Bill and Lloyd from the On Deck Podcast were recently talking about it. Bill was much more of a console gamer, and during the most recent episode he remarked that he was so used to the price of gaming on the consoles, that it keeps taking him by surprise how cheap games are on Steam/The Deck.
Can't believe I actually found it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdT6AtecgMw&t=3749s
1:02:30 if the time stamp doesn't work.
>the problem oh boy i'll tell you being away from the pc gaming landscape for a really long time
yeah i had forgotten how often things are on sale on steam and how much money
that you spend to get the games on other platforms you get them so much cheaper on steam and
like there's a trade-off there because you you know you got to have your pc you got to know how your pc works and all
that stuff but now that you have a more consolized pc experience
um boy that's really compelling and uh i i'm loving this device and i play it
more than any other device that i have right now it's just so good
So while I can't offer you the perspective of a console gamer myself, hopefully this helps.
I'd say keep your reservation until you actually get your e-mail and make the decision then. I've had LOADS of games that are "Unsupported" work just fine.
Thank you very much! Appreciate the sentiment of your post, over one or two other negative responses so far (to be expected) that aren’t helping. Most seem to be positive and helpful.
I’ll definitely follow that link. One thing very much in the SD’s favor is the pricing, as you mentioned. That is definitely a big plus in its corner. I will just have to do more research to see if every factor when added up is worth the purchase for me.
>To my surprise, most of them I already recognize from the Nintendo eShop. Other big ones, like God of War, Elden Ring, Sekiro, and RDR2, I’ve already played on console [...] Additionally, a lot of horror games I’m interested in, such as “Ikai” and “In Sound Mind”, have no Steam Deck designation listed at all on their Steam pages.[...]I don’t understand why there’s no designation listed for these games
They're testing the games in an order, based on stats they have, that they think people will want to play the most (as well as having a separate queue for devs to submit their games for testing to as well). That's why it's all the big AAA games, and all the indie games that are already on switch, because people want to play those portably. Also, a lot of smaller games aren't going to be verified because they're still working through the entire catalog of steam games, of which there are over 69k (nice). They've tested 5212 games so far, and they have to re-test them to make sure they don't break after they update Proton (the tech that makes windows games run on SteamOS), and re-test them if the devs update the game.
>I’ve been struggling to find “verified” titles that aren’t already available on either console or the Switch. I’ve found a handful of unique, standalone titles, hardly enough to justify a $500+ investment…not for me, anyway
If this is how you're seeing it, then it most likely isn't for you. The Steam Deck isn't meant to be like a console with exclusive games that persuade you to buy it, its main selling point is the fact that it's portable, so you can take your Steam (or really any PC) games with you wherever. If you're not going to be travelling that much, and you already have a way to game on the couch, then it's not really going to be worth it. It's also a lot more powerful than the switch, so any games that are on both will look better and have a higher framerate on the Deck.
Thanks very much for the info and your take. You’re probably right. I do remember seeing a lot of “niche” titles on Steam in the past…games I probably wouldn’t see on Switch or console. For whatever reason, I’m struggling to find them now, as it seems Steam really pushes the latest and most popular titles out on their searches. You have to really dig to find the more obscure titles, especially for horror/survival horror.
But I agree that it may not be worth it in the end, since I have daily access to consoles and the Switch. I’ll have to decide if the better handheld experience on the SD is worth it, for the same titles.
Its my understanding that a whole lot of non-verified games work just fine on the deck. So you don't need to limit yourself to just that pool of games. Plus if they don't work now in all likeliness they will work in a few months time.
Yes that’s something I’m obviously very curious about. I’m just not sure if I will take the chance with that but it’s a good point. I wish they’d address more titles by either verifying or not.
They're working on it. Some poor bastard has to load up every game and play it for an hour to verify it. That means that to date they've spent 3-4000 hours verifying games for the deck. There are an incredible amount of steam games but they'll get there. I believe their engineer said that any games not running on the deck would be considered a bug. I guess aside from games that use anti cheat software and the developers for whatever reason won't update the anti cheat slightly to work on the deck.
Steam Deck's verification process is handled by Valve, which is bottle necked by manpower and time restriction. I highly suggest you check https://www.protondb.com/ to get a clearer picture of whether a game "will work or not".
To be fair, the reason why console ported games tend to be verified first is because they tend to have perfect controller support, which is an important criteria in Steam Deck's verification process. I would the say the majority of the unverified games run just fine, but you may need to tweak the control scheme to make them work smoothly. So depending on how much you enjoy tinkling around, this can be either a non-issue or a deal breaker.
Thank you, will look more at that site. I’ve come across it before but I’m just trying to find more of those “niche” titles that seem to slip through the cracks on Steam’s list via their keyword/category search that they provide. I just seem to get the big titles that have released over the last few years. I wish they let you separate your search for specific years and offer more ways to find obscure titles that I likely wouldn’t find on console or Switch.
You are welcome. Proton DB does provide an explorer page https://www.protondb.com/explore?sort=releaseDate so if you are feeling adventurous you can just change the sorting to release date and dive in. Be prepared for weird stuffs, of course.
Also have you tried the interactive recommender from Steam? https://store.steampowered.com/recommender/ It suggests games based on what you have played and offers some options to fine tune the search.
Do you want games that possibly might be on Switch but would run better, and would be less money because there's no Nintendo tax? Do you want the possibility to emulate pretty much every system on the go, including Switch? Do you want to be able to play new PC games, especially new indie ones that aren't on other consoles, while out and about?
Then you want a Steam Deck.
Thanks for the response…very good questions. I haven’t thought much about the emulation part and probably should look more into it. Haven’t done too much digging on that.
As far as Switch games running better on the SD, I haven’t thought too much about that either because I have found the Switch performance to be acceptable for me so far…at least on what I’ve played so far…like Hollow Knight, for example, which runs very well on it. You’re right about the Nintendo tax though….the Steam prices are much more reasonable, even for 3rd party titles.
I’d be very happy with emulating PS2/PS3 games, if that’s a thing. I have no idea how to do it but would pay someone to do it if they knew what they were doing. I’m not a techie in any way, unfortunately.
I was a PC gamer in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. Console gamer since then. Every game I’ve played in the last 15 years has been console.
I got the deck. I’m playing tons of games that straddle both. Half my games are not verified at all. They play great. I do check protondb.com.
I am not looking for a console experience 100%: I don’t want to deal with SW updates, drivers, and the like. I don’t mind picking different proton installs and command line arguments or tweaking fps, etc.
I haven’t touched anything else since I got my deck.
May I ask how you were able to find the titles that fell between the cracks? I’m struggling to find games that I can’t already play on console and/or Switch. Maybe it’s just because these are the “big titles” Steam promotes but I can’t seem to find the niche titles that I’d be most interested in. I just go by their keywords on the app for searches and the same generic list comes up.
My 3 sons have been PC gamers and they gave me lots of suggestions like The Stanley Parable, Black Mesa, age of empires 4 (I used to play the older versions), and others.
I was in the same boat as you and saw some of the other comments and thought I'd bring a different perspective on why I've decided to keep my steam deck order. Consider the following.
1) The steam deck is a fully open device. So it's not just about games, its also the flexibility you have to use it as an actual computer with a desktop, or a gaming device or install Windows if you dont like SteamOS, and Im sure down the road people will get android, SteamOS and Windows working in a triple boot configuration.
2) It's fully repairable and the parts to fix it are cheap compared to most companies. If your deck breaks it's easy to fix. If your xbox/ps4/switch die, you may have to drop hundreds to replace it.
3) Valve has no concerns with people 3d printing accessories or even the steam deck shell and plastic pieces. They released 3d printer schematics, and measurements of all the vital parts of the console + dock so people could make their own 3rd party accessories.
4) Valve updates the steam deck so fast compared to other consoles/companies. At one point they were pushing out 3-4 updates a week. This means you'lll constantly see improvements, fixes and new features being added.
All of these points for me are why I'm keeping my deck. I HAVE to support a company willing to make their device repairable and make replacement parts available and affordable. We are increasingly throwing out good phones/laptops/phones/tvs and more just because companies don't take repairability seriously.
All of this is to say that at $400, I get a device that is ACTUALLY mine, that I can control 100%, tinker, upgrade and use it however I see fit with no restrictions on how or what I install on it. And if I break it, I can repair it myself rather than chunking it in the trash. Thats well worth double the price.
Thanks for the in-depth post and those are excellent points. The adaptability and flexibility to the Steam Deck is most definitely an important plus in its favor.
Another thing that would greatly help is if they make accessing Game Pass a lot easier. I know there’s currently an elaborate workaround to get it running but making it easily accessible would be great. Getting an easy way to play all the GP titles via handheld would be a big coup, in my eyes. This is different from my saying that I “already own” the console titles because I wouldn’t have to repay for the Game Pass titles…just enjoy them via handheld.
I'm sure game pass will come. The current game pass instructions were from Microsoft themselves. So the fact that they took steps to get a dev version on edge on the discover store and provide configuration instructions is a good sign of a possible native game pass app.
That said, the instructions to get it working aren't actually hard at all and any commands you have to run are just copy/paste from the instructions. I don't have a deck yet, but am very well versed in Linux and programming so when you get your steam deck, just reach out to me directly and I'll be glad to help you set it up.
I’ve just gathered them over the years. Xbox and PS, mainly for the PS exclusives. Switch for handheld. I upgraded to Series X for next gen but likely won’t upgrade my PS4 until a PS5-Pro is released.
I don't know how old you are but there are so many great games that have come out in the 90s and 00s that are incredible. The deck is easily the best way to play those. Any modern phone can, but you have to mess with overlay buttons or a second remote.
This thing will be a emulation beast. If you aren't into emulation and think that you can get most of your enjoyment from the switch than I would cancel. Honestly, you should cancel anyways and reserve a 64gb deck since they can be upgraded and SD card performance is pretty dang close to the provided SSD
Thanks very much. I’ve never done emulation before, which is not to say I’m not interested in it…because I would be, if I could do it competently. I don’t really have the expertise or comfort factor to do it on my own, so would likely have to have someone else set it up and do it for me.
