Why Steam Deck Is One of the Most Significant PC Gaming Moments in Years

[17thDimension]

While the launch of the Steam Deck was the opposite of pompous, Valve's gaming handheld has kept gaining momentum. One year later, let's take a look at the impact it's had on the PC gaming market.

Read the full article here.

https://www.techspot.com/article/2620-steam-deck-pc-gaming-moment/

 

[R00sT3R]

I will get one but only when they've sorted out the two most glaring issues, Lousy screen & battery Life.

..despite the love for the deck by its fans, its pretty terrible in those two areas right now.

 

[ghosty]

Meanwhile, some people have to deal with this:
"This item is not available for reservation in your country".
Live on Iceland btw.

Then again, same goes for all other hardware they've sold..

 

[Rock Dirty]

Lousy screen

You know not of what you speak.

 

[ScottSoapbox]

I can’t wait to buy the next version of it be it 2.0 or a more expensive “pro” while retaining the original deck.

It’s pretty good but the one that fixes everything they learned in the beta will be awesome.

 

[kira setsu]

I can’t wait to buy the next version of it be it 2.0 or a more expensive “pro” while retaining the original deck.

It’s pretty good but the one that fixes everything they learned in the beta will be awesome.

Sony(and big corps in general) really won in the end with that "pro" idea didnt they?

gullible *** gamers as usual get fleeced then clap about it.

 

[EdmondRC]

The only thing that really held me back from buying a Steam Deck is just knowing that a new piece of hardware like this will likely receive many upgrades to it's next iteration. I also can't see this being like a console where upgrades are 3-4 years at least for "pro" versions and often 7+ for a full generation upgrade. I imagine Steam Deck will be upgraded more frequently since customers will be able to take advantage of those upgrades immediately without the need for game updates etc. So, can't wait to see what Deck 2 has to offer.

 

[waclark]

I think the Steam Deck is like a lot of devices over the years, a small fan base and ultimately not enough sales for the company to continue to pump money into development. Personally, I do not care for gaming via joysticks and the smaller screen size can be limiting for some types of games.

I also don't care that it can do more than games. I already have a device in my pocket that can web surf, do email, play music and videos. It's called a smart phone.

The one company that I think could do something interesting in portable gaming is Apple, but they don't seem to have any real interest in gaming outside of casual games you can play on a tablet or phone.

 

[loki1944]

Waste of mony; pc offers an uncomparable experience vs this; smartphone is good enough for mobile/in transit gaming. I'll put that money towards a gpu upgrade instead of on a device so unecessary.

 

[lgsystems]

Waste of mony; pc offers an uncomparable experience vs this; smartphone is good enough for mobile/in transit gaming. I'll put that money towards a gpu upgrade instead of on a device so unecessary.

You're wilding, "lok"... The convenience of Life is still the convenience, and being able to play my pc games from a handheld is a spectacular proposition, especially if I'm going somewhere far enough from home to know I won't be able to use my gaming pc. Enter the Steam Deck where my game desire meets satiation. --Just saying ...

 

[dangh]

I think one of the best stuff Deck done to the gaming community was to highlight that PC not equal Windows.
As for the device it is really great piece for the money asked. I can play nearly all the games I'd like (exception is Destiny 2;/ ) in any place I want, and continue on my home PC whenever possible. It is well designed (no weird right stick placement like in Switch), comfortable, does what it should be doing and surprisingly good for a first iteration of a new hardware.
And I can play switch games I own, without Switch limitations (really, no netflix or spotify on it?), or any other past consoles...

 

[Bamda]

I will get one but only when they've sorted out the two most glaring issues, Lousy screen & battery Life.

..despite the love for the deck by its fans, its pretty terrible in those two areas right now.

No, it isn't. And as proof, there are thousands if not millions of reviews that state just the opposite.

 

[Fearghast]

I really like my Steam Deck, I don't really use it regularly, but when I am on the go and I know I will have some time to kill, it goes in my backpack.
Usually, I would not even have to take a charger with me, as most of my Deck sessions are well below 2 hours ... to Deck credit, I own two Nintendo Switch consoles, but I found Deck just more convenient, flexible, and you can't really beat its gaming library, so you always find something.

