Steam Deck - top tech or train wreck?

I was close to getting a ROG Ally and really liked it when I tried one. I was vacillating on making the plunge, as having a Windows handheld would be useful (I could convert the Deck, but I do like the UNIX OS and I can't be arsed). No trackpads and a lot of the reports about it cooking SDCards gave me pause. Then the moment passed and more shiny stuff turned up.

But I think the Legion Go really is the one to go for now. After having seen one in the flesh the screen is incredible (it's not OLED, but it's superb quality and colour balance). I love the detachable padmouse, it's genius. And it feels so stupidly large it almost gets past the Steam Deck embarrassment by being so ludicrously enormous that pulling it out on a plane or train shows you simply don't give a fuck what anyone thinks. The software is also excellent as well - really impressive overall for a first hardware/software iteration.

I did see 2 other people unironically using portable PCs on the plane (both Steam Decks) so I do think it's becoming more socially acceptable. So maybe I'll get a Legion Go and just own the moment.

Yeah, the Lenovo looks pretty incredible. I'm not sure how useable the mouse thing is for it, and as this is Windows you can just link a Bluetooth mouse to any of the handheld windows PCs. So that's not really a selling point for me. The bigger screen looks cool, and the fact that it has a trackpad fills one gap compared to the Ally. It does give me that feeling of "damn, I should have waited for that one." I'm not sure that is a rational thought though. If you are choosing between the Ally and the Legion Go today, the Legion is probably the right choice, but neither is really wrong. Unless you really want an SD reader that doesn't toast itself, then definitely go for the Legion.

The 'Mouse' function of the Lenovo joycon looks super clunky to me, definitely not sure I'd play an FPS with it

Still weighing up getting a Steam Deck, leaning towards the "yes"/gadget lust camp at the moment. I need to stop watching YouTube videos made by enthusiastic nerds.

Couple of questions, for those who are in the know (guessing that's cav, basically):

• How good is the mouse control, really? I'm guessing it's there mostly for compatibility and I'm not going to be playing Total War on this thing any time soon.

• From what I've read, getting Epic and GOG games running is fairly straightforward using something called the Heroic launcher, but getting Game Pass games to run natively is a huge pain in the arse unless you want to dual boot into Windows (which is itself a huge pain in the arse to install). Is this broadly correct?

• Getting Game Pass games to stream using Xbox Cloud Gaming looks eminently doable though, I can see that being a really useful feature. Has anyone tried that here?

• Any really good game recommendations? I'm guessing the Venn diagram of "runs really well on the Steam Deck" / "doesn't make excessive use of keyboard and mouse" / "isn't already available on Game Pass" is reasonably small, but there must be some PC exclusives I'm missing. Everything in my Steam library is from around 2015 or earlier. Would it be ridiculous to think of playing the Sony exclusives like Spider-Man and Ratchet & Clank on this?

• Any really good game recommendations?

Genital Jousting. Whether you consider that the PC game or a new hobby suggestion is your call.

(Seriously though, Genital Jousting's story mode is wonderful)

No.

Mouse control is pretty shit. I know the newer model has improvements, and you'll find Youtubers who claim it has the elegance and precision of a bit of medical equipment. The pads are pretty bad, and the haptic response is interesting but doesn't really improve them much beyond novelty options (or navigating the full UNIX OS). I do think if there is a use case for them it is in turn based strategy games, or other low threat mouse based genres, but I almost never use them. YMMV, as I say there are plenty of people who think they're great (they aren't).

Getting Epic and GOG working reliably and flawlessly, even after OS updates isn't the breeze it's made out to be. Yes, it's not too bad making them work, but it's a fiddle and really nowhere near as seamless as just buying the same games in Steam. I think the key issue is that it'll invariably stop working after an update of something or other and you'll have to fuck about. And then you'll need to work out if it's the OS update, the compatibility layer, Epic/GOG or something else that's fucked up.

Gamepass isn't worth the hassle - you'd be best just streaming stuff to it via a browser hack (but then you can use a phone for that). Yes, you can dual partition with Windows, or just about crowbar it on, but I'd say it's well beyond the effort I'd put in (but then I do have a large native Steam library).

Games that are good on deck fall into a sort of Venn diagram like you say.

Do they work well on pad controls.
Are they compatible with SteamOS
Are they performant on the Deck
etc…

If this is your back door to Sony exclusives then yes, God of War, Ratchet and Spiderman all run. Ratchet I think is on the verge, or at least it was a few patches back, but it does run.

If you're looking at any modern graphically intense title you normally have a choice.

