Steam Deck

[F308GTB]

what is steam deck? I never been a pc gamer but thinking of maybe trying it out.

And did Stadia really take off? I don't know much about it. Is it just another service like Gamepass?

Rather than muddy up the other thread...

Do you like sliced bread? If so, you'll love the Steam Deck. Best thing since...

Basically it's a PC handheld centered on gaming. There are several other vendors making PC gaming handhelds currently, but nothing has come close to the value of the Steam Deck. Some features of this great device

• 7 inch display (unfortunately not OLED) - 1280x800

• dual analog stick, dual haptic thumb trackpads, 4-way pad, analog triggers - you can remap the controls for any game to your liking (e.g., I have some Dreamcast emulated games that out of the box only use the 4-way pad, and I can remap to the analog stick)

• Bluetooth support - can connect any bluetooth controller (PS5, Xbox, Switch, ...)

• Comes in 3 models based on internal storage - 64, 256, or 512gb, and you can add more storage via microSD cards

• With a docking station (official Steam or 3rd party) you can hook via HDMI or DP to any monitor for greater resolution. You can also attach mice, keyboards, steering wheels, etc with a docking station

• Linux based, but if you want you could wipe and load Windows

• Battery life does suck - depending on the game you can get anywhere from a couple of hours to 8 or so

Gaming wise, it uses Proton as a layer to run Windows-based games. While not every game under the sun runs, the support for modern games is quite impressive. Steam provides info on what games are fully verified with no issues, those that run, can't run, etc. A great feature is that game progress is synched between your Deck and your PC, so you can switch back and forth. You can also pause gameplay and put it in sleep mode to pick back up later.

The library really expanded when the user base developed tools to allow other gaming services' libraries to be accessed. While you can get to your libraries of GOG, EA Origin, and Epic, I personally only have Epic as an additional load on my Deck (Epic has a free game or two each week, and during the holidays they give out a game a day (I've gotten games like Metro 2033, Saints Row, Shenmue 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Star Wars Squadrons, and Watchdogs 2 for free).

Another tremendous feature is emulation of old systems. Emudeck is a packaged emulation treasure. It's easier to just point you to the systems it supports - https://github.com/dragoonDorise/EmuDeck but it runs all the old systems as well as up to PS3, Xbox, and Wii U. I personally only have Dreamcast and Saturn games on mine currently, and it has been awesome having them on a system I can travel with or while laying on the sofa or in bed. Game compatibility is down to the quality/development of the emulator, but Emudeck allows you to update emulators as they get development releases.

I personally bought the 512gb version for $649. It was a long haul - waited nearly a year to get it, but now Steam has caught up with all preorders so there should be no wait. I've got 60+ Steam and Epic games on there and about 2 dozen Dreamcast and Saturn games.

The only downside I've had with it so far is that in my opinion racing games suck on it. Using a wheel and VR the last 5 or so years means playing with thumbsticks and 2D screens is a no go. Other than that I have really enjoyed the thing. Took it with me to the Netherlands on a work trip to pass time in the airport, plane, and hotel. I bought a Switch OLED last year, but the Deck gets most of my time due to the software library I've built up and the fact that software for PC generally runs cheaper than consoles, be it in comparison to physical media or downloaded games. The Switch is relegated to first party Nintendo titles only.

FYI - https://www.steamdeck.com/en/verified shows some of the highlights of recent games verified for the Deck and https://store.steampowered.com/greatondeck has a more exhaustive list. Note that even games that Steam says aren't verified have been demonstrated to work fine. Steam is in the midst of their winter sale, so great deals can be had on thousands of titles.

[Danimal]

Can't sum it up any better than the above post. It's a cheap way to get into PC gaming and it's a hackers dream system.

[dbdynsty25]

Loved everything software-wise with the Steamdeck. However, physically it was a nightmare. I couldn't hold it without cramping after about ten minutes. Ultimately I just sold it...which is unfortunate because the functionality was so damn good. Glad the rest of you guys can hold it comfortably.

[Danimal]

Loved everything software-wise with the Steamdeck. However, physically it was a nightmare. I couldn't hold it without cramping after about ten minutes. Ultimately I just sold it...which is unfortunate because the functionality was so damn good. Glad the rest of you guys can hold it comfortably.