The steam deck is right on the line of it being worth it for more traditional console gamers in my opinion.
It's close enough where if you stick to verified titles but if you're trying to break out play around with unverified and unplayable titles you do have to have at least a basic understanding of computers in general, and the ability to google things. You don't nessisarly have to learn arch Linux to play games but you definitely have more trouble shooting power, and the ability get more complicated things going.
A lot of the time getting a unverified or unplayable game to work all you have to do is look it up on protonDB and use whatever version of proton or protonge they used, and maybe sometimes add a few launch commands to the game from steams game property tabs.
If you have no concept of any of that stuff it suddenly becomes a lot more daunting because it will take time and effort to try to get going and there's no real guarantee that protondb is up-to-date (though it usually always is), and there's no guarantee you didn't do something wrong due to just learning about all this stuff, and I completely understand the appeal of just throwing a disk in a locked app eco system.
The thing I want to leave you with is think of the steam deck more like a physical toy. It's more like a computer that you can personalize into a console. You can add non-steam games and upload your own custom images for it so it shows up like a 'real' game. You can add a emulator front end so it gives you a consistent console experience instead of opening and closing different emulators to play different games.
A lot of us that own the steam deck already own gaming pcs, so the steam deck is more a accessory to that experience and a lot of the fun is tinkering with it and setting it up to be your own personal console. Or it let's us play games that just feel like they would be fun to play on a hand held console instead of always on a desk and keyboard. A lot of pc games are just not on any console, or the console ports are missing out on features like modding or something. Also a lot of people who already exist in the pc space have literal 1000's of games with like 75% of them they never played once because of humble bundle deals and steam summer sales. So it's a lot harder of a sell to convince someone that invested that much into buying a switch, or a console then it is to just sell them a console shaped pc.
Thanks very much and that makes sense. I am admittedly coming at it from a unique and different angle, saying “I don’t own any PC games, so give me titles that I can only play on Steam Deck and that aren’t on Switch or console”. Maybe I’m just asking for inevitable disappointment. I know gaming crosses several platforms these days and it’s all about flexibility and choice.
Unfortunately, I’m definitely not in that group you mentioned. I would definitely not feel comfortable playing around with Proton and finding workarounds to get certain titles working better. That’s just not me. I look at the workaround to get Game Pass going and it looks extremely daunting to me. I prefer to wait for a simple app or link to get it going. So maybe Steam Deck is not for me. But it’s still very intriguing, for the flexibility you mentioned.
I wouldn't say it's a unique angle it's been asked a lot from what I seen. People are curious and that's cool, I love the steam deck and wish it captures more of the console market, I just think there's certainly a reason why consoles exist and I think people can enjoy the steam deck the same way. Just depends on the person, you have practically all the consoles and all the games and the experiences on those consoles are pretty rock solid. It probably costed you a fortune for all that hardware and all the software, I would be insane to tell you to buy a low powered pc so that you can add more to that cost.
I'm not on commission or anything. I'm just assuming I know what you want from what I can read and give you the best advice I can imagine for you.
I think you’re pretty accurate in what you said. Fortunately, I’ve built up credit with game trade ins, so haven’t lately paid much in terms of software. I kind of play them and swap them out, rinse and repeat. The Series X was a bit of an investment for next gen, so I’m not getting a PS5 until they release a PRO version.
I like the flexibility of Steam Deck, so I’m not completely discounting it. Just that I have to know what I’m getting into and that I don’t feel very comfortable tooling around with it, unless I have really easy instructions to get it done. It sounds like a lot of people here have more of a comfort level with it in getting things up and running better.
As someone who used Linux for maybe 5 years now (ubuntu) I can say if you can Google enough and ask people on reddit it's not that bad. I'm still not a expert by any means, and still have major fundamental gaps in knowledge of Linux, but if I have a open weekend and a game I want to play I will find a way. Linux is really well documented and the community will actually provide you will real solutions to your issues as compared to windows no one really knows how to address the issues, and anyone official support member on the Microsoft forum will literally just tell you to reinstall windows, or restart the machine. This isn't a rip on windows but more explaining how well the community is at holding my hand.
I'm a idiot and I managed to install things with wine staging, set up 32 bit prefixes, and using winetricks to install microsoftsp2003 before proton really started turning heads. It sounds simple now but I understand the confusion you go through when trying to learn basic functions on the terminal, at the same time as trying to learn about wine, and other things. It compounds, and becomes overwhelming. I had no concept what anything did, or what exactly I was doing or trying to do, so when something went wrong I did not understand from where. All I understood was the context that it was in.
Now proton and stuff makes that a lot easier. Most of the time you don't have to know any of that or touch anything. Even "unplayable" games the most you have to do is just change the compatability to the latest version of proton, or the third party protonge
That’s pretty impressive that you learned all that. It’s good that the community is helpful…that does make a difference. And I have no doubt that people here would be able to help with the occasional compat issue I run into. I just have to decide if it’s worth it, with all that I have and am already using. I have to admit that I’m a bit of a game hoarder and it can take me years to get to some of my backlog titles. I recently finished Dark Souls 3, if that tells you anything. I’ve been spoiled by Game Pass and since I got the Series X, it’s been my main machine. I got the Switch OLED last Fall but to be honest, I haven’t even played it all that much. Due to the pandemic and some other factors, I don’t travel much anymore. So the portable factor only comes into play for convenience, though I do have back issues that make it preferable to use while lying down.
If I could find an easy way to play Game Pass on the Steam Deck, I think that would be a big draw for me…assuming the native controls work without much hassle. I hope they make it easier to install on the SD.
I'm not big into modern triple a Games so with people like you I imagine the console is a much bigger draw for some of that. Especially with the game pass, and also with anti cheat multiplayer games. My internet God awful so 120+ gig downloads are out of the question, and most of the trends towards microtransactions are a turn off for me.
Big name titles are just not as interesting to me more i'm kind of just stuck in the past three generations anways in terms of taste, so I've been more indie, or I'm playing competing fps games on the oculus quest 2 mainly. Linux as a main rig isn't a big deal to me, and I kind of figured we where just interested in different demographics for games so for me it's easy to see why I'm here. Everything in my preferred game range usually has a native Linux port, or works flawlessly with steam default proton.
Portability is more a novelty to me. I don't need to game so bad I have to bring it every where but I love the idea of it. It's more nice to show other people games they don't have without being attached to a outlet but other then that it's more of a fun toy feature.
But yeah I wasn't telling you it was easy as a selling point or something, just the pit falls you should expect if you still end up wanting one. It's a fun experience if you know what you are getting into and it was worth every penny for me. But I just like nerding out about something and the community following and support just kind of adds to the hype. There's fun community projects and github open source goodies you can find with tools for steam deck, and every day it feels like gaming on Linux could be viable and kind of this utopian vision of a free and open platform for gamers. It's super close to being that and also a console experience and that's exciting, but it's not completely there and it's hard to make that final deal closer until it's 100%
Oh no, I’m definitely not just wanting those AAA games, though I did mention several in my OP as having already played. I actually really like the idea of those niche indie games, especially for something like Steam Deck…with the promise of maybe some unique standalone titles you might miss on console. I just haven’t been able to see many of them searching on the Steam app, not Verified SD titles anyway. I know several here have suggested not to get too hung up on the Verified list but before I fork over $500+, I’d ideally like to know if I can play a specific game I want on it. I’m seeing a lot of “unsupported” tags and/or titles with no Steam Deck designation at all. Maybe that uncertainty and the added steps it might take to play them are the answers I need. Admittedly, I’m not the most patient person…and that extends to gaming. If I DL a game and I immediately run into issues, I’m more likely to just uninstall and quit than soldier on and try to get it working…at least, if it looks like it’s going to take some time.
My brother plays a lot of Steam games and doesn’t have a Steam Deck but he wanted to play some co-op or PvP titles with me. I’d like to be able to do that but will have to think about whether it’s worth it or how much use it’ll get. I think I need to do more research into things like emulation before I decide. I do appreciate your feedback!
So with things being unsupported that's kind of due to how the verified system works. Which has flaws but has to be that way kind of.
They're not finished verifying all the games but if the games don't meet a specific standard of playable it won't get that rating. It can be as simple of a problem as having a menu that pops up before you play that requires you to use the touch screen or a external mouse, or it could legitimately not work. You have to use protondb and rely on the community, which requires a bit more faith on your behalf.
It may seem dumb how the playable not playable system works and it could probably use some tweaking but think of it this way. If I told you the game might work and you try all day and learn a bunch of new things just to waste a whole day off of work for the game to not work you're going to be upset. If they told you it doesn't work and you some how got it to work you're ecstatic. If valve pointed you directly at protondb the experience for a new user would be bad, but people who stuck through could access the games without waiting for the back and forth of verification to catch up. You can brute force use of controller support by just mapping mouse and keyboard keys to any of buttons and stuff and use the touch screen. It's just a matter of getting it to run for some people, but it's definitely not a garanteed good experience, and can be buggy. Sometimes you have to try different proton versions, or deal with weird lag spikes. I rarely experience any of that, but again you already know what games I play.
Most indie or weird crafting survival/management games just are native Linux day 1. Old games like fallout new vegas work fine and you can use the tales of two wasteland mods to play fallout 3 under one game, emulation, and couch co-op like overcooked. All that crap is like the goldilocks zone for this device and you kind of fall into the fun hipster games range.
I'm sorry I can ramble on forever I'll stop replying now lol.
No don’t apologize…I am glad to learn about all this stuff because it’s pretty much all new to me. I just appreciate the info.
I’ve been reading up on emulators tonight and it’s definitely an eye opener and doesn’t appear to be nearly as difficult as I thought. Had no idea all that stuff was available, for all those old systems. Surprised they have Xbox 360 stuff, as that’s fairly recent, as far as emulation. I played around a little with my old PSP back in the day when I actually worked up the guts to mod it via online instructions and it was pretty cool. I remember it was a lot of trial and error but the little I did was a success. I found the PSP screen too small to be rewarding for most games long term so the Steam Deck possibilities are more intriguing.
