Steam Deck vs the other "mini gaming laptop" options.... thoughts?

[NimrodX]

I noticed that Steam Deck isn't the only game in town for this type of device, but haven't really looked at the others due to assuming there would be little to no effort put into making them usable.

Anyone have one of these to provide a comparison?

[WarnerCK]

There are a million comparisons out there already. Knock yourself out.

Generally, battery life is best on the Deck, the user experience is best on the Deck, the controls are best on the Deck; if you really really want Windows for some reason (despite it being a worse experience than the Deck), get something that isn't the Deck.

[Drak3]

I’ve got both a Z1E ROG Ally and a 512GB Deck,and WarnerCK’s mostly right ( there are reasons to want Windows, mostly just because some games don’t work with proton yet, maybe some people genuinely use handhelds as a desktop enough that a worse handheld experience).

Hardware wise, most other handhelds out now are better. That means nothing is the software is worse by a wide margin.

[WarnerCK]

Messaggio originale di Drak3:

maybe some people genuinely use handhelds as a desktop enough that a worse handheld experience.

The Deck has a better desktop experience because of the trackpads.

Hardware wise, most other handhelds out now are better.

I'd also disagree here. You can get more FPS if you're plugged in with the others, but you could get more plugged in FPS still from a laptop with a controller. The others can draw more power in exchange for more frames, but I wouldn't say "better." Different (and generally less optimal) hardware trade-offs in the design of the other handhelds.

But there are all sorts of comparisons elsewhere from every angle already.

[[?]legit]

There's really no point in buying a steam deck at this point. Get a legion go or the ally. Those are far better devices that don't come with a restrictive OS and limited game support. Get the ally for ultimate portability, the legion go if you prefer having an immersive experience.

[Drak3]

Messaggio originale di WarnerCK:

Messaggio originale di Drak3:

maybe some people genuinely use handhelds as a desktop enough that a worse handheld experience.

The Deck has a better desktop experience because of the trackpads.

Hardware wise, most other handhelds out now are better.

I'd also disagree here. You can get more FPS if you're plugged in with the others, but you could get more plugged in FPS still from a laptop with a controller. The others can draw more power in exchange for more frames, but I wouldn't say "better." Different (and generally less optimal) hardware trade-offs in the design of the other handhelds.

But there are all sorts of comparisons elsewhere from every angle already.

I think the trackpads are pretty overhyped, TBH, and don’t really make desktop mode on a handheld all that much better. It’s also not what I meant. When I said some people use them as a desktop, I mean KB+M and a monitor.

While ASUS and Lenovo screwed the pooch with stupid battery decisions, the 7840U based options by companies like GPD, AYA, AYN, etc. either include a substantially bigger battery than the Leg and Ally (bringing battery life closer to the LCD Deck’s) or do their own validation for lower TDPs that are closer to Van Gogh’s. So yeah, I’d say that they have better hardware. Worse software and much steeper prices are the main trade off.

[MancSoulja]

Messaggio originale di ?legit:

There's really no point in buying a steam deck at this point. Get a legion go or the ally. Those are far better devices that don't come with a restrictive OS and limited game support. Get the ally for ultimate portability, the legion go if you prefer having an immersive experience.

Imagine being lectured about limited game support by someone with 50 games. 🤣

[[?]legit]

Messaggio originale di MancSoulja:

Messaggio originale di ?legit:

There's really no point in buying a steam deck at this point. Get a legion go or the ally. Those are far better devices that don't come with a restrictive OS and limited game support. Get the ally for ultimate portability, the legion go if you prefer having an immersive experience.

Imagine being lectured about limited game support by someone with 50 games. 🤣

Imagine the deck cant even run half of small game collection 🤣

[Haruspex]

You might find a little bias here, but the Deck is just a better device overall. It's not the most powerful device, but the other devices gain that extra power through brute force, which means less battery life, more heat, etc. The ROG Ally gets only 40 minutes of battery when you really push it. The Deck is a very efficient and balanced device in comparison, and the OLED even more so.