It's so funny you say that. I am not a handheld guys because every one I've ever owned my hands would hurt like hell. I was hesitant to buy the SD for that reason but I haven't really encountered that issue. My ultimate reason for buying is we bought a 2nd home in Florida and I decided to drop the money on a SD and docking station as opposed to a gaming laptop. The SD handles most game I wants to play and I can hook it up to my TV down there no issues. I'm heading down there for the winter after New Years so we will see if it fills in for how I need it. I also added a 1TB SSD card so storage isn't an issue.

[Lancer]

Thanks for the write up F308GTB.

So it's like a Switch I guess from what you're describing. But more bulky.

Would it be cheaper to get a gaming PC?

And when it comes to PC Gaming, I've had this question - For consoles, you get a console released and that's pretty much what developers will be using for 5/6 years. Once it maxes out, then the next console is released.

Is that the same for PC or is it always evolving? Like is there a standard spec max for PCs that the industry goes by every 5/6 years like consoles? Or is it much shorter where you have to keep upgrading to new PC specs every year or two?

Thats why I never got into PC. If I buy a gaming PC now, in 6 mo will it be already obsolete?

And for a gaming PC, I see most ppl game on a desk and a monitor. Is there a way to hook it up to a 65 4k tv in the living room like you would with a console? Or since it's so dependent on keyboard/mouse, desk and monitor are the only way to go?

[Sudz]

what is steam deck? I never been a pc gamer but thinking of maybe trying it out.

And did Stadia really take off? I don't know much about it. Is it just another service like Gamepass?

Rather than muddy up the other thread...

Do you like sliced bread? If so, you'll love the Steam Deck. Best thing since...

Basically it's a PC handheld centered on gaming. There are several other vendors making PC gaming handhelds currently, but nothing has come close to the value of the Steam Deck. Some features of this great device

• 7 inch display (unfortunately not OLED) - 1280x800

• dual analog stick, dual haptic thumb trackpads, 4-way pad, analog triggers - you can remap the controls for any game to your liking (e.g., I have some Dreamcast emulated games that out of the box only use the 4-way pad, and I can remap to the analog stick)

• Bluetooth support - can connect any bluetooth controller (PS5, Xbox, Switch, ...)

• Comes in 3 models based on internal storage - 64, 256, or 512gb, and you can add more storage via microSD cards

• With a docking station (official Steam or 3rd party) you can hook via HDMI or DP to any monitor for greater resolution. You can also attach mice, keyboards, steering wheels, etc with a docking station

• Linux based, but if you want you could wipe and load Windows

• Battery life does suck - depending on the game you can get anywhere from a couple of hours to 8 or so

Gaming wise, it uses Proton as a layer to run Windows-based games. While not every game under the sun runs, the support for modern games is quite impressive. Steam provides info on what games are fully verified with no issues, those that run, can't run, etc. A great feature is that game progress is synched between your Deck and your PC, so you can switch back and forth. You can also pause gameplay and put it in sleep mode to pick back up later.

The library really expanded when the user base developed tools to allow other gaming services' libraries to be accessed. While you can get to your libraries of GOG, EA Origin, and Epic, I personally only have Epic as an additional load on my Deck (Epic has a free game or two each week, and during the holidays they give out a game a day (I've gotten games like Metro 2033, Saints Row, Shenmue 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Star Wars Squadrons, and Watchdogs 2 for free).

Another tremendous feature is emulation of old systems. Emudeck is a packaged emulation treasure. It's easier to just point you to the systems it supports - https://github.com/dragoonDorise/EmuDeck but it runs all the old systems as well as up to PS3, Xbox, and Wii U. I personally only have Dreamcast and Saturn games on mine currently, and it has been awesome having them on a system I can travel with or while laying on the sofa or in bed. Game compatibility is down to the quality/development of the emulator, but Emudeck allows you to update emulators as they get development releases.

I personally bought the 512gb version for $649. It was a long haul - waited nearly a year to get it, but now Steam has caught up with all preorders so there should be no wait. I've got 60+ Steam and Epic games on there and about 2 dozen Dreamcast and Saturn games.

