Gaming in desktop mode on external screen - whats it like?

[NZ.Zero]

- What screen res can it output in desktop mode?
- What graphic card PC would you say the steam deck in desktop mode is equivalent to?

Im thinking of ditching my plan to upgrade to a new PC graphics card and getting a steam deck to game on instead. (at home on a screen and portable obvs)

[sivoplaka]

Steam Deck can output at 4k60fps max.
GTX 650 Ti is the equivalent to Steam Deck's GPU.
Even thought it sounds too weak, with FSR, you can play between 30 and 45 fps.
I recommend you to watch YouTube videos about it.

[NZ.Zero]

ok thanks.
guess im waiting for deck v2 then :)

[sivoplaka]

Originally posted by NZ.Zero:

ok thanks.
guess im waiting for deck v2 then :)

Steam Deck 2 isn't coming sooner and the improvements will be focus more on efficiency and a little bit more of performance, nothing fancy.

[Mahjik]

A $400 handheld device is not going to replace a $1500 or above desktop in gaming performance.

[sivoplaka]

Originally posted by Mahjik:

A $400 handheld device is not going to replace a $1500 or above desktop in gaming performance.

You're 100% right.
Steam Deck was craft for those who didn't care some graphics and performance loss comparing to a desktop PC.
For a device at that price tag, it's an incredible piece of hardware.

[shadowboy813]

It'll work, but you'll have to manage expectations. I'd recommend gaming in game mode though. Desktop mode isn't as optimized as game mode.

[Haruspex]

Originally posted by sivoplaka:

Steam Deck can output at 4k60fps max.
GTX 650 Ti is the equivalent to Steam Deck's GPU.

Eh, it's closer to a GTX 1050, though that's not a huge jump from your 650 ti example, it certainly sounds better to the prospective buyer, the 650 ti being an 11 year old card, and the 1050 being newer at 7 years old.

[Murasakino Rin]

Originally posted by Harusp3x:

Originally posted by sivoplaka:

Steam Deck can output at 4k60fps max.
GTX 650 Ti is the equivalent to Steam Deck's GPU.

Eh, it's closer to a GTX 1050, though that's not a huge jump from your 650 ti example, it certainly sounds better to the prospective buyer, the 650 ti being an 11 year old card, and the 1050 being newer at 7 years old.

I agree with it being more of a 10x0 series card.

[Mahjik]

The device is designed to play games at 800p/720p anywhere from 30-60 fps. When you limit the pixels to those sizes, most decently programmed titles will run. Anyone looking for "more" should look elsewhere. Basically, those who love gaming on the Deck prefer the mobility over everything else.

[sivoplaka]

Originally posted by Harusp3x:

Originally posted by sivoplaka:

Steam Deck can output at 4k60fps max.
GTX 650 Ti is the equivalent to Steam Deck's GPU.

Eh, it's closer to a GTX 1050, though that's not a huge jump from your 650 ti example, it certainly sounds better to the prospective buyer, the 650 ti being an 11 year old card, and the 1050 being newer at 7 years old.

You're right.
From a quick search, it's almost a GTX 1050 with RDNA2 architecture, which is newer then Pascal architecture.
Even thought, was developed to play games at 720p/800p.

[NZ.Zero]

Originally posted by Harusp3x:

Eh, it's closer to a GTX 1050,

interestingly, No Mans Sky is verified for steam deck and the official spec for that game is 1060 (and most people say even that's too low) so maybe steam deck is even equivalent to something above 1050 ...

Originally posted by sivoplaka:

Steam Deck 2 isn't coming sooner and the improvements will be focus more on efficiency and a little bit more of performance, nothing fancy.

Cant think of any major gaming hardware upgrade that didnt include a performance improvement, so it seems likely ... then add Asus Rog etc to the mix and i'd say performance improvements are essential. As for what valve say .. well, they would say theyre not upgrading it woudlnt they, they dont want people to wait ....

Personally I think my threshold is more like 1070 ti equivalent.

[Mahjik]

Originally posted by NZ.Zero:

Originally posted by Harusp3x:

Eh, it's closer to a GTX 1050,

interestingly, No Mans Sky is verified for steam deck and most people say 1060 (which is the official min spec) is too low to run that, so maybe steam deck is even equivalent to something above 1050 ...

The minimum specs in Steam Store are expecting 1080p at a minimum for a PC. This why you really cannot use those to know how well something will or will not play on the Deck.

[NZ.Zero]

thats true. so although for example No Mans Sky might eb deck verified, that doesnt mean the deck would be powerful enough to play that game on an external monitor. Interesting.

Im firmly staying on the fence then til it improves.

[Mahjik]

Originally posted by NZ.Zero:

thats true. so although for example No Mans Sky might eb deck verified, that doesnt mean the deck would be powerful enough to play that game on an external monitor. Interesting.

Im firmly staying on the fence then til it improves.

It will play on an external monitor just fine, at 720p or 800p. If you want 1080p or 4K, that is not what the device is built for....

[sivoplaka]

If you dock on a 4k TV, use native resolution and be sure to use ultra performance FSR or it will struggle. Everything else must be at the lowest settings possible.