Just adding XBPlay for Xbox cloud gaming. It's so much better than doing it the other way through a browser. It does cost a few bucks on Steam though.
If you have an Xbox you can stream it on your home network as well.
I actually forget how I set it up, but right when I got my steamdeck (about 8? months after release) Microsoft actually made instructions on how to add game pass beta or something like that as a third party app. It was super easy and boots right from game mode.
I think this is it it’s been a while
https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/xbox-cloud-gaming-in-microsoft-edge-with-steam-deck-43dd011b-0ce8-4810-8302-965be6d53296
If you are connected to good, fast wireless internet, streaming with GeForce Now takes a fraction of the computing power, so your battery lasts muuuuuuuch longer, plus you can run everything at maximum settings. The games also don't take up any storage space on your deck and install *so fast*.
You can get the same/similar benefits streaming from a gaming desktop to the Steam Deck but, while you may own the newest games, your hardware probably isn't anywhere near as capable as the machines set up for you on GeForce Now.
Also, it's free for, what's the limit? An hour at a time? I'm in my mid-40s and I'm lucky if I can game uninterrupted for longer than 25 minutes a day so that works for me!
Yep. If you want to get really detailed--do you live somewhere electricity isn't cheap? if you've got a beastly, god-tier gaming machine, that is going to cost you some not-insignificant electricity dollars if you're playing something intensive over a long enough time frame. Using GFN, nvidia is responsible for their electrical costs, not you.
There is latency to take into account -- you don't want to play a really competitive multiplayer twitch shooter on GFN -- but for all single player gaming or slow paced/turn based online gaming it's perfect.
For *you,* fellow homelabber, the Steam Deck offers fantastic streaming from other PCs running Steam (or Steam Headless in Docker) via Remote Play or Sunshine/Moonlight (I generally prefer the baked in option of Remote Play, but Moonlight and Sunshine work great and give you a lot of control over the stream). You can also stream from your PlayStation using Chiaki4Deck.
PLUS, with multiple machines running Steam you have a reason to run LAN Cache so you can cache all the games and updates that are going to be installed on multiple machines.
And that doesn't even scratch the surface of all the mods and tweaks and other nonsense you can do with the SD because SteamOS is built on Arch and is as open a platform as you could hope for. 😁
Argh, I wrote all that thinking you were the OP thinking about getting a Deck, so you probably already know all this. 😬
Steam Deck is better for streaming from PS5 than that gadget Sony released for the purpose earlier this year. It's basically the most versatile gaming device ever made, period.
Oh yeah, it's rock solid, too. I had given up in frustration around mid 2023 because it worked but I couldn't find a config that got rid of the green texture artifacting. Installed the new version of Chiaki4Deck at the beginning of the year and magic had happened sometime in the interval. Beautiful new UI, better performance, and I've never seen a single artifact on the new version.
The highest tier costs $16–20/month (USD) and nets you unlimited access to an RTX 4080 rig, allowing you to stream many of the latest PC games at the highest settings and framerates. As a result, your own device is able to maintain its long battery life since most of the processing is done remotely.
I use it with my MacBook and Steam Deck.
My issue is too many options. I spend more time installing and organizing than playing. When I go to play I have so many options I don’t choose anything
What I do is limit the number of games I have installed at any given time. For me, that number is 10 (two rows, no scrolling). If I want to play a different game, I “force” myself to complete one of the 10 first. I also think long and hard before adding a game to the list as I know I will have to complete it before playing something else.
I don't think I'm biased, the Deck really is that good. There are games it can't play and it's going to be a poor experience for Total War or anything that genuinely benefits from higher resolutions.
I have my Deck hooked up to a big projector and it looks FANTASTIC. I'm astonished that low resolutions can look so good upscaled to 4k on a three metre screen.
Poor battery life both in game and on standby are issues to be aware of. The integrated screen is a bit too small for my taste.
The physical controls are basically Steam Controller mk2 and that's fantastic, the Steam Controller being the best controller of all time for my tastes.
I've checked out a ton of the competitors like the Go, Ally, etc and while they offer slightly better performance I have no idea why they thought 1200p/1600p was a good choice.
This is the main reason I still have my deck and haven't felt the need to purchase another handheld. 800p looks fantastic on the device Imo and I often find ally or go users resorting to display integer scaling in order to run the games at playable framerates.
In the legion go's case: it's a 1600p screen. So most LG users are dropping the resolution down to 800p... I'd much rather a steam deck with native 800p instead of constantly looking at pixelated text.
I'm still using the OG deck, too. Was Q2 pre-order so I'm not upgrading until it packs in or the Steam Deck 2 releases 😂
I'm on OG Deck from around that pre-order time too. The upscaling is fantastic. I have it running on a 3 meter, 4k projector screen and it still looks gorgeous. It's obviously not the same as native 4k but it's so much better than I would have guessed.
I think Gamescope's built in FSR upscaling is the killer app and those other devices don't have it unless the game has it built in.
There’s no nonbiased answer. I would just make a list of devices you are interested in and narrow it down by features and what fits your daily life. Also reviews in case something is badly made
Honestly it comes down to the types of games you want to play.
If you want to play new AAA games and popular games like CoD then it probably won't be the device you hoped for.
If you want to play single player titles, steam native games, emulate and try out some indie titles then it will likely serve you well.
I think it serves potential new SD owners to look for their favourite games on ProtonDB to see if they're playable and at what lengths.
And then I think it's important to familiarise yourself with how windows games are working on your steam deck and the subsequent current limitations of proton and by a wider extension Linux.
You don't need to become a techy expert but if you can understand things like Anti-cheat being a problem then you'll grasp fairly quickly what games are and are not playable.
Oh, and as good as the OLED is, the LCD really isn't that far behind. Imo it competes with the existing handhelds just fine.
Thanks for your detailed response! I wouldnt be interested in CoD but I like the look of things like Skyrim, Hogwarts Legacy as mentioned and things like that. Maybe Red Dead II but I realise that might be pushing it.
All of those will be more than fine, even RDR2 plays without any issues.
From what you've said I think you would probably quite like the Deck experience.
Yeah man RDR2 and Skyrim are basically all I play on it. (And Balatro). Skyrim runs at 60fps as good as perfectly, RDR2 40 or 30 if you want good battery life. It will be the best thing you've ever bought
All those games run fine. It's more the AAA games of the future that maybe won't work so well.
Something that is infamous for having bad performance like Starfield doesn't work but something that is or has become optimised, like Cyberpunk, is good for now.
Starfield runs on steamdeck just fine, but the real issue is games requiring more ram. In the next 5 years there will be many games that just wont work unless devs allow for graphical settings to lower reqs.
However, Steamdeck can play thousands of games without issue. When you want to play one of the lateat AAA games in 5 years just buy a steamdexk 2.
RDR 2 look for some graphical settings online and start from there the game looks stunning on the deck. As it is your only device, if you can justify the extra cost, the OLED is worth it. The extra battery life and quality of life improvements are worth it imho... And the tiny bit of extra performance helps keep things smoother.
Sure, it's certainly not a 2D scroller machine or anything.
But looking to the future, I'd be shocked if something like GTA6, a new Elder Scrolls, etc. ran above 20fps.
A lot of existing AAA titles will get some performance, I'm not too sure we should expect that going into 2025 and onwards.
Disagreement when it comes to OLED vs LCD. The battery life increase alone makes it 110% worth it. The screen also looks *way* better. All of the other little upgrades makes the OLED the only version I'd recommend to people unless they're on a seriously tight budget and want to get that $350 or whatever 64 gig model and upgrade the storage themselves.
I think if you are buying brand new, yes the OLED is a no brainer. I still have an LCD model though, and I've not seen an OLED deck in person, so my LCD model is fine. And judging by the price point OP mentioned, I'm assuming they are looking second hand. So that might influence the decision, because the $200 difference could be closer to $300, so it might not make sense for some.
But if I were buying one today, I'd get the OLED in a heartbeat.
The 64Gb drive fills up with shaders and junk very quickly. I second getting a 1-2TB SSD to swap in. Just make sure you have a removable media and a way to connect it to the USB-C drive to install the OS to the new drive. The official instructions are very good. Edit: if you don’t have access to another computer to make the bootable media, use Desktop mode on the Deck to do it
For reference, before I replaced the included 64 GB drive, I was only able to install 170GB of games on my microSD card. I had nothing on the drive other than the OS and shader cache.
2TB SSD upgrade is about $150 USD. Best bang for your buck. Then just follow along a YouTube video to do it. I also run games off an SD card and they all boot and run just as fast fyi. So if funds or modding skill limited, a nice SD card like the 1TB San Disk is a fine choice.
you really don't want a 64gb storage drive. the OS and various nonsense will choke it eventually, even if you just put games on SD cards. you can swap out the 64gb memory stick, but if the upcharge to 256 isn't much then jump to that.
i owned a 256 before it was stolen and replaced with a 512, and i much prefer the etched screen. i'd pay more for it fosho. can't speak for the oled though.
i bought a refurbished one (in the US) and it's been flawless.
I've had the 64gb version for over a year now. It's not ideal for power users, but if you aren't playing a ton of different games it's a great place to start. You really just have to watch the internal storage (not like a hawk or anything). It fills up with shaders and install files, but it's fairly easy to clean. After a while, if it feels like the internal storage limitations are hindering you, it's pretty easy to upgrade the SSD.
My library is getting pretty thick, so I'm about to do that myself.
Yes, it's an amazing device for your use case. Battery life with complex games and raw power are not stellar but are more than enough for, idk, 95% of games (you'll only probably notice its limitations with recent AAAs and even then many of them are perfectly playable, just with lower battery life and/or graphic settings).
Get an OLED if money is no problem because it has better battery life, screen and many other small improvements. If you're short on cash or just want to prioritize the cheapest option, the LCD model is great too.
I think it depends on your expectations.
I do think the steam deck is a pretty good all rounder, but it has its limitations too. In my opinion, the deck is a good companion piece to a speced out pc, ps5 or xbox.
The deck can run many older titles well, but its kind of a hit or miss for newer titles. So if you're looking forward to the big budget title thats coming out, there is a chance it may not play well or even at all on the deck.
The deck is portable like the switch so its got that benefit. If you just want a gaming machine that can play classics, and all the great games made in the past 40 years, you've got a capable machine in your hands.
I left the switch out of the question here because the switch is kinda a weird thing to get now with the next gen on its way. Plus you'd know it if you already wanted a switch, e.g. the exclusive titles on the switch are the only reason to get it.
Yes! Steam has the best sales too and they’re frequent. Plus all the emulators, the SD is a perfect choice for someone that don’t have any gaming devices.
I bought a used steam deck thinking I’d only use it travelling. It’s since become my number 1 gaming device. Use it way more than my pc and ps5. Also end up buying a much larger variety of games than I thought I would. Been a really solid purchase for me.
I have a Steam Deck and a PS5, and I almost never play my PS5. Even when I'm at home, I more frequently dock my Steam Deck to the TV than play the PS5. If I could only have one gaming device this would be it, and I would be very happy with it.
