To the parents with decks...

[Skulth]

Has the deck changed the way you game?

Having become a father for the 2nd time at Xmas my free time to sit at a desk and game is all be none existent.

I am hoping the deck will give me more freedom to game with the ablitiy to pick up and put down as needed.

Sadly I suffered with the payment issue on lunch day so not expecting my deck till August/ September. Frustrating but is what it is.

Been unwell in bed all week too. And the thought of been able to game when I felt well enough would have been a real win.

[FuzzyHead]

Hey there!

Sorry for my poor English, im from Germany :-)

But ive had the same Situation. First Child 2015, second 2018. Entusastiac Gamer for Life, but Children had priority :-). Got the PS4 and XONE, now Series X and PS5, but most of the time, my Switch was my companion cause of the easy way to game.

But now, boy, the Deck is awesome! Ive got many games over the years (Im with steam since release of HL2) and gaming on Deck is a dream come true. Not especially for parents (Dads :D), but you can game when you have the time, pause when its needed and continue again.

I can recomend the Deck, on top when youre an Hard/Software Enthusiast, it has so much potential.

Hope i could help you a little bit :-)

[eotakos]

Originally posted by Skulth:

Has the deck changed the way you game?

Having become a father for the 2nd time at Xmas my free time to sit at a desk and game is all be none existent.

I am hoping the deck will give me more freedom to game with the ablitiy to pick up and put down as needed.

Sadly I suffered with the payment issue on lunch day so not expecting my deck till August/ September. Frustrating but is what it is.

Been unwell in bed all week too. And the thought of been able to game when I felt well enough would have been a real win.

Why not get a onexplayer if this is your only way to game? Most probably you will have it much faster... I am in the after Q3 category, i.e. Q4eva :D , and I'm actually considering getting one, which I may (or may not) sell afterwards. I am also a new dad (1st one too ;) and I see myself mostly struggling to steam link to my desktop over the smartphone, which is messy and unpleasant at times -- [ even though I'm playing turned-based stuff, which are ideal for this ].

Thing is, before I came to know about steam deck, I was not aware that other mini-pcs with this form-factor even existed... and yes -- steam deck may be the most open one of all, but at the same time, I have been installing linux distros on laptops without asking permission from the manufacturers since ubuntu 8.04 :) If you can boot from a live usb-stick, you can do it all

[@R+5]

Originally posted by Skulth:

I am hoping the deck will give me more freedom to game with the ablitiy to pick up and put down as needed.

lol, so you are unable to pause a game or ignore it if its in a console or pc, even if your family needs you? also, pc gaming is mostly for "desk people".

i think "desk people" dont play much always, because they rather stretch their legs and rest a bit. most arent youtubers or game reviewers, so they dont have or care to spend a lot playing.

a portable console doesnt change how much you care about others, or problems and tasks that may be happening around you.

you will be the same with one or without it.

well, maybe you could change a bit if you are swapping completely reading or listening books, or preparing work stuff, while traveling for gaming. that wouldnt be smart imo, lol

[Skulth]

@FuzzyHead I have a switch but find it uncomfortable to use for more than an hour at a time. I considered getting a set of split pads but never got around to it. In general its great for somethings but for me never took to it plus the games are expensive even more so when i already own them on PC. (also you English is great probably better than mine at this point)

@eotakos The onexplayer looks good but for double the price not so much. Plus i cannot see them selling any where near the number of decks so support will be thin on the ground. I will be waiting for my time with the deck how ever long that will be.

My gaming PC is getting long in the tooth have a I7 4790k and 980. So its either drop £1-2k on a new rig or take a punt at something new. At this point I just cannot justify the cost of a new rig for the time I am able to sit and use it. Just hoping the deck will give more opportunities to play as I'm not tied to a deck. There is only so much copium to see me to release date...

[ZombieKidzRule!]

