Should i get a steam deck?

[The Catboy]

For what it's worth, I typed this reply on my Deck.

Hello fellow Steam Deck Desktop user

 

[Vulpeka]

Get a ROG Ally instead. Much better than a steam deck, but more expensive also.

Yes but you get official support for windows and are far better off running future pc titles. I recommend the xbox series s with that nice portable screen that folds into the console.

 

[Yuhuns]

I’ve been using the Steam Deck quite a bit and honestly, it’s a pretty cool device. I’ve definitely enjoyed gaming on it—it handles games surprisingly well and the portability is a huge plus.


However, when it comes to the price point, I’m on the fence. It’s a decent piece of tech, but I’m not totally convinced it’s worth the cost

 

[retroware]

I know someone who has one - they are extremely light weight in the hand and the quality and size of the screen is great...if that helps at all

 

[Xzi]

However, when it comes to the price point, I’m on the fence. It’s a decent piece of tech, but I’m not totally convinced it’s worth the cost

Android emulation devices that play everything up to Switch go for $350 at a minimum. Depends on the individual whether or not they feel the ability to also play PC games on a portable is worth an extra $50. Personally I'd say yes, easily.

 

[TehCupcakes]

Before I got a Steam Deck, I had to choose... Do I get this game for cheap on Steam sales/bundles, or do I want to play this on the go and get it on Switch? With Steam Deck, the choice is a no-brainer - always Steam. (I mean, technically check for Proton compatibility, but usually the answer is "yes".) As a portable, the Deck is just way more comfortable and capable than a Switch. When I travel, I will usually just bring the Deck now. My Switch is pretty much relegated to Nintendo-only games.

I also rarely spend time gaming at my PC these days. The Deck has allowed me to enjoy my Steam catalogue built up over the years when traveling, on the couch, in bed, etc. If I didn't have it, I would probably just play Switch in these scenarios, but my game options on there are more limited.

So is it worth it? Well, if you spend a good amount of time portable gaming, or would like to, I'd say probably. If you mainly plan to play at home but just want a better experience, maybe, as long as the cost is not a stretch for you.

If you have to sell other consoles/PC to afford it? Would not recommend. There are games which are not supported on Steam Deck, those which don't run well, and some that just aren't optimal because keyboard+mouse is better. Similarly, I like Nintendo games for their uniqueness too much to give them up completely, even if third-party games that are on the Switch are better played on Steam Deck.

I say all this as someone who is able to afford PC + Switch + Deck, and recognize that they all have their strengths and get used at different times.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Depends on the game; some run better than others. Odyssey runs well, Mario Kart runs well, TotK runs but could be better. Some of that could be due to current emulator limitations, not sure.

For what it's worth, I typed this reply on my Deck.

"Runs but could be better" is a good description of the game on real hardware, too, so I guess it's at least on par.

If you want it to run at more than 20 FPS you have to use patches to unlock the framerate.

 

[KenzieRobinson]

I recently bought a steam deck and I am very glad, I did not regret the purchase

 

[Regtivity]

Are you out and about often? Do you share your PC with your family? If you don't have a reliable PC or even other consoles outside of the Switch, there's decent enough reason to buy a Steam Deck.

If you're looking at it just for the cool factor, or your PC can already kind of handle lots of games, I'd save your money. The Steam Deck is amazing, but it doesn't mean you need it if you have lots of games to play already.

heya there, i have decided that i am either gonna get a steam deck or a gaming laptop as i usally mess around with vms on my pc only as games like Sonic Origins won't run because of denuvo and games like elden ring won't run because of the high graphics. the only game that has ran flawlessly on my pc has been Sonic Mania (i know it has denuvo but because there isn't any 3d it will run at 60fps). but i did look at my local electronics store (currys) and they have some really good value there! i found a laptop with a AMD Ryzen 7 with a RTX 4050 and 16 gb of ddr4 but it's £699 (dollars if you are american i live in the UK.) where as the steam deck only is £300 so i pretty much am stumped. (especially with compatibility) and regards to your question: i DO go outside a LOT soooo yeah.. oh and my pc has: a Intel Core I5 10th gen and 8gb of ddr4. (no GPU just intel UHD graphics 630). Sorry for the late response. oops.

 

[Xzi]

heya there, i have decided that i am either gonna get a steam deck or a gaming laptop as i usally mess around with vms on my pc only as games like Sonic Origins won't run because of denuvo and games like elden ring won't run because of the high graphics. the only game that has ran flawlessly on my pc has been Sonic Mania (i know it has denuvo but because there isn't any 3d it will run at 60fps). but i did look at my local electronics store (currys) and they have some really good value there! i found a laptop with a AMD Ryzen 7 with a RTX 4050 and 16 gb of ddr4 but it's £699 (dollars if you are american i live in the UK.) where as the steam deck only is £300 so i pretty much am stumped. (especially with compatibility) and regards to your question: i DO go outside a LOT soooo yeah.. oh and my pc has: a Intel Core I5 10th gen and 8gb of ddr4. (no GPU just intel UHD graphics 630). Sorry for the late response. oops.

