Valve Handheld: Steam Deck

[SwamiLeoni]

I hope this thing sells millions so it can kick start an innovation in the space. So many fun RTS and other games on PC I would love to play but I refuse to sit in front of my computer as I do that with work all day long. My PS5 is hooked to my TV in my living room which is a relaxing area. The deck being dockable would be something I will purchase in the future once an iteration or advancement makes its way through.

 

[JohnSAFTAHess]

People sure are willing to spend a lot of money for what they are describing as a portable emulator.

It's versatile as fuck.

Saying just an emulator ignores that it has an OS and functions like a computer.. that's easily transported, has HDMI out and accepts an insane amount of peripherals.

It's a better Switch with a never ending library of shit to play. Or an emulator. Whichever.

 

[rob mafia]

It's versatile as fuck.

Saying just an emulator ignores that it has an OS and functions like a computer.. that's easily transported, has HDMI out and accepts an insane amount of peripherals.

It's a better Switch with a never ending library of shit to play. Or an emulator. Whichever.

i guess. imo, it's less versatile than a decent laptop.

So many fun RTS and other games on PC I would love to play but I refuse to sit in front of my computer as I do that with work all day long. My PS5 is hooked to my TV in my living room which is a relaxing area.

just sayin' - but it's pretty easy to hook a pc up to a tv... even in another room.

that said, i think it's odd that you thought of rts games with this device. lolz. imo, it's the furthest genre from it that i'd want to play. haha.

 

[JohnSAFTAHess]

i guess. imo, it's less versatile than a decent laptop.

Size and portability are quite a bit better than my fat ass msi, but it's never going to be outright better than a laptop... there's just a ton of potential for this to be a really great, convenient, go to console-like device for just a variety of options.

There are a billion ways to play games. Build a cheap emulation system. Go all in on a beefcake PC. Get a nice laptop. Buy every console ever if you're rich as fuck. Whatever.

This seems like great system for casual fuckers to drop money on and get some really great features with capable, but not mind blowing specs. I think it's going to be a big deal.

 

[rob mafia]

Size and portability are quite a bit better than my fat ass msi, but it's never going to be outright better than a laptop... there's just a ton of potential for this to be a really great, convenient, go to console-like device for just a variety of options.

There are a billion ways to play games. Build a cheap emulation system. Go all in on a beefcake PC. Get a nice laptop. Buy every console ever if you're rich as fuck. Whatever.

This seems like great system for casual fuckers to drop money on and get some really great features with capable, but not mind blowing specs. I think it's going to be a big deal.

maybe, i dunno. i honestly find it a bit weird that there were like 5 handheld gaming pcs in the last year or two that no one gave a shit about... but then it's a complete 180 with this one and i see a lot of expectations that seem lofty as fuck to me.

i think a lot of people may be disappointed.

 

[method115]

maybe, i dunno. i honestly find it a bit weird that there were like 5 handheld gaming pcs in the last year or two that no one gave a shit about.

I didn't even hear about any other handheld PCs. Do you have any links to them?

 

[JohnSAFTAHess]

maybe, i dunno. i honestly find it a bit weird that there were like 5 handheld gaming pcs in the last year or two that no one gave a shit about... but then it's a complete 180 with this one and i see a lot of expectations that seem lofty as fuck to me.

i think a lot of people may be disappointed.

I've seen a couple really cool ones.. but admittedly wasn't planning on getting one unless way down the road.

This has me more interested for a few reasons, one being valve bridging the console-pc divide with a near combo device that I think will sell like gangbusters, the price point isn't bad at all and also the proprietary Linux OS is intriguing.

..but you're right, this shit ain't new and I most likely will never end up playing AAA PC titles on it.

 

[rob mafia]

I didn't even hear about any other handheld PCs. Do you have any links to them?

https://www.ayaneo.com/aya-neo

https://www.amazon.com/GPD-Handheld-GamePlayer-1280x720-Processor/dp/B09316Z6C4

these seemed to be the best ones. there were some others that i don't really feel like looking up.

i thought the neo was a good concept. but i had no interest in getting one.

edit: changed win3's link to amazon because indiegogo was weird about being embedded

 

[KaNesDeath]

that said, i think it's odd that you thought of rts games with this device. lolz. imo, it's the furthest genre from it that i'd want to play. haha.

Analog sticks and trackpads on a controller gives the user near full functionality in a game designed for mouse/keyboard.