The only downside I've had with it so far is that in my opinion racing games suck on it. Using a wheel and VR the last 5 or so years means playing with thumbsticks and 2D screens is a no go. Other than that I have really enjoyed the thing. Took it with me to the Netherlands on a work trip to pass time in the airport, plane, and hotel. I bought a Switch OLED last year, but the Deck gets most of my time due to the software library I've built up and the fact that software for PC generally runs cheaper than consoles, be it in comparison to physical media or downloaded games. The Switch is relegated to first party Nintendo titles only.

FYI - https://www.steamdeck.com/en/verified shows some of the highlights of recent games verified for the Deck and https://store.steampowered.com/greatondeck has a more exhaustive list. Note that even games that Steam says aren't verified have been demonstrated to work fine. Steam is in the midst of their winter sale, so great deals can be had on thousands of titles.

I have a SD and have been playing legends bowl. Nice retro style football game. I want to download an emulator, but am a bit intimidated on how to load it onto my SD. Any help here? The one you shared above looks good.

[Danimal]

Thanks for the write up F308GTB.

So it's like a Switch I guess from what you're describing. But more bulky.

I mean yes but No. It's a hand held PC running on Linux which makes it possible to get multiple emulators and play tons of s***. Maybe the Switch can do that and I'm not aware of it. So if you mean foot print and looks wise then yes it is like a switch.

Would it be cheaper to get a gaming PC?

Not a good one, at least not in my opinion. My tower gaming rig cost me over $3,000

And when it comes to PC Gaming, I've had this question - For consoles, you get a console released and that's pretty much what developers will be using for 5/6 years. Once it maxes out, then the next console is released.

Is that the same for PC or is it always evolving? Like is there a standard spec max for PCs that the industry goes by every 5/6 years like consoles? Or is it much shorter where you have to keep upgrading to new PC specs every year or two?

The PC games and specs are evolving yes but not like they used too, my gaming rig I mentioned above it 5 years old and still plays everything coming out at high resolution. The only change I plan to make it upgrade the graphic card which will cost about $1,500 and that is only to get ray tracking and other benefits. The right PC can last for 10 years or more depending on the games you want to play. If you guy but a $700 gaming laptop from Best Buy then don't expect the same results.

And for a gaming PC, I see most ppl game on a desk and a monitor. Is there a way to hook it up to a 65 4k tv in the living room like you would with a console? Or since it's so dependent on keyboard/mouse, desk and monitor are the only way to go?

Yes Steam sells a docking station as do 3rd party companies. You can hook up any blutooth controller, I have an Xbox hooked up. You can also hook up a key board and mouse if you want. If you mean a gaming PC, most graphic cards come with multiple ways to hook it up to a monitor, TV etc. I have a laptop for my golf simulator hooked up to a 4k projector through HDMI

[F308GTB]

I have a SD and have been playing legends bowl. Nice retro style football game. I want to download an emulator, but am a bit intimidated on how to load it onto my SD. Any help here? The one you shared above looks good.

Super easy. Emudeck is a self-installer.

Switch to desktop mode (best to have a docking station so you can hook up to a monitor, mouse, and keyboard, just since it's a pain with just the Deck). Just go to their website, download the loader, open it when done and sit back for 5-10 minutes as it downloads everything. There are 2 install choices - default and custom. Default is the way to go for you. I would load it on your microSD card rather than the internal drive that game with the SD.

Once you have Emudeck installed, the next step is finding gaming roms. They go in directories for each system, which are located in the drive you installed to and the additional path of Emulation/roms/<system> and you can drop them in compressed.

Next step is to run the Steam Rom Manager which is part of Emudeck. There will be a "Generate App List" button at the bottom which will find all the roms you have. Then "Save App List". What this step does is loads all those games into your Steam library so that you can access them easily from the gaming mode side (will be in your Library, Non-Steam Games). From there you can run the roms directly or run through Emulation Station (which will show up in the Non-Steam Games library).

Both the Emudeck website and youtube have plenty of info to get you through the pain. I will say that my biggest issue to date is the SD software update a week or so ago. I was quick to install, and my emulators were nowhere to be found. Steam had changed how SD cards are named, so my non-Steam stuff could not be found. They generated a patch a day or two later, but by then I had already done stuff to force finding things. I will also say that I have had some issues with some roms not playing. Some of this may come down to me not doing emulation of anything but Dreamcast for quite a while. Other systems have multiple bioses available, and you may have to download those (which go in the Emulation/bios/<system> directories).