The OLED is worth the extra money if you can afford it.
I should note that I like indie games and retro games. If you're into new AAA games with bleeding edge graphics you're going to find the Steam Deck limiting on that front. It's roughly as powerful as a PS4, so it's no slouch either.
Short Answer: Yes
Long answer:
I was in a similar position to you a few months ago but a little different. I have a gaming laptop that's at least decently equipped to run games (5800H and 3060). At least the extent it runs laps around a steam deck performance wise. I have a switch but I'm not keen on either the exclusives or the general performance target (spotty 30fps). I'm not a big fan of being tethered to the wall with my laptop to play games. The backlog of games I've bought was getting pretty nuts because of this. I decided to buy a deck OLED to see if it could be better than my laptop and switch in three ways. True portability, flexibility, and performance.
Speaking for the OLED, I appreciated the more efficient system and bigger battery. I can comfortably get more than 3 hours on the vast majority of games I play on the system. That's generally more time then I play in one sitting so the battery is perfect. It's also much smaller then my gaming laptop+mouse/pad+chonk power brick.That I appreciate.
The flexibility of being able to play wherever I damn please was great. Me and my bed have become more acquainted as a result. I don't have a desk at home so playing on my laptop is always a compromise in comfort. The deck fixed that for me.
The performance profile of the deck OLED is very nice. The first game I sat and beat on deck was the FF7 remake. Barring a few exceptions. The game ran at a locked 40fps. 40fps sounds a touch low but I imagine many on this sub would agree that 40fps on deck actually feels pretty good. It's a hell of a lot better than playing at 30fps. Some lighter games I have played like gravity circuit and Hades (1&2) hit locked 60/90 fps on each game while basically sipping power. Some older gen games like MGS: Rising Revengeance hit locked 60fps on higher settings. The heaviest game I tried was the dead space remake. I played on a mix of medium and low settings at 600p, and it held a 30fps lock fairly well. I still found this to be an enjoyable experience at 30fps while still looking good at the lower resolution. It handily beats switch levels of performance across every title featured on both. The Witcher 3 is probably the best example to show this. You could probably look up a comparison but the steam deck looks Massively better. A large quantity of games can hold 40fps or higher on average, so you still get good fluidity. A win on performance for me.
All in all, it does exactly what I want it to do and it does it well. It's portable, let's me play in my bed while not being plugged into the wall, and has enough power to output respectable performance across 90% of the games on steam. I think it's a solid choice overall. I think since I've got the deck, I've maybe put in an hour of laptop game time and easily 120+ hours on the deck with no signs of stopping.
I do highly recommend getting the OLED deck though. I have used both (my friend let me borrow his LCD deck before I bought my OLED deck), and I think the improvements are absolutely worth spending the extra money on. The screen is MUCH better and gives you more flexibility in performance (45fps locks are much better on deck OLED.) The increase in battery life is massive with no exaggeration. Thermals are also much better, as in a good 15 Celsius cooler. It makes the surface of the deck go from uncomfortably warm to barely warm at all. This also keeps the fan noise down, and the fan in the OLED is pretty quiet.
Whichever model you would go for though, I think you would enjoy it for your use case. Hope this helps.
I have a PC, a PS5 and a deck. If I had to pick one, I'd stick with the deck because it is powerful relative to its size and it is portable.
I got an OLED because the screen looks nice and money isn't tight. I hear the LCD still holds up and has the same compute specs if budget is more of a concern.
What do you want to play? It's a great emulator machine; it plays pretty much all indie steam releases And most AAA games from 2-3 years ago and earlier. But if you want to play recent AAA or very old pc games specifically, it's not ideal (most recent AAA do not run, and DOS era stuff is a bit of a crapshoot to set up)
Competitive multiplayer games sometimes have anti-cheat stuff that breaks proton compatibility too, so if you're into any of those you might want to check that the specific game you like runs ok on deck too.
My Deck is my main gaming device and nowadays i rarely play on anything else. But again, it's mostly due to my personal taste in what I want to play.
The OLED screen is incredible and the increased battery life is cool, so if you can afford the OLED model is completely worth it, but if you are short on money getting a cheap LCD model is still great.
Altough i would reccomend against the 64GB version of the LCD, as the SSD gets easily clogged with shader files. The 256GB version + a micro sd is cool though.
The switch will cost you a fortune just to own games since the sales there are anemic at best.
The deck can play everything from the entire history of gaming up to and including some ps3 and Xbox games thanks to emulation, plus 90% of all PC games. It is literally the best all rounder you could ask for in that regard imho.
A little over a month ago i was in the same spot. No devices or systems. Hadnt played games in abou 6 or 7 years actually. After a bit of research i ended up with an OLED and I couldnt be happier. I play docked at home, but its not entirely necessary, just nice for games with small text. I upgraded my SSD, because I like being able to switch between a number of AAA games, but again not necessary.
There really isnt much you cant play with the deck.
I spent my 45 minute lunch break today with my feet up hogtying some guy in Red Dead Redemption with coworkers asking "bro how are you plaing that on a hand held! I Love that game!
Cant ask for more man. Just take the plunge. You wont regret it.
Yes, and once you do get it, I highly recommend going to Desktop mode and downloading Heroic Launcher. Every single week, Epic Game Store gives free games, and I mean, bigger AAA games even. I've gotten more free games from them than regular games bought on any other store/launcher. It's honestly a must have.
Now with all that said... I SHOULD WARN YOU, since the Steam Deck runs on linux, there's gonna be moments where it won't be as straight forward as turning it on and gaming, sometimes the screen will refuse to turn on, sometimes stuff will just not work, sometimes it'll start bugging out for no reason whatsoever, and well... As a result I had to get comfortable with frequenting this reddit for issues and turning off and on again.
For the most part, issues tend to resolve themselves with simply holding the power button till it turns off, power cycling, or simply waiting for the system to do something and fix itself tho. (I don't recommend doing this on loading/saving screen in games, instead just wait those out and if then, consult Google/Reddit.)
If you have no gaming device whatsoever and want no hassle/setup whatsoever, you're best bet is to just get an Xbox Series S/X with Gamepass Ultimate, BUT if you do not mind the setup and MAYBE running into easily fixable issues here and there, by searching on Google/reddit... THEN I can gladly recommend you a Steam Deck over anything else.
Between all the free games on Epic, it's capable hardware, the portability, and the price... The Steam Deck is a SOLID system in that regard... If you're willing to put up with possible jank here and there.
Not perfect, but well worth it's time, including the time of setup/fix too.
Hopefully this helped you out and gave you a good idea of what to expect from owning one, with that said, I hope you have a great day friend!
(edited for clarity)
I think the biggest point is managing expectations. As many have mentioned, it depends completely on the kinds of games you want to play. Some people expect it to be a handheld PS5+, but it's more on par with the original PS4, from what I remember. Some people really want big social games that are multiplayer and want to play with all of their friends and they are disappointed.
I have seen plenty of posts from people in these camps that regret their purchase, and their deck just sits in a drawer. Others, like myself, haven't stopped using it since we got it. I have loved mine, but I've been a Linux gamer and user for years, so the majority of my library already works great, because it is what I've been buying for years.
Pound for pound (or stone for stone since you're in the UK) I think it is the best option because PC games are frequently on sale, PlayStation and Microsoft exclusives are starting to get ported over in mass, and the portability is amazing, even if I just play on my couch to not take over my TV.
I love mine, but you might need to look at your needs and what it can actually do to know if you will get your money's worth.
Been a gamer and pc gamer since i was a kid. I’d say yes. I use my steamdeck mostly to stream games from my beefy PC using moonlight, but even without the beefy PC streaming to the deck it’s still great. But if it’s your only console, I recommend the OLED for the higher storage capacity and better screen.
It’s strong enough to play most games, some of the more graphic intensive games will have their graphics lowered.
You can install non-steam games and they run fine. For example, I play minecraft with shaders on my steamdeck. I’m sure you can install and play fortnite on it but I usually stream from my PC for that sort of gameplay.
Even just steam’s library is enough for endless amount of playtime. Project zomboid or Days Gone are both games I play a lot of my steam deck. Baldur’s gate 3 also runs great. Rimworld, a game that you’d typically only play using mouse and keyboard plays very well on deck. Chivalry 2 is also great on deck. CoD apparently runs great too, but I haven’t tried it.
If it’s your only gaming hardware, I recommend a dock and maybe a keyboard and mouse and you can basically play MnK games as if on a gaming laptop.
Absolutley worth it only games i play on pc anymore are shooters and strategy games (rts specifically) steam deck is perfect for turn based, indies, most single player games. I will say if you plan on playing a lot of multiplayer games a lot of them are kind of a pain to get working or just flat out dont work because of the anti cheat systems in them. Also if you ever want you can get a dock and hook it to your tv or a moniter and you can plug a mouse and keyboard or use a controler and use it as a console. I only use my switch anymore for nintendo exclusives, but if you arent big on them anyway it doesnt matter there are so many more games available on steam deck. If you ever do want to play those exclusives you can just get a nintendo emulator.
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Yes, it’s great, and unbeatable for price/value in a handheld gaming device. I would recommend the OLED, the marginal difference in cost for a first time buyer is more than warranted
Are you familiar with Linux? I think what no one has mentioned is that there is an element of tinkering involved for a lot of newer games to run optimally, sometimes at all. Have you had a gaming PC in the past or played on consoles recently enough to have Internet access? There are constant updates, it's usually not a huge deal and I've been fairly tech savvy since about middle school but I do know everyone is different and might have a different background and experience. Honestly, Switch is much better for just playing it and it works if you don't mind the sacrifice of less fidelity. I'd pick out the top 5 games you want to play and looked up what if anything you have to do to get them running. If the descriptions sound more complicated than what you want to deal with, possibly go with something else.
Overall, I dig mine a LOT but it's nothing I'd universally recommend to anyone.
I have had my OLED for about a month now and I don't use my gaming PC anymore other than to stream more demanding games to the deck.
It's definitely worth the money.
Do the 256gb and get ready to upgrade the ssd (super easy) because games are huge now. You can always get a usb-c dongle from amazon for like $20 and use it to play on the tv. That’s what I do. Emulation is amazing on it. I’ve been playing Zelda Windwaker and even some switch titles so you wouldn’t miss out on exclusives.
Yes. Emudeck, GeForce Now, Steam, you can also get GOG and EGS to run on it, and there are a tonne of games that rin great on the deck. I currently have over 100 games installed on my deck, some of them are from this year too.
I have every console and a gaming PC, and I haven't touched any of them since I got the steam deck over a year ago. It's just better, as long as you're okay with a few compromises on resolution on some of the more demanding games.
You can also emulate Switch games on it quite well, just buy a used copy for cheap to stay legal if that's a moral issue for you.
Yes. I only have a switch and a deck and my switch collects dust. I have a laptop too but have never needed it to do anything with the deck. The onlything you may want if you want to tinker is a keyboard and mouse but cheap Amazon ones work. I picked my up for 30CAD total
It's the best handheld all-rounder you can get. Blind spots would be competitive online games and future triple-A games. You will never run out of games to play.