Thing is, before I came to know about steam deck, I was not aware that other mini-pcs with this form-factor even existed... [/quote]

This is also me. Until I saw videos comparing the Steam Deck with other handhelds, I didn't know they even existed. I knew of the Switch, because my son has one, but I knew that wasn't what I was looking for. And I have also been contemplating buying the OneXPlayer while I wait for the Steam Deck. I am also After Q3 so who knows how long the wait will be.



lol, so you are unable to pause a game or ignore it if its in a console or pc, even if your family needs you? also, pc gaming is mostly for "desk people". [/quote]

Well, I haven't been anything but a PC gamer for 30 years and I am definitely not a "desk person" except for work. That is why I bought...gasp...a laptop. So I could put it on my lap, anywhere I wanted to sit. But that still isn't as convenient as what the Steam Deck will be. But perhaps I am an outlier who just lives among the "desk people."

And although I am also a parent who raised 4 children and often had to pause my PC gaming for household needs, the Steam Deck does seem to be much more flexible as far as quickly starting it up, putting it to sleep, setting it down, and starting it back up again to pick up where you left off. My laptops, not so much.

If you have a lot of Steam games that you want to play, I do think you will get a lot of use out of the Steam Deck. Or maybe for emulating, but I don't know anything about that because I haven't ever done that.

EDIT: Apparently I can't figure out how to quote people without quoting their entire post. Doesn't seem as easy as in forums that I frequent. Oh, well...old dog...new tricks sort of thing I guess.

[Flavius Claudius Julianus]

I understand the struggle. I am a parent of a 1 year old and my gaming time is completely compromised. Since I am Q3 I went ahead and did the unthinkable and purchased one from eBay, and I am so happy with it. I get to play in between my patients at work every day and get to enjoy my hobby without feeling guilty I am sacrificing family time. Since I get my gaming fix I also no longer feel the urge during family time to play games, as I get my fix during work, it’s freaking great. I feel even my wife is happier. I know my wife’s husband definitely is. It will change your gaming life op.

[monkeyfritz]

It makes a huge difference having a portable system with kids. Mostly with laying in bed after the kids are all asleep. But it also gives me a way to play games that are too gruesome or just just scary to play around little kids. The wolves howling in Rise of the Tomb Raider for example would freak my daughter out, so it's been sitting in my back catalog unplayed for years.

The "Deck" hasn't changed too much, because I already changed the way I game with a playstation Vita in 2017. The Deck is now my upgrade for that. I don't really like carrying it around the house and gaming between feeding the kids or doing dishes, etc, but it certainly has it's own niche vs when and what I can game on my PC.

[Mahjik]

@Skulth

My situation is different, but may relate to yours.

My daughter is in her first year of college. For the majority part of the year, my wife and I are empty nesters. You get used to the noise and everything of having one or more kids around and the silence is depressing.

With that, staying in a room separate from my wife would just make coping with empty nesting worse. With that, I started using remote play/Big Picture mode to stream to an older Android tablet (as well as using GeForce Now) with an Xbox One controller. This way I can still get some gaming in without being in a separate room from my wife.

The downside is that even with a good home network, streaming has it's issues. Control lag and Steam's own inefficiencies of streaming make it a less than desirable experience. It limits the titles I can play. I'm expecting the Steam Deck to give me that remote play ability, but without the controller lag.

[@R+5]

this thread is like a buzzfeed article, lol.

[ZombieKidzRule!]

Originally posted by @R+5:

this thread is like a buzzfeed article, lol.

And your point would be…?

[Skulth]

@R+5 I get what your trying to say about "desk people" but until my first kid was born 5 years ago i could easily spend hours gaming. especially when I used a WoW and play CSGO more seriously. whether this is like a buzzfeed article or not I am enjoying hearing about other people experiences and at the end of the day that what discuss forums are about....

@Flavius Claudius Julianus just want I wanted to hear. Its about convenience of when I can find the time.

@monkeyfritz like i said I have a switch but just didn't enjoy the console. was too small for my hands just end up with cramp. All the people screaming that the deck is too big is music to my ears. I was looking at getting a split pad pro but then steam deck was announce so haven't really looked into the switch much more. My son love it now though...