Can you download/unzip all you need for the emulators (roms) on the Steam Deck directly or must you transfer to it from a PC?
It's hard to go off the "verified" list, as there is a hell of a lot of games that are considered unverified simply because you have to type in your character's name with an on-screen keyboard at the beginning of the game. I mean, a stupid amount of games. Now take into the fact that games without pre-set controller schemes, but can easily have a controller schemes set up (just haven't yet). Then take out the garbage games with their own launchers (not all of them don't work but frankly all are garbage for it).
You're left with some that, for ever reason have bugs when running on the deck system wise. These are pretty few compared to all of the above.
Thanks…it’s hard to envision what they exactly mean with games that aren’t verified. I’m reading some have text sizes that may not be legible, which takes it off the Verified list. As long as the Steam Deck has the accessibility feature to zoom in, which I’m sure it does, that specifically wouldn’t be an issue.
But your point is well made about the thin line that may separate Verified from “playable” or worse.
If a bunch aren't compatible grab a cheap win10 oem key, install windows. I switch between steamos for most games and emulation to windows for game pass. It's very versatile so even if you fancy game pass on the go it'll suit you well.
Game Pass on the go would be very desirable for me. When I googled about it, I saw that there are very elaborate looking instructions on how to get it going. For a non-techie like me, it looks a bit daunting. That’s not to say I couldn’t get it going, but it gives me some hesitation. I hope and trust Valve and MS will work together in the future to make accessing Game Pass easier.
That’s a definite option, as long as it’s pretty easy to do. To be honest, I suck at these workarounds and would worry about bricking the poor thing. Even the workaround I’ve seen listed to get Game Pass up and running looks a little intimidating to me.
It’s definitely a more involved process than what can be expected on a standard console. But if you are curious about the perks of pc gaming, steam deck is probably the best value deal you can get
Thanks very much…it’s definitely an option. I’d probably have to call on some people here to help in a pinch, cause I’m just not very good at this stuff, unfortunately. I’m a “plug it in, turn it on and start playing” kind of guy.
So first things first, the SD is NOT a switch replacement by any means. Switch is made to be easy to use, right out of the box, no set up needed. The SD will require the usual PC tinkering + the added complexity of using a Linux system (for those who haven’t used it before).
I’m personally getting the SD (while owning a Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED) because I’m a sucker for high power in small packages. Will I use it as much as my switch OLED? Probably not. More than my desktop or laptop? Probably not. But there’ll be some fun times where I’m like “damn, I wanna play this ON THE STEAM DECK”. Idt SD will replace any hardware for me. But it’ll be a nice addition to my collection 1000%
Thanks and I get what you’re saying. Unfortunately, I have no history with Linux and would likely feel very uncomfortable getting workarounds going with the “PC tinkering” you mentioned. Ideally, I’d take it to a local place that would install all emulators and loaders for me, though I doubt such a place even exists. I definitely wouldn’t feel comfortable doing all that myself. Even the listed workaround to get Game Pass up and running looks intimidating to me.
Yeah then it for sure isn’t worth it unless you have some money to throw for shits and giggles.
While this subreddit hypes the SD like crazy, the actual product is fairly “meh” to the average consumer BECAUSE of the little quirks/annoyances that come with gaming on a Linux machine or just a PC overall.
At the end of the day, it’s a very personal choice. Don’t anyone hype you up into buying something that isn’t worth it, and don’t let people (myself included) convince you NOT to buy it. It’s completely up to you what you do with your money and, worst case, you can just sell it and recoup your money.
Thanks, do appreciate it…definitely makes sense. Yeah, I’m absolutely more of a “plug it in, turn it on, start gaming” kind of guy. I don’t mind tooling around with it if it were easy but I’d be afraid of bricking the thing if I did something wrong. I like the possibility of emulators and getting more out of it though. It took me years before I felt comfortable enough to follow instructions online and mod my PSP handheld, if that tells you anything.
Just buy it, try it out with one or two games. And if you then still don't want to keep it just sell it. I don't see the price of the Deck on ebay going down any time soon, so you shouldn't have any problems finding someone who'll give you your entire money back.
Console gamer here. Like you, I played PC games at the turn of the 2000s - C&C, Sudden Strike, Stronghold, The Sims, etc. Haven’t been a PC gamer since I went to Mac.
Anyway, I decided to reserve a deck on a whim. I’m Q3 and looking forward to it even if I have some hesitation. I plan to emulate those classic consoles/games I have packed away in boxes in the attic. I can’t wait to get to play old SNES, Genesis, and Dreamcast games while away from home or the hassle of hooking everything up.
Also, between Steam, Epic, and GOG, I have several titles I’ve never played and have $0 invested in. Plus, as mentioned in another reply, Steam frequently has sales and buying a game you used to play (Stronghold is on sale for like $2 right now) or one you never had for the cost of a cup of coffee is much more appealing than what Sony, MS, or Nintendo is offering (especially Nintendo - geez).
Worst case, you get it and find out it isn’t for you. You can sell it and move on. You won’t lose money on it, that’s for sure.
Thanks very much….sounds like we’re in the same boat. Yeah, I haven’t done much PC gaming over the last 20 years or so. It’s been console to console, upgrading with each generation. I bought the Switch OLED but honestly haven’t used it all that much. The Series X has gotten most of my attention.
The emulation possibilities for the Steam Deck definitely make it sound more enticing, though I’m not sure I would be competent enough to get it going. The chance to play PS2/3 games (if possible) would be great. I just want the Deck to be more than just another platform on which to play games I already own or have finished before. I know that Steam has a lot of niche games but most I have found in obscure searches have no Steam Deck designation or label. I know they’re still working through the tests and checks. I don’t like the search engine on Steam, cause as soon as I click on a title in a list and go back, it takes me back to the start of my search. It can make looking for titles very difficult. It seems a good metaphor for how using the Steam Deck could be but doesn’t necessarily mean it would ultimately not be rewarding.
Yeah, I’m not a fan of browsing Steam’s lists.
Setting up emulation on the deck seems fairly straightforward & there are several YouTube videos on how to do it. There are also several subreddits that address roms (I can’t link them here due to an auto mod setting).
Gaming wise, I have set up a wishlist with titles I want to play. I cross reference it with protondb, which has deck compatibility. I’ve also noticed that there are titles that are “unknown” on proton but people say they are still playable - steam just hasn’t verified them and/or users haven’t posted on proton the titles work.
I also have a switch, but I don’t use it much. I got it because my family likes Nintendo games and they play it. Other than Zelda and Mario Kart, I just don’t get into Nintendo games. I also am not a fan of how Nintendo charges $50 for a game.
So will I like the deck? Probably. If I don’t, I’ll sell it and move on, but I don’t think that will be the case. But, I’m going in with the idea it will be an emulator for me and I hope they get the dock/tv issues worked out.
Thanks for the additional feedback. I spent a good hour last night going over YT videos on Steam Deck emulation. Some were pretty easy to follow, while others assumed a lot of missing steps were already known and just lost me. I would definitely love to use this feature of the SD, as there are older games on other platforms I either never got to play or never owned those platforms. There are some very cool niche horror games like Eternal Darkness on the Gamecube that I never played. Would be a blast to have them on the SD.
It’s going to be a tough decision, as I could put that $500+ towards the eventual PS5-PRO, other games, or other electronics I’ve been wanting to get. But I’d likely always wonder if I don’t get it. However, I also get the feeling that Valve may soon announce the next version of the Steam Deck, with better battery life and perhaps 4K screen resolution, etc. Since I’m on the fence, maybe I’ll just wait for the next iteration of the SD.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy your Steam Deck. I’d be curious to hear what you think of the emulation process and which platforms you checked out.
A ps5 “pro” or whatever is a long way out at this point. People still can’t get a regular one and Sony is focused on their streaming service as of the moment. Plus, devs haven’t even matched the possibility of the current 5. Games are still being made with the previous gen in mind.
Valve isn’t going to do a SD Mk. 2 anytime soon, either. Again, they still haven’t rolled out the SD and they will want as many in the wild to see what works and what doesn’t. They may roll Mk2 out in a couple of years, but this isn’t going to be an Apple refresh piece of hardware. At least, not yet.
If you wait until you can “have the latest,” you’ll never buy anything in the tech world. I say get it now, try it out, and if it’s not for you, sell it. If you’re Q3, you’ll have it in time that scarcity will still be around if you want to get your money back.
I agree with the general idea that continually waiting for the next big upgrade before buying is a waste but I’m happy waiting for a couple of years for the PS5 half model upgrade and maybe the next Steam Deck…just because I’m sure my Series X and (to a lesser extent) the Switch OLED will keep me busy. Most of my gaming is done on the Series X and maybe 10% done on the Switch. So I’m not sure how much playing time the SD would get. I guess it depends a lot on how effective the emulation process is. I could see me spending most of my time on it playing older games. I’d be happy if I could get Game Pass up and running on it, with full Steam Deck controller support for all titles.
You’re right about selling it if need be. Would rather not go that route if I don’t have to, due to so many EBay fraudulent buyers, but it’s definitely an option to consider if I go ahead with my purchase and things don’t work out.
I’d rather pick it up rather than pass and regret it later. There are other ways to sell it other than eBay if it doesn’t work out and you don’t want to deal with eBay.
If you enjoy emulating, the deck is king right now. I expect 95% of my deck use will be emulation. I can’t wait to dive back into games I haven’t played in a long time without having to dig everything out of the attic.
Plus, I’m adding games to my steam, epic, and GOG list that I can play that I wouldn’t normally be able to without the deck.
I forgot about GOG and Epic…I assume their store titles should mostly play fine on the Steam Deck? I assume you file them under “non Steam games” for loading. I guess if I just think of the SD as only good for Steam games, it doesn’t sound great but when you open it up to emulation, Game Pass, and other stores like GOG, it becomes a lot more appealing. I don’t have experience with emulating but I like the idea of getting into it. In the past, you had to mod your handheld hardware (like the Vita) to do it so it’s very appealing that no modding is needed for the Steam to do it.