Switch everything off, FSR, upscaling (540p) - maybe hit 60fps.
OR
Look reasonable - hit 30 fps.

Since the addition of the 40fps mode, that was a bit of a gamechanger. 40fps really fees great, and you can limit the screen and refresh rate to a locked 40hz. What you quite often end up with is that this is the sweet spot at 720p. With ladles of FSR, graphic tweaks, and following a few guides you can normally drag some pretty impressive performance out of AAA games. IIRC GoW, Horizon and Spiderman all fall into the area you might be able to tweak them to a reasonably stable 40fps and not look like ass. The big challenging game at the moment is Baldur's Gate 3, which has improved a lot in patches but is too erratic to lock at anything above 30fps (and even then has shitty frametimes).

For indies and lighter games pre 2015 you'll almost always be able to hit 60fps. Which is a bit plus over the Switch. E.g. say you fancied playing the Bioshock Collection. Hobbled 30fps shitfest on Switch. 60fps, smooth as silk on Steam Deck. I'd say this is where it shines, the huge, cheap gaming library available on Steam and huge volume of games from the modern 2008 era onwards (to about 2017) that run brilliantly on it.

Ultimately though I'm not sure how much sense the Steam Deck has to someone without an existing Steam library. For sure Steam Sales and key resellers like cdkeys can let you build up a massive library quickly, and cheaply, but it's still an ecosystem buy in. If you already have that ecosystem on Switch, then it's not going to really blow you away. And if you have an investment in GamePass I'd consider a ROG Ally or something rather than a Steam Deck, and just use it as a Windows device.

• Getting Game Pass games to stream using Xbox Cloud Gaming looks eminently doable though, I can see that being a really useful feature. Has anyone tried that here?

I've been using x cloud on the steam deck quite a bit. It works well with the games I've been playing. Games like Cocoon and similar indie games like that are great. I'm playing lot of Yakuza Like a dragon on it too. Which is a turn base RPG so I'm haven't had any issues with it. It plays a lot better than I thought. I really do wish for that Game Pass app though. You just can't beat playing natively.
Also I'm awful with PC stuff but getting X cloud on the deck as part of the "game mode" side of it was easy. I'm not a PC gamer at all so keeping the console like feel was important to me witch it did.

Xcloud is fine, but you can use it on a phone, so I'm not sure it's a Steam Deck selling point.

Native Gamepass used to be impossible, but I think people have workarounds now, but it's far too much effort. Also the UNIX OS rules out a lot of cheat protection software and hence games like Destiny 2 can't be run (even though they run well). You can dual boot the Deck though.

I think if I was hard invested in Gamepass and didn't have a huge Steam library I'd use either a dedicated or my existing phone and get a cradle grip and XCloud it.

Yeah, I should of made it clear. The x cloud is a nice extra but it's definitely not a selling point. I'll say it's more about how well it runs games at the price point it's at. That's where the value comes from for me. One of my favorite gaming systems I've ever owned.

For me I think the cloud stuff is something I would make use of, and I've only got a small phone anyway so even with a third party grip I'm not going to get a very good experience that way.

My Steam library is filled full of stuff I've barely played from around 2010-2016 and that seems to be a sweet spot for this device. I'll spend a bit of time reviewing what's been Deck Verified and what hasn't.

This sounds very much like a man who is buying a Steam Deck regardless, even if I told you when you bought it an anvil would be dropped on a random human being somewhere in Newport.

Which is the Cavalcadonomics I fully support.

Since when were there humans in Newport?

Gar, from what you're saying, if you can afford it (and in the Black Friday deals I believe it is roughly the same price as the top-of-the-range Deck) I think the Rog Ally might be a better fit for you.

You know what I had to do to get Game Pass working on the Ally? I installed Game Pass and logged in.

I can run newer games at 60fps. I've got 60fps out of Starfield, and it looks great to me. I played Ace Combat 7, which is from 2019, on the Ally and was getting around 300fps, which if anything is too many. The OLED Deck is not any kind of upgrade apart from the screen, and the tech has moved on significantly since it's original release. The Ryzen Z1 processor in the Ally is a bit of a leap forwards.

I hope I'm not veering into console warz territory here. I've mentioned the drawbacks of the machine - it fries it's own SD card slot, so you are best off ignoring the fact that it even has one, really. The battery life out and about is not as good as the Deck. Neither of these things are a particularly big deal to me as I play it in the house mainly and I installed a 2tb SD card so I have plently of space to have more games installed than I would want to play at once anyway.

Or you could lord it over us with a Lenovo Legion Go if you want to win the console warz, although that device is new enough for any issues not to have come to light yet. It might murder your pets or something.

