The Steam Deck - a Switch competitor coming in december 2021

[Toybox]

Its not about quality, it's how many sell. It could be the most perfect handheld of all time, but not sell well so there's no reason to continue to support it. And also, the deck isn't exempt from another stupid reason to drop it like the others. All I'm saying is don't be surprised if they forget about it by mid 2023 because gaben wants to build a rocket to mars or something instead now.

The bright side of that is that it's just a computer really, so in the absolute worst case scenario where Valve just leave it out to die (which I'm not expecting but is always something to be considered), it'll still work. It's not going to be like my previous near-perfect handheld (the Vita) that just absolutely loses all reason for existing outside of emulation because Sony needed to sell units to bother keeping the online on.

[Video Games]

The bright side of that is that it's just a computer really, so in the absolute worst case scenario where Valve just leave it out to die (which I'm not expecting but is always something to be considered), it'll still work. It's not going to be like my previous near-perfect handheld (the Vita) that just absolutely loses all reason for existing outside of emulation because Sony needed to sell units to bother keeping the online on.

Well thats the thing, if it's not updated it won't be able to run future games. It's not a huge deal to me because.i'm getting mine to play gamecube and ps2 games better than my gpd max. I don't care at all if it can run tes 6, but a lot of people might

[Toybox]

Well thats the thing, if it's not updated it won't be able to run future games. It's not a huge deal to me because.i'm getting mine to play gamecube and ps2 games better than my gpd max. I don't care at all if it can run tes 6, but a lot of people might

It's just a Linux install on an AMD system so I don't think it's possible for it to not be updated really, unless Valve go out of there way to lock things down for some reason, & even then we know you can install another OS on it so it'll be fine either way.

I'm on the same boat as you though, really. SNES through to maybe some PS3/Wii U titles, indie games, & maybe VNs as well, but the latter is a bit of wait & see as in-home streaming to a 10" tablet is already fantastic for that.

[Video Games]

It's just a Linux install on an AMD system so I don't think it's possible for it to not be updated really, unless Valve go out of there way to lock things down for some reason, & even then we know you can install another OS on it so it'll be fine either way.

I'm on the same boat as you though, really. SNES through to maybe some PS3/Wii U titles, indie games, & maybe VNs as well, but the latter is a bit of wait & see as in-home streaming to a 10" tablet is already fantastic for that.

Well i also mean hardware updates. Gpd actually makes new internals you can get and put it in your existing case. It's a good piece of hardware, but will start showing its age in 2 years and then there's also battery degradation to think about. After a few years, my majoras mask 3ds lasted around 25 minutes even playing gameboy games till i replaced the battery. Will this be popular enough to be able to buy a replacement? No idea, hence why i generally tell the more casuals to go with the sure thing

[Toybox]

Well i also mean hardware updates. Gpd actually makes new internals you can get and put it in your existing case. It's a good piece of hardware, but will start showing its age in 2 years and then there's also battery degradation to think about. After a few years, my majoras mask 3ds lasted around 25 minutes even playing gameboy games till i replaced the battery. Will this be popular enough to be able to buy a replacement? No idea, hence why i generally tell the more casuals to go with the sure thing

If I'm buying new internals I'd rather buy a fancy new case to go along with it as well, though that does seem like a cool feature to have. I'm all for upgradeability & user serviceability in general, which is why the dream is to have a device with a detachable battery &, ideally, controller sections. It'd be great to have a joycon-styled handheld PC where each of the side pads could be swapped between different inputs based on what game is being played.

On the internals thing again, since GPD have to make a profit on the device & Valve don't, there's the argument that you could just buy the second Steam Deck in a few years time & it'll still come out cheaper than the reusable case. As much as I value the pioneering that GPD has done in the space, I can't justify buying a device which performs similarly for double the cost, which is why I'm hoping the Deck is enough of a success to get Microsoft or such interested in making a handheld of their own.

[Lucetia]

A genuine concern. Hopefully Valve at the very least will make the parts available further down the line for people who want to attempt a repair out of warranty. The company that takes the idea of the handheld PC & makes one that's fully modular is the one I'll end up with in the long term.

I'd imagine that there will be some support for this either through Valve or third party. I know Valve said you can tear down the device, just some things would be limited. So I can't imagine them not being able to support the joysticks.

I think people really misjudge how much the Deck is actually competing against the Switch.

I think people are too focused on "It's a handheld so it's direct competition for the Switch. The Switch will win because of Nintendo." When the two aren't even competing as they aren't even in the same arena for the most part. Two different types of games completely, one being Switch/Handheld related the other being PC games. It's not like how Sony/Xbox are more competing each other since they have same game on both whereas Switch / Steam Deck don't have this problem (without emulation).

