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The Golden Joystick Awards is currently celebrating its 40th Anniversary, and today it has just published their winner for the Best Gaming Hardware through a tweet on November 22nd, 2022.

The winner for the Best Gaming Hardware of this year is none other than Valve's industry changing gaming console, the Steam Deck.

Given the console is still on its infancy, the Steam Deck has caused quite the stir in the gaming and PC landscape, bringing Linux gaming into the forefront with some hefty hardware to achieve AAA PC gaming on a portable device, and with development and production going into full motion by Valve, we can only expect better things to come for the newcomer to the gaming world.

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[urbanman2004]

Def snagging the next release version of the Steam Deck. All you early adopters can be the guinea pigs

 

[DarknessPlay3r]

Hardware wise, it's fantastic. However mine just sits in it's case beside my setup. If (and maybe even when) I can utilize it as a controller with "some" kind of second screen. Then it would really get some use out of me. I know eventually I'll do something with it, probably emulate portable consoles and other retro consoles.

 

[Bladexdsl]

see nintendo this is how you make a proper portable device!

 

[Maximo101]

Wow, this thing is big. Like a foot across the front. Definitely not portable in the strict sense. I like the ps vita for emulating snes and genesis and even psp games on the go. Now that slips in my pocket.
The 64G model looks like a nice price.

Is this worth buying if I don't use steam? It says it plays pc games, but how many?

 

[Veho]

The 64G model looks like a nice price.

Is this worth buying if I don't use steam? It says it plays pc games, but how many?

It can also run Windows if you don't want to use Steam / SteamOS. It is a PC so technically it runs all PC games, but it will struggle with new AAA titles. It's worth getting if you have a large library of (slightly) older or indie games and you want to play them on the go. It can also emulate a whole bunch of systems if that's what you're into.

 

[Maximo101]

Is it worth $400 plus tax?
I wonder why Sony doesn't make another handheld like this to be a ps4 portable...
That's a joke. I don't thonk Sony will EVER make another handheld gaming system.

 

[subworx]

Hardware wise, it's fantastic. However mine just sits in it's case beside my setup. If (and maybe even when) I can utilize it as a controller with "some" kind of second screen. Then it would really get some use out of me. I know eventually I'll do something with it, probably emulate portable consoles and other retro consoles.

There's a bunch of guides out there on how to run 3DS/WiiU with your big screen (monitor, TV) as upper/main screen and the Deck as lower screen / WiiU game pad, including Gyro support.

https://steamdeckhq.com/tips-and-guides/how-to-play-wii-u-games-dual-screen-using-cemu/
https://steamdeckhq.com/tips-and-guides/enable-gyroscope-for-cemu-on-deck/

 

[Frostrime]

Not sure how I missed that but completely deserved. This is my emulation king now and has retired all my other handhelds. Being updated consistently and improved is just the icing on the cake at this point. As for the question above, basically everything I've tried works that doesn't have some third party anti cheat, which I don't want to play on a deck anyway. Unverified is far away from unplayable.

 

[Moorshou]

Useless device.

Why?

 

[Naster]

Why?

It’s a PC. I have a desktop and a laptop so what purpose does have a PC without office and job functions? For games I have everything else from NES to PS5.

 

[Moorshou]

It’s a PC. I have a desktop and a laptop so what purpose does have a PC without office and job functions? For games I have everything else from NES to PS5.

Thank you for the reply!

Now that makes sense for you & I've got so many laptops and desktops as well, but mine are all old stuff.
Don't know too much about steam link (deck) but for someone who doesn't have this stuff or the know-how on PC's it would be a killer device!

Essentially, I want more steam deck! a second one! Even a third one!
If they make more then I'll buy their old stock for myself at a reduced price!

 

[ShadowOne333]

It’s a PC. I have a desktop and a laptop so what purpose does have a PC without office and job functions? For games I have everything else from NES to PS5.

Desktop mode is essentially a Linux PC. You can have anything office/job functions if you install the proper programs.
Getting LibreOffice, Gimp, VLC, FreeCAD, Blender, Audacity, and any sort of video editor would cover the great majority of office functions by themselves, all within the Steam Deck itself. For more specific (non-Linux) software, Wine and Proton could most likely handle them for sure if one decides to take the time to screw with it.

 

[Naster]

Desktop mode is essentially a Linux PC. You can have anything office/job functions if you install the proper programs.
Getting LibreOffice, Gimp, VLC, FreeCAD, Blender, Audacity, and any sort of video editor would cover the great majority of office functions by themselves, all within the Steam Deck itself. For more specific (non-Linux) software, Wine and Proton could most likely handle them for sure if one decides to take the time to screw with it.

Why would I do that if I have a proper PC? It’s like installing Windows 95 to PSP. Possible but practically useless.

 

[ShadowOne333]

Why would I do that if I have a proper PC? It’s like installing Windows 95 to PSP. Possible but practically useless.

You don't have to install anything, Desktop Mode is already an option in the default SteamOS, you just need to go to Power -> Switch to Desktop Mode and in less than 10 secs you're in a Linux desktop environment. The apps I mentioned are all listed in the app store for it and require no setup nor anything out of the way.

 

[Moorshou]

Why would I do that if I have a proper PC? It’s like installing Windows 95 to PSP. Possible but practically useless.

Welp the steam deck isn't built for Naster then. But I'll buy one when I have the dough!

 

[Maximo101]

It gets generally good reviews. Compared to the similar size and function gaming pc, which is around $1200 or so, this is excellently priced.
But Naster has a point, my razer blade pro 17 is a better gaming option.
This steamdeck is also about the size of a wireless keyboard...