Hello all!
I have been playing handheld since the Nintendo Switch came out, and when the Steam Deck came out I was in the first batch to get one. Now I have two, one older version and one newer, both upgraded with some more storage.

My question is this: how do you all like the Steam Deck, if you've had a chance to play on one?

If you haven't gotten or played one, any thoughts?

For me, I had never played PC games before. Before the Switch I had all Xbox games, so it took awhile to build up that library (still have the Switch, just don't play it much). So when the Deck came out I had to start building my library all over again from scratch. But after all this time I must say it was worth it. I've now got almost 300 games on there. I love the versatility of being able to dock it on the TV and play it like a console or docking it to a PC and playing it with a keyboard and mouse. But 99% of the time I play handheld. I like turn based games and they are just perfect playing handheld, but in my opinion anything that isn't a strictly PC-sim type game is perfectly playable handheld.

I also really like the customization and Linux features. I especially love the ability to create my own controller schemes, which is super helpful for games that aren't "Great on Deck". I've found that even the "unsupported" games can usually be played with some tinkering.

My husband hates playing handheld, so it got me thinking about it. I'd love your thoughts on the Steam Deck or playing handheld in general. With any luck this is just the start of the "new" and more competitive handheld arena for gaming.

Cari (aka Turnbasedlifer )

Hello!

I don’t have one as I’m not much of a handheld gamer anymore but I do think they’re awesome! This may be a dumb question but with the customization, are you able to install/play games not on Steam? Wonder if that could be a way for people to do emulation of old consoles if they wanted.

I wasn’t aware of the docking feature so that’s cool. That would appeal to me more. I love to play on the couch with a big screen haha!

iJon0187, it's just a Linux computer with a Steam front-end slapped on it. You can download anything you want (I have one with all sorts of emulation set up). In the same way, you can install other non-Steam game interfaces, though through the lens of Linux there are varying levels of success. Generally, with Lutris/Heroic Launcher you can play just about anything.

I think it's a great console, but I'm not the handheld gamer I used to be. I don't know if I'm getting too old, or if the world has just ground out the whimsy in me, but I have a lack of interest to play handheld these days (It's also massive so it's not like I'm toting it around). I use a 3rd party dock, but it works great as a console. The only part that gets annoying is if I try to use more obscure controllers that don't have a button for the Steam menu. Trying to flip flop between controllers and getting their respective mappings right has put me off from playing to much on it and I generally just switch back to my PC. That being said, if you have just one controller you use, or strictly play handheld, it'll be great.

It is very big and heavy after awhile. I have to play with a little pillow under it, so it definitely is NOT super portable! A big reason I started getting into handheld is because of the types of games I play, which are the turn based games where you tend to have a small character on the screen and a lot of text to read. It's great for first person games as well, but for me I really love the turn based games to be up close and personal.

I don't have one but it seems like a great device. PC + Nintendo have always been my mains so I haven't ever felt a need to get one myself since I already had access to both PC gaming and handheld gaming if I wanted it + just not being super into handheld play for a while there, but after playing a bunch of Switch 2 in handheld mode these last few months, I'll admit my desire to have one has grown a bit.

I know this post is old, but I got my Deck last summer (glad I did, since it's been sold out since February...), and it's amazing! It can run pretty much anything that isn't too demanding (and sometimes even surprises you, like with how it can run Pragmata, a very recent title). I highly recommend it, especially if you like playing on the go or travel a lot (or if you wanna be a couch potato :P).

The controls especially feel very intuitive. The machine looks bulky and heavy, so you wouldn't expect it to be as comfortable to use as it is.

I recently bit the bullet and got myself a Steam Deck after moving to Japan and leaving my gaming PC in the UK. (It was surprisingly hard to find a Steam Deck in Japan! But I don't live in a big city like Tokyo which might have more options). I also got a dock so I can hook it up to my TV like the Switch and play on a big screen. I almost exclusively use it with the dock at home and rarely in handheld form.

I'm a casual gamer and don't play competitivly, so I can't comment too deeply on that. Otherwise, the performance has been perfect for me. I can't complain.

@Yoniko98 glad you checked it out and like it, I agree with your post. Do you have any thoughts on the Steam Machine? Looks like you're way more knowledgeable about that stuff than I am!
@LadyMarble That's funny, I am the opposite, I have a dock but always play handheld anyway!

That said, I wish I could get the Steam Machine. Probably the best gaming PC/console you'll find without making one yourself, at least from what I have seen so far. If anyone has thoughts on that as well I'd love to hear them! With that steep price tag (tho not too steep if you think about the fact that it's basically a lovingly built gaming PC plus a console system) I won't be purchasing it any time soon, but I am curious if it turns out to be worth it.

Probably not if I'm being honest, you can get a decent laptop for a similar price. Not as elegant but can serve a similar function as a console when hooked up by hdmi. Install botocera, bazzite or use xbox mode in windows to use a controller