Both the Switch and Steam Deck will have their own uses and I think people should focus more on which serves their needs. For instance, I wouldn't mind a Switch to play some of the games, but it's nowhere close to a priority for me. A Steam Deck on the other hand has a lot more uses for me such as Steam Library, ability to boot Windows and do other things if I wanted. So the versatility is a big plus for me.

Whatever the case, seeing pre orders backed up for nearly a year & companies like Epic directly support their storefront competitor by enabling their games to run on their platform shows that there's at least a place for it.

I can imagine the other companies like Epic and them like this idea because it'll help generate some sales for them. Not as much as say Steam due to it being easier to do, but they'll still generate some sales.

I'm mostly just looking forward to a handheld that I'll have thousands of games ready to go right from day one & feels more like a gaming device than something like a phone with a grip.

I'm in the same boat. I was telling a friend of mine I have several Steam games I want to play, but whenever I sit down at the computer I'm not in the mood sometimes. However, being able to lay down in bed, a car ride or down time at work would be nice to have this device.

I cannot see the Steam Deck seriously threaten the Switch unless it gets a thriving emulator scene.
The Switch is currently suffering most from anti-consumer practices in regards to older games, if the Steam Deck can run an emulator easily then it could snatch up the players that want to play Pokémon Emerald on the Switch but can't, for instance.

There is no reason why it wouldn't be able to. Steam even has RetroArch on it right now which will likely work on Steam Deck too. Not to mention you can load your own games/programs on there and even dual boot to another OS if needed.

This is so overstated it's crazy. The Steam Machines were an incredible failure, granted, but the groundwork laid by Steam OS 1.0 led to what we have today. The Steam Controller was fantastic & was only discontinued because of a lawsuit with Scuf - People just didn't like it because it wasn't immediately accessible/required some tweaking, & people went in expecting just another 2 stick/one dpad controller for some reason. The Link was great (I still have mine), has had solid support for years, though was made mostly irrelevant by other devices & the mobile link app in recent years. The Index has been the best in class for years, & Valve have done more to support VR than perhaps any other developer out there.

I think that's what people don't see. They just look at past attempts and go they failed so things will be terrible without realizing that you have to have some terrible products along the way to reach the end goal. Not every console that has been released has been winners. They each had support during that time and then it was done. Just like the steam devices, who mostly just played PC games so there was no reason to see continual work past it like you do with console emulators.

Well thats the thing, if it's not updated it won't be able to run future games. It's not a huge deal to me because.i'm getting mine to play gamecube and ps2 games better than my gpd max. I don't care at all if it can run tes 6, but a lot of people might

Might not be able to run future AAA games that are super heavy on the gpu, but it'll still run over thousands of games that it can now. Along with being able to put whatever you want on it still. The only function it loses is playing newer games at decent FPS. Where as past handhelds and consoles become useless unless you still have the media and not trade/sell it. Even with this you can still install stuff in the future just that you may have to take a performance hit.

Well i also mean hardware updates. Gpd actually makes new internals you can get and put it in your existing case. It's a good piece of hardware, but will start showing its age in 2 years and then there's also battery degradation to think about. After a few years, my majoras mask 3ds lasted around 25 minutes even playing gameboy games till i replaced the battery. Will this be popular enough to be able to buy a replacement? No idea, hence why i generally tell the more casuals to go with the sure thing

That's the thing, with the GPD that you are trying to say is a sure thing may not be a sure thing. Maybe they'll stop selling new components and stuff because sales drop and then it is just like the Steam Deck. Neither are sure things and "casuals" as you put it aren't going to drop 2-3x on something when they can just get a Steam Deck for cheaper that does the same if not better in areas.

[Video Games]

That's the thing, with the GPD that you are trying to say is a sure thing may not be a sure thing. Maybe they'll stop selling new components and stuff because sales drop and then it is just like the Steam Deck. Neither are sure things and "casuals" as you put it aren't going to drop 2-3x on something when they can just get a Steam Deck for cheaper that does the same if not better in areas.

I say they are a sure thing because they're on their 5th generation of hardware, are out, tested, and known. I have one myself. Valve does not have this kind of track record and we have no idea if the steam deck will be good or be mega buggy. You're pre ordering a big maybe

[Video Games]

Is the demand for portable gaming really so high? Where are you going where you feel the need to take a Steam Deck with you, and why are you there if you have to much free time to just dump into gaming ''on the go'' that you couldn't just return home to do the same?