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

I hope this thing sells millions so it can kick start an innovation in the space. So many fun RTS and other games on PC I would love to play but I refuse to sit in front of my computer as I do that with work all day long. My PS5 is hooked to my TV in my living room which is a relaxing area. The deck being dockable would be something I will purchase in the future once an iteration or advancement makes its way through.

It is really easy to connect a PC or a laptop next to a TV and then just use a wireless keyboard and mouse.

 

[rob mafia]

Analog sticks and trackpads on a controller gives the user near full functionality in a game designed for mouse/keyboard.

i dunno, man. i'm having flashbacks of starcraft n64.

 

[method115]

https://www.ayaneo.com/aya-neo

https://www.amazon.com/GPD-Handheld-GamePlayer-1280x720-Processor/dp/B09316Z6C4

these seemed to be the best ones. there were some others that i don't really feel like looking up.

i thought the neo was a good concept. but i had no interest in getting one.

edit: changed win3's link to amazon because indiegogo was weird about being embedded

Seems these devices just aren't up to par when it comes to advertising but they seem promising. Although one of them is apparently installing malware on the system. The other is indiegogo and frankly almost everyone is put off by crowd funding projects to many horror stories.

 

[SwamiLeoni]

just sayin' - but it's pretty easy to hook a pc up to a tv... even in another room.

that said, i think it's odd that you thought of rts games with this device. lolz. imo, it's the furthest genre from it that i'd want to play. haha.

I don’t want to buy a new PC. Mine is somewhat old but is a Ryzen 5 I believe. It can still jam, but it’s upstairs and the logistics seem difficult. My switch fits right in a cabinet in our entertainment system. Easy to hide.

I have Cartel Tycoon and Civ 6 on my Steam among other RTS games (I think I have a LOTRs one?). But ya, it’s just another way to play those where I don’t have to be sitting at my computer. I’m completely PC/Console agnostic and want to play the best games on each platform.

It is really easy to connect a PC or a laptop next to a TV and then just use a wireless keyboard and mouse.

Maybe, but unless I can hide it, the gf would throw a fit.

 

[GtehMVP]

I REALLY disagree that the majority of Switch owners bought it for 3rd party on the go. They did not buy a Switch so they could play inferior versions of Witcher and Doom on the go. They bought it for the same reason they buy most nintendo consoles, Mario, zelda, family games.

Also, so long as the Decks are priced the way they are, Nintendo has 0 to worry about.

What this thing does have is a potentially massive built in user base, considering no one would have to re-buy their games for a new console. Which is awesome.

I worded that poorly. I meant to say that it's the non-hardcore Nintendo crowd that makes up the majority (or giant share) of its system sales, not just 3rd party game purchasers.

I base that on sales of the WiiU and the Gamecube to competitors. Those systems sold poorly, even if their 1st party gems sold really well, which they did.

The Wii sold a lot, being a great novelty thing (motion controls and Wii Sports bundled) for the non-hardcore. Along with the Switch, it had a great gimmick. Poor 3rd party Wii support hurt their bottom line though.

If the Switch wasn't mobile, there's no way it would have sold like it did. That clearly resonated with the more casual crowd. Its excellent 3rd party support also helped bring in millions more. Nintendo has proven that they need more than just their 1st party lineup, and base consumer, to sell a lot of systems.

There's a big chunk of Switch owners Steam can pillage if they get it right.

 

[rob mafia]

I don’t want to buy a new PC. Mine is somewhat old but is a Ryzen 5 I believe. It can still jam, but it’s upstairs and the logistics seem difficult. My switch fits right in a cabinet in our entertainment system. Easy to hide.

I have Cartel Tycoon and Civ 6 on my Steam among other RTS games (I think I have a LOTRs one?). But ya, it’s just another way to play those where I don’t have to be sitting at my computer. I’m completely PC/Console agnostic and want to play the best games on each platform.

Maybe, but unless I can hide it, the gf would throw a fit.

there's a joke here in that valve made a device for this years ago...

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

I don’t want to buy a new PC. Mine is somewhat old but is a Ryzen 5 I believe. It can still jam, but it’s upstairs and the logistics seem difficult. My switch fits right in a cabinet in our entertainment system. Easy to hide.

I have Cartel Tycoon and Civ 6 on my Steam among other RTS games (I think I have a LOTRs one?). But ya, it’s just another way to play those where I don’t have to be sitting at my computer. I’m completely PC/Console agnostic and want to play the best games on each platform.



Maybe, but unless I can hide it, the gf would throw a fit.

The Steam Deck is going to be 29 cm wide. That’s 12 inches. This thing is practically already the size of a laptop.