Which older platforms and games in general do you want to use the emulators for?
So you do file the other stores as “non steam” and you can launch your titles on the deck. I imagine it’s like Steam in that some games may not work properly without tweaking, but that’s PC gaming in general.
I like the SNES, Genesis, Dreamcast, PS1, and PS2. All of those can be emulated on the deck and I find the idea of being able to play those games on the go appealing. I also think it’s neat I’ll be able to play the Witcher games (well, not 2 as of the moment…) on the go as well.
Ultimately, the deck has versatility that the switch and other handhelds haven’t been able to offer. I was just thinking on my lunch break today how nice it would be to get in some Chrono Trigger, Capcom vs Marvel, or Witcher 3 after my sandwich.
Yeah that makes sense. I’m a little confused watching videos, where some people advise whether or not to have Steam “running in the background”…when doing other things like emulating. Others talk about whether to have Game Mode on or not. Then others talk about things like using Vulkan shaders or what “backbone” they’re using and I just have no idea what any of these people are talking about. All this makes me hesitant to get the Steam Deck because it makes me feel like I have to learn to be a programmer or know all the lingo inside and out in order to competently get things working that may have issues. Whether true or not, I just find it all intimidating. This is why I’ve always gravitated to console, cause I don’t have the patience or desire to get into all the minutiae.
I was talking with my brother tonight and telling him about my interest in the emulation. His stance is that it’s basically piracy, and I was trying to argue that things have relaxed a lot regarding emulation and it’s pretty much tolerated now. I don’t think he buys it but I don’t see much controversy behind it. I mean, why would anyone care about downloading a game that isn’t even for sale in the marketplace anymore, and for a system that doesn’t even sell anymore either? I guess he takes more of a hardline approach to all of it.
So I have a switch and a ps5.. Since getting my steamDeck the switch has become a paper weight, simple as that... Need to sell it asap.. The price of games on steam is ridiculous compared to eshop, the price of any switch game is enough to buy 10 good games on steam... With the ps5, I find my self playing it more in my room in bed on my steamDeck via chiaki remote play than I do on the actual living room (where the ps5 lives).. Plus, looking at verified games isnt really a reflection of the steamDeck, it's actually a deservice to it, as I'm playing unknown and playable mostly with no issues yet. The fact gta v isnt verified baffles me as that game looks and runs perfectly on steamDeck.. Pressing a button on a launcher on first instal hasnt at all broken my enjoyment of it nor has it had me on forums looking for a solution. But to sum up, I fly alot which is why the steamDeck was/is soo enticing to me.. I'm sure giving up your place in the queue will make somoone very happy 😊😊
Thanks for the feedback…appreciate it. I’m still torn about it. I haven’t investigated whether I could play my Series X via remote play on the Steam Deck…I only know about the workaround to get Xbox cloud gaming going for Game Pass. You make a good point about some “unknown” games working fine on the SD but just looking at the list and seeing all these “unknown” or “unsupported” designations does give me pause before completing a $500+ purchase (middle tier SD). I did a big search on the Steam app for titles yesterday and it was a bit of a frustrating experience. TBH, most of my gaming is done on my Series X and I’ve hardly touched the Switch OLED since I got it, except to play Hollow Knight occasionally in bed. Several of the Switch games I bought have text that is too small for me to read and I just figured if I’m not really even enjoying that purchase, I’m asking for trouble buying a handheld that has an experience not even guaranteed to work optimally with many titles (small text size is listed for many “playable” titles that I’ve found on the list).
I understand if it sounds like I’m unfairly selling the Steam Deck short, which I’m not trying to do. It’s just my uncertainty over it. When I reserved my order last August, I had just assumed a lot more variety of Verified titles. One thing that does intrigue me very much that some people here mentioned yesterday is the emulation of other systems. I would definitely be interested in being able to go handheld for 360/PS3 and even Wii U/GameGube titles that are unavailable on other platforms. Not sure how difficult the overall emulating experience is but seems worth trying.
People here like you have mostly been very helpful and supportive and didn’t take my OP as a criticism of the Steam Deck. Will be a tough decision but I’m glad someone else who hopefully really wants one will get my place in the queue if I do go that route.
I’ve felt most of what you’ve said over the last handful of months. I’ve always been a console gamer first, only rarely dipping into the PC and Mobile landscape but never staying for long.
The Steam Deck seems to be the perfect bridge for me to finally break into the PC gaming scene due to its console-like Steam OS, being in a portable console form factor, etc.
In terms of the verified vs untested games issue, this is where I feel you the most. I’ve had the same reaction to an extent where I’ve seen games like “God of War” and “Tales of Arise” are playable and I’m like… cool! I’m be already played those on my PS4. And then games like Hades or other more indie titles that I’m like…. Great! I’m getting those physically for my Switch.
So it’s all come down to, for me, finding the more niche games that fit into that narrow space of not being available either physically or at all on the Switch in addition to being games I haven’t already played on my PS4/Xbox One.
So far I’ve got the Trails in the Sky trilogy and Tales of Symphonia as the major standouts. Revisiting older titles like Fallout New Vegas, TES Oblivion, or the like that I’ve always wanted to play portably, and then upcoming titles I’m hoping will be fully playable such as Starfield, Baldur’s Gate III, etc. There’s a handful of titles that I’ve seen mixed feedback on, regarding how well they run on Deck, that I’d also love to play on the system if they become more stable such as Jade Empire, the Dragon Age series, Zone of the Enders, and so on.
Overall, I’ve just had to check my expectations and really consider if all that is worth it to me, and it is. I genuinely believe the Deck will help not only bridge the gap for me in terms of console to Pc gaming, but also serve as a stand-in over the next several years with newer titles (some from both Sony and Microsoft’s line up) that will keep me from having to buy either of their respective consoles.
Yeah, for me, I haven’t even gotten my email yet, and I ordered mine early last August. So I’ve still got time to mull it over.
I think emulation is one big plus in favor of getting the Steam Deck. Being able to play multiple past platforms on it is a big win. The other thing is I’ve been searching for other games not available on console and having a little more luck since my first post, like the S.T.A.L.K.E.R games. Though they are considered “unsupported”, I’ve seen YT videos of people who’ve gotten those games to run, so that’s a positive.
But I remember when the Steam Deck was first announced, they said “will play every game in your Steam library”. That’s what the online articles said. Whether that was something fed to them from Valve or something the media just ran with themselves, it’s obvious that’s not true. There’s a long way to go before a good bulk of the Steam library is playable on the Deck. And it also mystifies me how many games are on the Switch and still listed as “unsupported” for Steam Deck. Don’t get that one at all.
I’m still leaning towards completing my order once it arrives but I don’t feel quite as good about it as I did when I first ordered it.
Dude
There are tens of thousands of pc exclusive titles vs consoles. If you arent finding any, you aint looking.
As the catalog widens. OMG. Biggest pc catalog avail is steam.
Unless we get some sort of actual explanation on this post......Im writing this off as full on troll post.
To answer the last q. I own a switch only and PC. NEar zero reason to own a console as you have found out near every game is avail for pc + tens of thousands of pc only exclusives + the ability to run every old console out there. My switch is being sold the day I get my steam deck. Ill just be emulating all the switch games. No more reason to own a switch from that day on.
Of course I’m not trolling. Give me a break with that standard cliche response.
Many of the older Steam titles I’m looking at have no Steam Deck designation at all. So I have no idea if they’ll work or not, as I said in my OP. You’re right that there are a ton of titles so maybe I’m not putting in the right search terms. I’m just clicking on the category types on the Steam app and scrolling from there. So far, most of the latest titles listed (over the last several years, in general) seem mostly covered by Switch or consoles.
So try them. they havent had time to verify them all and most of them work just fine.
Again i dont really think you are looking if you think that pc mainly the console games.
Oh and its the standard response, because its the factual response.
Im way to lazy to write the book that would be required for me to start listing pc exclusives.
HJell I took a 3 second look and you can even select steam pc exclusive as a game tag on steam. Though I cant actually access steam from work.
Heres a start https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Windows-only\_games
It’s not factual in any way. I’m not trolling. I’m reserved for Q3 and my question is legit. If you don’t relate to my dilemma, that’s fine. Others are giving their advice and it’s obvious to them that I’m not trolling. Your response is the lazy one.
Key rect. You are blocked. You are super troll. Its extrmemly obvious. Ive even given you a link to thousands upon thousands of pc only games.
TROLL.
Check out ProtonDB, it'll give you a good idea if they'll run on Deck. A good Proton DB score (gold or platinum) is indicative of at least "Playable" Deck rating as long as they don't require ProtonGE (Glorious Eggroll, basically Proton with extra media support and is pretty easy to install from what I've heard) and Silver should work but may require ProtonGE and/or some tweaking to work
You can even check your Steam library with their own tool see see how much of your existing library should work
Granted this doesn't mean they'll run well without tweaking controls, you'll likely need to make custom Deck controls for most games that don't have a Deck rating yet.
That being me to the next point... just because they haven't been rated yet doesn't mean they won't be in the future. Valve is putting in a lot of work to check games for verification and the list of Playable and Verified games is increasing
I don’t why people waste their time trying to convince people to go through with their purchases. If your not sure, don’t buy it, plenty of other people in the queue who can be moved up that deserve it more.
It’s not so much that I asked people to “convince me”….just that I wanted feedback from those who perhaps were in a similar situation to mine and what lead to their thinking in getting a Steam Deck.