IDK maybe it's just me, but when I go out it's for a purpose. I just don't have the desire to go sit on a random park bench and start gaming away for hours.. I'd rather be in the comfort of my own home to do that.

Some people have long commutes and live in nice cities. But I live in portland where druggies and homeless people are everywhere harassing people, especially on the train, so I'm not gonna take mine out of the house. Gonna play mine in bed with a nice bottle of san pellegrino

[Lucetia]

Is the demand for portable gaming really so high? Where are you going where you feel the need to take a Steam Deck with you, and why are you there if you have to much free time to just dump into gaming ''on the go'' that you couldn't just return home to do the same?

IDK maybe it's just me, but when I go out it's for a purpose. I just don't have the desire to go sit on a random park bench and start gaming away for hours.. I'd rather be in the comfort of my own home to do that.

It varies per person.

For example these are reasons I'd do it and I'm sure others too:

• When you have down time at work, like during breaks, lunch time, etc.
• When you are going on a road trip and aren't driving
• Some sports games. My niece cheerleads so I go to some of them sometimes and I have no desire for sports, but I'm there to support her so when she's not up I could be fiddling around with it.
• If you are waiting somewhere for someone. There are times I need to pick up people from places and I get there a little bit early. I'd rather be playing on the Steam Deck or handheld rather than my phone.
• In between classes
• When I'm laying down and just trying to zone out. Yeah I could sit on my PC but sometimes I'd rather not sit and play when I could just lay down and start to pass out too.

Those are just some examples I can think of where I'd use it off the top of my head. For me I wouldn't do anything like go to a park bench and start playing just because if I'm usually out there's something I'm doing, but at the same time there is down time in places.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Is the demand for portable gaming really so high?

Easy to whip out on your lunch break and play a bit. Handheld consoles are also more convenient to carry around in your pockets than a giant gaming laptop that can more easily break and get stolen.

Portable gaming is really big in Japan, where salarymen often come home too tired to play games, so they wind up just playing while on the train commute to work. Hence why handheld consoles do really well there. That, and that the only handheld console company is also the only console publisher that still caters to the Japanese market. Gacha games also do well there because most of Japan's population is concentrated in mega cities with very high costs of living, which means less disposable income. I doubt the Steam deck will find much of a foothold over there, as the PC gaming market in Japan crashed two decades ago (it's not totally dead or else there wouldn't be a visual novel industry, but it's nowhere near as big as it once was when they were pumping out fantastic games for the PC-98. The VN industry also has crossover appeal with gacha games).

[Toybox]

Is the demand for portable gaming really so high? Where are you going where you feel the need to take a Steam Deck with you, and why are you there if you have to much free time to just dump into gaming ''on the go'' that you couldn't just return home to do the same?

IDK maybe it's just me, but when I go out it's for a purpose. I just don't have the desire to go sit on a random park bench and start gaming away for hours.. I'd rather be in the comfort of my own home to do that.

At home, mostly. I've a really nice PC setup & a good current-gen equipped laptop, but neither are the same as chilling on a recliner with your dog beside you as you play on a handheld Mine is unlikely to ever leave the house.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

I still remain unconvinced about the Steam Deck. If you're going to play a game on the go, then honestly you're probably going to just get a straight up better gameplay experience playing a mobile game on your phone, or a DS or a gameboy or a PSP game. The games for those consoles were designed knowing the play habits of the handheld userbase. People who play on PCs or home consoles might sit down for a 2-3 hour long gaming session. Handheld players are likely only going to play for a few minutes at a time, probably no more than an hour. Thus, the games were designed around that. With the exception of JRPGs with long cutscenes (which weren't really designed for handheld, but instead found refugee on handheld because being on home console came with the expectation of having a pretty 3D HD game and the transition to HD killed most studios), handheld games were designed to be played in short bursts.

You're not going to have fun playing Skyrim for 5 minutes at a time. The mobile port of Kotor is a pretty bad experience because it's a game you're supposed to sit down and play for a long period of time. Also, those games look way, way better on a big screen, not a tiny screen. The games that you can play for short bursts and look good on a small screen that are available on Steam are almost certainly already available on some other handheld platform anyway. The only advantage I can see with the Steam Deck is that you have actual buttons, whereas you have to cover up the precious screen space of your mobile phone with your thumbs to touch the touchscreen controls. Also having actual buttons feels way better.