In regards to Denuvo...is that because you don't have a consistent internet connection or something? Denuvo is not a problem for Steam Deck otherwise, Sonic Origins is rated Platinum on ProtonDB. Elden Ring runs on Steam Deck at 30 FPS with medium settings or 40 FPS with low settings. Feels pretty smooth given you can manually set the refresh rate of the screen to match.

 

[Regtivity]

Idk if I should get a steam deck bcuz I already have a switch but my pc is an AIO Lenovo pc (idk what model) so should I get it? It's just such a high price

Hey there. By most of the posts on here people said: Get a steam deck. Which is fair and I upped my budget from $300 to $700 and I have a new question. GAMING LAPTOP OR STEAM DECK WHAT SHOULD I GET (btw I use GBP not USD so yeah but I thought I'd say that cuz well.. yeah).

Post automatically merged: Aug 11, 2024

Are you out and about often? Do you share your PC with your family? If you don't have a reliable PC or even other consoles outside of the Switch, there's decent enough reason to buy a Steam Deck.

If you're looking at it just for the cool factor, or your PC can already kind of handle lots of games, I'd save your money. The Steam Deck is amazing, but it doesn't mean you need it if you have lots of games to play already.

Hey btw we have a new thread called Steam Deck or Gaming Laptop?

 

[NyaakoXD]

Hey there. By most of the posts on here people said: Get a steam deck. Which is fair and I upped my budget from $300 to $700 and I have a new question. GAMING LAPTOP OR STEAM DECK WHAT SHOULD I GET (btw I use GBP not USD so yeah but I thought I'd say that cuz well.. yeah).

Post automatically merged: Aug 11, 2024

Hey btw we have a new thread called Steam Deck or Gaming Laptop?

• If you want a more portable experience, get the Steam Deck. You can save the rest of your money to potentially buy other things, like more games.
• If you want to have a better performance and play heavier games, then get a gaming laptop.

Either way, it depends on what you want from them.

 

[Regtivity]

• If you want a more portable experience, get the Steam Deck. You can save the rest of your money to potentially buy other things, like more games.
• If you want to have a better performance and play heavier games, then get a gaming laptop.

Either way, it depends on what you want from them.

Thanks for the reply. What would you say would be better for a techy guy who sometimes just messes around in VMs but a lot of the time plays games

 

[Exnor]

At this point i would wait for the next version of Steam Deck. The hardware is getting old.

 

[zeusdeegoose]

Thanks for the reply. What would you say would be better for a techy guy who sometimes just messes around in VMs but a lot of the time plays games

In terms of Virtual Machines, absolutely skip the Steam Deck. It's nigh impossible to run a VM on Steam Deck, let alone a game within one.

On the plus side tough, Steam Deck does include Proton, a modified version of Wine which mitigates a lot of the need for a VM (unless you need the Windows Desktop). The Steam Deck is a great device but not built for VMs.

 

[anindividual]

It’s a bit pricey to be sure, but I’ve really enjoyed my Steam Deck, as has everyone else I know who has one. For whatever that may be worth.

 

[andv]

I was thinking of getting a steam deck.. I'm just not sure if I'd prefer to play with a mouse with some games though...

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Gaming laptops are kinda shit too. Every single one I’ve had from cheapish to boujie have failed me in less than a year

MSI stealth, keyboard dropped registering inputs after a month and the fans would either never spin or only be on 100% speed until reboot. No I between. Fans didn’t spin up to 100% at boot? You’re not gonna have any fans until your reboot and they get stuck on

Origin PC “Evo” laptop. GPU died in 6 months and they couldn’t source the part to fix it since they replaced my model with a new model…so they sent me an upgraded one for free that also arrived broken. (HDMI output did not work)

Asus zepherus 2023 model…this died on me 2 weeks ago I only had it for 6 months. This time the GPU also shit itself(I have video of it dying) and now only integrated graphics work.

Maybe razer is a better company….but idk anymore

Sorry man, kinda sounds like you're cursed with bad luck. I've owned a lot of laptops over the years but I've never experienced anything like that. The worst was an AMD Turion 64 X2 based laptop, those CPUs are well known for cooking. I had my previous gaming laptop (a Clevo) for around 10 years, I had to replace the keyboard once and it was definitely showing its age by the end, but is still technically fully functional.
I have an Asus TUF A15 (2023) now, haven't had it that long though, so maybe laptops have gotten a lot worse since the Clevo.