One big reason not to get a Deck is if your enjoyment of the device hinges upon whether or not you can play one of the games that won't run on the Deck due to certain anti-cheat solutions. Don't get a Deck if you are looking forward to using it to play Destiny 2, Fortnite or COD. It's not a big deal though. It's like; You wouldn't buy a Playstation hoping to play Halo. Don't get a Deck hoping to play games the Deck doesn't play.

I estimate about 70% of every game on Steam Just Works on the Deck. Another 20% works fine with some small adjustment, like running a custom version of Proton. The final 10% doesn't work... yet. Proton is a continually evolving beast, and what doesn't work today may very well work tomorrow.

Don't count on the Steam Deck Verified system to definitively tell you what works and what doesn't. I've found most untested games work great, and even several "unsupported" games actually work fine as well. Their status will probably change on the next "verified' pass. Depending on your comfort level with tinkering, you might just stick to "verified" or "great on Deck" games just to start. These games are pretty much guaranteed to give you an absolutely seamless, console-like experience. If your first experience is a roll of the dice with an unsupported game, and in the off chance it's a less than optimal one, it could sour your whole opinion. First impressions and all that.

Look at ProtonDB and Youtube to check the games you want to play and get a feel for how the Deck handles them before you make a decision.

[[?]legit]

Messaggio originale di Haruspex:

You might find a little bias here, but the Deck is just a better device overall. It's not the most powerful device, but the other devices gain that extra power through brute force, which means less battery life, more heat, etc. The ROG Ally gets only 40 minutes of battery when you really push it. The Deck is a very efficient and balanced device in comparison, and the OLED even more so.

One big reason not to get a Deck is if your enjoyment of the device hinges upon whether or not you can play one of the games that won't run on the Deck due to certain anti-cheat solutions. Don't get a Deck if you are looking forward to using it to play Destiny 2, Fortnite or COD. It's not a big deal though. It's like; You wouldn't buy a Playstation hoping to play Halo. Don't get a Deck hoping to play games the Deck doesn't play.

I estimate about 70% of every game on Steam Just Works on the Deck. Another 20% works fine with some small adjustment, like running a custom version of Proton. The final 10% doesn't work... yet. Proton is a continually evolving beast, and what doesn't work today may very well work tomorrow.

Don't count on the Steam Deck Verified system to definitively tell you what works and what doesn't. I've found most untested games work great, and even several "unsupported" games actually work fine as well. Their status will probably change on the next "verified' pass. Depending on your comfort level with tinkering, you might just stick to "verified" or "great on Deck" games just to start. These games are pretty much guaranteed to give you an absolutely seamless, console-like experience. If your first experience is a roll of the dice with an unsupported game, and in the off chance it's a less than optimal one, it could sour your whole opinion. First impressions and all that.

Look at ProtonDB and Youtube to check the games you want to play and get a feel for how the Deck handles them before you make a decision.

It's not just destiny, fortnite or cod. Many games dont work under steamos.

[Mahjik]

https://youtu.be/cQ9iJ5V1FU8?si=U8oa8BKXNz8twMlQ

[Haruspex]

Messaggio originale di ?legit:

Imagine the deck cant even run half of small game collection 🤣

Messaggio originale di ?legit:

It's not just destiny, fortnite or cod. Many games dont work under steamos.

This is a claim you and others have made before. It's almost always someone who hides their library and refuses to say which games won't work compared to which ones do.

So I went looking for receipts. I noticed though your library is hidden, there's plenty more information in your profile to show which games you do play.

Your profile says you own 56 games. Seems to me like there are actually 56 games in your library that are popular enough to actually count. You seem to have a lot more than that. There's a lot of freebies, awful shovelware, and hentai.

I made a list of games based on what I could find in your profile, then punched it all into ProtonDB to figure out the real information.

Of 492 games, 380 games work on Deck just fine. 6 work with a minor tweak or two. 90 games are just too small-time for anyone to care about, so there's no data.

Therefore 77.23% of your library works on Deck just fine. If we cut the unknown games, calculate the percentage again, then assume that percentage of the unknown games will likely work, then an estimated 94.72% of your games will work.