[Toybox]

I still remain unconvinced about the Steam Deck. If you're going to play a game on the go, then honestly you're probably going to just get a straight up better gameplay experience playing a mobile game on your phone, or a DS or a gameboy or a PSP game. The games for those consoles were designed knowing the play habits of the handheld userbase. People who play on PCs or home consoles might sit down for a 2-3 hour long gaming session. Handheld players are likely only going to play for a few minutes at a time, probably no more than an hour. Thus, the games were designed around that. With the exception of JRPGs with long cutscenes (which weren't really designed for handheld, but instead found refugee on handheld because being on home console came with the expectation of having a pretty 3D HD game and the transition to HD killed most studios), handheld games were designed to be played in short bursts.

You're not going to have fun playing Skyrim for 5 minutes at a time. The mobile port of Kotor is a pretty bad experience because it's a game you're supposed to sit down and play for a long period of time. Also, those games look way, way better on a big screen, not a tiny screen. The games that you can play for short bursts and look good on a small screen that are available on Steam are almost certainly already available on some other handheld platform anyway. The only advantage I can see with the Steam Deck is that you have actual buttons, whereas you have to cover up the precious screen space of your mobile phone with your thumbs to touch the touchscreen controls. Also having actual buttons feels way better.

On this, PC has:

• A hell of a lot more of them than the Switch/Vita, & probably mobile as well if we're talking about actual worthwhile games & just not just ad-riddled loot box nonsense
• No need to re-buy games you already own
• Cheaper games to begin with
• No need to pay for online
• Mod support (which can be huge for rogue-likes & fighting games for example)

I'm probably missing a few, but PC has by far the biggest & most diverse line-up of any platform out there - & it's not even close. There's likely more games suited to short gaming sessions on PC than there is on every Nintendo handheld combined & then some.

Big true on the buttons, though... I remember running Retroarch on my old phone, & it was just a horrible experience that had me looking at dedicated emulation handhelds & 3D printed controller brackets, both of which are fine solutions as well.

[Dejiko]

Is it right to call it a Switch competitor if it can`t play nintendo games?
Unless you can emulate it with Switch software.

[Lucetia]

Is it right to call it a Switch competitor if it can`t play nintendo games?
Unless you can emulate it with Switch software.

Current theory is you can emulate Switch on it based on how well it runs on similar PC's. However, even though it could do that, it still doesn't make it a Switch competitor since you would need to jump through hoops and do things we know no one should be doing.

[Daedius]

Is the demand for portable gaming really so high? Where are you going where you feel the need to take a Steam Deck with you, and why are you there if you have to much free time to just dump into gaming ''on the go'' that you couldn't just return home to do the same?

IDK maybe it's just me, but when I go out it's for a purpose. I just don't have the desire to go sit on a random park bench and start gaming away for hours.. I'd rather be in the comfort of my own home to do that.

I work at the Airport where there can be a lot of downtime in between flights, especially during the off season where I can have hours of nothing to do throughout the day... particularly in the evenings where there's a gap after the 5pm flights and 10pm flights.

[ati87]

Current theory is you can emulate Switch on it based on how well it runs on similar PC's. However, even though it could do that, it still doesn't make it a Switch competitor since you would need to jump through hoops and do things we know no one should be doing.

I have my doubts that Valve can beat Nintendo because we don't know how the experience of the steamdeck will be in a year or two however having said that.

I dont think you really need to be able to play Nintendo games to directly compete with Nintendo, you just need to have good enough games to enjoy the experience. Mario, Zelda and Pokemon are borderline classics that will always sell well but that doesn't mean people will buy Nintendo consoles to experience these games. Wii U is a perfect example of this and I'm personally not convinced that the sales where horrible only because of the name, looking at multiply "best games list" I see no reason to buy a Wii U (same problem I have with the Xbox One).

[Toybox]

I dont think you really need to be able to play Nintendo games to directly compete with Nintendo, you just need to have good enough games to enjoy the experience.

Which is why I think the Deck will have more of a chance than something like the Vita. The Vita was a spectacular device, but its launch library was... Well, it was good by launch library standards, but it was still only like 6 or so original games if I remember right. The Steam Deck launches with 40+ odd years of PC games on it, emulation up to the PS2/Wii U/3DS without issue (& PS3/Switch on a game by game basis).

I still don't think it's competing with Nintendo all that much, but it's still a really compelling class of device, & hopefully the Deck proves successful enough to get other big PC names to build their own devices.

[Toybox]

I love the humour Good of them to make this video, & good to know replacement parts will be available.

[Lucetia]

I love the humour Good of them to make this video, & good to know replacement parts will be available.

Yeah it was pretty well done and the humor too. Though that's basically them covering themselves in case someone screws something up just like anything else. At the same time though they didn't make it too much of a pain to replace things if you need too. Just gave potential warnings if you were to upgrade it to a non-standard item.