I'm toying with getting a Steam Deck instead of building a gaming PC. I can't afford both. The Steam Deck looks an even better now option now.
this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2023
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A steam deck is definitely not a gaming computer replacement, get a good pc first imo
Depending on your definition of “gaming”, it definitely can be for some folks
I love my deck, but yeah, if OP can get a full desktop, I'd recommend that first. More scalable over time.
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I'm using my steam deck right now as a gaming PC while moving across America.
It works really well. I got a dock from Amazon that gives me the ports to plug in my gaming mouse and keyboard. I can do HDMI out to the hotel TV or, better yet, lead out one USB-c cord to a fantastic portable monitor.
I only ran into two minor issues. The first is getting enough juice to the steam deck and heat. Both can be easily solved with a good fast charging station and better air flow (I use this tiny hyper fan and have had zero issues in 90 degree Florida winter weather).
Of note, I dual boot with Windows 11. It's a bloated mess of an operating system, but I want to use certain mods and programs that windows only. Plus, I'm not tied down to only steam games. The addition of being able to run nearly everything that's Windows compatible takes the deck up a level, I feel.
The best way to get the most out of the Windows environment is to run a debloater admin tool, which removes unnecessary programs on Windows 10+ systems. The difference between the performance is shocking, making it pretty much required for usage. It's not too hard to use, too.
The best part of it all is that you still have a stream deck at the end of the day. You don't have to do any hardware mods. You can pick the deck up and walk out of the house and still have the gaming PC with you.
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Finally I can buy one
I've been holding off on getting a steam deck since I wanted to get their second version rather than being a beta tester for the first
If stability and reliability are paramount to you, you might consider getting the older version. At this point the hardware has been well tested and I feel like you might be beta testing less on a gen 1 vs a gen 2. That being said my personal experience is that I've never felt like a beta tester for valve and I'm sure you'll be happy with either. Cheers!
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This is a really nice mid-gen refresh, IMO. It drives the entry point prices down (when was the last time you saw THAT in tech?) and it makes some really nice improvements to the newer SKUs.
I don't think it's a must-buy if you already own one, but if I was still using a Deck as a daily driver I would certainly consider it. The idea of a 10 hour battery on a handheld PC is super appealing for me, considering how often I'm playing stuff at 5W.
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So… more importantly, what’s the story with the HDR support? I know there was something with gamescope supporting it. Is this something that’s finally going to be available on a normal Linux desktop?
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Welp, my friend bought his one month ago lol
Me too lol. It is what it is though I’m happy with it.
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This thing also available at launch in Australia or nah those cunts can get fucked like usual?
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Now that is it lighter hopefully it will come to Australia.
I’ve been going back and forth between actively looking to buy one and saying I’ll wait til they get better hardware. Was expecting to have to wait for a while for that so this was definitely surprising.
However while my interest in the new one is incredibly high, I still can’t shake the feeling that it’s still a bit underpowered. Not being able to get above 30/40 FPS in games like Cyberpunk make me feel like I’d be at least a little disappointed. Granted being able to even play AAA games at all on a handheld is awesome, so I may be being unrealistic here in my expectations (I’ve never owned a handheld so my comparisons are just with PCs and consoles).
Nevertheless I think I might finally take the plunge on the 16th.
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Ahhh now I want one even more!!