022 before they can get their hands on their Steam Decks.

Totally Rated features reviews and opinions of what's hot and what's not in the tech and gaming world.

Bringing together leading titles from across the industry, we hear first hand from those who have reviewed - and rated - the very latest games and products on the market.

New episodes of Totally Rated will roll out every week.