Do you like prefer the deck being consolized?

[Emilio]

That is to say do you see it as an asset that Valve is trying to make the regular steam deck experience as streamlined as possible.

I honestly think it's a big relief on my part since I only see myself using it as a gaming device since I already have a normal pc for all the things I want to do outside of playing video games.
The easier it is to get into and play video games the better I say

Edit: Not sure why this post attracted a bunch of negative posts but please just be civil. People can like the same thing for different reasons without having to call eachother names over it thank you.

[Mr Jt (Gog is king)]

They said it multiple times it’s a local pc for your pocket it’s an open platform.Even consoles are basically high end pcs these days but they are limited to their own echo system

[Zoot]

Yes. Being idiot-proof, together with solid value for the money, is the silver bullet that can break the death grip that a tiny number of companies have on the market.

[DarkCrystalMethod]

Just sell joysticks that work the Inverted T arrow keys...
https://preview.redd.it/2id9pkebmlx01.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=0be96061b8e32d01e5eeb6c58fabe7d11e626538

[@R+5]

Originally posted by Emilio:

The easier it is to get into and play video games the better I say

the deck is for two audiences:
those who want to just install and run their games as soon as possible, and those who want to fool with the SteamOS (including those who want to replace it with windows, even if they risk have poor performance and unexpected issues that valve isnt going to solve). Making it more like consoles wouldnt make it better: it would cripple it severely.

Theres no rational way to be scared of SteamOS v3 included in the deck: having an OS that is open and that you can adjust to your taste if thats what you want is better than having a locked system that limits harshly what you can do and run.

You want easy?
Dont try to tweak or change the OS, and dont try to do something risky like replacing the OS: just log into your account, install the games you want (and you already are compatible)...

And...
Forget about the "deck as mini computer": most modern smart phones can be considered mini-computers: how many actually care to jailbreak them and change their os? the only difference is the deck wont put you obstacles to do whatever you want.

[tyl0413]

In what world is easy "consolized"? I swear some people must've not used a PC in at least 20 years. What i would call consolized is if it just like the console actively limited your freedom of the ways you can use the device and punished you for trying to change it like consoles do. Not even a console thing really, sadly that applies to most electronics nowdays smart IoT stuff, phones, Tvs, basically the last remaining piece of tech you actually own and control is a computer, the rest is locked down hell and people love it. Well Steam Deck is proof that you can make an easy to use device while not limiting user choice and that's a great thing. Don't call it a console, it's far from one.

[Emilio]

Originally posted by tyl0413:

In what world is easy "consolized"? I swear some people must've not used a PC in at least 20 years. What i would call consolized is if it just like the console actively limited your freedom of the ways you can use the device and punished you for trying to change it like consoles do. Not even a console thing really, sadly that applies to most electronics nowdays smart IoT stuff, phones, Tvs, basically the last remaining piece of tech you actually own and control is a computer, the rest is locked down hell and people love it. Well Steam Deck is proof that you can make an easy to use device while not limiting user choice and that's a great thing. Don't call it a console, it's far from one.

I say consolized as in easy to update, easy access to friend chat, achievements and all that jazz.

I am shocked how angry people are on the forum today. Obviously yes the openness of the steam deck is great and my post was not trying to contradict that point.

Something can be streamlined and easy to access while allowing those that want to do more do that without there having to be some weird conflict of those that want to achieve different things.

[✠Passi965✠]

Idk why you guys are derailing the Original Topic but for ♥♥♥♥ sake... answer Emilios question.

So now to my answer to the question, I would like some parts of it to be consolized, things like you said... easy to update, easy acces to chat and the likes.

[WarnerCK]

FWIW, the term "gaming appliance" would get your intention across better, without the other stuff around consoles.

[shak59]

Day 1 I am putting Windows on it.

[retrogunner]

Day 1 Windows - everyone's use-case is different. That's the great thing about open platforms.

Mine - it will out-of-box with personal & community Linux/Deck customizations. I'm looking forward to having a Steam "Handheld/convertible PC console" for my use cases:

Instead of switching between PC gaming and Linux (given current state of Steam OS 2.x/Steam client with Proton), my rig will get to spend more time in Linux as it should and have separate machine for Gaming. (My Linux rig will also get to act more as a Game server in the house too. Game streaming has been fine but less-optimal replacement experience for me.)