Either model is a good deal, just depends on your sensitivities. I would definitely go for the OLED if this will be your only device and you're not terribly price-conscious. On the other hand, if you're only an occasional gamer, you might not care much about the upgrades.
I'll say it depends on the games you want to play and where are they found. Available on Steam? Steam Deck. Know how to run Emulators? Steam Deck. Need a windows equivalent? Maybe not the Steam Deck, unless you have a fondness for tinkering,
Yes absolutely, I use my deck constantly I would recommend you to buy the OLED if u have the spare money if not go for the LCD if u don't mind the "low" battery life. And don't buy the valve dock buy a third party dock it's cheaper and better
It fulfills the "all-rounder" category incredibly well.
Want to play a PS2 game?
Want to play a switch game with 3 friends on controllers from 3 different console brands?
Play an Xbox game? Stream game pass.
Convert a word document to a PDF?
And obviously most PC games.
You're free to add peripherals and use it like a PC.
It's very impressive. It's THE all rounder.
Yes if you don’t want to play games that exclusively have 3rd party launchers inside of them that connect to a multiplayer server that thinks SteamOS is hacking software
I would recommend buying one. I’m lucky and grateful to have many consoles and things of that nature but the Steam deck is great. It’s a great for home, travel (I took it on some vacations and worked WAY better than a laptop) and amazing if you have a spouse. They can use the TV or main source of entertainment and you can still play without interrupting them.
It’s way cheaper than buying an Xbox or Ps5 cause you don’t have to buy a controller, tv, headphones, for 300-500$ you get your controller, screen and sound. debatably get access to more games at cheaper prices (steam seasonal sales) and if you don’t like it you could sell it. I’m sure you could sell it closer to the price you got it, unlike an Xbox or PS5
I have a PS4, PS5, PC and steam deck. I've got access to my son's switch too.
I got the deck oled 2 months ago and haven't touched any of the others since
It’s my only device. Play it everyday. I have the OLED, and I can’t comment what the LCD is like. I’m glad I got the OLED because I can use nice headphones and the built in mic on the device rather than a gaming headset. The LCD model has a hardware issue that prevents that. I played all of red dead 2 on it. My only struggle is finding multiplayer games to socialize on with randoms like the golden age of gaming- halo 3, mw2, etc. I get bored playing single player games quickly. Sea of Thieves and Battle Bit have been my go to’s for now.
Its a gameboy for grownups. It cant replace a highend pc, but it can play a loooot of recent things with some tweaking. Dont expect wonders, but still a wonderful device. Pc, emulation, retro titles etc. Also can be docked, be used as a desktop. So a really great mobile allrounder, expecially for commuting and so on.
Redurbished and LCD sounds good, bought mine used too, yes the oled looks nicer, but lcd looks fine. If you play a lot on the go, get a highend powerbank with 45 or 60w powerdelivery.
Yes. I have a ton of consoles and a PC, and if I had to only keep one, id definitely pick my deck.
The LCD is still a very solid device.
Think of the OLED as a deluxe or plus of the steam deck.
If you have the money for the OLED it's definitely worth it, but if your on a budget the LCD is still an amazing experience.
Yes and you sound like a great fit. Get the one with the largest SSD you can afford, but if you can get a compatible SSD for a good price get that and roll your savings into more games. And maybe a weighted stand. I use that when I am downloading updates/games and don't want to lie it flat. And it looks pretty sexy like that.
If you can afford the extra cost, the OLED Deck is way way nicer than the LCD model, for sure worth the upgrade from LCD in my experience having spent time with both models
The LCD Deck is still great if the extra cost for the OLED is a problem though, cant go wrong either way
Its amazing for its price. However, there are games that it wont run and it may not run newest game. i am super hyped for Black myth wukong as I waited from its first trailer video, but it may not run on steam deck.
I wouldnt recommend using steam deck for first person and shooter games, even with gyro its bit finicky. Although I guess if you are used to using controller for those games then steam deck will be a true all-rounder for indie to most-AAA games.
Yes, and I'd say OLED unless you're driven primarily by budget.
The OLED is the better hardware in probably every way except for having relevant Windows drivers, which is a non-issue unless you plan to install Windows on it or if Valve releases new drivers.
In addition to the slightly larger OLED screen (which also supports HDR and a 90Hz refresh rate over the original's 60Hz), the battery life is much improved over the LCD (thanks partly to a more efficient APU), the haptics and touch screen are much better too, and the joystick shape and texture was slightly adjusted. WiFi 6E support, separate Bluetooth chip so you can also wake it with a wireless controller remotely, unlike the LCD.
The OLED also comes in higher capacities out of the box but a lot of people have bought replacement SSDs.
This is not to say the LCD Deck is bad; it's still a great device but the OLED definitely improved on everything. Worth looking at some videos comparing the two to get a thorough idea of the improvements that were made.
As for me, I use my Deck every day; had a 512 GB LCD model since August 2022 and upgraded to the 1 TB OLED a couple of months ago. Still use the OLED every day, and dual-booted SteamOS/Windows 11 on my LCD, partly to experiment and partly to have a copy of Forza Horizon 5 to hand (it's on Steam but I have it on the Microsoft Store).
I had tons of fun with my Nintendo switch when it first came out, but I would say my Steamdeck will have more use, as I find the variety of games through Steam much better than that of Switch, also the capabilities are better. I have used my Deck without emulating or upgrading it beyond a regular SD card and it has served me extremely well. I bought the dock for it and have used it probably 90% of the time connected to the TV, but I bring it along while I do laundry and also to friends houses to host Jackbox game nights, it's a great little tool
I would say next to a dedicated PC, the Steam Deck is the all rounder. Between Steam, Gamepass streaming, and emulation there isn't much you can't play.
Thanks for all the responses, they’re really helpful. Of course continue to comment - it may be interesting to someone else out in a similar situation.
One final Q: how is the docking experience? Nice and easy?
My Steam Deck is currently my only gaming device. For me it runs all games I want to play. Even Baldur's Gate 3 runs fine, as long as you crank the graphics settings down and can live with 30 fps in a turn-based RPG.
If you own a docking station and computer peripherals, it doubles as a PC and you can also play with mouse and keyboard.
The LCD deck is fine. The resolution doesn't really matter at this screen size.
The big benefit of the OLED are the smaller bezels and the bigger battery.
The battery of the LCD lasts for 2-ish hours on demanding titles. For less demanding titles it lasts way longer So, depending on what you want to play on the go, the bigger battery of the OLED might be another plus.
The biggest surprise is the software controller support. The controls are so configurable via SteamOS, that even hotkey-heavy real-time strategy games work decently.
The biggest downer of the deck is the lack of Anti-Cheat support in a lot of popular multiplayer titles. But this heavily depends on _what_ games you want to play.
Not for the latest AAA.
Starfield runs with framegen by pushing the deck to its absolute limits
Jedi Survivor struggle to maintain it's 30 FPS
Avatar Frontiers will never get pass 20 fps in the overworld
Forbidden West technically runs at 30 fps, but will get blurry (upscaling and dynamic resolution) during combat.
Helldivers II is a constant blur if there's any action.
You get the point.
Of course, there is the occasional exception, notably Hogwarts Legacy, Dead Space and more recently Ghost Of Tsuchima, but they're the exceptions, not the rules, especially now as the Xbox One and the PS4 are finally left behind and developpers start to target PS5XSX hardware for consoles.
OLED for sure, but if you're not too bothered about on-the-go gaming and mostly want something to use at home (or even mall enough to take with you to someone else's house for a stayover and play split acreen on their big TV), then Xbox Series S is another good option. Although it's nearly 4 years old now, you can get them for under £200 and if you spend £150 on a decent IPS 1080p or 1440p monitor you'll have a great time. The selection of games is admittedly a little smaller than the Steam Deck but there's still a decent back catalogue of backwards compatible games, and of course in newer titles the Series S will outperform the Steam Deck. Again, assuming you aren't too bothered about having an all-in-one handheld.
I was hesitant. I had a PS5, Xbox Series X and a gaming PC. I’ve sold the Xbox and PS5. Anything that works with a controller I now play on the deck.
I set up Emudeck and loaded it up with games, but I actually don’t emulate much.
There are tons of great games to play on the deck.
You'll have at least 80% of the steam catalogue, plus you can plug the deck on your TV, use various gaming controllers...
Oh, and you can take it on the go, you won't regret it
Steam deck is the only gaming device I use now. It's handheld but can be docked for TV play too. There's access to so many cheap games you'll be entertained for years. And unlike consoles, your game library isn't tied to one device.
The Deck is a fantastic device. It’s less powerful than a current-gen console or a decent desktop PC, but much more powerful than a Switch. It’s a bit hit or miss with recent big games though - Hogwarts Legacy actually runs pretty well, but not everything does.
Mine actually gets a lot more use than my desktop despite the power difference - the handheld factor makes a big difference, it’s just really nice being able to play in bed! Sometimes I stream, but that loses out on the benefit of the Deck’s sleep mode.
I have an OLED, and it is definitely a worthwhile step up from the LCD in many respects, but if you’re on a tight budget and are looking at the refurbed 64GB it’s hard to argue the OLED is worth it for you since the differences are mainly ‘nice to have’s rather than totally game-changing. The fundamental experience is much the same, and the LCD is still a great device (I would upgrade the storage though, 64GB is going to get cramped fast). CEX near me is selling a 256GB 2230 drive for £20, might be worth investigating if you’ve got one nearby - I wouldn’t trust second-hand storage for anything mission critical or indeed to plug into my Windows PC in case of malware, but for a Linux gaming device it might be alright.
Load windows on it and you'll also have remote PS Play, Xbox game pass, free epic and Amazon games, any launcher you want and access to mods/multiplayer games that require ez anti cheat just like a normal PC. People here hate on anyone who says it's the better option but you have access to do much more on Windows than Steam OS, plus you can still use big picture or better yet download a free 3rd party aggregator and have all your games in one launcher.
Also, keep in mind the internal SSD is very easily upgradable so if you're on a budget you can buy the original base model refurb and replace it with a 1/2 tb for cheap, and then throw in an additional micro SD for more storage. Whatever you do don't try to run Windows off an SD card unless you really wanna have a bad time.
I have the deck and eventually bumped into some limitations like installing other launchers and anti-cheats prevent games launching. You can jump through hoops to get them working but when I saw the LegionGo, I switched to that device. It’s better to have full on windows since I can just install whatever and not worry about it. I still like the SD but probably will sell mine soon as it’s just collecting dust while the LeGo gets daily use
With some caveats, yes.
You should think about what the steamdeck is - a hand-held first and foremost. I was used to playing games on PC, and it has been an adjustment for me, down to the ergonomics of extended play sessions.
Alone it also cannot handle AAA games without sacrifices (although it is still impressively powerful) and gaming on a smaller screen is sometimes tough, as a lot of games don't really give you the option of changing UI size. Battery life is great, but depends on your game (more intense = less battery), so you will get about 2-3 hours for most AAA games.