Full disclaimer: turns out my wife is getting me an OLED Steam Deck for Christmas. Hence my sudden interest in this. So while the ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion look like great bits of kit, I'm fully on board the Steam Deck train now.

No regrets though: I think the Steam Deck looks like the more interesting machine and I'm very much looking forward to tinkering with it.

Awesome! Enjoy.

By the way, have a look over at Humble Bundle and grab the IGN Editor's Choice bundle. There are several games in there that I would describe as perfect handheld PC games, and it's only something like £13. You can add them to your Steam Library and they'll be waiting for you on Giftmas Day.

Also when you get the Deck, you need to download Emudeck. These machines are the perfect emulation devices, and Emudeck is by far the most user-friendly, easy way to emulate available today.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Initial Steam Deck impressions: you can tell this is a device aimed squarely at nerds. I can't think of any other piece of consumer electronics that would come with no printed instructions whatsoever, just an expectation that you'll work it out / google whatever you need to. I almost immediately ran into a problem where the initial setup hung at about 85% with "1 second remaining" and a quick search revealed that (a) this has been a known problem since the launch of the Deck and (b) no-one has really worked out how to fix it but various suggestions include force restarting the device repeatedly, using a mobile phone hotspot, buying an ethernet adaptor and even rotating the Deck 90 degrees during install.

I finally got there (it was either the mobile hot spot or dancing naked in the garden while chanting incantations to Gabe Newell that did it, one or the other) so I can use the thing properly. It is absolutely fucking astounding so far. I've been installing stuff, gawping at how well it runs then installing other stuff. Haven't hit any hurdles yet and the tools it gives you to monitor and tweak performance are incredibly useful. I though Spider-Man Remastered would be my biggest problem but five minutes searching for recommended settings have it running at a steady 40fps and looking absolutely glorious. Everything else just works out of the box, even stuff that isn't Steam Deck verified. I've got Xbox Cloud Gaming working perfectly with a little app called XBPlay, and that doesn't look too far off native either. I'm delighted with the thing. Now I just need to decide what to play on it…

I'm conflicted. I know 100% that the form of the Steam Deck isn't for me (too big, chunky, buttons in a slightly odd configuration), yet I'd like something portable that I can play PC games on that's as easy as just installing and playing. Seems a massive waste to have a lot of PC games on my Steam library and yet not touch them, due to my lack of love for owning a PC… my gaming laptop, once top of the line that I used for work, is now old and creaky, so that gets no use.

I dunno. Would I use it? Would it become another 'oooh, shiny' that ends up in a drawer after a week? Maybe. But it's a nice idea.

Similarly and yet not, I was looking at that Logitech cloud thing the other day but for what it is, €300 is too much. Pretty much set on the idea of my current phone (which is decent, but getting on for three years old now and so lacking in power to run some more recent games) being permanently hooked up to my Xbox Razer Kishi once I buy a new one, since I know that's a combo that works well for Game Pass cloud gaming. Not sure when that'll happen though, since the latest cheapest phone in the line I buy (Xiaomi) is €500 minimum. Ugh.

It is big and chunky (it reminds me strongly of the Wii U gamepad, oddly) but it's much more comfortable to use than the Switch. It feels like it's been designed quite carefully to make it easy to hold and use. I think I'd feel a bit silly using it in public but as a device to use around the house it's more than fit for purpose.

PC gaming will never be "as easy as just installing and playing" - you'll always need to navigate options menus and the like - and the Steam Deck adds a few options of its own on top of game menus, but as it's a fixed spec it's pretty easy to find recommended settings and I've not had any issues with anything yet.

I've been installing stuff, gawping at how well it runs then installing other stuff.

Steam deck functioning as intended then.

Reccomendations:

Trails in the Sky FC
Trails in the Sky SC
Trails in the Sky 3rd
Trails to Zero
Trail to Azure
Trails of Cold Steel I
Trails of Cold Steel II
Trails of Cold Steel III
Trails of Cold Steel IV
Trails to Reverie

Book the next 6 months of work

(okay fine, but when get one I am literally doing this)

I'm curious if there's any point in a ROG Ally if you don't really care about Games Pass native?

Also emulate Xenoblade X and melt the WiiU down into a fibreglass killer boomerang and hunt rabbits for the Winter

I'm conflicted. I know 100% that the form of the Steam Deck isn't for me (too big, chunky, buttons in a slightly odd configuration), yet I'd like something portable that I can play PC games on that's as easy as just installing and playing. Seems a massive waste to have a lot of PC games on my Steam library and yet not touch them, due to my lack of love for owning a PC… my gaming laptop, once top of the line that I used for work, is now old and creaky, so that gets no use.