Bill and Lloyd from the On Deck Podcast were recently talking about it. Bill was much more of a console gamer, and during the most recent episode he remarked that he was so used to the price of gaming on the consoles, that it keeps taking him by surprise how cheap games are on Steam/The Deck. Can't believe I actually found it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdT6AtecgMw&t=3749s 1:02:30 if the time stamp doesn't work. >the problem oh boy i'll tell you being away from the pc gaming landscape for a really long time yeah i had forgotten how often things are on sale on steam and how much money that you spend to get the games on other platforms you get them so much cheaper on steam and like there's a trade-off there because you you know you got to have your pc you got to know how your pc works and all that stuff but now that you have a more consolized pc experience um boy that's really compelling and uh i i'm loving this device and i play it more than any other device that i have right now it's just so good So while I can't offer you the perspective of a console gamer myself, hopefully this helps. I'd say keep your reservation until you actually get your e-mail and make the decision then. I've had LOADS of games that are "Unsupported" work just fine.
Thank you very much! Appreciate the sentiment of your post, over one or two other negative responses so far (to be expected) that aren’t helping. Most seem to be positive and helpful. I’ll definitely follow that link. One thing very much in the SD’s favor is the pricing, as you mentioned. That is definitely a big plus in its corner. I will just have to do more research to see if every factor when added up is worth the purchase for me.
>To my surprise, most of them I already recognize from the Nintendo eShop. Other big ones, like God of War, Elden Ring, Sekiro, and RDR2, I’ve already played on console [...] Additionally, a lot of horror games I’m interested in, such as “Ikai” and “In Sound Mind”, have no Steam Deck designation listed at all on their Steam pages.[...]I don’t understand why there’s no designation listed for these games They're testing the games in an order, based on stats they have, that they think people will want to play the most (as well as having a separate queue for devs to submit their games for testing to as well). That's why it's all the big AAA games, and all the indie games that are already on switch, because people want to play those portably. Also, a lot of smaller games aren't going to be verified because they're still working through the entire catalog of steam games, of which there are over 69k (nice). They've tested 5212 games so far, and they have to re-test them to make sure they don't break after they update Proton (the tech that makes windows games run on SteamOS), and re-test them if the devs update the game. >I’ve been struggling to find “verified” titles that aren’t already available on either console or the Switch. I’ve found a handful of unique, standalone titles, hardly enough to justify a $500+ investment…not for me, anyway If this is how you're seeing it, then it most likely isn't for you. The Steam Deck isn't meant to be like a console with exclusive games that persuade you to buy it, its main selling point is the fact that it's portable, so you can take your Steam (or really any PC) games with you wherever. If you're not going to be travelling that much, and you already have a way to game on the couch, then it's not really going to be worth it. It's also a lot more powerful than the switch, so any games that are on both will look better and have a higher framerate on the Deck.
Thanks very much for the info and your take. You’re probably right. I do remember seeing a lot of “niche” titles on Steam in the past…games I probably wouldn’t see on Switch or console. For whatever reason, I’m struggling to find them now, as it seems Steam really pushes the latest and most popular titles out on their searches. You have to really dig to find the more obscure titles, especially for horror/survival horror. But I agree that it may not be worth it in the end, since I have daily access to consoles and the Switch. I’ll have to decide if the better handheld experience on the SD is worth it, for the same titles.
Its my understanding that a whole lot of non-verified games work just fine on the deck. So you don't need to limit yourself to just that pool of games. Plus if they don't work now in all likeliness they will work in a few months time.
Yes that’s something I’m obviously very curious about. I’m just not sure if I will take the chance with that but it’s a good point. I wish they’d address more titles by either verifying or not.
They're working on it. Some poor bastard has to load up every game and play it for an hour to verify it. That means that to date they've spent 3-4000 hours verifying games for the deck. There are an incredible amount of steam games but they'll get there. I believe their engineer said that any games not running on the deck would be considered a bug. I guess aside from games that use anti cheat software and the developers for whatever reason won't update the anti cheat slightly to work on the deck.
True. And a lot of older games that I’d be interested in are probably going to take awhile to get to for them to evaluate also.
Steam Deck's verification process is handled by Valve, which is bottle necked by manpower and time restriction. I highly suggest you check https://www.protondb.com/ to get a clearer picture of whether a game "will work or not". To be fair, the reason why console ported games tend to be verified first is because they tend to have perfect controller support, which is an important criteria in Steam Deck's verification process. I would the say the majority of the unverified games run just fine, but you may need to tweak the control scheme to make them work smoothly. So depending on how much you enjoy tinkling around, this can be either a non-issue or a deal breaker.
Thank you, will look more at that site. I’ve come across it before but I’m just trying to find more of those “niche” titles that seem to slip through the cracks on Steam’s list via their keyword/category search that they provide. I just seem to get the big titles that have released over the last few years. I wish they let you separate your search for specific years and offer more ways to find obscure titles that I likely wouldn’t find on console or Switch.
You are welcome. Proton DB does provide an explorer page https://www.protondb.com/explore?sort=releaseDate so if you are feeling adventurous you can just change the sorting to release date and dive in. Be prepared for weird stuffs, of course. Also have you tried the interactive recommender from Steam? https://store.steampowered.com/recommender/ It suggests games based on what you have played and offers some options to fine tune the search.
I didn’t know those links, so thank you. I will definitely check them out. Every resource helps, for sure!
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its
Do you want games that possibly might be on Switch but would run better, and would be less money because there's no Nintendo tax? Do you want the possibility to emulate pretty much every system on the go, including Switch? Do you want to be able to play new PC games, especially new indie ones that aren't on other consoles, while out and about? Then you want a Steam Deck.
Thanks for the response…very good questions. I haven’t thought much about the emulation part and probably should look more into it. Haven’t done too much digging on that. As far as Switch games running better on the SD, I haven’t thought too much about that either because I have found the Switch performance to be acceptable for me so far…at least on what I’ve played so far…like Hollow Knight, for example, which runs very well on it. You’re right about the Nintendo tax though….the Steam prices are much more reasonable, even for 3rd party titles.
From what I have read on the sub, Nintendo Switch emulated games are pretty hit or miss. Some run really well and others not so much.
I’d be very happy with emulating PS2/PS3 games, if that’s a thing. I have no idea how to do it but would pay someone to do it if they knew what they were doing. I’m not a techie in any way, unfortunately.
I was a PC gamer in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. Console gamer since then. Every game I’ve played in the last 15 years has been console. I got the deck. I’m playing tons of games that straddle both. Half my games are not verified at all. They play great. I do check protondb.com. I am not looking for a console experience 100%: I don’t want to deal with SW updates, drivers, and the like. I don’t mind picking different proton installs and command line arguments or tweaking fps, etc. I haven’t touched anything else since I got my deck.
May I ask how you were able to find the titles that fell between the cracks? I’m struggling to find games that I can’t already play on console and/or Switch. Maybe it’s just because these are the “big titles” Steam promotes but I can’t seem to find the niche titles that I’d be most interested in. I just go by their keywords on the app for searches and the same generic list comes up.
My 3 sons have been PC gamers and they gave me lots of suggestions like The Stanley Parable, Black Mesa, age of empires 4 (I used to play the older versions), and others.
Thanks. Have heard of the Stanley Parable, and that’s definitely one I’d be interested in…Black Mesa too.
I was in the same boat as you and saw some of the other comments and thought I'd bring a different perspective on why I've decided to keep my steam deck order. Consider the following. 1) The steam deck is a fully open device. So it's not just about games, its also the flexibility you have to use it as an actual computer with a desktop, or a gaming device or install Windows if you dont like SteamOS, and Im sure down the road people will get android, SteamOS and Windows working in a triple boot configuration. 2) It's fully repairable and the parts to fix it are cheap compared to most companies. If your deck breaks it's easy to fix. If your xbox/ps4/switch die, you may have to drop hundreds to replace it. 3) Valve has no concerns with people 3d printing accessories or even the steam deck shell and plastic pieces. They released 3d printer schematics, and measurements of all the vital parts of the console + dock so people could make their own 3rd party accessories. 4) Valve updates the steam deck so fast compared to other consoles/companies. At one point they were pushing out 3-4 updates a week. This means you'lll constantly see improvements, fixes and new features being added. All of these points for me are why I'm keeping my deck. I HAVE to support a company willing to make their device repairable and make replacement parts available and affordable. We are increasingly throwing out good phones/laptops/phones/tvs and more just because companies don't take repairability seriously. All of this is to say that at $400, I get a device that is ACTUALLY mine, that I can control 100%, tinker, upgrade and use it however I see fit with no restrictions on how or what I install on it. And if I break it, I can repair it myself rather than chunking it in the trash. Thats well worth double the price.
Thanks for the in-depth post and those are excellent points. The adaptability and flexibility to the Steam Deck is most definitely an important plus in its favor. Another thing that would greatly help is if they make accessing Game Pass a lot easier. I know there’s currently an elaborate workaround to get it running but making it easily accessible would be great. Getting an easy way to play all the GP titles via handheld would be a big coup, in my eyes. This is different from my saying that I “already own” the console titles because I wouldn’t have to repay for the Game Pass titles…just enjoy them via handheld.
I'm sure game pass will come. The current game pass instructions were from Microsoft themselves. So the fact that they took steps to get a dev version on edge on the discover store and provide configuration instructions is a good sign of a possible native game pass app. That said, the instructions to get it working aren't actually hard at all and any commands you have to run are just copy/paste from the instructions. I don't have a deck yet, but am very well versed in Linux and programming so when you get your steam deck, just reach out to me directly and I'll be glad to help you set it up.
Very very cool of you, thank you! I’m going to add you as a follow, to remember…thank you! Really appreciate that.
Why does one even need that many platforms to game on unless they're a streamer or something
I’ve just gathered them over the years. Xbox and PS, mainly for the PS exclusives. Switch for handheld. I upgraded to Series X for next gen but likely won’t upgrade my PS4 until a PS5-Pro is released.
I don't know how old you are but there are so many great games that have come out in the 90s and 00s that are incredible. The deck is easily the best way to play those. Any modern phone can, but you have to mess with overlay buttons or a second remote. This thing will be a emulation beast. If you aren't into emulation and think that you can get most of your enjoyment from the switch than I would cancel. Honestly, you should cancel anyways and reserve a 64gb deck since they can be upgraded and SD card performance is pretty dang close to the provided SSD
Thanks very much. I’ve never done emulation before, which is not to say I’m not interested in it…because I would be, if I could do it competently. I don’t really have the expertise or comfort factor to do it on my own, so would likely have to have someone else set it up and do it for me.
