While other vendors continually push out new handheld pc models, sticking similar internals into different shell designs and gradually bumping up RAM or the Processor, the Steam Deck just keeps selling like hot tasty cakes.
There's multiple other devices out there now that are in a few ways more powerful than the Steam Deck, but that hasn't seemed to matter a whole lot to Valve. Especially since the release of the Steam Deck OLED, which was a pretty huge upgrade, it's constantly a global top seller for Valve.
I've been tracking it over time from their public list, which is done by revenue (not units sold), and of course the price of the Steam Deck compared with games and DLC is a lot higher, but when you think about how many units the likes of ELDEN RING and other top games sell - it's clear Valve are shifting a lot of Steam Deck units still.
Here's the latest data based on the global position:
The data, click to expand
| Week Beginning | Global Position |
| June 25, 2024 | 3 |
| June 18, 2024 | 6 |
| June 11, 2024 | 8 |
| June 4, 2024 | 5 |
| May 28, 2024 | 3 |
| May 21, 2024 | 3 |
| May 14, 2024 | 3 |
| May 7, 2024 | 4 |
| April 30, 2024 | 5 |
| April 23, 2024 | 3 |
| April 16, 2024 | 3 |
| April 9, 2024 | 4 |
| April 2, 2024 | 3 |
| March 26. 2024 | 5 |
| March 19, 2024 | 4 |
| March 12, 2024 | 4 |
| March 5, 2024 | 3 |
| February 27, 2024 | 3 |
| February 20, 2024 | 6 |
| February 13, 2024 | 5 |
| February 6, 2024 | 8 |
| January 30, 2024 | 6 |
| January 23, 2024 | 5 |
| January 16, 2024 | 2 |
| January 9, 2024 | 2 |
| January 2, 2024 | 1 |
| December 26, 2023 | 2 |
| December 19, 2023 | 2 |
| December 12, 2023 | 1 |
| December 5, 2023 | 1 |
| November 28, 2023 | 1 |
| November 21, 2023 | 1 |
| November 14, 2023 | 1 |
| November 7, 2023 | 4 |
| October 31, 2023 | 9 |
| October 24, 2023 | 11 |
| October 17, 2023 | 11 |
| October 10, 2023 | 13 |
| October 3, 2023 | 14 |
| September 26, 2023 | 11 |
| September 19, 2023 | 5 |
| September 12, 2023 | 2 |
| September 5, 2023 | 8 |
| August 29, 2023 | 6 |
| August 22, 2023 | 7 |
| August 15, 2023 | 8 |
| August 8, 2023 | 6 |
| August 1, 2023 | 6 |
| July 25, 2023 | 5 |
| July 18, 2023 | 8 |
When compared with other vendors like GPD, AYANEO, ASUS and all the others, Valve of course have the Steam store to back it up. Other vendors don't really have anything like that, so Valve are in a more unique position to stick to one main model. And when Valve discount it, people will continue to flock to it. Other vendors continue to be a gamble, as you buy one model and they're probably just about to move onto their next.
This has so many benefits for players as well though, like good consistent support and constant software upgrades. You only have to look at the new built-in Game Recording feature to see, and the upcoming SteamOS 3.6 that recently moved from Preview to Beta that again brings in some big additions.
Currently there's 15,398 games for Steam Deck rated to be Playable or Verified:
- Verified: 5,047
- Playable: 10,351
- Unsupported: 4,297
Oh yeah, the title, will anything dethrone the Steam Deck? Probably not. Well, not until the Steam Deck 2.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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I have sold mine. Steam Deck is a really nice piece of hardware but it has limitations and after a year I have decided that I prefer my desktop / laptop.
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Vortex_Acherontic Jul 3
As someone who also uses the Steam Deck with Bluetooth keyboard, mouse and a Wacom tablet for Uni to take notes. I secretly have contributed in convincing people to buy one too over the past years (Q1 SteamDeck owner here) and I am proud of this.
I like the Device. While tbh I run openSUSE Aeon on it for Uni because I don't want to get distracted by all the games installed on SteamOS and Gnome is a little more convenient at that screen size to use.
