Will anything dethrone the Steam Deck? Probably not

The Steam Deck is really awesome device. I'm not playing on anything else till I got it. Currently it's being used as kind of console connected to TV and the tools like Decky loader available for it are awesome.

Only thing I would like to see currently is upstream the drivers for Steam Deck to mainline Linux kernel. Otherwise it's really great device that gives you as much freedom with it as possible.

I was thinking that maybe they artificially push it to the top sellers to advertise it...

It seems like every day, I see a new Steam user deciding to try desktop Linux for the first time. It has really done wonders for Linux as a whole.I would never buy another handheld no matter how many "AI" rebrandings they do.

I like the exhaust vent too.

Although I still like my Steam Deck and use it a few times a week, after the initial honeymoon period wore off (which admittedly took a good year) my Arch Desktop PC has certainly dethroned it. There's something that is just so much nicer for those long 8hr+ gaming sessions on a Desktop versus my Steam Deck. For short bursts the Steam Deck is nice but when I want to play a game I don't reach for my Steam Deck by default anymore.

Plus being able to tab out of my game and use Discord on one of my other screens is nicer than grabbing my phone to do the same. At this point I am too used to my 4-monitor setup and multitasking that the Steam Deck ends up feeling restrictive after some time.

When it's warm though it is nice to grab my Steam Deck and stream from my PC to a TV in a cooler room. It's easier to put a controller down and grab my phone than to put my Steam Deck down and grab my phone.

But although I do like my Steam Deck, to me it's an accessory more than anything else. Like a phone or a laptop, nothing can replace my everything-PC for my use-cases.

Actually at time of writing, I haven't charged my Steam Deck in over a week...


Last edited by sonic2kk on 2 July 2024 at 12:42 pm UTC

Quoting: sonic2kkPlus being able to tab out of my game and use Discord on one of my other screens is nicer than grabbing my phone to do the same. At this point I am too used to my 4-monitor setup and multitasking that the Steam Deck ends up feeling restrictive after some time.

You can run multiple applications at the same time while in game mode. I do it all the time. You just hit the steam button and switch to the Discord window.

Quoting: HighballYou can run multiple applications at the same time while in game mode. I do it all the time. You just hit the steam button and switch to the Discord window.

You can for sure. But for me it's not as convenient or as nice of an experience as tabbing into a window on another display. Plus Firefox doesn't work so good in GameScope (I will never use the Discord "app"), and typing messages and replies on a virtual keyboard (even a phone keyboard) isn't as nice as using my mechanical one on my PC. Even my laptop keyboard is mildly frustrating to use. Sure, I can hook up my keyboard, or even get some Bluetooth adapter, but then you lose the portability aspect of the Steam Deck, and I try to avoid using Bluetooth where possible because I also find it quite frustrating.

You also can't keep an eye on your game this way. You can use multiple displays in Desktop Mode but then you don't get the performance controls, and GameScope embedded doesn't support multiple displays at the moment so you can't do it from Game Mode. Plus the Steam Deck is still using X11 so adjusting the overscan is not as convenient as it is on Wayland, which would be necessary if I wanted to use a TV instead of one of my PC monitors.

I think that's overall my thing with the Steam Deck, it's great for the pick-up-and-play, but everything else feels like a lesser experience compared to my Desktop.

For what it's worth, I have the same gripes with laptops, my phone, tablets, and other consoles.

I'm not saying the Steam Deck is bad, I'm saying for me and how I use a computer, it's an accessory. For people on the go a lot it's absolutely a game-changer and I'd rather game on my Steam Deck over my laptop (I don't use an external mouse with my laptop, and KB/M controls work a trackpad aren't as good as the Steam Deck, but the Steam Deck just isn't as good for me as a keyboard and dedicated mouse). But when I want to play a game, like really sit down and experience something, I boot up my PC before I reach for my Steam Deck.


Last edited by sonic2kk on 2 July 2024 at 1:21 pm UTC

Running apps in gaming mode always felt really wonky to me and some would just outright crash...

Steam Deck, at the moment, is arguably the most perfect combination of hardware and software in the handheld computing market. It's as easy to use as a console, but also allows power users to open the hood and do whatever they want without restriction. Not to mention that Steam OS/Linux is vastly superior to Windows on a handheld platform.

Quoting: sonic2kkAlthough I still like my Steam Deck and use it a few times a week, after the initial honeymoon period wore off (which admittedly took a good year) my Arch Desktop PC has certainly dethroned it. There's something that is just so much nicer for those long 8hr+ gaming sessions on a Desktop versus my Steam Deck. For short bursts the Steam Deck is nice but when I want to play a game I don't reach for my Steam Deck by default anymore.

Plus being able to tab out of my game and use Discord on one of my other screens is nicer than grabbing my phone to do the same. At this point I am too used to my 4-monitor setup and multitasking that the Steam Deck ends up feeling restrictive after some time.

When it's warm though it is nice to grab my Steam Deck and stream from my PC to a TV in a cooler room. It's easier to put a controller down and grab my phone than to put my Steam Deck down and grab my phone.

But although I do like my Steam Deck, to me it's an accessory more than anything else. Like a phone or a laptop, nothing can replace my everything-PC for my use-cases.

Actually at time of writing, I haven't charged my Steam Deck in over a week...

I'm the exact opposite here. Although I'm talking about the GPD Win Mini 2024 running CachyOS and not the Deck. After I got the Win Mini, I've almost stopped playing on my desktop, becuase the Win Mini allows me to comfortably game from my bed and couch, which I prefer over sitting on a chair. Like, I work in IT, and after a full day of sitting in front of a PC at work, I really do not have the energy or motivation to do it again at home. I used to back when I was still young, but not any more - to the point that I just hate the thought of having to sit in a chair in front of the PC, it just feels so... laborious, as if I'm at work again. I hate that feeling. Anyways, my Win Mini can handle pretty much every game I throw at it, and unlike the Deck, it's physical keyboard comes in real handy for playing certain games or when messing around with Linuxy stuff. And it's performance is way, way better than the Deck (especially on CachyOS with Zen4).

The only time I actually use my desktop is when I'm playing multiplayer games and I need to be my best and take it seriously (which would imply getting up from bed and actually assuming a proper posture and use proper gaming gear), which I do so once every weekend. Otherwise, rest of the time I'm playing on my Win Mini and it's been an awesome experience so far running CachyOS Handheld Edition optimised for Zen 4 CPUs.

The Win Mini actually made be buy more Steam games this Summer Sale and actually brought me back into regular gaming, just like how the Switch brought me back into gaming when it first came out. So props to Valve and all these handheld device makers for bringing PC gaming to the couch.