Steam Deck

Playing subnautica below zero in my tent when it’s too dark to go outside and too hot to sleep :D

I have a hefty gaming computer, and yet for some reason I can't bring myself to play certain types of games on the desktop. Even though I have and love the Steam Controller, there's just something about playing certain games that just feel right on the Steam Deck. Recently I've been trying to beat Yakuza 0. I love being able to pick up and put down without having to worry about the save points.

I was going to say indie-flash style games, but it's not just those that are easier to play.

Oh, and emulation is a dream now. It's awesome.

Travel. Whether it be for: work/leisure, domestic/international, bus/train. I work from home and don't drive. So when I'm traveling via transit, it's Steam Deck time.

Local network game streaming works quite well in my experience. That means I get to use my beefier PC to carry that burden while I play Last of Us part 1 for 5 hours on the deck at 60fps.

It's amazing for playing from my couch when I'm chilling with the family etc.

Streaming your games from your gaming pc to your Deck while at home also makes for better graphics and better battery. Massive difference to battery running Elden Ring natively compare to streaming it. Mostly using it for Diablo 4 myself.

Also some games just feel more right on a handheld. Turn based RPGs for example. Platformers like Celeste or Metroidvanias. Stardew Valley. Heck you can even play World of Warcraft without m+kb. There are add-ons to make binding somewhat like in FFXIV. Plus there is not sub just to play online like on other consoles. You bring all games with you. In my opinion everyone thats a PC gamer and can afford a Deck should have a one.

Mine has become my couch gaming set up for my TV, so pretty much anything compatible with controller support gets played on the couch instead of on my PC. Also use it for playing torrented TV shows & movies on my TV by remote mounting my media drives on my PC.

I've also brought it around for travel a few times now, but I also don't travel all that much either.

Overall I really only would 100% recommend it if you're willing to tinker with the Linux half to really unlock the full potential of having basically a really decent Linux HTPC at your disposal. That said, it's not a requirement and I think it functions super well in the Steam gaming mode on its own.

My main PC is in the hottest room in my house right now, so it's been really nice being able to game where it's somewhere cooler when it's too hot to exist. There's a good 6 hour chunk of the day that is miserable to be sitting in front of my PC during.

I use it as entertainment when I'm out at the cabin (mostly playing my hungover away), but on top of that I use it a lot to play at work.

My job entails certain tasks I have to do weekly/monthly. When I'm done with them and unless I get random gigs, I might have a lot of free time at work which mainly consists of having to be there, and keeping an eye out for all the automation. Before having the Deck it meant that when it was slower days, I had scoured Internet empty of all memes, cats and videos by the end of the day.

I spend a night or two every week in a hotel for work. The Deck has been clutch as a distraction while working out on a stationary bike, or while relaxing in my room and being able to play games without lugging around an entire gaming PC. At home I use it to stream from my PC so I can spend time on the couch with my wife and dogs. I've also used it on planes and car trips with great success.

I’m mostly a cloud gaming guy, so a lot of the time I’m streaming from my computer or a TV, but sometimes I want to lay in bed or play on a road trip. It works great as a streaming machine too, but for when I don’t have internet, I fire up the local copies of the games.

Honestly there's no game it can't play. Like besides super specific games that can't be emulated yet (Xbox 360 & original Xbox don't work, RIP), I'm yet to encounter something that it can't run. Like even shit that you'd expect to be totally unplayable without a keyboard or just kinda... No problem on deck 🤷‍♂️ the controller bindings or so customizable even Factorio or Apex are as close to PC as a handheld can get. It's wild.

YSK: the steamdeck is on sale right now for 10 to 20% off depending on the configuration. I just can't find a use case for it for myself. I play a bit of Fortnite on PC and otherwise don't play much at all.