Valve are set to launch the Steam Deck, a new handheld gaming system, in the US, Canada, the UK, and the EU this December:
Any thoughts so far on this device?
Any thoughts so far on this device?
Steam Deck
- Thread starter Nerroth
- Start date
The concept itself is nice, but yeah, it's fairly steep, especially when you consider the price only gets higher in certain markets. At $499 CND for the base model, with the limited amount of storage onboard, it edges it out of the affordability zone, especially when theoretically one could get a PS4/5 at a similar price point, and with more storage. Then for the top of the line model, it's $819 CND. Ouch!
And then there's the factor of the button placement. Just looking at it makes my hands ache. It would be uncomfortable for small hands to use.
And then there's the factor of the button placement. Just looking at it makes my hands ache. It would be uncomfortable for small hands to use.
I went ahead and pre-ordered one. I love my switch, but some games just do not translate well to traditional controllers. The Steam Controller was the best experience ive had playing PC games on the couch, and this seems to improve upon that. On top of that, this is Linux and I’m a strong advocate for linux gaming!
I might get it. Right now it just seems there's no games I can't play now that it will allow me to play, it will only give me more mobility in how I play them, so it doesn't seem quite worth it yet.
I balked at the Valve Index's insane price point. Then somehow I got one. I was sure I wouldn't until I clicked buy.
That had Half-Life: Alyx, one of the best videogame experiences ever ever ever. This... lets me play things I can play on my PC, but on a smaller screen and with more awkward controls. So, until I probably buy one, I'm not interested.
That had Half-Life: Alyx, one of the best videogame experiences ever ever ever. This... lets me play things I can play on my PC, but on a smaller screen and with more awkward controls. So, until I probably buy one, I'm not interested.
Thing to keep in mind is that apparently only 20% of Steam's library is linux games (which is a worrying percentage when you realize this thing runs on linux), but it will have a compatibility layer for windows games. Then the fact that you can install other stores, like EGS and GOG, the prospects go up, as I think GOG has better linux compatibility.
I guess what's left to see is how well this thing will work in practice. Things sometimes sound much better on paper until you actually get to using them.
I guess what's left to see is how well this thing will work in practice. Things sometimes sound much better on paper until you actually get to using them.
My friends who work in robotics are immediately scheming how to use the Steam Deck for robotics purposes.
While I won't be getting one, I'm honestly impressed. The specs of a half-way competent gaming laptop with the functionality of the Nintendo Switch with the price point to match, easily expandable memory, and quite possibly the largest number of launch titles for any console in the history of gaming...by like, several dozen orders of magnitude.
I think this may just succeed where the Steam Boxes failed.
I'd also say that the ability to install other clients and software on the thing will very much work in it's favour. Giving customers easy access to the ecosystem without trying to lock them into it will score a lot of points, both with the tech savvy crowd and the more casual gamers. It means more sales, more people on the platform, more people tempted in by those Steam sales...
I think this may just succeed where the Steam Boxes failed.
Supposedly SteamOS has a windows emulator of sorts built in, so it's not restricted to just linux games. Pretty much everything in the Steam library should run on this thing.
I'd also say that the ability to install other clients and software on the thing will very much work in it's favour. Giving customers easy access to the ecosystem without trying to lock them into it will score a lot of points, both with the tech savvy crowd and the more casual gamers. It means more sales, more people on the platform, more people tempted in by those Steam sales...
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Yeah, which is what I mentioned. It's called Proton, and strangely enough they don't make a big deal about it on the website for this thing. But there are quite a few games, and very popular ones too, that are known to not work with it, some down to their anti-cheating, which they've said is a known issue.
I have to wonder though, with other stores allowed to be installed, if Steam Deck versions of them will be made available, just to better make use of the form factor like the SteamOS is doing.
That seems like a fairly straight-forward fix. They just need to co-ordinate with a few other companies to get it straightened out...and since they're Valve, they certainly have enough pull to get that done for most cases, and with the deck on the way, the motivation to do so.
Even so, this only affects a mere handful of multi-player titles. That still leaves plenty of very popular alternative...plus literally almost every single player game currently available on PC anywhere.
This doesn't feel either insurmountable or even a deal breaker if it is.
Barring some specific partnership, Steam have no reason to ever pre-install a competitor's client. It's enough that the option is there. It's still a business and keeping the native ecosystem front and centre will always be the smart approach.
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Not pre-install, no. I wasn't even thinking that far. That'd be a bit much. I was thinking more of a landing page of their respective store websites that would detect that you're on the Steam Deck and offer to download a Steam Deck version of their software.
Probably not necessary. This thing is basically a miniature laptop and is meant to operate more or less like one, beyond the gaming side of things, so they should all work the same as they would on a PC's or tablet's browser.
Indeed a lot of sites these days tend to be geared towards accommodating touch interface anyway, so it ought to be fairly seamless.
I'm interested in getting one.
