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Best $400 I’ve spent on a console by far. Including my PS4 and 5. Haven’t touched my switch, PS5 or any other console since my deck came.
since my deck came
😳
It came so hard.
The zelda sequel lured me away for a little while and spider man 2 for a lesser extent, but I spend more time on my deck than anything else. Hey that reminds me, I should dust my consoles.
My friend showed me TotK playing better that it did on a switch… on his Steam deck lawl
That TotK runs at all on the Switch is nothing short of a miracle. That’s Xbox 360 era GPU power, running a massive game at 30fps for the most part. Super stable as well, especially after a playthrough of the very crashy, other GOTY contender, BG3.
Really?
ToTK ram so poorly on my (launch) switch that I stopped after a few hours. Constant usually massive dips in frame rate put me off of it.
Returned my switch to a MarioKart/Smash machine for when my friends are over.
Sadly this is not applicable in my country. If you want to get a Steam Deck unfortunately you’ll need to shell out more money compared to buying a PS5 or an Xbox Series X.
Exactly my issue as well. An ROG Ally is cheaper than the cheapest Deck. And both are more expensive that the PS5 and Xbox X
The Ally atleast has more performance than the Deck. Deck has it beat in software though.
It’s pretty much as powerful as the gaming PC I made several years ago and is a decent price. I’d be happy to recommend it to someone even not taking into account how versatile it is
My laptop’s SSD died a while back, so I sent it away for repairs (yay, MSI’s warranty).
In that brief period without a PC, my Steam Deck was a god send - used it as my main machine for 4 days. Was even able to work on it.
That’s such a crazy addition to the value proposition, for me - totally makes it worth it.
Also, being able to play PS5 games in bed via Chiaki is delicious.
I’ve been using it as my main (and only) machine for the whole year. Work included (dev, illustration, graphic design, cgi)
I mean, that makes sense, because its just running (a slightly restricted) version Linux of under the hood, which I is what I run on my gaming and work pc
It’s an immutable version of stripped Arch, dunno if that counts as ‘slightly restricted’. You can disable the read-only mode if you want to and know what you’re doing.
That’s why I said slightly, for the average user you can’t do quite as much
I mean for average console user, you can do a whole lot. Even for your average Windows user.
And if you drive Linux… I’m not sure why you couldn’t handle SteamOS?
I can, what I am saying is the way the steamos is built, its a bit harder for new users to do more advanced stuff, not that its that limited. I so admit I could’ve phrased IT better though
Yeah but it’s still a hand held, that kind of power isn’t expected.
Chiaki doesn’t get enough credit.
How is your latency on Chiaki?
I have pretty decent home wifi and honestly…
It’s just not a great experience.
Although tbf I installed it once on a macbook and the experience was not great. Didn’t do hardly any finagling to improve latency
The latency is so low I don’t notice it at all. Weird that you’re having problems.
My ps5 is hooked up to the router via an ethernet cable, and I use a 5 Ghz network to play on. Never had any issues and never required any tweaking (played most of Jedi: Survivor with this setup).
Why hasn’t anyone else made one to compete that’s cheap? Because, Mr.Author…No one else can make their money back by selling software.
The Switch certainly predates the Deck, and they definitely make their money back on software, but being forced solely into the Nintendo ecosystem is off-putting. Only Microsoft is a likely candidate to make a handheld that uses their Game Pass, and I would bet they aren’t really needing to push subscriptions at the moment.
The Switch isn’t that expensive to make, the chip, memory, and storage are all budget af.
I just looked it up, and it looks like Nintendo likely makes $40-$80 per Switch (estimated based on part costs). A decent profit, considering software (a big money maker) is just gravy at that point.
Why are you trying to compare a computer to a walled garden Nintendo switch? Hell, you’re making my argument for me.
I can’t believe I have to rehash this again. A Switch is a computer. My point wasn’t that it’s somehow better, but Nintendo already did exactly what you said: made a handheld portable computer with built-in screen that can play games locally and is sold at a loss only to recoup those losses with software sales.
The Deck can do more than the Switch, but that doesn’t make the Switch less of a computer.
Nintendo hardwares are sold for profit
You say it’s off putting as if the Switch doesn’t have dozens on dozens on dozens of quality 1st and 2nd party titles. Also, no one is being forced into the Nintendo ecosystem. It’s a Nintendo product, and you buy a Nintendo console to play Nintendo games. It’s not anti-gamer. That being said, apples and oranges to compare the switch to the deck.
