Steam Deck, a perfect companion to your Steam Ant - The Bear and Badger

stellavista

So if I install Windows on this then I can in theory use Gamepass, so I have a portable device that can play all Steam and Gamepass games more or less?

GurtTractor

Yup, should be fine assuming there's no weird compatibility issues.

Yossarian

Yes, but I’d also bet Microsoft will have a native Game Pass app available for this very soon if you’re happy to stream.

regmcfly

The parts and price of this are great. The controller layout ain't.

Yossarian

It has paddles, that alone makes the controller layout better than almost anything else for me.

regmcfly

Enjoy your B button then

MattyJ

Now there is a dock, I'd be tempted to get it to play PC games on which I don't otherwise have a device to do so.

Those in the know - how does the price compare to just building an equivalent spec machine?

Yossarian

regmcfly wrote:

Enjoy your B button then

My B button will be the lower left paddle. I’ll enjoy it just fine, thanks.

GurtTractor

I don't think I can judge the ergonomics without seeing a few people's quality opinions in videos (not the terrible shills). And really I would need to try it out for myself of course. I feel like a good idea would be to print a 3D model that would give you a good idea of how it feels, maybe someone will do that.

LivDiv

It feels like Valve skimmed all chat through Steam games about portable consoles, fed it into an algorithm and let a computer design a handheld.

I predict fairly decent sales early on (I think right now you would have to go out your way to make an unsellable bit of gaming hardware) but eventually they will be dust collectors as the usability compromises become apparent.

b0r1s

That move console to point looks sketchy. Always hated it on the Wii U and Switch.

Yossarian

A lot of people do swear by it in 3D games if used correctly. The idea is that the movement is for fine adjustments, but you’re still mostly using the sticks.

GurtTractor

MattyJ wrote:

Now there is a dock, I'd be tempted to get it to play PC games on which I don't otherwise have a device to do so. Those in the know - how does the price compare to just building an equivalent spec machine?

The parts are fairly bespoke so it's hard to make a direct comparison, and there's things like the screen and controls which add value of course, but in terms of just a PC box that runs games I think you could probably make a similarly specced rig for the same price or less for the 256GB Deck.

But really if you were to build a PC it would have better CPU performance because you wouldn't be TDP limited. If you just want a machine to sit at a desk and play then you should probably just go PC tbh. The Deck is more about the added value of convenience.

GurtTractor

Yossarian wrote:

A lot of people do swear by it in 3D games if used correctly. The idea is that the movement is for fine adjustments, but you’re still mostly using the sticks.

Yep, and I've found that you really need to dial in the sensitivities and setup to your personal preference. The Steam Controller has endless preset profiles for things but I always found that I needed to tailor the setup for me to feel comfortable.

regmcfly

Yossarian wrote:

regmcfly wrote:

Enjoy your B button then

My B button will be the lower left paddle. I’ll enjoy it just fine, thanks.

That gives me actual anxiety.

Raiziel

Love me my handhelds, and while the device isn’t exactly a looker, I could be up for this at some point. Only time I ever fire up the PC to play a game these days is when I fancy a game of Civ 3, so I don’t have a vast library of Steam games ready to play. But…could I play World of Warcraft on this? Ultimately I think this is going to be easy for me to pass on at the moment, but if Valve don’t drop the thing like a hot potato after a year or two, I could see me jumping on board after a second or third revision.

Yossarian

regmcfly wrote:

Yossarian wrote:

regmcfly wrote:

Enjoy your B button then

My B button will be the lower left paddle. I’ll enjoy it just fine, thanks.

That gives me actual anxiety.

Why?

regmcfly

Raiziel wrote:

Love me my handhelds, and while the device isn’t exactly a looker, I could be up for this at some point. Only time I ever fire up the PC to play a game these days is when I fancy a game of Civ 3, so I don’t have a vast library of Steam games ready to play. But…could I play World of Warcraft on this? Ultimately I think this is going to be easy for me to pass on at the moment, but if Valve don’t drop the thing like a hot potato after a year or two, I could see me jumping on board after a second or third revision.

I think you're right and the big bit is if Valve don't drop it. As they sure did with the link and the pad. It's just their sustainability thing.

regmcfly

Yossarian wrote:

regmcfly wrote:

Yossarian wrote:

regmcfly wrote:

Enjoy your B button then

My B button will be the lower left paddle. I’ll enjoy it just fine, thanks.

That gives me actual anxiety.

Why?

Because my brain is an idiot and I get anxiety.

Tempy

This thing feels like an absolute win to me, someone who won’t pay for games I like on PC again on the Switch, but will definitely pay for a way to play them hundreds of games I already have on Steam on a portable. Access to your Steam library is such an incredible USP. Humble bundle, steam sale, VALUE.

regmcfly

I don't disagree and if I could play some of my steam games (hello Disco Elysium) on it then I am sold.

It is just the fucking ergonomics of the thing that make my brain melt.

regmcfly

And the fact that I have a steam link and steam pad and both feel completely worthless. Maybe that's my own situation but they didn't exactly set the world on fire.

Tempy

If you’re happy to pay £15-20 to play the indie game you got on Steam for £10 on your Switch then this is not for you.

b0r1s

regmcfly wrote:

I don't disagree and if I could play some of my steam games (hello Disco Elysium) on it then I am sold.

I didn’t see the magnifying glass accessory.

LivDiv

It reminds me of this old meme.

afgavinstan

I have a long dormant Steam account I probably should have used to claim all sorts of freebies over the years, but haven't. Would've made this thing much more attractive but oh well. Never had a PC so it never entered my mind.

bad_hair_day

Was thinking if it’s a scaled down 3080, streaming STEAM VR via Virtual Desktop to a Quest. This thing has possibles.

LivDiv

You could wear it like a belt buckle.

regmcfly

Tempy wrote:

If you’re happy to pay £15-20 to play the indie game you got on Steam for £10 on your Switch then this is not for you.

This is The Shit, and if it works may run out The Switch Tax.

But probably not because Nintendo..

b0r1s

Tempy wrote:

If you’re happy to pay £15-20 to play the indie game you got on Steam for £10 on your Switch then this is not for you.

This. Im now tempted to sell my Switch and get one of these as the ultimate indie machine as I have to think how many Nintendo exclusives I’ve played (4 or 5) and completed (just Mario). I’ve not even finished BoTW and could always borrow my daughters console if I wanted to finish it.

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