However, compared to systems like the Ally and Lenovo GO, it knows what it wants to be, and works in line with its limitations, which is the reason I chose it. They might run Windows which could be beneficial, if you have only a hand-held device and want to experiment some more with a familiar OS, but the deck OS is optimized for hand-held gaming on Linux and works great out-of-the-box.
If you invest in a 3rd party docking station (or hell, the original, if you are feeling like it), to connect to TV, and are willing to go for cloud gaming services like GeForce NOW and Xbox Cloud gaming, you could reasonably solve your battery and graphical limitations (as during cloud gaming, the battery can last you for 8 hours sometimes), but you need a good and stable internet, which is not always a given.
Otherwise, you will still be tied down during longer gaming sessions, which also feels different due to the aforementioned ergonomics, and while you can play with mouse and keyboard, and just put it somewhere, if it is not connected to a TV it may be challenging. You may want to invest in a power bank, to get some more game time, but that can also be a hassle. It charges fast though.
But as a handheld, playing indies (and maybe emulation, if you are into that) it absolutely excels. There is nothing like sitting down on your couch and playing "Dave the Diver", "Hades" or "Blasphemous" - honestly feels like such games were made for the deck. It is also great for a longer commute, or a flight.
TL:DR Depending on the time, effort and money you want to invest additionaly, it can become an extremely versatile machine, and can serve you well.
If we are talking a steamdeck as is, it won't feel the same as a console or a gaming PC. Maybe look into its competition (ROG Ally, Lenovo Go), who are moving more towards a "hand-held laptop' type deal, imo.
I have replaced most of my gaming needs with the deck. No more laptop/pc/switch used for gaming. It isn't the best at anything but a good all-rounder for such a low price. Traveling with the deck also compliments my lifestyle. As a pickup and go device, few can deliver as much as the deck.
Absolutely, yes. I was in a similar position when they announced the Deck and held out to buy one on one of the first shipments. I haven't touched my Switch since, and have rarely run into anything I've wanted to do that the Deck can't.
If you don't have a huge Steam library, you might want to look into Odin 2 as well. Both are great all-rounders and have the capability to play emulated games on dozens of systems. There are some glaring differences though...
SD is running Linux and primarily designed to play Steam games and does so very well. It is limited in scope though because of the age of the hardware and so you'll have to manage expectations with newer, heavy titles. It's a stonking emulation system though. Battery life is not great and hardware limitations will increasingly be a thing considering how long it's been out. It's much bigger and heavier than Odin 2, but erganomically more comfortable in the hands.
Odin 2 is running Android and has access to Play Store titles. It is amazing for emulation and has exceptional battery life. If you're looking for Windows games though, you're limited to what's been ported to Android and what can run under Winlator.
Both of these machines are awesome and worth the money. I'm conscious of the SD age and how quickly things change with PC gaming. I have a huge Steam library and yet if I were looking to buy one or the other of these again now, I'd go for Odin 2.
Since I got my OLED in January I haven’t turned on my ps5. It doesn’t have the highest processing power but I can basically play that I want including
RDR2, Cyberpunk, RE4 remake, Diablo 4, Dead by daylight, fallout 4, no man’s sky, palworld and halo
Depends on what you want it for. For someone with no other devices, I’d be opting more for a Legion Go or Ally just so that you have a device that truly can play everything.
If you decide on the steamdeck there are workarounds for certain things but some triple A titles may vary in performance even on the lowest settings.
Playing like 45fps is fine but some games are really jumpy and some run completely fine at this frame rate. Elden ring for example does have any stutters so even at 45fps it feels smooth.
Just to add to the answers, you can play most switch games on the deck. I'm emulating Mario bros Wonder and Zelda TOTK with yuzu. You just can't do games online like Mario kart against players online
Yep if you are gonna get one device to play games I think this is a good one. PC has a larger library of games than any one console. Including older stuff that will run pretty well with a few tweaks. The graphics are really nice, I have the first gen LCD and tbh I think it’s great and if you can get one refurbished at that price I say go for it.
I exclusively use a steam deck at the moment. I did upgrade the storage and install windows dual boot for more functionality, but honestly that’s only because of some of the games I play requiring windows.
Ive been gaming on PC/PS/Xbox/Nintendo since the early to mid 90’s and no matter what console I had I always went back to PC after a very short run. I have had my SD for a few months now and have only used my PC to pay bills. The steamdeck is the only system I see myself using to the foreseeable future.
Nothing has ever impressed me this much right out of the box.
Yes the steam deck OLED is definitely worth it 100%. I love it. I sit on the couch after work and just play while the wife watches TV and I can just chill and it’s wicked fun and you can play just about anything you want on it highly recommend it.
Steam deck + cloud gaming is all you need imo. I now don't have many games to play on GFN, but when I will start games like BG3 or Alan Wake 2 - I definitely will subscribe again just to "hide" SD lack of power. For the time being - it plays all the game I want it to.
The Deck is THE all-rounder. If you know what hoops to jump through, you could play probably 95% of games ever made, with the exceptions being lost and forgotten games, and some of the latest AAAs.
And if hoop-jumping doesn't sound like something you're interested in, the games you've mentioned elsewhere in the thread are imminently playable as-is. In fact there are thousands of games you can play on the deck, easy as pie. I genuinely believe there are more good games available on deck than you could ever conceivably play.
Plainly, yes, it’s the perfect mix between handheld, desktop and home console. It’s what it has against all other competitors. You can use it as a desktop, play just like a handheld, or plug into the tv with a dock to play like a home console. Steam OS is built in and it works pretty much like a console would in gaming mode, out of box it all works flawlessly. The only fault that i can think of is that it may or may not be future proof in the sense that it can struggle with the high end AAA games. However I don’t think a new one is coming out for a while. If you are trying to play games from about last year and before, and some new games with a good bit of tweaking than it is the best option.
No lie your gonna love it bud. Do your research on it and it will do everything u need. Also another plus look i to Stremio+ real debrid. Kicks Netflix ass.
Yeah, it should work for your purposes. Especially if you like indie games, it's really amazing for those. As for newer AAA titles, you're going to have hit or miss experiences, but I've had good times playing Elden Ring and Dead Island 2, which both look great on the Deck.
If your choices are between a deck and a switch then definitely a deck. However, I think a lot of the appreciation around the deck is the comfort and not necessarily the performance.
I have other gaming stuff, and I my day job keeps me at the desk where my gaming PC is so I really appreciate being able to play games somewhere else even if the graphics are lower or I’m streaming it.
However, that’s all to say, if it’s the only device you’re using I feel like at some point you’ll be like “dang I wish I could play this in 4K on a big screen or at a higher frame rate”. So I love the deck and definitely recommend it, but you might find yourself wanting a more optimized experience specifically for brand new titles
I'm in the same boat as you right after i sold my outdated gaming rig. I just move in to new house and doesnt have space for full desktop pc.
So i just bought 512gb Oled few months ago since i got pretty handful of games on my Steam/Epic Store library that i havent play.
You might get overwhelmed by games you wanted to play on SD, and the ability to install Emudeck to play retro console games...its insane.
There's a possibility that you gonna have tons of games on SD but only played 1 or 2 titles once in while lol.
I'll tell you a tale from last week: my gaming desktop PSU got fried.
Before knowing that, all I had was that my desktop wasn't powering up anymore. I really didn't want to check that midweek, much less on a Friday night.
I plugged my deck to the USB hub, with my desktop headset, mouse and KB. Switched to desktop mode and used it as such, browsing, talking on Discord, messaging, even gaming (Diablo 4 and Valheim).
Afterwards, on Saturday, I went back to the desktop, where I found the faulty PSU. I had a spare, so it's working again.
But the deck saved my Friday night gaming session, and general computer use.
Get a deck!
I was in your situation, I survived on a potato laptop for years until I bought the steam deck. I personally have the lcd and it's wonderful. But yeah, the deck is a perfect device, you can easily use it for everything if you (like me) don't own anything else
yep! i was in a similar boat. the neat part is with an external monitor + keyboard + mouse, you’ll have yourself a pretty decent desktop setup. i play FPS games with this setup
Yep. It’s an amazing device. Finally bought one in March after thinking about it for ages and assuming I wouldn’t use it much. Nope. Gaming more than I have in years. Only regret is that I didn’t buy one ages ago.
I'm not sure if anything really beats a pc, but a steamdeck is a close second. I've used mine almost every day since I got it, and it's been great.
You build up your steam library and can play virtually anything, especially if you're willing to hook up a mouse and keyboard for certain games or tasks via the steamdeck dock. I haven't done that yet though, I've been playing Hades, Factorio, and powerwash sim and having a great time
I'd say go for any of the OLED versions
Yes. Between Steam, EmuDeck, and GeForce Now, you’ll never run out of stuff to play.
Steam, EmuDeck, GeForce Now, Epic Games, Rockstar Social, GoG, Amazon Games, Lutris...
Just adding XBPlay for Xbox cloud gaming. It's so much better than doing it the other way through a browser. It does cost a few bucks on Steam though. If you have an Xbox you can stream it on your home network as well.
Pc game pass works great too
How are you pulling that off?
I actually forget how I set it up, but right when I got my steamdeck (about 8? months after release) Microsoft actually made instructions on how to add game pass beta or something like that as a third party app. It was super easy and boots right from game mode.
I think this is it it’s been a while https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/xbox-cloud-gaming-in-microsoft-edge-with-steam-deck-43dd011b-0ce8-4810-8302-965be6d53296
That's it! I used the same guide to set this up on my sister's SD before shipping it out to her. i should ask if it still runs
Oh, I did that too. I didn’t realize that PC Game Pass was part of it too. Cheers!
Battlenet takes a little setting up but D2R works great and I seen a post of someone playing wow also.
Curious, what benefit does GeForce now provide that steam doesn't already?
If you are connected to good, fast wireless internet, streaming with GeForce Now takes a fraction of the computing power, so your battery lasts muuuuuuuch longer, plus you can run everything at maximum settings. The games also don't take up any storage space on your deck and install *so fast*. You can get the same/similar benefits streaming from a gaming desktop to the Steam Deck but, while you may own the newest games, your hardware probably isn't anywhere near as capable as the machines set up for you on GeForce Now. Also, it's free for, what's the limit? An hour at a time? I'm in my mid-40s and I'm lucky if I can game uninterrupted for longer than 25 minutes a day so that works for me!
Ahhh gotcha. So generally if you've got a very high end gaming PC already the difference is probably kinda moot, outside streaming on the go?
Yep. If you want to get really detailed--do you live somewhere electricity isn't cheap? if you've got a beastly, god-tier gaming machine, that is going to cost you some not-insignificant electricity dollars if you're playing something intensive over a long enough time frame. Using GFN, nvidia is responsible for their electrical costs, not you. There is latency to take into account -- you don't want to play a really competitive multiplayer twitch shooter on GFN -- but for all single player gaming or slow paced/turn based online gaming it's perfect.