[F308GTB]

Thanks for the write up F308GTB.

So it's like a Switch I guess from what you're describing. But more bulky.

Would it be cheaper to get a gaming PC?

And when it comes to PC Gaming, I've had this question - For consoles, you get a console released and that's pretty much what developers will be using for 5/6 years. Once it maxes out, then the next console is released.

Is that the same for PC or is it always evolving? Like is there a standard spec max for PCs that the industry goes by every 5/6 years like consoles? Or is it much shorter where you have to keep upgrading to new PC specs every year or two?

Thats why I never got into PC. If I buy a gaming PC now, in 6 mo will it be already obsolete?

And for a gaming PC, I see most ppl game on a desk and a monitor. Is there a way to hook it up to a 65 4k tv in the living room like you would with a console? Or since it's so dependent on keyboard/mouse, desk and monitor are the only way to go?

The Steam Deck (or other mobile gaming PC) is the closest you'll get to a stable PC platform. I will say my gaming rig didn't cost $3k, but it was pricey. My current one is getting long in the tooth with a 1080ti card ($700+ when new) and probably another $1k for CPU, MB, RAM, case, drives, power supply. I also bought a Dell 34" 3440x1440 widescreen 5+ years ago at $700 or so, and also have a HP Reverb G2 VR system ($600). So all that comes to $3k, but the monitor is on its second system (passed the first gaming rig down to the wife for her general use). Fortunately my favorite genre of games (racing) are not too taxing so my current rig will last for several years yet. I had debated getting a new GPU, but I'd be looking at something like a Nvidia 4090, and those are $1500+.

The Steam Deck has paused any need for me to upgrade. Supposedly over 1 million Steam Decks have shipped, a sizeable amount of hardware where developers will want to cater to it. Will you get PS5 or XBX level 4k performance with equal graphics settings? No for newer titles. But to me I'd rather have access to 10,000s of thousands of new and old PC titles, emulation of old systems, etc.

BTW, do your self a favor and get a Epic games account now if you think you may go down the PC/SD route. Their holiday giveaway still has a few days/week or so, and even after that they give a freebie or two each week. Some titles aren't worth getting, but others are. Plus there is Humble Bundle. I recently got their bundle which included Hitman GOTY and Hitman 2 for on the cheap.

[Sudz]

I have a SD and have been playing legends bowl. Nice retro style football game. I want to download an emulator, but am a bit intimidated on how to load it onto my SD. Any help here? The one you shared above looks good.

Super easy. Emudeck is a self-installer.

Switch to desktop mode (best to have a docking station so you can hook up to a monitor, mouse, and keyboard, just since it's a pain with just the Deck). Just go to their website, download the loader, open it when done and sit back for 5-10 minutes as it downloads everything. There are 2 install choices - default and custom. Default is the way to go for you. I would load it on your microSD card rather than the internal drive that game with the SD.

Once you have Emudeck installed, the next step is finding gaming roms. They go in directories for each system, which are located in the drive you installed to and the additional path of Emulation/roms/<system> and you can drop them in compressed.

Next step is to run the Steam Rom Manager which is part of Emudeck. There will be a "Generate App List" button at the bottom which will find all the roms you have. Then "Save App List". What this step does is loads all those games into your Steam library so that you can access them easily from the gaming mode side (will be in your Library, Non-Steam Games). From there you can run the roms directly or run through Emulation Station (which will show up in the Non-Steam Games library).

Both the Emudeck website and youtube have plenty of info to get you through the pain. I will say that my biggest issue to date is the SD software update a week or so ago. I was quick to install, and my emulators were nowhere to be found. Steam had changed how SD cards are named, so my non-Steam stuff could not be found. They generated a patch a day or two later, but by then I had already done stuff to force finding things. I will also say that I have had some issues with some roms not playing. Some of this may come down to me not doing emulation of anything but Dreamcast for quite a while. Other systems have multiple bioses available, and you may have to download those (which go in the Emulation/bios/<system> directories).

