First Impressions

[SimonSays]

I have been using my Deck for a couple of days now and it is fantastic, even better than I thought it was going to be.

I just setup a modded copy of System Shock 2 and it runs perfectly, just have to get the controls right - which is definitely possible considering I have Deus Ex Revision running and playable too (which is beyond incredible).

The next games I am going to get working are modded OpenMW and Daggerfall Unity builds, working on Daggerfall as we speak and in the midst of deciding what type of modded Morrowind I am going to go for (potentially Rebirth this time as I just finished a vanilla playthrough a year or so ago).

The screen looks fantastic to me, and I have played a couple games at night in bed for over an hour with no hand cramp (this for me is a game changer for the hand held experience). I have also caught up on a few TV shows using the Deck - and the experience has been awesome, video looks great on this screen.

The great on deck games all work great, and the battery life is better than I expected - I am getting currently 2:42 minutes on System Shock 2 at a half charge.

I find that locked 40 looks great to me - and everything I have tried seems to run smoothly at that setting. Though I wish I could set this feature on a per-game basis as well.

I have honestly only begun to see the possibilities of this device and I think it is definitely worth the price of admission.

[invision2212]

Originally posted by SimonSays:

I find that locked 40 looks great to me - and everything I have tried seems to run smoothly at that setting. Though I wish I could set this feature on a per-game basis as well.

I have honestly only begun to see the possibilities of this device and I think it is definitely worth the price of admission.

there is a per game that you can tick so you can set whatever you want and when that game loads all those settings are saved.

[SimonSays]

Originally posted by invision2212:

Originally posted by SimonSays:

I find that locked 40 looks great to me - and everything I have tried seems to run smoothly at that setting. Though I wish I could set this feature on a per-game basis as well.

I have honestly only begun to see the possibilities of this device and I think it is definitely worth the price of admission.

there is a per game that you can tick so you can set whatever you want and when that game loads all those settings are saved.

Thanks!!! :)

For some reason I thought the refresh rate/frame limit settings weren't tied to the per-game setting, but I just tried thanks to your post and I am now even more happy as certain games don't seem to like the 40hz modes (Underrail only starts up in 60hz 30fps for me).

[SimonSays]

Just an update - I managed to get Daggerfall Unity with about 50+ mods working, no really slow downs. I am not using the DREAM mod, but instead a handpicked list that makes for an updated play experience with an enhanced vanilla sprite based look. The only mod I am having trouble with is the 3d Low Poly Trees which I am sure I'll figure out shortly.

I am also in the process of getting Morrowind Rebirth 6.0 with a host of additional mods working including a vanilla friendly texture pack. I used an high-res texture pack and was getting a solid 30fps in most areas, but I didn't really see the benefit of the high res textures on the smaller screen. I am going to try a normal mapped vanilla look shortly - outside of the graphics, the game is running fantastic with zero issues.

[lazerbase]

Originally posted by SimonSays:

Just an update - I managed to get Daggerfall Unity with about 50+ mods working, no really slow downs. I am not using the DREAM mod, but instead a handpicked list that makes for an updated play experience with an enhanced vanilla sprite based look. The only mod I am having trouble with is the 3d Low Poly Trees which I am sure I'll figure out shortly.

I am also in the process of getting Morrowind Rebirth 6.0 with a host of additional mods working including a vanilla friendly texture pack. I used an high-res texture pack and was getting a solid 30fps in most areas, but I didn't really see the benefit of the high res textures on the smaller screen. I am going to try a normal mapped vanilla look shortly - outside of the graphics, the game is running fantastic with zero issues.

Hey there, I have just ordered a new OLED Steam Deck and am looking forward to playing Morrowind on it, just wondering how you got on with trying to make it all far prettier? :)

[SimonSays]

Originally posted by lazerbase:

Originally posted by SimonSays:

Just an update - I managed to get Daggerfall Unity with about 50+ mods working, no really slow downs. I am not using the DREAM mod, but instead a handpicked list that makes for an updated play experience with an enhanced vanilla sprite based look. The only mod I am having trouble with is the 3d Low Poly Trees which I am sure I'll figure out shortly.

I am also in the process of getting Morrowind Rebirth 6.0 with a host of additional mods working including a vanilla friendly texture pack. I used an high-res texture pack and was getting a solid 30fps in most areas, but I didn't really see the benefit of the high res textures on the smaller screen. I am going to try a normal mapped vanilla look shortly - outside of the graphics, the game is running fantastic with zero issues.

Hey there, I have just ordered a new OLED Steam Deck and am looking forward to playing Morrowind on it, just wondering how you got on with trying to make it all far prettier? :)

Merry Christmas - enjoy the new Deck!!! :)

As for Morrowind - it is a work in progress, to be honest the best bet is OpenMW and following less intensive gfx pack especially if you want good draw distance.

I still haven't gotten MW to work in a state that is playable comparable to my gaming PC experience.

That said, if you are willing to sacrifice on the heavier graphic packs it is definitely playable on Deck. No issues with the controls - especially using the track pad to control mouse in the various menus.

All that said - I have managed to get the Wabbajack Keizal mod pack working for Skyrim AE on the deck at a steady 30fps lock 99% of the time and was about 40 hours in when they dropped the new patch. I am sure it will remain as such once I put the updated SKSE, address library, etc. back in.

With Morrowind my next try is going to be going for vanilla textures with point filtering (chunky pixels like Dread Delusion) - I have already got a working version of this on my gaming rig and it looks amazing. But it is still to heavy for a stable experience on the Deck - so I am going to cut down on the mods (especially Tamriel Rebuilt) and see if I can get a tighter vanilla experience going with this gfx style.

[tfk]

Ooh! Modded System Shock 2! You gave me an idea! Tnx!

[SimonSays]

Originally posted by tfk:

Ooh! Modded System Shock 2! You gave me an idea! Tnx!

No prob - modded Shock2 is awesome, and for sure playable as are the Thief games (with mods).

I am still super stoked for the Shock2 remaster as I think the revised character models look great, and I am hoping it includes some kex engine enhancements like shadows, ambient occlusion, etc. like seen in the Turok or Shadowman remasters as well as proper controller support.

But modded Shock2 is still a fantastic experience on the deck until the remaster is complete.

[Statesidemonk]

Even with the major crashing issue, I still love the Steam Deck. I ended up sending mine back for an RMA, which was delivered to Valve yesterday, so hopefully I’ll receive the replacement in the next week or two and that will help.