But at home SteamOS gaming all the way. After discovering Junk Store for Decky Loader I also finally got to play all those Free Epic Games I collected just to nag Epic in never actually buying stuff on their platform. 😅
Last edited by Vortex_Acherontic on 3 July 2024 at 7:42 am UTC
I like the Device. While tbh I run openSUSE Aeon on it for Uni because I don't want to get distracted by all the games installed on SteamOS and Gnome is a little more convenient at that screen size to use.
But at home SteamOS gaming all the way. After discovering Junk Store for Decky Loader I also finally got to play all those Free Epic Games I collected just to nag Epic in never actually buying stuff on their platform. 😅
Last edited by Vortex_Acherontic on 3 July 2024 at 7:42 am UTC
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TheRiddick Jul 3
Valve Steam Deck:: So this is how you do it guys!
Other Vendors:: NO! removes features and makes them 2-3x the price!
Customers:: Just buying Steam Deck. Win.
Other Vendors:: Guys guys, look we make another 10 different expensive variants using windows, this is what you want right?!
Other Vendors:: NO! removes features and makes them 2-3x the price!
Customers:: Just buying Steam Deck. Win.
Other Vendors:: Guys guys, look we make another 10 different expensive variants using windows, this is what you want right?!
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hardpenguin Jul 3
I wonder how is the adoption rate going or has the device already reached its peak.
Surely there can't be that many people who want a Steam handheld? And those who do mostly already got one.
Next step: Steam Controller revival! This one is a must have!
...and Steam Machine revival maaaaaaybe? Considering maturity of Steam Deck Verified program and the strong partnership with AMD this is doable now.
Surely there can't be that many people who want a Steam handheld? And those who do mostly already got one.
Next step: Steam Controller revival! This one is a must have!
...and Steam Machine revival maaaaaaybe? Considering maturity of Steam Deck Verified program and the strong partnership with AMD this is doable now.
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I love the Steam Deck and everything about it. Got one from the first batch and it's become my primary gaming device ever since. I wish I could play all my Switch games on it, also for the much better ergonomics.
I actually feel bad for people buying the other handhelds, as it is obvious that they are alpha testers for clueless manufacturers that are just after a quick buck. And they are marketing Windows on them as I it is a feature, ugh...
I'm so happy we have Valve contributing upstream to the wider Linux ecosystem. I trust Valve and their plans for the Steam Deck, compared to other brands hardware, so much that I just bought the Steam Deck OLED, even if I already have the original.
I actually feel bad for people buying the other handhelds, as it is obvious that they are alpha testers for clueless manufacturers that are just after a quick buck. And they are marketing Windows on them as I it is a feature, ugh...
I'm so happy we have Valve contributing upstream to the wider Linux ecosystem. I trust Valve and their plans for the Steam Deck, compared to other brands hardware, so much that I just bought the Steam Deck OLED, even if I already have the original.
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Quoting: numasanI love the Steam Deck and everything about it. Got one from the first batch and it's become my primary gaming device ever since. I wish I could play all my Switch games on it, also for the much better ergonomics.
As long as your Switch games aren't from Nintendo or exclusive to the console, a majority of the releases that the Switch gets also show up on Steam with discounts. My approach is that if the Nintendo Direct shows any games of my interest, I check to see if they appears on Steam and if so, I'd rather go buy it from there once they become available so that I know I can play them on the Steam Deck or PC. This is one of many reasons that I don't support Nintendo anymore and I'm glad to be a Steam Deck owner.
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Quoting: FauconNoirI was thinking that maybe they artificially push it to the top sellers to advertise it...
They could do that. But with how the actual Linux user share has been trending to its highest levels I don't think so.
The only gripe I have is publishers not working with Valve on their anticheat after so much progress in that area.
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Quoting: ToddLAs long as your Switch games aren't from Nintendo or exclusive to the console, a majority of the releases that the Switch gets also show up on Steam with discounts. My approach is that if the Nintendo Direct shows any games of my interest, I check to see if they appears on Steam and if so, I'd rather go buy it from there once they become available so that I know I can play them on the Steam Deck or PC. This is one of many reasons that I don't support Nintendo anymore and I'm glad to be a Steam Deck owner.
I only buy Nintendo games on my Switch, and like you get third party games I'm interested in on Steam. I still love Nintendo games, even though the company becomes more like Disney unfortunately.