I tried to dock it as a regular work PC, and it works fairly well, there were some minor issues, but in the end it can, if needed, replace my work laptop. The only thing I really miss is 4K output goes to only 60Hz, 120 or 144 would be a much nicer option (not for gaming of course, it is still integrated, dinky little device).

 

[DZillaXx]

I will get one but only when they've sorted out the two most glaring issues, Lousy screen & battery Life.

..despite the love for the deck by its fans, its pretty terrible in those two areas right now.

A New SoC with a lower wattage limit would be needed. I could see a Zen 4 or 5 based chip with RDNA 4 based graphics probably being their next step forward. With a 7-10W limit, and maybe 15W while docked.

As for the screen while I would love to see an OLED panel, they do use more power. I have both the switch and switch oled and honestly while the oled is a much nicer screen. The original was not that bad.

I favor storage, give me access to use two SD Cards along with a 1 or 2 TB SSD.

 

[ChipBoundary]

I will get one but only when they've sorted out the two most glaring issues, Lousy screen & battery Life.

..despite the love for the deck by its fans, its pretty terrible in those two areas right now.

It's pretty terrible in all areas, right now. At that price range you're literally better off getting a compact laptop. I will never understand this screaming need for mobile style gaming. If you're mobile, the last thing you should be doing is playing games, you should be out experiencing life. I love video games, and play them very frequently, but when I leave the house it is for a purpose.

 

[ChipBoundary]

You're wilding, "lok"... The convenience of Life is still the convenience, and being able to play my pc games from a handheld is a spectacular proposition, especially if I'm going somewhere far enough from home to know I won't be able to use my gaming pc. Enter the Steam Deck where my game desire meets satiation. --Just saying ...

If you're going somewhere, you're going there for a purpose that isn't gaming. Perhaps you should focus on why you're going there, instead of gaming. And honestly, a compact laptop is a much better value proposition.

 

[Burty117]

If you're going somewhere, you're going there for a purpose that isn't gaming. Perhaps you should focus on why you're going there, instead of gaming. And honestly, a compact laptop is a much better value proposition.

So for several hours on a train or plane I should just be "soaking up the atmosphere"?
After dinner in the hotel room in the middle of nowhere I should be "experiencing life"?

Also, how is a compact laptop for £350 a better value proposition? At that price, it struggles to run Windows, let alone games...

 

[loki1944]

You're wilding, "lok"... The convenience of Life is still the convenience, and being able to play my pc games from a handheld is a spectacular proposition, especially if I'm going somewhere far enough from home to know I won't be able to use my gaming pc. Enter the Steam Deck where my game desire meets satiation. --Just saying ...

Waste of money; there is no need of the convenience unless you are a vegetable; for gaming; the PC is infinitely better; for travel a laptop is infinitely better. You're better off putting the money into those two options.

 

[Burty117]

Waste of money; there is no need of the convenience unless you are a vegetable; for gaming; the PC is infinitely better; for travel a laptop is infinitely better. You're better off putting the money into those two options.

You have to be trolling. Either you're trolling or legitimately don't travel for work much. Or a millionaire.

You keep bringing up the PC like the Steam Deck is competing with it. It isn't. Never has, never will. It compliments the PC by letting you play the same games away from the PC.

Gaming laptops are certainly not "infinitely" better. They're worse in most ways. Way more expensive, the latest gaming laptops are £2k+. Their battery life doesn't really exist and they perform substantially worse on battery and to top it off, you can't just open the laptop and start playing, you need a mouse and space to actually use the thing.

The Steam Deck performs the same on battery, actually lasts several hours on battery and no extra stuff needs plugging in because the controls are built-in. You can also play it in bed or wherever, no need to setup at a desk like a laptop.

You've always commented against the Steam Deck because you feel it's a PC replacement for some reason. Can you explain why you think this is the case?

 

[Wasteland]

I'm a little torn reading this debate. On the one hand my own preferences tend towards ChipBoundary's; I can't ever see myself buying a Deck because I can't see myself wanting to play games in any situation that doesn't better suit a desktop or a (plugged in) laptop.

On the other hand, the Deck does have advantages, notably cost efficiency, the compact package, the built-in controls, the battery life, etc. The product clearly has merit, even if it isn't for me.

But more than anything I'm grateful that the Deck exists. Its wild popularity has improved software compatibility on Linux immeasurably--mostly in the gaming space, of course, but the story won't end there. Thanks to the Deck, more people than ever are aware of and interested in just generally making things work in the (non-commercial) Linux user space.