 

[GtehMVP]

Maybe, but unless I can hide it, the gf would throw a fit.

lol, does your gf live with you?

My gf scoffed at the idea of using a PC as a media/living room centerpiece. She had her cable, and smart tv for Netflix

After a few months of seeing my PC in action, and hooking my laptop on her tv, she became a convert and she doesn't play video games. You just need a wireless mouse and keyboard. Free streaming sites alone are worth it

She finally cut the cable cord a couple of months ago, I was so proud lol

maybe, i dunno. i honestly find it a bit weird that there were like 5 handheld gaming pcs in the last year or two that no one gave a shit about... but then it's a complete 180 with this one and i see a lot of expectations that seem lofty as fuck to me.

i think a lot of people may be disappointed.

It's definitely not new. Steam integration is the key difference for this though. They have 100 mil users to pool from.

For it to not fail, It has to be as easy as turning a Switch on and firing up a game. As others have said, weight might be an issue too.

All the other custom stuff we can do doesn't have to be as intuitive, as those users are used to tinkering with shit. It's a PC though, so I don't see much of a hassle there.

 

[SwamiLeoni]

The Steam Deck is going to be 29 cm wide. That’s 12 inches. This thing is practically already the size of a laptop.

True. I'll wait and see what it looks like before I make a decision. I'm in no hurry really, so I may just wait to see if other companies jump on this trend with better products.

lol, does your gf live with you?

My gf scoffed at the idea of using a PC as a media/living room centerpiece. She had her cable, and smart tv for Netflix

After a few months of seeing my PC in action, and hooking my laptop on her tv, she became a convert and she doesn't play video games. You just need a wireless mouse and keyboard. Free streaming sites alone are worth it

She finally cut the cable cord a couple of months ago, I was so proud lol

My FireTV is pretty much setup with everything I need. It's got the latest version of Kodi with Real-Debrid and my Sportsaccess acct. I haven't had cable TV for probably over 15 years. The entertainment system is relatively small so a PC wouldn't work at all.

 

[HairdewX]

I worded that poorly. I meant to say that it's the non-hardcore Nintendo crowd that makes up the majority (or giant share) of its system sales, not just 3rd party game purchasers.

I base that on sales of the WiiU and the Gamecube to competitors. Those systems sold poorly, even if their 1st party gems sold really well, which they did.

The Wii sold a lot, being a great novelty thing (motion controls and Wii Sports bundled) for the non-hardcore. Along with the Switch, it had a great gimmick. Poor 3rd party Wii support hurt their bottom line though.

If the Switch wasn't mobile, there's no way it would have sold like it did. That clearly resonated with the more casual crowd. Its excellent 3rd party support also helped bring in millions more. Nintendo has proven that they need more than just their 1st party lineup, and base consumer, to sell a lot of systems.

There's a big chunk of Switch owners Steam can pillage if they get it right.

Steam certainly can get converts if they play it right.

I do think they are missing some key things if they want to eat into that market share:

• Size. For a hand-held portable solution, Steam Deck is absolutely huge. Switch has it beat there in terms of form factor and total portability. won't fit non-adult sized hands
• Price
• Durability. Would I buy a steam deck for a child? Hell no... Sticky hands? Steam Deck drop test? yikes.....
• Ease of use (UI, etc.). With flexibility come less stream-lining. The Switch UI is so simple even small children can figure it out. Steam big picture mode is still not there. Drivers? Windows update?
• First-party, platform specific games
• Kid friendly. It's a big deal. Just among the kids in my family circle there are 7 Switches, soon to be 8.

It's nice that the specs of the Steam Deck look great. However, I don't think specs were a major part of the value proposition with the Switch to begin with.

 

[method115]

Steam certainly can get converts if they play it right.

I do think they are missing some key things if they want to eat into that market share:

• Size. For a hand-held portable solution, Steam Deck is absolutely huge. Switch has it beat there in terms of form factor and total portability. won't fit non-adult sized hands
• Price
• Durability. Would I buy a steam deck for a child? Hell no... Sticky hands? Steam Deck drop test? yikes.....
• Ease of use (UI, etc.). With flexibility come less stream-lining. The Switch UI is so simple even small children can figure it out. Steam big picture mode is still not there. Drivers? Windows update?
• First-party, platform specific games
• Kid friendly. It's a big deal. Just among the kids in my family circle there are 7 Switches, soon to be 8.

It's nice that the specs of the Steam Deck look great. However, I don't think specs were a major part of the value proposition with the Switch to begin with.

Ease of use is the only one I disagree with. There is no drivers\windows update if you leave the default OS.