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Avehicle7887 Jul 3
What makes the Steam Deck the better choice for me:
To me Valve struck a very good balance between price/performance. They've also put a great attention to detail with component placement and small things such as how heat is dissipated without annoying the user.
Then comes the marvel of it all, an OS tailored for the hardware that doesn't waste resources, 16GB isn't much these when you consider the OS + Game + Shared VRAM. Another great advantage is replacement parts available from iFixit.
The other companies are just rushing their versions out the gate to get a piece of the handhelds cake. While their performance can be better in some cases, it's a mess with everything else.
Last edited by Avehicle7887 on 3 July 2024 at 5:12 pm UTC
To me Valve struck a very good balance between price/performance. They've also put a great attention to detail with component placement and small things such as how heat is dissipated without annoying the user.
Then comes the marvel of it all, an OS tailored for the hardware that doesn't waste resources, 16GB isn't much these when you consider the OS + Game + Shared VRAM. Another great advantage is replacement parts available from iFixit.
The other companies are just rushing their versions out the gate to get a piece of the handhelds cake. While their performance can be better in some cases, it's a mess with everything else.
Last edited by Avehicle7887 on 3 July 2024 at 5:12 pm UTC
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Philadelphus Jul 3
The Steam Deck is the device I wish I could go back in time and give my younger self, back when I was a kid and had to endure (literal) days of flying or driving when visiting relatives. I never had any sort of console or handheld device growing up, so being able to play the computer games I already had on the go would've been incredible.
As an adult, I'm still glad I have mine, but with less forced abstinence from my desktop I don't tend to use it all that much; like sonic2kk, I found I'd rather game on my desktop with mouse, keyboard, and large monitors than awkwardly through joysticks on a small screen (most of the kinds of games I like, perhaps unsurprisingly, work better with M+KB). I'm definitely keeping my Deck for long airplane flights, though*, and it's nice to take in to the office to play on my lunch break sometimes**.
*I used it just last week, in fact.
**Which actually led to one of my co-workers who hadn't heard about Steam getting one.
As an adult, I'm still glad I have mine, but with less forced abstinence from my desktop I don't tend to use it all that much; like sonic2kk, I found I'd rather game on my desktop with mouse, keyboard, and large monitors than awkwardly through joysticks on a small screen (most of the kinds of games I like, perhaps unsurprisingly, work better with M+KB). I'm definitely keeping my Deck for long airplane flights, though*, and it's nice to take in to the office to play on my lunch break sometimes**.
*I used it just last week, in fact.
**Which actually led to one of my co-workers who hadn't heard about Steam getting one.
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It's not that I don't welcome competition to the deck, hell, I even think that that the steam deck APU hardware is already getting a bit long in the tooth and could do with an upgrade, it's that the competition doesn't have the dual touchpad, dual analog, 4 grip trigger controls.
I use every last input on the deck and it's ruined other controllers for me. If even a Steam Deck 2 didn't have those, I wouldn't be interested.
The fact that the competition doesn't have linux is not really a problem for me since I can just wipe windows and put something like CachyOS Handheld Edition, ChimeraOS, or Bazzite on it, but the controls are non negotiable.
Last edited by WMan22 on 4 July 2024 at 10:38 am UTC
I use every last input on the deck and it's ruined other controllers for me. If even a Steam Deck 2 didn't have those, I wouldn't be interested.
The fact that the competition doesn't have linux is not really a problem for me since I can just wipe windows and put something like CachyOS Handheld Edition, ChimeraOS, or Bazzite on it, but the controls are non negotiable.
Last edited by WMan22 on 4 July 2024 at 10:38 am UTC
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Quoting: GuestThere are also many demos for the Switch, unlike on Steam, where developers often take them down as soon as the game is finished.
That's not always the case though. For instance, most recently I tired out the Dragon's Dogma 2 trial on Steam, and before that I played Shadow of the Tomb Raider. And right now I'm trying out Middle Earth Shadow of War.
But yes, many games don't have trial/demos available which is unfortunate, but luckily Valve are good with refunds - they'll refund you any game if you've played it for less than two hours and within 14 days of purchase, and they can still make an exception and refund you if you've got a legitimate reason. I've never had a refund request rejected so far (there were a couple of games that I barely touched and forgot about them and went way past the 14-day period, but Valve refunded them).
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