@Mahjik While i get you situation is different in some ways but really is sort of the same. Me and the wife both work and then have the house to settle just been in the same space can make a world of difference, I find it hard to get the house settled then go and sit on my own to game. i have a steam link and controller which scratches the itch but like you siad not the best experience game wise.

[Mahjik]

Originally posted by Skulth:

@Mahjik While i get you situation is different in some ways but really is sort of the same. Me and the wife both work and then have the house to settle just been in the same space can make a world of difference, I find it hard to get the house settled then go and sit on my own to game. i have a steam link and controller which scratches the itch but like you siad not the best experience game wise.

The difference is I have already been where you are at.

Your original question: "Has the deck changed the way you game?"

I don't think the Steam Deck will change how people game. However, kids do... Your statement:

"I am hoping the deck will give me more freedom to game with the ablitiy to pick up and put down as needed."

as we get older with more responsibilities, being able to play games for hours on end goes away. What you will likely notice is your desire to play titles where you have to remember what you have done, to move forward will likely wane. I play titles that I can quickly put down and/or pick up without needing to remember "exactly" what has transpired up to that point.

Today, you can just leave your PC on and shut the monitor off if you want to leave a game paused. Similarly, the Steam Deck (Linux) allows you to suspend a game. It's not adding something you don't have today. Granted, if others in your household need to use the same computer, then leaving a game running without playing it can be more of a challenge, but still possible.

I think the biggest change in gaming habits will come from "life" and not a device.

[Marlock]

Originally posted by Mahjik:

What you will likely notice is your desire to play titles where you have to remember what you have done, to move forward will likely wane. I play titles that I can quickly put down and/or pick up without needing to remember "exactly" what has transpired up to that point.

this is so true!!!

that being said, there is a lot that a Deck can do to increase the amount of viable and responsible gaming time by letting you be in the same room with your loved ones, even if playing all by yourself

Originally posted by Mahjik:

With that, staying in a room separate from my wife would just make coping with empty nesting worse. With that, I started using remote play/Big Picture mode to stream to an older Android tablet (as well as using GeForce Now) with an Xbox One controller. This way I can still get some gaming in without being in a separate room from my wife.

I can totally relate to this...

I have no children, but my wife is going through a very rough patch with paralising back pains, and this has been going on for weeks now. Gaming helps me relax, which in turn makes me better at helping her cope with the constant pain, but I haven't touched the living room console in that time because she's stuck in bed and I want to be close by as much as I can.

I have no Steam Deck yet, but I managed to install Steam Link to a Google Chromecast 4 (which in fact works as an Android TV stick running local apps, not just a chromecast receiver as previous versions), and paired a PS4 controller to it.

I haven't played much because she hogged the new setup ASAP, and it's been awesome to have those moments together while not on a PC.

I'm positive the Deck would be a perfect fit for the situation too.

[Estroyer]

I work from home and I have high-end PC because I need to render a lot. It can run games just fine. *But*, it's my work PC. Whenever I am behind my desk my mind goes into a "guess you're working now" mode and it stresses me out instead of being able to chill.

The Steam Deck has been such a great addition for my private and work balance. I now have my desk to work at and everywhere else in the house (or wherever I go) I can chill with my Deck.

I do have a kid, but they are at an age where they don't need mom as much so that's not really an issue anymore.
But looking back I would have loved to have a Steam deck at hand around my hours spend in hospital and at home where you always have to be at standby as a parent.

It's one of those devices that you cannot come back from!

[Steven]

Originally posted by Skulth:

Has the deck changed the way you game?

Having become a father for the 2nd time at Xmas my free time to sit at a desk and game is all be none existent.

I am hoping the deck will give me more freedom to game with the ablitiy to pick up and put down as needed.

Sadly I suffered with the payment issue on lunch day so not expecting my deck till August/ September. Frustrating but is what it is.

Been unwell in bed all week too. And the thought of been able to game when I felt well enough would have been a real win.

To hold you over in the mean time,

there's a free app called Steam Link and you can play controller enabled games in bed with this. Just get a cell phone holder clip to clip your phone onto your bed to sit above your head, and game on with Steam Link + a controller.