I dunno. Would I use it? Would it become another 'oooh, shiny' that ends up in a drawer after a week? Maybe. But it's a nice idea.

Similarly and yet not, I was looking at that Logitech cloud thing the other day but for what it is, €300 is too much. Pretty much set on the idea of my current phone (which is decent, but getting on for three years old now and so lacking in power to run some more recent games) being permanently hooked up to my Xbox Razer Kishi once I buy a new one, since I know that's a combo that works well for Game Pass cloud gaming. Not sure when that'll happen though, since the latest cheapest phone in the line I buy (Xiaomi) is €500 minimum. Ugh.

Remember you don't need to get an OLED Deck, and you can pick up second hand original Deck for around £300. From my experience, these handheld PCs are such a marvel that you don't just shove them in a drawer - they take over as your primary gaming device. I've got a Razer Kishi for my phone as well, and there's a huge difference between cloud gaming on there (even as amazing as the xbox cloud gaming is) and a handheld PC, because the screen is so much bigger, so you're not having to squint at tiny text. Hitman is unplayable on my phone because the text is so small, but absolutely fine on my Rog Ally, for example.

One thing that does happen with these though is that you install 50 games on it and instead of playing any of them you scroll up and down the list just looking at them unable to decide what to play. Or you spend ages tinkering with apps and emulators if that's your kind of thing.

Yeah, all understood. The issue I have, as I said, is bulk and layout. I don't like the original Switch, because it's too bulky and awkward to hold - that's why I have a Switch Lite, which was a total gamechanger for me in terms of actually playing Switch. The Steam Deck is bigger than a regular Switch, so I already know I'd not get on with it. I'd definitely want something more streamlined and not so hard to handle on the old wrists.

If/when something comes along, I'll likely bite but I'm definitely in no rush.

The Steam Deck is certainly a bit heavier, but compared to the ergonomic shitshow the Switch is it's far easier to hold and play it. The issue is mainly with the portability, once in the case it's the size of a small family car.

And @feltmonkey 36 games actually and I resent how on the nose that is.

The Steam Deck is certainly a bit heavier, but compared to the ergonomic shitshow the Switch is it's far easier to hold and play it. The issue is mainly with the portability, once in the case it's the size of a small family car.

And @feltmonkey 36 games actually and I resent how on the nose that is.

Yeah, these things are ergonomic, but there's no getting away from the sheer size and heft of them.

Games list paralysis is an insurmountable problem. I kind of feel like I'm trying to complete around 20 games at once currently, by playing five minutes of each a week. If I just picked a game instead of scrolling up and down the list, I'd have completed at least three or four of them. I even installed a 2TB SSD to fit on more games to scroll through.

(Edit - I just checked. 44, not including emulation stuff. One of them is a 2D golf game ffs.)

I've got Xbox Cloud Gaming working perfectly with a little app called XBPlay

I've played around with this some more and I just wanted to highlight it as the single best thing I've found for the Steam Deck so far. It's about a fiver on Steam and it gives you a native way to stream Xbox games without having to faff around with using Desktop mode and the Edge browser. You can even add individual games to your library so you can jump straight into them without having to go through additional steps.

Even better, XBPlay allows you to play around with all sorts of options, change the codec it's using and increase the bitrates etc. None of the official Microsoft options allow you to do this. I whacked everything up and quite honestly it looks incredible, it's streaming perfectly at 60fps and looks and plays like it's running natively on the Steam Deck. It's so much better than the default options, it's night and day. Here I was thinking that the Xbox Cloud solution was rubbish but it turns out it's just that they cap the bitrate so low it really hinders it. With XBPlay it really shines.

I've been playing Like A Dragon Gaiden on this and I completely forget it's running via streaming. It's freakishly good.

It's been many many years. Almost the entire history of the Society. But I'm here to grudging say for one time, and one time only.

Garwoofoo. is….

[deep breath]

right.

This is indeed a bit of a miracle on Steam Deck.

There's a similarly named app on the Android Google Play store… but I'm not convinced it's the same thing. Seems to be more about streaming TO your Xbox rather than from it. Weird.

Interesting stuff though!

XBPlay is available on phones I think as well, I assume it works as well there as it does on Steam Deck. I don't have an Android phone but I checked on the Apple store and it's the same logo and everything, I think it's the same thing.

Maybe the description is a bit confusing because it lets you stream directly from your console as well as doing all the cloud stuff? I've only really used it for the cloud gaming so far.