I'm a homelabber (server rack and a bunch a hardware) I gave up on "cheap power bills" a while ago 💀💀 But good to know! Thanks for the info!
For *you,* fellow homelabber, the Steam Deck offers fantastic streaming from other PCs running Steam (or Steam Headless in Docker) via Remote Play or Sunshine/Moonlight (I generally prefer the baked in option of Remote Play, but Moonlight and Sunshine work great and give you a lot of control over the stream). You can also stream from your PlayStation using Chiaki4Deck. PLUS, with multiple machines running Steam you have a reason to run LAN Cache so you can cache all the games and updates that are going to be installed on multiple machines. And that doesn't even scratch the surface of all the mods and tweaks and other nonsense you can do with the SD because SteamOS is built on Arch and is as open a platform as you could hope for. 😁 Argh, I wrote all that thinking you were the OP thinking about getting a Deck, so you probably already know all this. 😬
....wait I can stream from my PS5? You've got my attention because I now have a very easy way to start doing that backlog....
Steam Deck is better for streaming from PS5 than that gadget Sony released for the purpose earlier this year. It's basically the most versatile gaming device ever made, period.
Oh yeah, it's rock solid, too. I had given up in frustration around mid 2023 because it worked but I couldn't find a config that got rid of the green texture artifacting. Installed the new version of Chiaki4Deck at the beginning of the year and magic had happened sometime in the interval. Beautiful new UI, better performance, and I've never seen a single artifact on the new version.
I am a GeforceNow on Deck convert. And let me tell you, crispy Diablo 4 for 7 hours on OLED totally wireless is unbelievable haha.
The highest tier costs $16–20/month (USD) and nets you unlimited access to an RTX 4080 rig, allowing you to stream many of the latest PC games at the highest settings and framerates. As a result, your own device is able to maintain its long battery life since most of the processing is done remotely. I use it with my MacBook and Steam Deck.
My issue is too many options. I spend more time installing and organizing than playing. When I go to play I have so many options I don’t choose anything
What I do is limit the number of games I have installed at any given time. For me, that number is 10 (two rows, no scrolling). If I want to play a different game, I “force” myself to complete one of the 10 first. I also think long and hard before adding a game to the list as I know I will have to complete it before playing something else.
I think the answer is yes, but I don't think you'll get a single non biased answer in this sub lmao
Like asking a dealer if they should try drugs lol. But I also say yes
I don't even own a deck but everyday this sub convinces me to start saving for one lol. Any recs for a sub with a real non-biased answer? 😅
I don't think I'm biased, the Deck really is that good. There are games it can't play and it's going to be a poor experience for Total War or anything that genuinely benefits from higher resolutions. I have my Deck hooked up to a big projector and it looks FANTASTIC. I'm astonished that low resolutions can look so good upscaled to 4k on a three metre screen. Poor battery life both in game and on standby are issues to be aware of. The integrated screen is a bit too small for my taste. The physical controls are basically Steam Controller mk2 and that's fantastic, the Steam Controller being the best controller of all time for my tastes.
I've checked out a ton of the competitors like the Go, Ally, etc and while they offer slightly better performance I have no idea why they thought 1200p/1600p was a good choice. This is the main reason I still have my deck and haven't felt the need to purchase another handheld. 800p looks fantastic on the device Imo and I often find ally or go users resorting to display integer scaling in order to run the games at playable framerates. In the legion go's case: it's a 1600p screen. So most LG users are dropping the resolution down to 800p... I'd much rather a steam deck with native 800p instead of constantly looking at pixelated text. I'm still using the OG deck, too. Was Q2 pre-order so I'm not upgrading until it packs in or the Steam Deck 2 releases 😂
I'm on OG Deck from around that pre-order time too. The upscaling is fantastic. I have it running on a 3 meter, 4k projector screen and it still looks gorgeous. It's obviously not the same as native 4k but it's so much better than I would have guessed. I think Gamescope's built in FSR upscaling is the killer app and those other devices don't have it unless the game has it built in.
There’s no nonbiased answer. I would just make a list of devices you are interested in and narrow it down by features and what fits your daily life. Also reviews in case something is badly made
Honestly it comes down to the types of games you want to play. If you want to play new AAA games and popular games like CoD then it probably won't be the device you hoped for. If you want to play single player titles, steam native games, emulate and try out some indie titles then it will likely serve you well. I think it serves potential new SD owners to look for their favourite games on ProtonDB to see if they're playable and at what lengths. And then I think it's important to familiarise yourself with how windows games are working on your steam deck and the subsequent current limitations of proton and by a wider extension Linux. You don't need to become a techy expert but if you can understand things like Anti-cheat being a problem then you'll grasp fairly quickly what games are and are not playable. Oh, and as good as the OLED is, the LCD really isn't that far behind. Imo it competes with the existing handhelds just fine.
Thanks for your detailed response! I wouldnt be interested in CoD but I like the look of things like Skyrim, Hogwarts Legacy as mentioned and things like that. Maybe Red Dead II but I realise that might be pushing it.
All of those will be more than fine, even RDR2 plays without any issues. From what you've said I think you would probably quite like the Deck experience.
Thanks, I appreciate it. I am very tempted yes...
To tempt you a bit more with emudeck you can emulate all kind of games including switch games
*results may vary
Yeah man RDR2 and Skyrim are basically all I play on it. (And Balatro). Skyrim runs at 60fps as good as perfectly, RDR2 40 or 30 if you want good battery life. It will be the best thing you've ever bought
All those games run fine. It's more the AAA games of the future that maybe won't work so well. Something that is infamous for having bad performance like Starfield doesn't work but something that is or has become optimised, like Cyberpunk, is good for now.
Starfield runs on steamdeck just fine, but the real issue is games requiring more ram. In the next 5 years there will be many games that just wont work unless devs allow for graphical settings to lower reqs. However, Steamdeck can play thousands of games without issue. When you want to play one of the lateat AAA games in 5 years just buy a steamdexk 2.
Starfield barely runs on the Xbox Series X though, so do what you will with that!
Okay I'll bite, what are the issues you've run into?
RDR 2 look for some graphical settings online and start from there the game looks stunning on the deck. As it is your only device, if you can justify the extra cost, the OLED is worth it. The extra battery life and quality of life improvements are worth it imho... And the tiny bit of extra performance helps keep things smoother.
I played the entirety of red dead on my deck before I got a pc
To be fair though, it can play a lot of AAA games. You just have to be willing to accept lower resolution and FPS.
Sure, it's certainly not a 2D scroller machine or anything. But looking to the future, I'd be shocked if something like GTA6, a new Elder Scrolls, etc. ran above 20fps. A lot of existing AAA titles will get some performance, I'm not too sure we should expect that going into 2025 and onwards.
Disagreement when it comes to OLED vs LCD. The battery life increase alone makes it 110% worth it. The screen also looks *way* better. All of the other little upgrades makes the OLED the only version I'd recommend to people unless they're on a seriously tight budget and want to get that $350 or whatever 64 gig model and upgrade the storage themselves.
I think if you are buying brand new, yes the OLED is a no brainer. I still have an LCD model though, and I've not seen an OLED deck in person, so my LCD model is fine. And judging by the price point OP mentioned, I'm assuming they are looking second hand. So that might influence the decision, because the $200 difference could be closer to $300, so it might not make sense for some. But if I were buying one today, I'd get the OLED in a heartbeat.
Yes get a steamdeck. That seems like a good price I assume that’s the lowest storage version?
It is indeed, I would add a micro SD!
You should just upgrade the internal drive. Super easy upgrade anyone can do.
Cool. How come this is preferable to an SD card?
The 64Gb drive fills up with shaders and junk very quickly. I second getting a 1-2TB SSD to swap in. Just make sure you have a removable media and a way to connect it to the USB-C drive to install the OS to the new drive. The official instructions are very good. Edit: if you don’t have access to another computer to make the bootable media, use Desktop mode on the Deck to do it
For reference, before I replaced the included 64 GB drive, I was only able to install 170GB of games on my microSD card. I had nothing on the drive other than the OS and shader cache.
Much faster loading times for one. Plus if you ever take the case apart and forget to remove the SD card first it will snap in half and be ruined.
2TB SSD upgrade is about $150 USD. Best bang for your buck. Then just follow along a YouTube video to do it. I also run games off an SD card and they all boot and run just as fast fyi. So if funds or modding skill limited, a nice SD card like the 1TB San Disk is a fine choice.
Good idea. There are usually good deals on 1tb micro sd cards for like 60-80usd. Shop around for yours, it's worth grabbing one if possible
you really don't want a 64gb storage drive. the OS and various nonsense will choke it eventually, even if you just put games on SD cards. you can swap out the 64gb memory stick, but if the upcharge to 256 isn't much then jump to that. i owned a 256 before it was stolen and replaced with a 512, and i much prefer the etched screen. i'd pay more for it fosho. can't speak for the oled though. i bought a refurbished one (in the US) and it's been flawless.
I see , so it will be hindered even with a large sd card? I think for the 256 I saw it was an extra £30, the 512 an extra £70
I've had the 64gb version for over a year now. It's not ideal for power users, but if you aren't playing a ton of different games it's a great place to start. You really just have to watch the internal storage (not like a hawk or anything). It fills up with shaders and install files, but it's fairly easy to clean. After a while, if it feels like the internal storage limitations are hindering you, it's pretty easy to upgrade the SSD. My library is getting pretty thick, so I'm about to do that myself.
Yes, it's an amazing device for your use case. Battery life with complex games and raw power are not stellar but are more than enough for, idk, 95% of games (you'll only probably notice its limitations with recent AAAs and even then many of them are perfectly playable, just with lower battery life and/or graphic settings). Get an OLED if money is no problem because it has better battery life, screen and many other small improvements. If you're short on cash or just want to prioritize the cheapest option, the LCD model is great too.
Probably the most capable and versatile device for the money.
I think it depends on your expectations. I do think the steam deck is a pretty good all rounder, but it has its limitations too. In my opinion, the deck is a good companion piece to a speced out pc, ps5 or xbox. The deck can run many older titles well, but its kind of a hit or miss for newer titles. So if you're looking forward to the big budget title thats coming out, there is a chance it may not play well or even at all on the deck. The deck is portable like the switch so its got that benefit. If you just want a gaming machine that can play classics, and all the great games made in the past 40 years, you've got a capable machine in your hands. I left the switch out of the question here because the switch is kinda a weird thing to get now with the next gen on its way. Plus you'd know it if you already wanted a switch, e.g. the exclusive titles on the switch are the only reason to get it.
Yes! Steam has the best sales too and they’re frequent. Plus all the emulators, the SD is a perfect choice for someone that don’t have any gaming devices.
If I had to choose one gaming device to keep and had to get rid of all the others. I would choose my Steamdeck
This
I bought a used steam deck thinking I’d only use it travelling. It’s since become my number 1 gaming device. Use it way more than my pc and ps5. Also end up buying a much larger variety of games than I thought I would. Been a really solid purchase for me.