THANKS!!! I've got a keyboard and mouse set-up with hit. Haven't tried the monitor yet.

I'll give it a shot today and try some older NES games.

[pigpen81]

I love my Steam Deck. I have loaded it up with quite a few games from Fanatical bundles.

So many cool games to play in bite size chunks.

[RobVarak]

Great thread guys. I've been kind of glancing sidelong at it for a while but I think I may take the plunge.

[Diablo25]

I don’t own a Steam Deck but I did see this announced at CES yesterday. It’s called The Razor Edge.
https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/raz ... Pcontainer

[Danimal]

There is already devices like the one posted above. Steam Decks popularity is for several reason.

1. It has the Steam OS so for the casual gamer they can just turn it on and start buying games or in my case choose from my library of hundreds.

2. It supports cloud gaming from Game Pass with no hacking required.

3. It's Linux based so it's a hackers dream. With the emulators available you can play old arcade game, SNES, Gensis and everything else.

4. If you're invested heavy into Steam, GoG, Uplay etc with one emulator you can access all your titles.

The only mistake Valve made is no having swappable batteries. Besides being really short on a charge they seem to lose health pretty quickly if you game on it all the time. My battery health is at 87% and its not even a year old.

[Sudz]

2. It supports cloud gaming from Game Pass with no hacking required.

dang! i didn't know that!

[pigpen81]

Fanatical has a solid bundle offering for steam deck verified games. I am liking my deck for the indies I can play in bite size formats as I don't have the time/patience for big AAA's anymore.
https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-m ... ar-edition

[fanatic2]

Just got the deck - what a cool device.

I guess it's natural to compare to the Switch OLED, which I've put in a lot of hours with.

-Deck is definitely better ergonomically. My hands usually get a bit cramped/sore if I play too long on the Switch.
-Deck is MUCH bigger, which will make it less fun to cram into a backpack etc for travelling around with.
-There's definitely a WOW moment when playing AAA games on the deck. Basically like having a PS4 type power product in your hands - well done Valve.

But to me the biggest difference is the Steam catalogue. I've never PC gamed, so never really grasped how good of a value it can be. Compared to Nintendo, who gives you a $20 discount off a 5 year old game once in a while lol...

For example, just picked up (CDN prices):

Half Life 2 $1.29
Portal 2 $1.29
Sleeping Dogs $3.74
Vanquish $8.74
Prey $9.99

Insane! I'll probably end up buying more games than I can ever play (oh wait, that's how they got me - ok nevermind lol)...

[Danimal]

[fanatic2]

Ha thanks!

[fanatic2]

Duplicate deleted

[pigpen81]

I use my Deck for smaller "indie" games.

Fanatical has great deals: https://www.fanatical.com/en/

[fanatic2]

I use my Deck for smaller "indie" games.

Fanatical has great deals: https://www.fanatical.com/en/

Yes! Got a few indies bought as well. Looking forward to playing Dorfromantik (soothing environmental puzzler).

Thanks for the heads up about that website- will check it out.

[Danimal]

Besides traveling I use my Deck mostly at night before bed so I went out and bought the Dock and hooked up an xbox controller and play games on it that way also. I stay away from games with keyboard input when doing this but man this tech is incredible.

[Sudz]

I loaded up the original EA PGA Tour. Such a good golf game for its time.

[fanatic2]

Just wanted to chime in and say that my Steam Deck OLED (512GB version) arrived yesterday. I chose that one because I liked the idea of a glossy screen instead of the matte one. Especially for OLED and those inky blacks.

I gotta say....the screen is SOMETHING ELSE. Watching YouTube video comparisons etc. just doesn't do it justice. I owned an original deck and this is really night and day. I loaded up Ori and the will of the wisps and couldn't believe how amazing it looked, especially with HDR now and 90fps. Probably the game you want to showcase the deck oled with for sure!

Other than that, I appreciate the slightly lighter weight. Will give it more time - but expecting much better battery and all the other bells and whistles.

Anyways - I just wanted to let you guys know how much of a difference the panel makes. I took the plunge once I found out that the switch 2 might ship with an LCD screen. I know it's a rumor only, but it was just enough to convince me to take the leap on the deck OLED. (will probably get a switch 2 one day I'm sure)