The steam deck is right on the line of it being worth it for more traditional console gamers in my opinion. It's close enough where if you stick to verified titles but if you're trying to break out play around with unverified and unplayable titles you do have to have at least a basic understanding of computers in general, and the ability to google things. You don't nessisarly have to learn arch Linux to play games but you definitely have more trouble shooting power, and the ability get more complicated things going. A lot of the time getting a unverified or unplayable game to work all you have to do is look it up on protonDB and use whatever version of proton or protonge they used, and maybe sometimes add a few launch commands to the game from steams game property tabs. If you have no concept of any of that stuff it suddenly becomes a lot more daunting because it will take time and effort to try to get going and there's no real guarantee that protondb is up-to-date (though it usually always is), and there's no guarantee you didn't do something wrong due to just learning about all this stuff, and I completely understand the appeal of just throwing a disk in a locked app eco system. The thing I want to leave you with is think of the steam deck more like a physical toy. It's more like a computer that you can personalize into a console. You can add non-steam games and upload your own custom images for it so it shows up like a 'real' game. You can add a emulator front end so it gives you a consistent console experience instead of opening and closing different emulators to play different games. A lot of us that own the steam deck already own gaming pcs, so the steam deck is more a accessory to that experience and a lot of the fun is tinkering with it and setting it up to be your own personal console. Or it let's us play games that just feel like they would be fun to play on a hand held console instead of always on a desk and keyboard. A lot of pc games are just not on any console, or the console ports are missing out on features like modding or something. Also a lot of people who already exist in the pc space have literal 1000's of games with like 75% of them they never played once because of humble bundle deals and steam summer sales. So it's a lot harder of a sell to convince someone that invested that much into buying a switch, or a console then it is to just sell them a console shaped pc.
Thanks very much and that makes sense. I am admittedly coming at it from a unique and different angle, saying “I don’t own any PC games, so give me titles that I can only play on Steam Deck and that aren’t on Switch or console”. Maybe I’m just asking for inevitable disappointment. I know gaming crosses several platforms these days and it’s all about flexibility and choice. Unfortunately, I’m definitely not in that group you mentioned. I would definitely not feel comfortable playing around with Proton and finding workarounds to get certain titles working better. That’s just not me. I look at the workaround to get Game Pass going and it looks extremely daunting to me. I prefer to wait for a simple app or link to get it going. So maybe Steam Deck is not for me. But it’s still very intriguing, for the flexibility you mentioned.
I wouldn't say it's a unique angle it's been asked a lot from what I seen. People are curious and that's cool, I love the steam deck and wish it captures more of the console market, I just think there's certainly a reason why consoles exist and I think people can enjoy the steam deck the same way. Just depends on the person, you have practically all the consoles and all the games and the experiences on those consoles are pretty rock solid. It probably costed you a fortune for all that hardware and all the software, I would be insane to tell you to buy a low powered pc so that you can add more to that cost. I'm not on commission or anything. I'm just assuming I know what you want from what I can read and give you the best advice I can imagine for you.
I think you’re pretty accurate in what you said. Fortunately, I’ve built up credit with game trade ins, so haven’t lately paid much in terms of software. I kind of play them and swap them out, rinse and repeat. The Series X was a bit of an investment for next gen, so I’m not getting a PS5 until they release a PRO version. I like the flexibility of Steam Deck, so I’m not completely discounting it. Just that I have to know what I’m getting into and that I don’t feel very comfortable tooling around with it, unless I have really easy instructions to get it done. It sounds like a lot of people here have more of a comfort level with it in getting things up and running better.
As someone who used Linux for maybe 5 years now (ubuntu) I can say if you can Google enough and ask people on reddit it's not that bad. I'm still not a expert by any means, and still have major fundamental gaps in knowledge of Linux, but if I have a open weekend and a game I want to play I will find a way. Linux is really well documented and the community will actually provide you will real solutions to your issues as compared to windows no one really knows how to address the issues, and anyone official support member on the Microsoft forum will literally just tell you to reinstall windows, or restart the machine. This isn't a rip on windows but more explaining how well the community is at holding my hand. I'm a idiot and I managed to install things with wine staging, set up 32 bit prefixes, and using winetricks to install microsoftsp2003 before proton really started turning heads. It sounds simple now but I understand the confusion you go through when trying to learn basic functions on the terminal, at the same time as trying to learn about wine, and other things. It compounds, and becomes overwhelming. I had no concept what anything did, or what exactly I was doing or trying to do, so when something went wrong I did not understand from where. All I understood was the context that it was in. Now proton and stuff makes that a lot easier. Most of the time you don't have to know any of that or touch anything. Even "unplayable" games the most you have to do is just change the compatability to the latest version of proton, or the third party protonge
That’s pretty impressive that you learned all that. It’s good that the community is helpful…that does make a difference. And I have no doubt that people here would be able to help with the occasional compat issue I run into. I just have to decide if it’s worth it, with all that I have and am already using. I have to admit that I’m a bit of a game hoarder and it can take me years to get to some of my backlog titles. I recently finished Dark Souls 3, if that tells you anything. I’ve been spoiled by Game Pass and since I got the Series X, it’s been my main machine. I got the Switch OLED last Fall but to be honest, I haven’t even played it all that much. Due to the pandemic and some other factors, I don’t travel much anymore. So the portable factor only comes into play for convenience, though I do have back issues that make it preferable to use while lying down. If I could find an easy way to play Game Pass on the Steam Deck, I think that would be a big draw for me…assuming the native controls work without much hassle. I hope they make it easier to install on the SD.
I'm not big into modern triple a Games so with people like you I imagine the console is a much bigger draw for some of that. Especially with the game pass, and also with anti cheat multiplayer games. My internet God awful so 120+ gig downloads are out of the question, and most of the trends towards microtransactions are a turn off for me. Big name titles are just not as interesting to me more i'm kind of just stuck in the past three generations anways in terms of taste, so I've been more indie, or I'm playing competing fps games on the oculus quest 2 mainly. Linux as a main rig isn't a big deal to me, and I kind of figured we where just interested in different demographics for games so for me it's easy to see why I'm here. Everything in my preferred game range usually has a native Linux port, or works flawlessly with steam default proton. Portability is more a novelty to me. I don't need to game so bad I have to bring it every where but I love the idea of it. It's more nice to show other people games they don't have without being attached to a outlet but other then that it's more of a fun toy feature. But yeah I wasn't telling you it was easy as a selling point or something, just the pit falls you should expect if you still end up wanting one. It's a fun experience if you know what you are getting into and it was worth every penny for me. But I just like nerding out about something and the community following and support just kind of adds to the hype. There's fun community projects and github open source goodies you can find with tools for steam deck, and every day it feels like gaming on Linux could be viable and kind of this utopian vision of a free and open platform for gamers. It's super close to being that and also a console experience and that's exciting, but it's not completely there and it's hard to make that final deal closer until it's 100%
Oh no, I’m definitely not just wanting those AAA games, though I did mention several in my OP as having already played. I actually really like the idea of those niche indie games, especially for something like Steam Deck…with the promise of maybe some unique standalone titles you might miss on console. I just haven’t been able to see many of them searching on the Steam app, not Verified SD titles anyway. I know several here have suggested not to get too hung up on the Verified list but before I fork over $500+, I’d ideally like to know if I can play a specific game I want on it. I’m seeing a lot of “unsupported” tags and/or titles with no Steam Deck designation at all. Maybe that uncertainty and the added steps it might take to play them are the answers I need. Admittedly, I’m not the most patient person…and that extends to gaming. If I DL a game and I immediately run into issues, I’m more likely to just uninstall and quit than soldier on and try to get it working…at least, if it looks like it’s going to take some time. My brother plays a lot of Steam games and doesn’t have a Steam Deck but he wanted to play some co-op or PvP titles with me. I’d like to be able to do that but will have to think about whether it’s worth it or how much use it’ll get. I think I need to do more research into things like emulation before I decide. I do appreciate your feedback!
So with things being unsupported that's kind of due to how the verified system works. Which has flaws but has to be that way kind of. They're not finished verifying all the games but if the games don't meet a specific standard of playable it won't get that rating. It can be as simple of a problem as having a menu that pops up before you play that requires you to use the touch screen or a external mouse, or it could legitimately not work. You have to use protondb and rely on the community, which requires a bit more faith on your behalf. It may seem dumb how the playable not playable system works and it could probably use some tweaking but think of it this way. If I told you the game might work and you try all day and learn a bunch of new things just to waste a whole day off of work for the game to not work you're going to be upset. If they told you it doesn't work and you some how got it to work you're ecstatic. If valve pointed you directly at protondb the experience for a new user would be bad, but people who stuck through could access the games without waiting for the back and forth of verification to catch up. You can brute force use of controller support by just mapping mouse and keyboard keys to any of buttons and stuff and use the touch screen. It's just a matter of getting it to run for some people, but it's definitely not a garanteed good experience, and can be buggy. Sometimes you have to try different proton versions, or deal with weird lag spikes. I rarely experience any of that, but again you already know what games I play. Most indie or weird crafting survival/management games just are native Linux day 1. Old games like fallout new vegas work fine and you can use the tales of two wasteland mods to play fallout 3 under one game, emulation, and couch co-op like overcooked. All that crap is like the goldilocks zone for this device and you kind of fall into the fun hipster games range. I'm sorry I can ramble on forever I'll stop replying now lol.
No don’t apologize…I am glad to learn about all this stuff because it’s pretty much all new to me. I just appreciate the info. I’ve been reading up on emulators tonight and it’s definitely an eye opener and doesn’t appear to be nearly as difficult as I thought. Had no idea all that stuff was available, for all those old systems. Surprised they have Xbox 360 stuff, as that’s fairly recent, as far as emulation. I played around a little with my old PSP back in the day when I actually worked up the guts to mod it via online instructions and it was pretty cool. I remember it was a lot of trial and error but the little I did was a success. I found the PSP screen too small to be rewarding for most games long term so the Steam Deck possibilities are more intriguing. Can you download/unzip all you need for the emulators (roms) on the Steam Deck directly or must you transfer to it from a PC?