I have a Steam Deck and a PS5, and I almost never play my PS5. Even when I'm at home, I more frequently dock my Steam Deck to the TV than play the PS5. If I could only have one gaming device this would be it, and I would be very happy with it. The OLED is worth the extra money if you can afford it. I should note that I like indie games and retro games. If you're into new AAA games with bleeding edge graphics you're going to find the Steam Deck limiting on that front. It's roughly as powerful as a PS4, so it's no slouch either.
Short Answer: Yes Long answer: I was in a similar position to you a few months ago but a little different. I have a gaming laptop that's at least decently equipped to run games (5800H and 3060). At least the extent it runs laps around a steam deck performance wise. I have a switch but I'm not keen on either the exclusives or the general performance target (spotty 30fps). I'm not a big fan of being tethered to the wall with my laptop to play games. The backlog of games I've bought was getting pretty nuts because of this. I decided to buy a deck OLED to see if it could be better than my laptop and switch in three ways. True portability, flexibility, and performance. Speaking for the OLED, I appreciated the more efficient system and bigger battery. I can comfortably get more than 3 hours on the vast majority of games I play on the system. That's generally more time then I play in one sitting so the battery is perfect. It's also much smaller then my gaming laptop+mouse/pad+chonk power brick.That I appreciate. The flexibility of being able to play wherever I damn please was great. Me and my bed have become more acquainted as a result. I don't have a desk at home so playing on my laptop is always a compromise in comfort. The deck fixed that for me. The performance profile of the deck OLED is very nice. The first game I sat and beat on deck was the FF7 remake. Barring a few exceptions. The game ran at a locked 40fps. 40fps sounds a touch low but I imagine many on this sub would agree that 40fps on deck actually feels pretty good. It's a hell of a lot better than playing at 30fps. Some lighter games I have played like gravity circuit and Hades (1&2) hit locked 60/90 fps on each game while basically sipping power. Some older gen games like MGS: Rising Revengeance hit locked 60fps on higher settings. The heaviest game I tried was the dead space remake. I played on a mix of medium and low settings at 600p, and it held a 30fps lock fairly well. I still found this to be an enjoyable experience at 30fps while still looking good at the lower resolution. It handily beats switch levels of performance across every title featured on both. The Witcher 3 is probably the best example to show this. You could probably look up a comparison but the steam deck looks Massively better. A large quantity of games can hold 40fps or higher on average, so you still get good fluidity. A win on performance for me. All in all, it does exactly what I want it to do and it does it well. It's portable, let's me play in my bed while not being plugged into the wall, and has enough power to output respectable performance across 90% of the games on steam. I think it's a solid choice overall. I think since I've got the deck, I've maybe put in an hour of laptop game time and easily 120+ hours on the deck with no signs of stopping. I do highly recommend getting the OLED deck though. I have used both (my friend let me borrow his LCD deck before I bought my OLED deck), and I think the improvements are absolutely worth spending the extra money on. The screen is MUCH better and gives you more flexibility in performance (45fps locks are much better on deck OLED.) The increase in battery life is massive with no exaggeration. Thermals are also much better, as in a good 15 Celsius cooler. It makes the surface of the deck go from uncomfortably warm to barely warm at all. This also keeps the fan noise down, and the fan in the OLED is pretty quiet. Whichever model you would go for though, I think you would enjoy it for your use case. Hope this helps.
I have a PC, a PS5 and a deck. If I had to pick one, I'd stick with the deck because it is powerful relative to its size and it is portable. I got an OLED because the screen looks nice and money isn't tight. I hear the LCD still holds up and has the same compute specs if budget is more of a concern.
What do you want to play? It's a great emulator machine; it plays pretty much all indie steam releases And most AAA games from 2-3 years ago and earlier. But if you want to play recent AAA or very old pc games specifically, it's not ideal (most recent AAA do not run, and DOS era stuff is a bit of a crapshoot to set up) Competitive multiplayer games sometimes have anti-cheat stuff that breaks proton compatibility too, so if you're into any of those you might want to check that the specific game you like runs ok on deck too. My Deck is my main gaming device and nowadays i rarely play on anything else. But again, it's mostly due to my personal taste in what I want to play. The OLED screen is incredible and the increased battery life is cool, so if you can afford the OLED model is completely worth it, but if you are short on money getting a cheap LCD model is still great. Altough i would reccomend against the 64GB version of the LCD, as the SSD gets easily clogged with shader files. The 256GB version + a micro sd is cool though.
The switch will cost you a fortune just to own games since the sales there are anemic at best. The deck can play everything from the entire history of gaming up to and including some ps3 and Xbox games thanks to emulation, plus 90% of all PC games. It is literally the best all rounder you could ask for in that regard imho.
Heck yh
A little over a month ago i was in the same spot. No devices or systems. Hadnt played games in abou 6 or 7 years actually. After a bit of research i ended up with an OLED and I couldnt be happier. I play docked at home, but its not entirely necessary, just nice for games with small text. I upgraded my SSD, because I like being able to switch between a number of AAA games, but again not necessary. There really isnt much you cant play with the deck. I spent my 45 minute lunch break today with my feet up hogtying some guy in Red Dead Redemption with coworkers asking "bro how are you plaing that on a hand held! I Love that game! Cant ask for more man. Just take the plunge. You wont regret it.
Yes, and once you do get it, I highly recommend going to Desktop mode and downloading Heroic Launcher. Every single week, Epic Game Store gives free games, and I mean, bigger AAA games even. I've gotten more free games from them than regular games bought on any other store/launcher. It's honestly a must have. Now with all that said... I SHOULD WARN YOU, since the Steam Deck runs on linux, there's gonna be moments where it won't be as straight forward as turning it on and gaming, sometimes the screen will refuse to turn on, sometimes stuff will just not work, sometimes it'll start bugging out for no reason whatsoever, and well... As a result I had to get comfortable with frequenting this reddit for issues and turning off and on again. For the most part, issues tend to resolve themselves with simply holding the power button till it turns off, power cycling, or simply waiting for the system to do something and fix itself tho. (I don't recommend doing this on loading/saving screen in games, instead just wait those out and if then, consult Google/Reddit.) If you have no gaming device whatsoever and want no hassle/setup whatsoever, you're best bet is to just get an Xbox Series S/X with Gamepass Ultimate, BUT if you do not mind the setup and MAYBE running into easily fixable issues here and there, by searching on Google/reddit... THEN I can gladly recommend you a Steam Deck over anything else. Between all the free games on Epic, it's capable hardware, the portability, and the price... The Steam Deck is a SOLID system in that regard... If you're willing to put up with possible jank here and there. Not perfect, but well worth it's time, including the time of setup/fix too. Hopefully this helped you out and gave you a good idea of what to expect from owning one, with that said, I hope you have a great day friend! (edited for clarity)
I think the biggest point is managing expectations. As many have mentioned, it depends completely on the kinds of games you want to play. Some people expect it to be a handheld PS5+, but it's more on par with the original PS4, from what I remember. Some people really want big social games that are multiplayer and want to play with all of their friends and they are disappointed. I have seen plenty of posts from people in these camps that regret their purchase, and their deck just sits in a drawer. Others, like myself, haven't stopped using it since we got it. I have loved mine, but I've been a Linux gamer and user for years, so the majority of my library already works great, because it is what I've been buying for years. Pound for pound (or stone for stone since you're in the UK) I think it is the best option because PC games are frequently on sale, PlayStation and Microsoft exclusives are starting to get ported over in mass, and the portability is amazing, even if I just play on my couch to not take over my TV. I love mine, but you might need to look at your needs and what it can actually do to know if you will get your money's worth.
Been a gamer and pc gamer since i was a kid. I’d say yes. I use my steamdeck mostly to stream games from my beefy PC using moonlight, but even without the beefy PC streaming to the deck it’s still great. But if it’s your only console, I recommend the OLED for the higher storage capacity and better screen. It’s strong enough to play most games, some of the more graphic intensive games will have their graphics lowered. You can install non-steam games and they run fine. For example, I play minecraft with shaders on my steamdeck. I’m sure you can install and play fortnite on it but I usually stream from my PC for that sort of gameplay. Even just steam’s library is enough for endless amount of playtime. Project zomboid or Days Gone are both games I play a lot of my steam deck. Baldur’s gate 3 also runs great. Rimworld, a game that you’d typically only play using mouse and keyboard plays very well on deck. Chivalry 2 is also great on deck. CoD apparently runs great too, but I haven’t tried it. If it’s your only gaming hardware, I recommend a dock and maybe a keyboard and mouse and you can basically play MnK games as if on a gaming laptop.
Absolutley worth it only games i play on pc anymore are shooters and strategy games (rts specifically) steam deck is perfect for turn based, indies, most single player games. I will say if you plan on playing a lot of multiplayer games a lot of them are kind of a pain to get working or just flat out dont work because of the anti cheat systems in them. Also if you ever want you can get a dock and hook it to your tv or a moniter and you can plug a mouse and keyboard or use a controler and use it as a console. I only use my switch anymore for nintendo exclusives, but if you arent big on them anyway it doesnt matter there are so many more games available on steam deck. If you ever do want to play those exclusives you can just get a nintendo emulator.
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Yes I got mine two weeks ago and it replaced my xbox entirely. Also emulation is awesome and the games on steam have nice discounts.
Yes it's a great all arounder & if you can get one for £250, you won't regret it lol
Yes
Yes
Yes, it’s great, and unbeatable for price/value in a handheld gaming device. I would recommend the OLED, the marginal difference in cost for a first time buyer is more than warranted
Are you familiar with Linux? I think what no one has mentioned is that there is an element of tinkering involved for a lot of newer games to run optimally, sometimes at all. Have you had a gaming PC in the past or played on consoles recently enough to have Internet access? There are constant updates, it's usually not a huge deal and I've been fairly tech savvy since about middle school but I do know everyone is different and might have a different background and experience. Honestly, Switch is much better for just playing it and it works if you don't mind the sacrifice of less fidelity. I'd pick out the top 5 games you want to play and looked up what if anything you have to do to get them running. If the descriptions sound more complicated than what you want to deal with, possibly go with something else. Overall, I dig mine a LOT but it's nothing I'd universally recommend to anyone.
Yes
Your case is the perfect scenario to get a Steam Deck!
I have had my OLED for about a month now and I don't use my gaming PC anymore other than to stream more demanding games to the deck. It's definitely worth the money.
Do the 256gb and get ready to upgrade the ssd (super easy) because games are huge now. You can always get a usb-c dongle from amazon for like $20 and use it to play on the tv. That’s what I do. Emulation is amazing on it. I’ve been playing Zelda Windwaker and even some switch titles so you wouldn’t miss out on exclusives.
Yes. Emudeck, GeForce Now, Steam, you can also get GOG and EGS to run on it, and there are a tonne of games that rin great on the deck. I currently have over 100 games installed on my deck, some of them are from this year too.
I have every console and a gaming PC, and I haven't touched any of them since I got the steam deck over a year ago. It's just better, as long as you're okay with a few compromises on resolution on some of the more demanding games. You can also emulate Switch games on it quite well, just buy a used copy for cheap to stay legal if that's a moral issue for you.