I imagine the Deck will have benefits for PC gaming more generally, too. First, it's just a new market niche for PC games; I'm sure most people who bought a Deck were already invested in PC gaming, but not all of them were. Second, the Deck adds an extra hefty incentive for game developers to innovate on lower end hardware, which can't just be dismissed as old or low rent, anymore.

With all of the crazy developments we've seen recently in e.g. the GPU market, and all of the pessimistic predictions flying around, the Steam Deck is a rare bright spot. It reminds us that, contra forum doomsayers here and elsewhere, PC gaming will not die any time soon, nor will it become the sole domain of fat cats.

 

[Burty117]

I'm a little torn reading this debate. On the one hand my own preferences tend towards ChipBoundary's; I can't ever see myself buying a Deck because I can't see myself wanting to play games in any situation that doesn't better suit a desktop or a (plugged in) laptop.

On the other hand, the Deck does have advantages, notably cost efficiency, the compact package, the built-in controls, the battery life, etc. The product clearly has merit, even if it isn't for me.

As someone who has travelled quite a bit for work, I've been in many Hotels (this is the UK so everything is smaller than in the US) and I used to roam around with a massive 17 inch Alienware for a few years. I can categorically say the Steam Deck is a better experience.

When in cramped Hotel rooms, I can just sit in bed and play, I don't need an entirely separate laptop bag for it, fits in my work bag or luggage, Doesn't need to be plugged in and certain games can even play without needing it to be plugged in for a couple of nights.

I'd argue the Steam Deck is much better vs a gaming laptop for actual "on-the-move" use.
Don't get me wrong, if you have the space and can be bothered to lug around (I did this for years) a gaming laptop, yeah its a better experience with headphones on, bigger screen and cranked up graphics.

But truthfully, in my experience, the Steam Deck is the superior experience when actually being used on the go. By a mile.

I was also surprised to find myself sticking with SteamOS as well, I thought I'd be wanting to move back to Windows but actually, everything I've wanted to play has worked on the Deck (Stardew Valley, Mass Effect, God of War, Stray, Valheim, Kena, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Ni no Kuni and Horizon Zero Dawn).

Honestly, it's an impressive bit of kit.

 

[loki1944]

As someone who has travelled quite a bit for work, I've been in many Hotels (this is the UK so everything is smaller than in the US) and I used to roam around with a massive 17 inch Alienware for a few years. I can categorically say the Steam Deck is a better experience.

When in cramped Hotel rooms, I can just sit in bed and play, I don't need an entirely separate laptop bag for it, fits in my work bag or luggage, Doesn't need to be plugged in and certain games can even play without needing it to be plugged in for a couple of nights.

I'd argue the Steam Deck is much better vs a gaming laptop for actual "on-the-move" use.
Don't get me wrong, if you have the space and can be bothered to lug around (I did this for years) a gaming laptop, yeah its a better experience with headphones on, bigger screen and cranked up graphics.

But truthfully, in my experience, the Steam Deck is the superior experience when actually being used on the go. By a mile.

I was also surprised to find myself sticking with SteamOS as well, I thought I'd be wanting to move back to Windows but actually, everything I've wanted to play has worked on the Deck (Stardew Valley, Mass Effect, God of War, Stray, Valheim, Kena, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Ni no Kuni and Horizon Zero Dawn).

Honestly, it's an impressive bit of kit.

My travel has involved over 6 years of flights to Europe and Africa from the US; the steam deck's crappy battery life, tiny screen, **** battery, and decidedly inferior OS make using my 11" laptop instead a no brainer; and the battery life is better to boot.

 

[Burty117]

My travel has involved over 6 years of flights to Europe and Africa from the US; the steam deck's crappy battery life, tiny screen, **** battery, and decidedly inferior OS make using my 11" laptop instead a no brainer; and the battery life is better to boot.

Ah of course, care to link me to this elusive 11inch laptop that beats the Steam Deck in every conceivable way?

 

[loki1944]

Ah of course, care to link me to this elusive 11inch laptop that beats the Steam Deck in every conceivable way?

M11X is the one I've been using since 2010

 

[Burty117]

M11X is the one I've been using since 2010

Well that says it all, have fun with your 2010 laptop.