ROG Ally seems to be in a bit of a discounting frenzy as they inadvertantly indicated there's a second version on the way this year.

I've been playing, of all things, Ratchet & Clank - Rift Apart on the Steam Deck. It's one of those games that people claim doesn't perform acceptably on the Deck, but I've managed to get it running surprisingly well and it's very playable. The quality of the graphics for a handheld is absolutely insane. Obviously it's not going to hold up against a PS5 going full whack but it's still ridiculously impressive. The game itself is like being force-fed Skittles while having Saturday morning cartoons beamed directly into your brain.

Here's a question for you all though, do you find the Deck (or ROG Ally, or similar) painful to play? I love the device but I find after only a short time playing it I start to get headaches at the back of my head, I'm fairly sure it's due to looking down at the device in a fixed position for too long. It's too heavy to hold at eye level for any length of time like I would with a phone. Yes we're all getting old, I'm fairly sure this wouldn't have been a problem 20 years ago but we are where we are. I can avoid the headaches by sitting in a chair with high arms and kind of propping my elbows on the arms to let me hold the Deck higher and more in my line of sight, but then my arms quickly go numb, so that's no better.

How do you play your Steam Deck to avoid Steam Neck?

You're exactly describing why I never thought this would be good for me to get, as well as why I don't get on with the 'full fat' Switch. Too cumbersome, too heavy for my wrists to support for long periods of time. I doubt I'd play anywhere near as much Switch if I didn't have a Lite.

Can you plug it into a TV or monitor? Maybe that's the answer.

I could get a dock but that kind of defeats the object for me - I already have several consoles. I think it’s a great handheld and I like it as such, I just need to work out how to play it without causing myself pain. ☹️

Something like this?

Look into the gaming pillow lol

Sadly that is exactly what I need!

Although it somewhat diminished the pick-up-and-play appeal of the Steam Deck when you need to buy bespoke furniture for it.

The SDs ergonomics are streets ahead of any other handheld I've used. It's comfortable and surprisingly light for its size. Deck Neck is a thing though. I have an L shaped sofa you* can put your legs up and I find horizontal decking is usually the way to go (in every sense).

But maybe this is just the latest on watching Gar's slowly walking along a path to realising he likes PCs, and wants a comfortable desk based PC setup and a PS5. See you on Valorant in a month or two soldier.

I do have one other suggestion, and while it sounds mad I have used it as an ultra portable PC set up when travelling. Get a 14 or 15 inch portable screen off Temu (about 50 quid). Grab a game controller. Lap tray. Screen on tray, connect via USB3, hold controller, put deck next to you. I played a bit of Doom 2016 like this and it was surprisingly good.

• me, not Gar

Not painful, but we are odd in the sense we don't have a Sofa. The living rooms are very small in our area of Sheffield and so we have two high back armchairs (wingbacks) and then a bigger solo lounge chair. So I only play in probably a more upright position as have commandeered one of the armchairs next to the power sockets, and that is where I play my Rog Ally.

we have two high back armchairs (wingbacks)

They are actually velvet…which I get makes them sound even fancier!

I've got a little USB docking station set up at home so I can switch between my work and home laptops and I plugged my Steam Deck into charge the other day. Couldn't believe it when the Steam Deck screen just popped up on my monitor, I know you can get docks and things for it but I'd never bothered and hadn't considered everything was handled via a standard USB port. (I'd assumed it was just for charging!) I've had this thing for nearly a year now and I'm still finding new stuff it can do. It even recognises my mouse and keyboard (I guess it is, ultimately, just a PC).

So now I'm, erm, playing LOTRO on the Steam Deck, effectively using it as a little gaming PC. It runs much, much better on the Deck than it does on my existing laptop so I'm delighted really. Maybe not the standard use case for Valve's handheld but it suits me.

I put FFXI on my Steam Deck too lol, some awkward control issues I cant seem to iron out but nothing to stop me doing the story really.

That's odd, FFXI was always designed around a controller (I remember using a PS2 DualShock with it back in the day) but I guess maybe there's some keyboard stuff you need to do too that I've forgotten about.

I did spend a while trying to map a LOTRO configuration on the Deck and I got it to the point where it was playable but not exactly a great experience. It's ultimately designed around a screenful of tiny icons, like WoW, and any sort of controller configuration will always be a compromise. Plugged into my monitor, with a mouse and keyboard, it's obviously perfect.

It works fine on the PC with a controller but I can't seem to get that exact control scheme on SD, like having the dpad control the menus and tab targeting at the same time, but it's whatever I don't care that much anymore.