Been thinking about getting a steam deck. Talk me in or out of it. I’ve got a desktop, but thinking something handheld would be good when I want to sit on the couch. What are your favorite and least favorite things about your steam deck?
Favorite thing: the ability to suspend a game anytime, and pick up exactly where you left off.
Least favorite thing: a tie between the weight and the weak battery life. Never have my hands been so numb after extended sessions on the Steam Deck.
Honestly, I love it for what it is. It nails almost everything I want. Yeah it can get a little hot. Yeah the battery should be improved at some point. But I am 100% happy with what I got.
Only thing I don’t like is certain devs screaming their eyes out about refusing to support Linux, implementing DRM, and that Linux users are ‘cheaters’ (we are not).
Its a new market. Embrace it or be left behind, because I am starting to avoid games that don’t play nicely with Proton
For me:
Positives:
- It runs Linux, I am a big Linux fan so this is a big plus for me because it helps advance Linux gaming.
- It has better emulation capability than almost anything else.
- It’s more affordable than alternatives.
- It has great battery life vs power especially for emulation.
- It has enough power it can handle almost any game you can think of running at least at 30 FPS.
- It’s pretty comfortable despite it’s large size (that’s what she said).
Negatives:
- Mine had a stuck B button despite them saying Q2 2022 units would have it fixed, I had to sand down the edge of the case where the button would get stuck, sliding the 240 grit sandpaper back and forth between the button and the case with.
- Mine has the noisy Delta fan, this isn’t a huge problem honestly I don’t even find it that noticable but it may bother some people to varying degrees.
- It’s a bit bulky, but it’s also understandable and the large screen is pretty nice.
It’s my favourite gaming handheld device I have ever had. I’d absolutely recommend one.
It’s great for playing slower paced games, not so great for shooters etc, anything that really relies on the fast accuracy of a mouse (at least in handheld which is all I use mine for). A good way to start working through the backlog of cozy indie freebies we’ve all been pointlessly gathering from Epic.
Big downside for me is the size and weight, I’m a woman with stereotypically slender hands and this thing was definitely designed for someone with a slightly longer reach.
Shooters are wonderful with Gyro. Like Roboquest or Gunfire Reborn with just the right settings can feel amazing. But online shooters like Battlebit Remastered I definitely recommend using a bigger screen for such smaller details in the distance that could kill you.
Also the d-pad, although I have a very early release version, is atrocious. Only useful for inventory and not for actual older games or fighters because the diagonals require ridiculous squeezing to input. I might need to do a tape modification of something.
Other than that, the Deck is absolutely amazing!
It was honestly a life saver for me. I got Long Covid and became increasingly bed bound. The Deck enabled me to somewhat keep me sanity by playing in bed.
And that way I don’t have to fight with my kids over the desktop PC. Although they sometimes want the Deck for those games that play better with a gamepad.
Simultaneous play also showed the dark side of Steam. Unless one of the devices is offline you cannot play two games from one Steam library at the same time. Luckily I also have many games on Battle.net, GOG and on my old discs, so I can easily move to another game in case of a clash.
I’m currently playing Spider-Man Miles Morales and having a blast.