Then there's the prominent place of Call of Duty in your library.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1938090/Call_of_Duty/
This is a game well known not to work on Deck thanks to their implementation of Anti cheat, along with Fortnite and Destiny 2. It seems your entire opinion on the Steam Deck's playable library is based almost entirely on the fact that you can't play this one game.

[Boblin the Goblin]

Messaggio originale di ?legit:

Messaggio originale di MancSoulja:

Imagine being lectured about limited game support by someone with 50 games. 🤣

Imagine the deck cant even run half of small game collection 🤣

Too bad it can. But as shown by your other topics, honesty is not a trait.

[Kage Goomba]

The Steamdeck is explicitly designed for one thing and one thing only.

To play Steam Games.

Its dedicated to that very task.

While I call it a Micro PC - its not a "Laptop" in that regard.

You comparing it to other handheld "computers" (not consoles like Switch) - is a bit of a unfair thing.

It comes down to the primary purpose of the device.
Laptops run windows (or whatever someone wants) and encounter challenges as such in that regard.

While the Steamdeck can do the same - Valve intended it to do one particular job - play your steam games.

With this in mind - The Steamdeck (bias not withstanding) is a clear winner if all you plan to do is play Steam Games.

Granted its not perfect - there are issues - but it can only get better.

So you have to ask yourself a simple question - what are you aiming to do?

Only you can answer that - anything else we say is moot.


For me is it investing 3000 USD for a gaming laptop with premium hardware - or spending 700USD and no more 900USD with accessories/goodies banking on the dedicated aspect of Steamdeck?

Id rather spend less money on a gamble than more - when the industry tech is forcing everything to overclock/overheat for the expressed purpose of burning down/out hardware for replacement after 1-1.5 Years.

At least a PC Rig (tower) can be augmented - laptop - not so much.

So yeah - food for thought.

As for PC handhelds? I've seen/heard - frankly not impressed - because they fall under the same problem with Laptops - the industry pushes overclocking in a big way.

At least Steam OS being linux centric- we have far better odds of keeping control of our systems.

Id rather trust SteamOS for now over Windows any day.

[Boblin the Goblin]

Messaggio originale di Haruspex:

Messaggio originale di ?legit:

Imagine the deck cant even run half of small game collection 🤣

Messaggio originale di ?legit:

It's not just destiny, fortnite or cod. Many games dont work under steamos.

This is a claim you and others have made before. It's almost always someone who hides their library and refuses to say which games won't work compared to which ones do.

So I went looking for receipts. I noticed though your library is hidden, there's plenty more information in your profile to show which games you do play.

Your profile says you own 56 games. Seems to me like there are actually 56 games in your library that are popular enough to actually count. You seem to have a lot more than that. There's a lot of freebies, awful shovelware, and hentai.

I made a list of games based on what I could find in your profile, then punched it all into ProtonDB to figure out the real information.

Of 492 games, 380 games work on Deck just fine. 6 work with a minor tweak or two. 90 games are just too small-time for anyone to care about, so there's no data.

Therefore 77.23% of your library works on Deck just fine. If we cut the unknown games, calculate the percentage again, then assume that percentage of the unknown games will likely work, then an estimated 94.72% of your games will work.

Then there's the prominent place of Call of Duty in your library.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1938090/Call_of_Duty/
This is a game well known not to work on Deck thanks to their implementation of Anti cheat, along with Fortnite and Destiny 2. It seems your entire opinion on the Steam Deck's playable library is based almost entirely on the fact that you can't play this one game.

Wait.

You mean to tell me a "Competitive Gamer" just has a library full of free to play trash?

Oh man, I'm ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ dying.

[Haruspex]

Messaggio originale di SlowMango:

You mean to tell me a "Competitive Gamer" just has a library full of free to play trash?

Well, it's not comprehensive. Like I said, hidden library. But yeah.

I'm not one to really judge. Different people have different motives to play. Maybe he just collects garbage for the achievements and card drops. Some people play Steam itself like a game in this way. I personally have my own share of hentai in my library too.

My main point was that of all the games I could find evidence of him owning, a lot more than "half" work great on the Deck, and my guess is that he's just salty about COD.