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.
I have an early Q3 deck, and I’ve never had any issues with a sticking b-button. So maybe you got unlucky and ended up with one shortly before the change or something.
I gotta admit, two of my friends who pre-ordered on a whim and ended selling theirs had perfect units, and I was looking forward to mine so much and would never sell it, I was the one to get a “faulty” unit I was pretty angry lol.
With that said, after I fixed the button, it’s now been the perfect device for me. I heard the ROG Ally has similar stuck buttons but even worse than the Deck had so that would have made me way more angry lol
The ROG Ally had buttons that would press flat with the faceplate, and had sharp edges. So if you pushed it down unevenly at all it would dip beneath the faceplate and get stuck. Multiple reviewers reported it as a frequent issue, but supposedly Asus was going to fix it before shipping pre-orders.
my favorite thing is how open it is. the usb-c port is the latest at the time of finalizing the specs with nothing added or taken away. its a linux desktop you can do damn near anything on. my least favorite is the fact it onl has one usb-c port. literally all they need is a second one.
Favourite thing? It’s replaced my Switch for the most part. So not only do you get cheaper games on Steam, but they also run better.
I still use my PC for gaming, too. I just prefer some games on the Steamdeck and others on PC.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!
You just described what i was looking for. I found myself using my old work laptop to get into some of those slower paced/less resource intensive games while on the couch with the dogs, but it’s pretty awkward and clunky that way.
If you get used to using the touchpads+gyro, shooters are suddenly very fun to play as your accuracy is much batter than with the sticks.
Yeah I do most of my gaming on a laptop but the Deck is much more convenient if I’m playing something fairly simple. Sounds like it’s exactly what you need, you can just rest it on top of whichever dog is currently lying across your lap!
the deck is fantastic for couch lounging or playing in bed
My girlfriend has a similar complaint. Hours upon hours poured into Civilization VI, but after long sessions her arms get tired from holding it up due to the weight. Haven’t heard any complaints about reach though, but maybe that’s not as big of a deal as the weight.
My case has a kick stand. If I’m holding it too long and not docking it I’m not ashamed to just prop it up, hook up an external controller, and keep playing.
For shooters it definitely depends on the game and your preferred play style. Case in point, Halo (both MCC and Infinite) plays well for me since I’ve been playing since OG Xbox days; the Deck makes for a really good handheld experience.
That’s fair, I don’t play a whole lot of them so some probably work better than others. But I’m also shite at them and need all the help I can get, which usually means a mouse 😄
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.
Put one of the steam instances into offline mode then you can play on 2 machines.
Yes, I know. Stupid workaround to an artificial problem.
We had issues with simultaneous play as well. So we ended up with 2 steam libraries and 2 gaming PCs.
Comfort is my #1. I gave away my gaming PC because being able to play games on the couch, or in my bed, or outside on the hammock is fantastic.
Next is portability. Not only for the above, but the ability to travel and everything without compromising my gaming ability is huge. It’s helped my homebody self get out and visit more interesting places, since I have the comfort blanket of my games with me.
Controls are third. The medley of buttons handles so much, and the dual track pads are both versatile and make typing at reasonable speeds possible. Plus the ability to remap anything and to make virtual menus has made features that wouldn’t be accessible on normal controllers very easy.
Couch gaming is key for me too. There are a lot of PC-only titles that interest me but don’t compel me to sit at a computer to play. Being able to just tinker around in these games while watching TV is amazing. A great example of one of these types of games is Beam.ng Drive.
I live in a co-op, so for me it’s nice that I can enjoy my games while still hanging in the common space and getting social interaction as opposed to be squirreled away into my room. And I’ve even got to revive the LAN party, as I just bring my deck to wherever the other person’s setup is!
Another hammock gamer! Being able to work on my steam backlog while in the hammock is literally a game changer.
Gone is the decision between gaming and getting sun - I’m doing both, on my balcony. I love it.
Right? I have the curse where I love being outdoors, but all my hobbies (games, tabletop) only really work indoors. Feeling some sun and a breeze while still playing games I love has been a game changer
I have young kids, so being able to play anywhere and still be aware of my surroundings, and being able to suspend and then pick up and play again almost immediately has meant I’ve been able to actually play long form singleplayer games. It’s the single best gaming purchase I’ve ever made.
Me and the wife are planning on kids so it’s probably going to be the first thing I pick up if she ever gets pregnant.
Parent protip, the u shaped breast feeding support pillows also make perfect steam deck support pillows
I love it. It’s really opened the door for me as far as playing those more “comfy” games. Like I wouldn’t have enjoyed Dredge as much as I did if I weren’t curled up on the couch playing it. I have a long list of games that I’ve bought and intended to play, but sitting upright at my desk just wasn’t it.