Right, but the original statement was whether other companies have made a competing and profitable “Deck,” and the Switch is already such a device. Portable, plays games locally, has a thriving software ecosystem…
Whether those games within that ecosystem are “quality” or not is irrelevant. Both platforms have examples of good and bad games. My point was that if you buy a Switch, you are forced into their ecosystem. On the Deck, you do not have such a limitation (with a bit of effort, you can access anything a regular Linux machine can). Nobody is coerced in, sure, but that wasn’t the point I was making.
So where you see apples and oranges, I see a small, dry apple vs. a big, juicy apple. A better analogy might be Apple vs Windows.
No, the Switch is not such a device.
The article is very obviously about PCs. The Switch is not a PC.
Just because the switch runs a proprietary OS does not mean it isn’t a personal computing device. It can run Linux, it has a CPU and memory, it runs software, its a personal computer for sure.
Yes, it does. It cannot possibly be described as a PC if the end user can’t install arbitrary software without restriction.
Calling a Switch a PC isn’t slightly incorrect. It’s complete and utter horseshit.
The ability install “arbitrary software without restriction” is what defines a PC? Now that is complete and utter horseshit. A Chromebook isn’t a PC? A laptop with account restrictions to prevent the end user from installing software isn’t a PC? A desktop running an immutable linux distro isn’t a PC? Quit your bullshit. A PC is a computing device with a CPU and Memory, meant to be used by several people or less at a time, everything else is superfluous.
If you jailbreak the Switch, you can do all of those things. But by your definition, because I can’t arbitrarily install Windows software on an Apple computer, it is not a PC.
Just because it’s not easy doesn’t mean the Switch isn’t a personal computer. It is a device you can personally own that takes bits and bytes and performs computations with them that results in things like saving a game (data storage), internet communication (network computing), and video rendering (video stream computation).
You have a weird definition of platform “ecosystem”. How is buying a computing device (gaming or otherwise) that locks you down to only running software purchased from the manufacturer’s store not forcing you into their ecosystem?
I guess if you mean no one is forcing you to buy a switch sure. But if you own a switch, you have to procure software through Nintendo. That’s being locked into an ecosystem by definition.
Bingo,I think people forget Valve went out of their way to make their profit margin razor thin, or at a slight loss because they know the benefit of having a device that basically assures a new paying user will be added in their Steam ecosystem. It’s based on Nintendo’s walled garden philosophy after all, just refined really well on PC.
It’s not a walled garden though, Valve made no attempts to lock anything down. You can install something like Heroic Game Launcher on the Steam Deck and play Epic Game Store or GOG games too.
Yeah, it’s based on the philosophy, but it doesn’t strictly follow the philosophy.
While this is true and works out that way, it’s either put in a bit of work to get a game to run (I have epic games borderlands 2 handsome Jack collection and it crashes a lot on me) or use the store that has all the games and controller settings set up specifically to the deck. Having the option is great, but using steam is still easiest and makes any deck owners default purchase store choice for a game as steam. To the point where if I had to pay $25 for a game on steam vs $20 on epic or any other, I’d just go ahead and get the steam version if I intended to play it on my deck.
No, but they did make it very easy to buy Steam games and installing HGL or any other launcher is going to be both inconvenient and require a level of investigation that most people don’t care to bother with when they can just hit “buy” on the store.
Why do you say that? Heroic games launcher already exist on Flathub and is super easy to use
I mean it’s a whole thing of even knowing how to install it, much less configuring Proton, adding it to Steam Launcher, etc.
It’s really not that hard and there are plenty of guides available. If you are unable to visit the “store” (discovery), download a program and finally run it, then maybe you should just keep using Steam and not complicate things.
I feel like if you are smart enough to know that Heroic Launcher exists then you could figure out how to do a google search on how to install it. It’s not like Windows “just works” every time
You’re missing the point entirely and I’m not sure if it’s just intentional.
Valve also made a really thought out and well designed product, which I think is pretty rare these days. The instant hibernation feature is just one example of why the Steam Deck is so much better than the competition
It’s funny. I thought I would just play through my SO’s gargantuan library for a long while, but I’m pretty sure I’ve spent more on new games than I did on the Steam Deck itself at this point. So, yeah. They made the right call.