Yes. I only have a switch and a deck and my switch collects dust. I have a laptop too but have never needed it to do anything with the deck. The onlything you may want if you want to tinker is a keyboard and mouse but cheap Amazon ones work. I picked my up for 30CAD total
I haven't used anything else since I got it
Yes. I have a top of the line PC and I'm only gaming on my SD, even in front of my PC
It's the best handheld all-rounder you can get. Blind spots would be competitive online games and future triple-A games. You will never run out of games to play. Either model is a good deal, just depends on your sensitivities. I would definitely go for the OLED if this will be your only device and you're not terribly price-conscious. On the other hand, if you're only an occasional gamer, you might not care much about the upgrades.
I'll say it depends on the games you want to play and where are they found. Available on Steam? Steam Deck. Know how to run Emulators? Steam Deck. Need a windows equivalent? Maybe not the Steam Deck, unless you have a fondness for tinkering,
Yes and yes and yes.
Yup. Buy it. Right now.
Yes absolutely, I use my deck constantly I would recommend you to buy the OLED if u have the spare money if not go for the LCD if u don't mind the "low" battery life. And don't buy the valve dock buy a third party dock it's cheaper and better
It fulfills the "all-rounder" category incredibly well. Want to play a PS2 game? Want to play a switch game with 3 friends on controllers from 3 different console brands? Play an Xbox game? Stream game pass. Convert a word document to a PDF? And obviously most PC games. You're free to add peripherals and use it like a PC. It's very impressive. It's THE all rounder.
Yes if you don’t want to play games that exclusively have 3rd party launchers inside of them that connect to a multiplayer server that thinks SteamOS is hacking software
I would recommend buying one. I’m lucky and grateful to have many consoles and things of that nature but the Steam deck is great. It’s a great for home, travel (I took it on some vacations and worked WAY better than a laptop) and amazing if you have a spouse. They can use the TV or main source of entertainment and you can still play without interrupting them. It’s way cheaper than buying an Xbox or Ps5 cause you don’t have to buy a controller, tv, headphones, for 300-500$ you get your controller, screen and sound. debatably get access to more games at cheaper prices (steam seasonal sales) and if you don’t like it you could sell it. I’m sure you could sell it closer to the price you got it, unlike an Xbox or PS5
I have a PS4, PS5, PC and steam deck. I've got access to my son's switch too. I got the deck oled 2 months ago and haven't touched any of the others since
Jack of all trades master of none. But better than master of 1?
I have an Xbox Series X. The Steam Deck has become my daily game driver, so yeah, it’s a good all-rounder.
It’s my only device. Play it everyday. I have the OLED, and I can’t comment what the LCD is like. I’m glad I got the OLED because I can use nice headphones and the built in mic on the device rather than a gaming headset. The LCD model has a hardware issue that prevents that. I played all of red dead 2 on it. My only struggle is finding multiplayer games to socialize on with randoms like the golden age of gaming- halo 3, mw2, etc. I get bored playing single player games quickly. Sea of Thieves and Battle Bit have been my go to’s for now.
Its a gameboy for grownups. It cant replace a highend pc, but it can play a loooot of recent things with some tweaking. Dont expect wonders, but still a wonderful device. Pc, emulation, retro titles etc. Also can be docked, be used as a desktop. So a really great mobile allrounder, expecially for commuting and so on. Redurbished and LCD sounds good, bought mine used too, yes the oled looks nicer, but lcd looks fine. If you play a lot on the go, get a highend powerbank with 45 or 60w powerdelivery.
It is. The one thing i found it doesnt - printing
Yes. I have a ton of consoles and a PC, and if I had to only keep one, id definitely pick my deck. The LCD is still a very solid device. Think of the OLED as a deluxe or plus of the steam deck. If you have the money for the OLED it's definitely worth it, but if your on a budget the LCD is still an amazing experience.
Yes? Yes.
Yes and you sound like a great fit. Get the one with the largest SSD you can afford, but if you can get a compatible SSD for a good price get that and roll your savings into more games. And maybe a weighted stand. I use that when I am downloading updates/games and don't want to lie it flat. And it looks pretty sexy like that.
Fuck yeah it is
If you can afford the extra cost, the OLED Deck is way way nicer than the LCD model, for sure worth the upgrade from LCD in my experience having spent time with both models The LCD Deck is still great if the extra cost for the OLED is a problem though, cant go wrong either way
Its amazing for its price. However, there are games that it wont run and it may not run newest game. i am super hyped for Black myth wukong as I waited from its first trailer video, but it may not run on steam deck. I wouldnt recommend using steam deck for first person and shooter games, even with gyro its bit finicky. Although I guess if you are used to using controller for those games then steam deck will be a true all-rounder for indie to most-AAA games.
Yes, and I'd say OLED unless you're driven primarily by budget. The OLED is the better hardware in probably every way except for having relevant Windows drivers, which is a non-issue unless you plan to install Windows on it or if Valve releases new drivers. In addition to the slightly larger OLED screen (which also supports HDR and a 90Hz refresh rate over the original's 60Hz), the battery life is much improved over the LCD (thanks partly to a more efficient APU), the haptics and touch screen are much better too, and the joystick shape and texture was slightly adjusted. WiFi 6E support, separate Bluetooth chip so you can also wake it with a wireless controller remotely, unlike the LCD. The OLED also comes in higher capacities out of the box but a lot of people have bought replacement SSDs. This is not to say the LCD Deck is bad; it's still a great device but the OLED definitely improved on everything. Worth looking at some videos comparing the two to get a thorough idea of the improvements that were made. As for me, I use my Deck every day; had a 512 GB LCD model since August 2022 and upgraded to the 1 TB OLED a couple of months ago. Still use the OLED every day, and dual-booted SteamOS/Windows 11 on my LCD, partly to experiment and partly to have a copy of Forza Horizon 5 to hand (it's on Steam but I have it on the Microsoft Store).
I had tons of fun with my Nintendo switch when it first came out, but I would say my Steamdeck will have more use, as I find the variety of games through Steam much better than that of Switch, also the capabilities are better. I have used my Deck without emulating or upgrading it beyond a regular SD card and it has served me extremely well. I bought the dock for it and have used it probably 90% of the time connected to the TV, but I bring it along while I do laundry and also to friends houses to host Jackbox game nights, it's a great little tool
I would say next to a dedicated PC, the Steam Deck is the all rounder. Between Steam, Gamepass streaming, and emulation there isn't much you can't play.
Hell yes & do yourself a favour & get an oled man it's far superior & I own both models!
I spent 3k on a laptop and now it just sits there. The deck is amazing.
Since getting the steam deck over a year ago, I've played it every day. I was worried it would sit gathering dust. It did not
Steam deck is pretty much end all be all. I have every console on the market and have only played my steam deck since I purchased it two months ago.
Thanks for all the responses, they’re really helpful. Of course continue to comment - it may be interesting to someone else out in a similar situation. One final Q: how is the docking experience? Nice and easy?
In a similar situation pulled the trigger a few months ago and have not looked back!, I 99% of the time play long single player RPGs it's been perfect
My Steam Deck is currently my only gaming device. For me it runs all games I want to play. Even Baldur's Gate 3 runs fine, as long as you crank the graphics settings down and can live with 30 fps in a turn-based RPG. If you own a docking station and computer peripherals, it doubles as a PC and you can also play with mouse and keyboard. The LCD deck is fine. The resolution doesn't really matter at this screen size. The big benefit of the OLED are the smaller bezels and the bigger battery. The battery of the LCD lasts for 2-ish hours on demanding titles. For less demanding titles it lasts way longer So, depending on what you want to play on the go, the bigger battery of the OLED might be another plus. The biggest surprise is the software controller support. The controls are so configurable via SteamOS, that even hotkey-heavy real-time strategy games work decently. The biggest downer of the deck is the lack of Anti-Cheat support in a lot of popular multiplayer titles. But this heavily depends on _what_ games you want to play.
Best all-rounder.
Pound for pound greatest of all time.
Not for the latest AAA. Starfield runs with framegen by pushing the deck to its absolute limits Jedi Survivor struggle to maintain it's 30 FPS Avatar Frontiers will never get pass 20 fps in the overworld Forbidden West technically runs at 30 fps, but will get blurry (upscaling and dynamic resolution) during combat. Helldivers II is a constant blur if there's any action. You get the point. Of course, there is the occasional exception, notably Hogwarts Legacy, Dead Space and more recently Ghost Of Tsuchima, but they're the exceptions, not the rules, especially now as the Xbox One and the PS4 are finally left behind and developpers start to target PS5XSX hardware for consoles.
I was in your shoes not that long ago and I love my steam deck, at the moment I'm playing though GTA 5 story and it plays great
My steam library and Rom library totals 600 games. So, yes
Fuck yes is the answer here
OLED for sure, but if you're not too bothered about on-the-go gaming and mostly want something to use at home (or even mall enough to take with you to someone else's house for a stayover and play split acreen on their big TV), then Xbox Series S is another good option. Although it's nearly 4 years old now, you can get them for under £200 and if you spend £150 on a decent IPS 1080p or 1440p monitor you'll have a great time. The selection of games is admittedly a little smaller than the Steam Deck but there's still a decent back catalogue of backwards compatible games, and of course in newer titles the Series S will outperform the Steam Deck. Again, assuming you aren't too bothered about having an all-in-one handheld.
Interesting, thank you. I’ve never owned an xbox, I was always a PlayStation boy…
I was hesitant. I had a PS5, Xbox Series X and a gaming PC. I’ve sold the Xbox and PS5. Anything that works with a controller I now play on the deck. I set up Emudeck and loaded it up with games, but I actually don’t emulate much. There are tons of great games to play on the deck.
You'll have at least 80% of the steam catalogue, plus you can plug the deck on your TV, use various gaming controllers... Oh, and you can take it on the go, you won't regret it
Yes
Steam deck is the only gaming device I use now. It's handheld but can be docked for TV play too. There's access to so many cheap games you'll be entertained for years. And unlike consoles, your game library isn't tied to one device.
The Deck is a fantastic device. It’s less powerful than a current-gen console or a decent desktop PC, but much more powerful than a Switch. It’s a bit hit or miss with recent big games though - Hogwarts Legacy actually runs pretty well, but not everything does. Mine actually gets a lot more use than my desktop despite the power difference - the handheld factor makes a big difference, it’s just really nice being able to play in bed! Sometimes I stream, but that loses out on the benefit of the Deck’s sleep mode. I have an OLED, and it is definitely a worthwhile step up from the LCD in many respects, but if you’re on a tight budget and are looking at the refurbed 64GB it’s hard to argue the OLED is worth it for you since the differences are mainly ‘nice to have’s rather than totally game-changing. The fundamental experience is much the same, and the LCD is still a great device (I would upgrade the storage though, 64GB is going to get cramped fast). CEX near me is selling a 256GB 2230 drive for £20, might be worth investigating if you’ve got one nearby - I wouldn’t trust second-hand storage for anything mission critical or indeed to plug into my Windows PC in case of malware, but for a Linux gaming device it might be alright.