As far as games I’ve finally gotten to, I’d count
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Dredge
- Darkest Dungeon
- Dorfromantik
- Mad Max
- Loop Hero
But if you’re trying to move any more competitive games to it, I’d advise against. I haven’t had much luck playing Apex or the like, it’s been very cumbersome for me. That may just be the ergonomics not being ideal for me though, my hands are kinda too big for this thing.
I can’t wait to try Mad Max, but it hasn’t been on sale since I added it to my wishlist and I don’t buy games at full price on principle.
Actually according to https://isthereanydeal.com/game/madmax/info/ it’s 80% off right now at GMG! Shops like gmg are legit steam key sellers, the keys are coming from the game publisher.
That’s exactly what I was looking for. I just wrapped up loop hero, found myself wishing I was on a handheld with it.
Favorite things:
- Steam library available in my hand
- Impressive capability in a (relatively) compact form factor
- The smell (you’ll know)
Least favorite:
- The urge to spend more time tweaking it than gaming on it (could also be a favorite)
- Limited SSD sizes (see above: tweaking it)
- Battery life (but the capabilities!)
All in all, I had the available cash and it’s been a lot of fun. I’ve definitely wasted more money on less, but I’d get one all over again if I had to.
Looking forward to experiencing ‘the smell’
I mostly play less demanding games and emulators. The emulation stuff is quite good but there are little annoyances that you’ll need to deal with using mouse and keyboard. I go through periods where it collects dust and suddenly I’ll think of some retro stuff I want to play. Right now I’m doing a play through of the original FF7 on DuckStation.
It’s more than a gaming device, has a linux desktop (I used it as multitrack recorder with a Behringer X32), you can use it docked as a console. Good look and feel, (almost) your whole steam library otg and you support Valve in improving proton which helps linux gamers.
edit: you can install heroic launcher too and access the epic games store
Likes:
- ergonomics: the device is extremely comfortable to use and having full sized joysticks is awesome!
- controls, I find having trackpads make fps games actually bearable, and I will definitely ensure any handhelds I get in the future have them.
Dislikes:
- battery life: pretty simple, in harder emulation and new games less than 2 hours hurts
- CPU: I find only having a max boost clock even for single core processes (like switch emulation) only going up to 3.5ghz a major limiting factor, I think 3.5ghz is a fine target when all cores are being used but I would have liked to see 4ghz for single / dual core use.
- weight: the device is heavy enough to where it can’t be used without proping your arms against something which can be a bit of a pain
One thing that I can offer advice on to help battery life and overall enjoyment: use per game profiles.
I have my Steam Deck’s TDP set to 6 for emulated games most of the time and 8 for more intense games. I run ESO at pretty high settings and get 2-3 hours.
The other being set your framerate to 40 capped unless playing an emulator.
I already do that haha, but thanks. Heavy games like elden ring or switch emulation needs more than that saddly for stable fps.
Favourite:
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Battery life. While not as good as a phone or even a NS, its still incredidle how long the battery lasts considering that the deck is a full PC playing PC games. For context the battery lasts aprox. 4 h when playing a quite demanding game and up to 6 h in less demanding games.
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The emulation potential. Apart from beeing able to play PC games you can also emulate a lot of retro or even newer stuff. For example yuzu (a NS emulator) runs most games at a steady 30 fps and the simmilar controller layouts make it easy to controll.
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The improvments to linux gaming. The steam deck is bringing more attention to linux as a gaming platform. Thanks to the ease of use of tools like Proton I was able to move to linux on my PC.
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The touchpads. I generaly can’t stand playing on a controler in first person games, the touchpads realy help with controls in games built without controler support.
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The sleep mode. I can just press the power button to put my deck to sleep without loosing progres in games.
Least favourites:
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The phisical feel of the device. I’m not sure how to best describe it but for some reason my hands don’t realy like the matt finish of the deck.
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The size. While still small for a full pc its quite large for a handheld console. Unlike something like the GB or DS the steam deck is not realy pocketable.
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The noise. While i understand that a device as powerfull as the steam deck needs active cooling, the fan noise can be quite annoing espetialy in more demanding titles.
Oh man, your “least favorite” #1 makes it a total no-go for me. “My hands don’t really like the matte finish of the deck.” My whole body was repulsed by the feel of the touchpad surfaces of the Steam Controller. Like I got physically ill putting my fingers across them. However good Valve might make their devices, they are absolutely shit at picking surface textures.
You can just buy a case or skin if the feeling bothers you. There are also touchpad covers available. It is a different material than the steam controller touchpads though.
Just to clarify: For me its nowhere near as bad. Its not that i get repulsed at the feel of the device but rather that if i play for a longer time my hands get sweaty and oily (BTW this dosen’t happen with other controlers.)
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