Given the standardized build of the Steam Deck, game publishers are paying attention and will help provide tuning for it. Given Valve is bigger than most of them, having that standardized consumer platform will give them more game sales for a reliable play-through experience - just like any Xbox, PS or Nintendo experience. (QA Validating for so many GPU, CPU, Mainboards, etc. combinations is a huge & time consuming task for them.)

Now, as other PC Handheld consoles start entering the marketplace, their experience could be sub-optimal given they'd need to be an open platform and equal to Valve's Steam Deck. Any ASUS, Alienware/Dell, or Razer specializations will just shoot themselves in the foot. Valve has set the standard.

Then there's my money spent on upgrading Tower PC parts and GPUs. My dollar is better spent on the Deck which will extend the use/longevity of my PC Rig by having less parts churn. My games & use-cases require less than a GTX2060. Those hundreds of dollars are spent once, I want the 85% or greater bang-for-buck given the money is spent on one thing.

I'll finally be able to conveniently haul my games around with me - work, home office, living-room TV, travel -- playing at Family or Friend's homes, [outdoor] LAN parties, camping -- things the Switch can do. (I look forward to some my back catalog being I can take them with me for lunch breaks.) Laptops are fine, but then I've pull out a controller or my mech.keyboard & mouse as laptop keyboards & trackpads suck, etc.

And, being Arch Linux, I won't need to dual boot a laptop. I can leave the laptop at home to use a BT Keyboard, Mouse, & portable display (as I do already for my laptop) or even just SSH directly into the Deck from my phone or tablet - being Android or Pine64 devices. My hobby & work tools are Linux based. Given the state of Linux Gaming up to recently, to minimize reboots, I must keep a second set of tools on Windows - a complete waste of space.

Steam Deck = take my money (cause I would have had to use that on newer PC & GPU anyway.)

[Haruspex]

There's a negative connotation associated with consoles among the PC gaming community, but I do get what you're saying. "Consolized" as is a an easy, pick-up-and-play kind of experience. Not "consolized" as in no freedom, locked down walled garden of sadness.

I think it's a very good thing, and might help shake off some of the outdated and incorrect opinions that gaming on PC isn't easy or simple, but console gaming is. It's like if someone says they don't like cars because you have to get out and crank-start them. That just hasn't been the case for decades.

You might see some negative response to the Steam Deck thanks in part to a stupid, elitist mindset brought on by memes via the PC Master Race subreddit, which is based on a one-off joke made by Yahtzee of Zero Punctuation. The whole "Glorious PC gaming master race lords over dirty console gaming peasants, all hail Lord Gaben." thing was taken way too seriously by some folks who enjoyed feeling superior to their console gaming peers.

Realistically, the line between PC and console is blurring, with console becoming more and more like PC since over 20 years ago when Sega put a modem and a web browser in the Dreamcast, and Microsoft released the Xbox with a built-in hard drive and the ability to patch games post-release. Steam Deck is a push to make PC a bit more like console, but only the good things about consoles, with absolutely none of the bad.

I think the definition of "PC Gaming" is evolving. In the early days of the PC Master Race subreddit, PC Gaming meant 1080p, 60fps, mouse and keyboard as the superior control device. Today, I think it means freedom and choice. The freedom to play how you want to play, on the hardware you want to play it on, using the controls you want to use. Under this definition, Steam Deck is 100% PC gaming.

[Darzai]

If in default setup it starts up running Steam, then I don't see a problem. All Steam users are familiar with Steam. For people who just want to use the Deck to run games, I don't think it will matter whether Steam is running on linux or windows on that thing.

[Haruspex]

Originally posted by Darzai:

For people who just want to use the Deck to run games, I don't think it will matter whether Steam is running on linux or windows on that thing.

Yes. In fact, I expect there will be people in the future who have owned and enjoyed a Steam Deck for months or even years who still don't even know what Linux is. All they know is they can turn it on and play some games, and that's fine. That means it's doing what it's supposed to do.