Rate it? Rate it what? 5/7?
Yeah I was confused by the wording of the title.
“I rate it” is a pretty common phrase used to mean “I rate this thing positively”, isn’t it?
I’m assuming it is from how it was used, I just don’t think I’ve ever heard the phrase before. It must not be popular where I live or in my usual internet communities.
Maybe it’s a British thing, or maybe I’m just old and out of touch.
Author of the article is from Wales so it could well just be a British thing. I’ve heard it used plenty so it’s not youth-speak!
Is that a perfect 5/7?
That’s a neat score.
With or without rice?
Does the title mean this person likes it?
I think so, but the wording is confusing to me.
I read it as “The budget price tag is why I still care enough to rate it”
Basically its a repeat of the OG Gameboy story
Unrelated, but LowSpecGamer on YouTube has some great videos about the Gameboy’s story and they are great. I recommend them to everyone
Great channel, I’ve seen his doc vids
Very glad he rediscovered his passion with those vids
And yeah if you don’t know what I’m talking about go check out his gameboy vid if interested, tldr the cheaper and more energy efficient tech in the gameboy is why it sold this good even though there are way more impressive products in the market
My only real gripe is that the SSDs aren’t being refreshed as component prices drop. There’s no reason for the entry level not to be 256 now, with 512 mid range and 1TB top end. Retail - and I presume wholesale - prices on the parts have dropped by half or more since the deck was launched. There may be contractual issues involved, but - for Valve - it would make sense to make these machines as self-contained as possible. Yes, you can by a SD card, but at this point you probably shouldn’t have to. And, lets face it, 64GB on a gaming device is pretty limiting. Just start slotting in larger drives as the inventory breaks the previous price floor and inventory is cleared.
Looks like they heard you.
Entry model at $400 now comes with 256 GB SSD storage.
Well I’ll be damned. TBH, I didn’t even know about the refresh - I enjoy mine enough that I’m not really in the market. Also, I snagged a TB ssd for $50 last month and installed it so, aside from the OLED I’m happy where I am. Besides, I’m such a casual I just can’t get bent about that last 5% of black.
Probably putting windows on any device adds an another 100€ to the price tag. With Linux, you save money 🤷
Linux also runs better on lower spec machines due to its better resource management. Reason a lot of people started using Linux back in the day so they didn’t need to spend 10-15k on a Sun Spac box and could use a 1-3k desktop
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They pay nothing like that.
You wouldn’t really want it on the Steam Deck though.
I just wish it ran Hunt showdown, its my only gripe about it, otherwise I love it.
Then bug the game developer about it.
The game runs and is supported with its anti cheat for a while now but I assume the performance isn’t great.
Performance optimization is also on the developer to do. Proton isn’t magic. Developers need to treat Steam Deck like any other dedicated platform.
Good news! It does! My desktop was out of commission for a while due to a hardware issue, and I used my Steam Deck exclusively as my PC during that time. Hunt ran fine, with anti-cheat working, and I even racked up some kills and wins (with mouse and keyboard and a monitor ofc and at 720p). The handheld experience would be rough but obviously playing Hunt against PC players with a controller would be nearly impossible in 3 star and up.
Wait…it works?! HOLY CRAP! you just made my day! Thank you!
It runs fine on Linux, is it a performance issue?
Guys, would it be wise to buy a Deck now (almost end of 2023)? Since rumors about Deck 2 has surfaced. I’m afraid the Deck 1 will reach end-of-life soon.
I don’t know if you saw it, but they just announced an OLED Steam Deck earlier today.
Should have the same motherboard/specs based on leaks, just a much better screen.
I’d probably wait and see how much it will sell for, and I’d they discount the non-oled decks.
LOL, I literally wrote that comment and went to sleep. Just to woke up the next morning to see the internet exploding with news about the refreshed Deck :)))
Definitely gonna get a 512GB OLED now. If I hold off till Christmas, I may even be able to get the 1TB. The SSD upgrade is overpriced but the anti-glare should be nice.
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Being that it’s Linux, it shouldn’t have an end of life even if they stop selling it
Your disadvantage would be hardware
This aged well 😄👌…
Just kidding. Steam just blow my mind with the new model announcement.