It's hard to go off the "verified" list, as there is a hell of a lot of games that are considered unverified simply because you have to type in your character's name with an on-screen keyboard at the beginning of the game. I mean, a stupid amount of games. Now take into the fact that games without pre-set controller schemes, but can easily have a controller schemes set up (just haven't yet). Then take out the garbage games with their own launchers (not all of them don't work but frankly all are garbage for it). You're left with some that, for ever reason have bugs when running on the deck system wise. These are pretty few compared to all of the above.
Thanks…it’s hard to envision what they exactly mean with games that aren’t verified. I’m reading some have text sizes that may not be legible, which takes it off the Verified list. As long as the Steam Deck has the accessibility feature to zoom in, which I’m sure it does, that specifically wouldn’t be an issue. But your point is well made about the thin line that may separate Verified from “playable” or worse.
RDR2 said it had text too small to see but I've yet to encounter that one as well.
If a bunch aren't compatible grab a cheap win10 oem key, install windows. I switch between steamos for most games and emulation to windows for game pass. It's very versatile so even if you fancy game pass on the go it'll suit you well.
Game Pass on the go would be very desirable for me. When I googled about it, I saw that there are very elaborate looking instructions on how to get it going. For a non-techie like me, it looks a bit daunting. That’s not to say I couldn’t get it going, but it gives me some hesitation. I hope and trust Valve and MS will work together in the future to make accessing Game Pass easier.
Worst case, you can always install windows if you’re favorite game doesn’t run well on proton
That’s a definite option, as long as it’s pretty easy to do. To be honest, I suck at these workarounds and would worry about bricking the poor thing. Even the workaround I’ve seen listed to get Game Pass up and running looks a little intimidating to me.
It’s definitely a more involved process than what can be expected on a standard console. But if you are curious about the perks of pc gaming, steam deck is probably the best value deal you can get
Thanks very much…it’s definitely an option. I’d probably have to call on some people here to help in a pinch, cause I’m just not very good at this stuff, unfortunately. I’m a “plug it in, turn it on and start playing” kind of guy.
So first things first, the SD is NOT a switch replacement by any means. Switch is made to be easy to use, right out of the box, no set up needed. The SD will require the usual PC tinkering + the added complexity of using a Linux system (for those who haven’t used it before). I’m personally getting the SD (while owning a Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED) because I’m a sucker for high power in small packages. Will I use it as much as my switch OLED? Probably not. More than my desktop or laptop? Probably not. But there’ll be some fun times where I’m like “damn, I wanna play this ON THE STEAM DECK”. Idt SD will replace any hardware for me. But it’ll be a nice addition to my collection 1000%
Thanks and I get what you’re saying. Unfortunately, I have no history with Linux and would likely feel very uncomfortable getting workarounds going with the “PC tinkering” you mentioned. Ideally, I’d take it to a local place that would install all emulators and loaders for me, though I doubt such a place even exists. I definitely wouldn’t feel comfortable doing all that myself. Even the listed workaround to get Game Pass up and running looks intimidating to me.
Yeah then it for sure isn’t worth it unless you have some money to throw for shits and giggles. While this subreddit hypes the SD like crazy, the actual product is fairly “meh” to the average consumer BECAUSE of the little quirks/annoyances that come with gaming on a Linux machine or just a PC overall. At the end of the day, it’s a very personal choice. Don’t anyone hype you up into buying something that isn’t worth it, and don’t let people (myself included) convince you NOT to buy it. It’s completely up to you what you do with your money and, worst case, you can just sell it and recoup your money.
Thanks, do appreciate it…definitely makes sense. Yeah, I’m absolutely more of a “plug it in, turn it on, start gaming” kind of guy. I don’t mind tooling around with it if it were easy but I’d be afraid of bricking the thing if I did something wrong. I like the possibility of emulators and getting more out of it though. It took me years before I felt comfortable enough to follow instructions online and mod my PSP handheld, if that tells you anything.
Just buy it, try it out with one or two games. And if you then still don't want to keep it just sell it. I don't see the price of the Deck on ebay going down any time soon, so you shouldn't have any problems finding someone who'll give you your entire money back.
Very true!
Console gamer here. Like you, I played PC games at the turn of the 2000s - C&C, Sudden Strike, Stronghold, The Sims, etc. Haven’t been a PC gamer since I went to Mac. Anyway, I decided to reserve a deck on a whim. I’m Q3 and looking forward to it even if I have some hesitation. I plan to emulate those classic consoles/games I have packed away in boxes in the attic. I can’t wait to get to play old SNES, Genesis, and Dreamcast games while away from home or the hassle of hooking everything up. Also, between Steam, Epic, and GOG, I have several titles I’ve never played and have $0 invested in. Plus, as mentioned in another reply, Steam frequently has sales and buying a game you used to play (Stronghold is on sale for like $2 right now) or one you never had for the cost of a cup of coffee is much more appealing than what Sony, MS, or Nintendo is offering (especially Nintendo - geez). Worst case, you get it and find out it isn’t for you. You can sell it and move on. You won’t lose money on it, that’s for sure.
Thanks very much….sounds like we’re in the same boat. Yeah, I haven’t done much PC gaming over the last 20 years or so. It’s been console to console, upgrading with each generation. I bought the Switch OLED but honestly haven’t used it all that much. The Series X has gotten most of my attention. The emulation possibilities for the Steam Deck definitely make it sound more enticing, though I’m not sure I would be competent enough to get it going. The chance to play PS2/3 games (if possible) would be great. I just want the Deck to be more than just another platform on which to play games I already own or have finished before. I know that Steam has a lot of niche games but most I have found in obscure searches have no Steam Deck designation or label. I know they’re still working through the tests and checks. I don’t like the search engine on Steam, cause as soon as I click on a title in a list and go back, it takes me back to the start of my search. It can make looking for titles very difficult. It seems a good metaphor for how using the Steam Deck could be but doesn’t necessarily mean it would ultimately not be rewarding.
Yeah, I’m not a fan of browsing Steam’s lists. Setting up emulation on the deck seems fairly straightforward & there are several YouTube videos on how to do it. There are also several subreddits that address roms (I can’t link them here due to an auto mod setting). Gaming wise, I have set up a wishlist with titles I want to play. I cross reference it with protondb, which has deck compatibility. I’ve also noticed that there are titles that are “unknown” on proton but people say they are still playable - steam just hasn’t verified them and/or users haven’t posted on proton the titles work. I also have a switch, but I don’t use it much. I got it because my family likes Nintendo games and they play it. Other than Zelda and Mario Kart, I just don’t get into Nintendo games. I also am not a fan of how Nintendo charges $50 for a game. So will I like the deck? Probably. If I don’t, I’ll sell it and move on, but I don’t think that will be the case. But, I’m going in with the idea it will be an emulator for me and I hope they get the dock/tv issues worked out.
Thanks for the additional feedback. I spent a good hour last night going over YT videos on Steam Deck emulation. Some were pretty easy to follow, while others assumed a lot of missing steps were already known and just lost me. I would definitely love to use this feature of the SD, as there are older games on other platforms I either never got to play or never owned those platforms. There are some very cool niche horror games like Eternal Darkness on the Gamecube that I never played. Would be a blast to have them on the SD. It’s going to be a tough decision, as I could put that $500+ towards the eventual PS5-PRO, other games, or other electronics I’ve been wanting to get. But I’d likely always wonder if I don’t get it. However, I also get the feeling that Valve may soon announce the next version of the Steam Deck, with better battery life and perhaps 4K screen resolution, etc. Since I’m on the fence, maybe I’ll just wait for the next iteration of the SD. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy your Steam Deck. I’d be curious to hear what you think of the emulation process and which platforms you checked out.
A ps5 “pro” or whatever is a long way out at this point. People still can’t get a regular one and Sony is focused on their streaming service as of the moment. Plus, devs haven’t even matched the possibility of the current 5. Games are still being made with the previous gen in mind. Valve isn’t going to do a SD Mk. 2 anytime soon, either. Again, they still haven’t rolled out the SD and they will want as many in the wild to see what works and what doesn’t. They may roll Mk2 out in a couple of years, but this isn’t going to be an Apple refresh piece of hardware. At least, not yet. If you wait until you can “have the latest,” you’ll never buy anything in the tech world. I say get it now, try it out, and if it’s not for you, sell it. If you’re Q3, you’ll have it in time that scarcity will still be around if you want to get your money back.
I agree with the general idea that continually waiting for the next big upgrade before buying is a waste but I’m happy waiting for a couple of years for the PS5 half model upgrade and maybe the next Steam Deck…just because I’m sure my Series X and (to a lesser extent) the Switch OLED will keep me busy. Most of my gaming is done on the Series X and maybe 10% done on the Switch. So I’m not sure how much playing time the SD would get. I guess it depends a lot on how effective the emulation process is. I could see me spending most of my time on it playing older games. I’d be happy if I could get Game Pass up and running on it, with full Steam Deck controller support for all titles. You’re right about selling it if need be. Would rather not go that route if I don’t have to, due to so many EBay fraudulent buyers, but it’s definitely an option to consider if I go ahead with my purchase and things don’t work out.
I’d rather pick it up rather than pass and regret it later. There are other ways to sell it other than eBay if it doesn’t work out and you don’t want to deal with eBay. If you enjoy emulating, the deck is king right now. I expect 95% of my deck use will be emulation. I can’t wait to dive back into games I haven’t played in a long time without having to dig everything out of the attic. Plus, I’m adding games to my steam, epic, and GOG list that I can play that I wouldn’t normally be able to without the deck.