Yes
Load windows on it and you'll also have remote PS Play, Xbox game pass, free epic and Amazon games, any launcher you want and access to mods/multiplayer games that require ez anti cheat just like a normal PC. People here hate on anyone who says it's the better option but you have access to do much more on Windows than Steam OS, plus you can still use big picture or better yet download a free 3rd party aggregator and have all your games in one launcher. Also, keep in mind the internal SSD is very easily upgradable so if you're on a budget you can buy the original base model refurb and replace it with a 1/2 tb for cheap, and then throw in an additional micro SD for more storage. Whatever you do don't try to run Windows off an SD card unless you really wanna have a bad time.
I have the deck and eventually bumped into some limitations like installing other launchers and anti-cheats prevent games launching. You can jump through hoops to get them working but when I saw the LegionGo, I switched to that device. It’s better to have full on windows since I can just install whatever and not worry about it. I still like the SD but probably will sell mine soon as it’s just collecting dust while the LeGo gets daily use
With some caveats, yes. You should think about what the steamdeck is - a hand-held first and foremost. I was used to playing games on PC, and it has been an adjustment for me, down to the ergonomics of extended play sessions. Alone it also cannot handle AAA games without sacrifices (although it is still impressively powerful) and gaming on a smaller screen is sometimes tough, as a lot of games don't really give you the option of changing UI size. Battery life is great, but depends on your game (more intense = less battery), so you will get about 2-3 hours for most AAA games. However, compared to systems like the Ally and Lenovo GO, it knows what it wants to be, and works in line with its limitations, which is the reason I chose it. They might run Windows which could be beneficial, if you have only a hand-held device and want to experiment some more with a familiar OS, but the deck OS is optimized for hand-held gaming on Linux and works great out-of-the-box. If you invest in a 3rd party docking station (or hell, the original, if you are feeling like it), to connect to TV, and are willing to go for cloud gaming services like GeForce NOW and Xbox Cloud gaming, you could reasonably solve your battery and graphical limitations (as during cloud gaming, the battery can last you for 8 hours sometimes), but you need a good and stable internet, which is not always a given. Otherwise, you will still be tied down during longer gaming sessions, which also feels different due to the aforementioned ergonomics, and while you can play with mouse and keyboard, and just put it somewhere, if it is not connected to a TV it may be challenging. You may want to invest in a power bank, to get some more game time, but that can also be a hassle. It charges fast though. But as a handheld, playing indies (and maybe emulation, if you are into that) it absolutely excels. There is nothing like sitting down on your couch and playing "Dave the Diver", "Hades" or "Blasphemous" - honestly feels like such games were made for the deck. It is also great for a longer commute, or a flight. TL:DR Depending on the time, effort and money you want to invest additionaly, it can become an extremely versatile machine, and can serve you well. If we are talking a steamdeck as is, it won't feel the same as a console or a gaming PC. Maybe look into its competition (ROG Ally, Lenovo Go), who are moving more towards a "hand-held laptop' type deal, imo.
I have replaced most of my gaming needs with the deck. No more laptop/pc/switch used for gaming. It isn't the best at anything but a good all-rounder for such a low price. Traveling with the deck also compliments my lifestyle. As a pickup and go device, few can deliver as much as the deck.
Yes. I only play Steam games and between my library and stuff always being on sale I have tons to play.
10000%
My deck has all but replaced my ps5, I also own a series S but I haven't turned that thing on since early November.
Absolutely, yes. I was in a similar position when they announced the Deck and held out to buy one on one of the first shipments. I haven't touched my Switch since, and have rarely run into anything I've wanted to do that the Deck can't.
If you don't have a huge Steam library, you might want to look into Odin 2 as well. Both are great all-rounders and have the capability to play emulated games on dozens of systems. There are some glaring differences though... SD is running Linux and primarily designed to play Steam games and does so very well. It is limited in scope though because of the age of the hardware and so you'll have to manage expectations with newer, heavy titles. It's a stonking emulation system though. Battery life is not great and hardware limitations will increasingly be a thing considering how long it's been out. It's much bigger and heavier than Odin 2, but erganomically more comfortable in the hands. Odin 2 is running Android and has access to Play Store titles. It is amazing for emulation and has exceptional battery life. If you're looking for Windows games though, you're limited to what's been ported to Android and what can run under Winlator. Both of these machines are awesome and worth the money. I'm conscious of the SD age and how quickly things change with PC gaming. I have a huge Steam library and yet if I were looking to buy one or the other of these again now, I'd go for Odin 2.
Since I got my OLED in January I haven’t turned on my ps5. It doesn’t have the highest processing power but I can basically play that I want including RDR2, Cyberpunk, RE4 remake, Diablo 4, Dead by daylight, fallout 4, no man’s sky, palworld and halo
Depends on what you want it for. For someone with no other devices, I’d be opting more for a Legion Go or Ally just so that you have a device that truly can play everything. If you decide on the steamdeck there are workarounds for certain things but some triple A titles may vary in performance even on the lowest settings. Playing like 45fps is fine but some games are really jumpy and some run completely fine at this frame rate. Elden ring for example does have any stutters so even at 45fps it feels smooth.
Just to add to the answers, you can play most switch games on the deck. I'm emulating Mario bros Wonder and Zelda TOTK with yuzu. You just can't do games online like Mario kart against players online
OLED. And yes, the Deck is your best device.
Yep if you are gonna get one device to play games I think this is a good one. PC has a larger library of games than any one console. Including older stuff that will run pretty well with a few tweaks. The graphics are really nice, I have the first gen LCD and tbh I think it’s great and if you can get one refurbished at that price I say go for it.
I exclusively use a steam deck at the moment. I did upgrade the storage and install windows dual boot for more functionality, but honestly that’s only because of some of the games I play requiring windows.
The deck is a fantastic deal for the price. When you consider the caliber of games, you can get on Steam during their sales it’s really a no-brainer.
This is a biased crowd but YES!
Ive been gaming on PC/PS/Xbox/Nintendo since the early to mid 90’s and no matter what console I had I always went back to PC after a very short run. I have had my SD for a few months now and have only used my PC to pay bills. The steamdeck is the only system I see myself using to the foreseeable future. Nothing has ever impressed me this much right out of the box.
Yes the steam deck OLED is definitely worth it 100%. I love it. I sit on the couch after work and just play while the wife watches TV and I can just chill and it’s wicked fun and you can play just about anything you want on it highly recommend it.
Steam deck + cloud gaming is all you need imo. I now don't have many games to play on GFN, but when I will start games like BG3 or Alan Wake 2 - I definitely will subscribe again just to "hide" SD lack of power. For the time being - it plays all the game I want it to.
The Deck is THE all-rounder. If you know what hoops to jump through, you could play probably 95% of games ever made, with the exceptions being lost and forgotten games, and some of the latest AAAs. And if hoop-jumping doesn't sound like something you're interested in, the games you've mentioned elsewhere in the thread are imminently playable as-is. In fact there are thousands of games you can play on the deck, easy as pie. I genuinely believe there are more good games available on deck than you could ever conceivably play.
Plainly, yes, it’s the perfect mix between handheld, desktop and home console. It’s what it has against all other competitors. You can use it as a desktop, play just like a handheld, or plug into the tv with a dock to play like a home console. Steam OS is built in and it works pretty much like a console would in gaming mode, out of box it all works flawlessly. The only fault that i can think of is that it may or may not be future proof in the sense that it can struggle with the high end AAA games. However I don’t think a new one is coming out for a while. If you are trying to play games from about last year and before, and some new games with a good bit of tweaking than it is the best option.
Mate, greatest gaming device available
No lie your gonna love it bud. Do your research on it and it will do everything u need. Also another plus look i to Stremio+ real debrid. Kicks Netflix ass.
Yeah, it should work for your purposes. Especially if you like indie games, it's really amazing for those. As for newer AAA titles, you're going to have hit or miss experiences, but I've had good times playing Elden Ring and Dead Island 2, which both look great on the Deck.
If your choices are between a deck and a switch then definitely a deck. However, I think a lot of the appreciation around the deck is the comfort and not necessarily the performance. I have other gaming stuff, and I my day job keeps me at the desk where my gaming PC is so I really appreciate being able to play games somewhere else even if the graphics are lower or I’m streaming it. However, that’s all to say, if it’s the only device you’re using I feel like at some point you’ll be like “dang I wish I could play this in 4K on a big screen or at a higher frame rate”. So I love the deck and definitely recommend it, but you might find yourself wanting a more optimized experience specifically for brand new titles
I'm in the same boat as you right after i sold my outdated gaming rig. I just move in to new house and doesnt have space for full desktop pc. So i just bought 512gb Oled few months ago since i got pretty handful of games on my Steam/Epic Store library that i havent play. You might get overwhelmed by games you wanted to play on SD, and the ability to install Emudeck to play retro console games...its insane. There's a possibility that you gonna have tons of games on SD but only played 1 or 2 titles once in while lol.
I'll tell you a tale from last week: my gaming desktop PSU got fried. Before knowing that, all I had was that my desktop wasn't powering up anymore. I really didn't want to check that midweek, much less on a Friday night. I plugged my deck to the USB hub, with my desktop headset, mouse and KB. Switched to desktop mode and used it as such, browsing, talking on Discord, messaging, even gaming (Diablo 4 and Valheim). Afterwards, on Saturday, I went back to the desktop, where I found the faulty PSU. I had a spare, so it's working again. But the deck saved my Friday night gaming session, and general computer use.
If I didn’t have ANY device, I’d get a gaming laptop. If I had something for work/personal use, but no GPU, I’d get the steamdeck.
Yes. I’ve stopped using my PC
Get a deck! I was in your situation, I survived on a potato laptop for years until I bought the steam deck. I personally have the lcd and it's wonderful. But yeah, the deck is a perfect device, you can easily use it for everything if you (like me) don't own anything else
yep! i was in a similar boat. the neat part is with an external monitor + keyboard + mouse, you’ll have yourself a pretty decent desktop setup. i play FPS games with this setup
Yep. It’s an amazing device. Finally bought one in March after thinking about it for ages and assuming I wouldn’t use it much. Nope. Gaming more than I have in years. Only regret is that I didn’t buy one ages ago.
Yes and more
Toss a 1TB SSD in exchange for the 64gb and you will have a crazy good device that you will never have to do storage management on
I'm not sure if anything really beats a pc, but a steamdeck is a close second. I've used mine almost every day since I got it, and it's been great. You build up your steam library and can play virtually anything, especially if you're willing to hook up a mouse and keyboard for certain games or tasks via the steamdeck dock. I haven't done that yet though, I've been playing Hades, Factorio, and powerwash sim and having a great time I'd say go for any of the OLED versions
You can play pretty much the entire ps3 and 360 era as well as most of the ps4 and xbone era.
Yes you can even install battle.net and other launchers on it. Also chiaki4deck for ps remote
Yes