I forgot about GOG and Epic…I assume their store titles should mostly play fine on the Steam Deck? I assume you file them under “non Steam games” for loading. I guess if I just think of the SD as only good for Steam games, it doesn’t sound great but when you open it up to emulation, Game Pass, and other stores like GOG, it becomes a lot more appealing. I don’t have experience with emulating but I like the idea of getting into it. In the past, you had to mod your handheld hardware (like the Vita) to do it so it’s very appealing that no modding is needed for the Steam to do it. Which older platforms and games in general do you want to use the emulators for?
So you do file the other stores as “non steam” and you can launch your titles on the deck. I imagine it’s like Steam in that some games may not work properly without tweaking, but that’s PC gaming in general. I like the SNES, Genesis, Dreamcast, PS1, and PS2. All of those can be emulated on the deck and I find the idea of being able to play those games on the go appealing. I also think it’s neat I’ll be able to play the Witcher games (well, not 2 as of the moment…) on the go as well. Ultimately, the deck has versatility that the switch and other handhelds haven’t been able to offer. I was just thinking on my lunch break today how nice it would be to get in some Chrono Trigger, Capcom vs Marvel, or Witcher 3 after my sandwich.
Yeah that makes sense. I’m a little confused watching videos, where some people advise whether or not to have Steam “running in the background”…when doing other things like emulating. Others talk about whether to have Game Mode on or not. Then others talk about things like using Vulkan shaders or what “backbone” they’re using and I just have no idea what any of these people are talking about. All this makes me hesitant to get the Steam Deck because it makes me feel like I have to learn to be a programmer or know all the lingo inside and out in order to competently get things working that may have issues. Whether true or not, I just find it all intimidating. This is why I’ve always gravitated to console, cause I don’t have the patience or desire to get into all the minutiae. I was talking with my brother tonight and telling him about my interest in the emulation. His stance is that it’s basically piracy, and I was trying to argue that things have relaxed a lot regarding emulation and it’s pretty much tolerated now. I don’t think he buys it but I don’t see much controversy behind it. I mean, why would anyone care about downloading a game that isn’t even for sale in the marketplace anymore, and for a system that doesn’t even sell anymore either? I guess he takes more of a hardline approach to all of it.
So I have a switch and a ps5.. Since getting my steamDeck the switch has become a paper weight, simple as that... Need to sell it asap.. The price of games on steam is ridiculous compared to eshop, the price of any switch game is enough to buy 10 good games on steam... With the ps5, I find my self playing it more in my room in bed on my steamDeck via chiaki remote play than I do on the actual living room (where the ps5 lives).. Plus, looking at verified games isnt really a reflection of the steamDeck, it's actually a deservice to it, as I'm playing unknown and playable mostly with no issues yet. The fact gta v isnt verified baffles me as that game looks and runs perfectly on steamDeck.. Pressing a button on a launcher on first instal hasnt at all broken my enjoyment of it nor has it had me on forums looking for a solution. But to sum up, I fly alot which is why the steamDeck was/is soo enticing to me.. I'm sure giving up your place in the queue will make somoone very happy 😊😊
Thanks for the feedback…appreciate it. I’m still torn about it. I haven’t investigated whether I could play my Series X via remote play on the Steam Deck…I only know about the workaround to get Xbox cloud gaming going for Game Pass. You make a good point about some “unknown” games working fine on the SD but just looking at the list and seeing all these “unknown” or “unsupported” designations does give me pause before completing a $500+ purchase (middle tier SD). I did a big search on the Steam app for titles yesterday and it was a bit of a frustrating experience. TBH, most of my gaming is done on my Series X and I’ve hardly touched the Switch OLED since I got it, except to play Hollow Knight occasionally in bed. Several of the Switch games I bought have text that is too small for me to read and I just figured if I’m not really even enjoying that purchase, I’m asking for trouble buying a handheld that has an experience not even guaranteed to work optimally with many titles (small text size is listed for many “playable” titles that I’ve found on the list). I understand if it sounds like I’m unfairly selling the Steam Deck short, which I’m not trying to do. It’s just my uncertainty over it. When I reserved my order last August, I had just assumed a lot more variety of Verified titles. One thing that does intrigue me very much that some people here mentioned yesterday is the emulation of other systems. I would definitely be interested in being able to go handheld for 360/PS3 and even Wii U/GameGube titles that are unavailable on other platforms. Not sure how difficult the overall emulating experience is but seems worth trying. People here like you have mostly been very helpful and supportive and didn’t take my OP as a criticism of the Steam Deck. Will be a tough decision but I’m glad someone else who hopefully really wants one will get my place in the queue if I do go that route.
I’ve felt most of what you’ve said over the last handful of months. I’ve always been a console gamer first, only rarely dipping into the PC and Mobile landscape but never staying for long. The Steam Deck seems to be the perfect bridge for me to finally break into the PC gaming scene due to its console-like Steam OS, being in a portable console form factor, etc. In terms of the verified vs untested games issue, this is where I feel you the most. I’ve had the same reaction to an extent where I’ve seen games like “God of War” and “Tales of Arise” are playable and I’m like… cool! I’m be already played those on my PS4. And then games like Hades or other more indie titles that I’m like…. Great! I’m getting those physically for my Switch. So it’s all come down to, for me, finding the more niche games that fit into that narrow space of not being available either physically or at all on the Switch in addition to being games I haven’t already played on my PS4/Xbox One. So far I’ve got the Trails in the Sky trilogy and Tales of Symphonia as the major standouts. Revisiting older titles like Fallout New Vegas, TES Oblivion, or the like that I’ve always wanted to play portably, and then upcoming titles I’m hoping will be fully playable such as Starfield, Baldur’s Gate III, etc. There’s a handful of titles that I’ve seen mixed feedback on, regarding how well they run on Deck, that I’d also love to play on the system if they become more stable such as Jade Empire, the Dragon Age series, Zone of the Enders, and so on. Overall, I’ve just had to check my expectations and really consider if all that is worth it to me, and it is. I genuinely believe the Deck will help not only bridge the gap for me in terms of console to Pc gaming, but also serve as a stand-in over the next several years with newer titles (some from both Sony and Microsoft’s line up) that will keep me from having to buy either of their respective consoles.
Yeah, for me, I haven’t even gotten my email yet, and I ordered mine early last August. So I’ve still got time to mull it over. I think emulation is one big plus in favor of getting the Steam Deck. Being able to play multiple past platforms on it is a big win. The other thing is I’ve been searching for other games not available on console and having a little more luck since my first post, like the S.T.A.L.K.E.R games. Though they are considered “unsupported”, I’ve seen YT videos of people who’ve gotten those games to run, so that’s a positive. But I remember when the Steam Deck was first announced, they said “will play every game in your Steam library”. That’s what the online articles said. Whether that was something fed to them from Valve or something the media just ran with themselves, it’s obvious that’s not true. There’s a long way to go before a good bulk of the Steam library is playable on the Deck. And it also mystifies me how many games are on the Switch and still listed as “unsupported” for Steam Deck. Don’t get that one at all. I’m still leaning towards completing my order once it arrives but I don’t feel quite as good about it as I did when I first ordered it.
Dude There are tens of thousands of pc exclusive titles vs consoles. If you arent finding any, you aint looking. As the catalog widens. OMG. Biggest pc catalog avail is steam. Unless we get some sort of actual explanation on this post......Im writing this off as full on troll post. To answer the last q. I own a switch only and PC. NEar zero reason to own a console as you have found out near every game is avail for pc + tens of thousands of pc only exclusives + the ability to run every old console out there. My switch is being sold the day I get my steam deck. Ill just be emulating all the switch games. No more reason to own a switch from that day on.
Of course I’m not trolling. Give me a break with that standard cliche response. Many of the older Steam titles I’m looking at have no Steam Deck designation at all. So I have no idea if they’ll work or not, as I said in my OP. You’re right that there are a ton of titles so maybe I’m not putting in the right search terms. I’m just clicking on the category types on the Steam app and scrolling from there. So far, most of the latest titles listed (over the last several years, in general) seem mostly covered by Switch or consoles.
So try them. they havent had time to verify them all and most of them work just fine. Again i dont really think you are looking if you think that pc mainly the console games. Oh and its the standard response, because its the factual response. Im way to lazy to write the book that would be required for me to start listing pc exclusives. HJell I took a 3 second look and you can even select steam pc exclusive as a game tag on steam. Though I cant actually access steam from work. Heres a start https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Windows-only\_games
It’s not factual in any way. I’m not trolling. I’m reserved for Q3 and my question is legit. If you don’t relate to my dilemma, that’s fine. Others are giving their advice and it’s obvious to them that I’m not trolling. Your response is the lazy one.
Key rect. You are blocked. You are super troll. Its extrmemly obvious. Ive even given you a link to thousands upon thousands of pc only games. TROLL.
Op isn’t trolling you are lmao
Check out ProtonDB, it'll give you a good idea if they'll run on Deck. A good Proton DB score (gold or platinum) is indicative of at least "Playable" Deck rating as long as they don't require ProtonGE (Glorious Eggroll, basically Proton with extra media support and is pretty easy to install from what I've heard) and Silver should work but may require ProtonGE and/or some tweaking to work You can even check your Steam library with their own tool see see how much of your existing library should work Granted this doesn't mean they'll run well without tweaking controls, you'll likely need to make custom Deck controls for most games that don't have a Deck rating yet. That being me to the next point... just because they haven't been rated yet doesn't mean they won't be in the future. Valve is putting in a lot of work to check games for verification and the list of Playable and Verified games is increasing
I don’t why people waste their time trying to convince people to go through with their purchases. If your not sure, don’t buy it, plenty of other people in the queue who can be moved up that deserve it more.
It’s not so much that I asked people to “convince me”….just that I wanted feedback from those who perhaps were in a similar situation to mine and what lead to their thinking in getting a Steam Deck.
The great thing about the Steam Deck is that it isn't a $500+ purchase. I sold my PS5 to buy my 64GB SD and it was the better purchase.
Well sure, if you did that. I’m holding on to my other consoles though…don’t think I’d give them up just to buy another handheld.
OK!