is it worth it to get a steam deck

[Nathaniel11B.]

ever since i saw a steam deck i wanted one for trips and for whenever i wanted. now im wondering if i really want to get one in this day and age, just for fun or if im ever going to use after i first get it

[Bigbrotherj1992]

I haven’t regretted buying mine going on 5 years sure it doesn’t play all games mainly ea games that require their stupid ass kernel anticheat software like madden nfl 24 and fi24 and others but i still enjoy using mine for Skyrim final fantasy and other games

[♡ Uwu ♡]

i would say its worth it but you cant play most games, battery gets low fast at least faster than nintendo switch and it overheats alot other than that its customizable u can do pretty much anything with it. basically a portable pc at ur fingertips.

[Haruspex]

Originally posted by ♡ Lesbianlips ♡:

i would say its worth it but you cant play most games,

Some games. Specifically certain games with kernel level anti-cheat where they refused to enable Linux support. It plays most games just fine.

Originally posted by ♡ Lesbianlips ♡:

battery gets low fast at least faster than nintendo switch and it overheats alot

It doesn't overheat as long as you're not playing in the desert during a heat wave with the vent blocked, and your battery life depends on your game. The OLED model has much, much better battery life, and you can get 5.5-12 hours of battery life. LCD model gets about 1.5-8 hours.

As for whether it's worth it, that depends on you. Ask yourself what games you want to play. Look up Youtube videos of those games being played on the Steam Deck. Check ProtonDB to see what others say about the games you want to play, how well they work, and what the best settings are. Really do some soul-searching and ask yourself how often you'll be in a position where having a portable PC for gaming would be something you would be happy to have and would make use of.

FWIW, I own three. First one the wife decided belonged to her now, so I had to buy a second one. Then I bought a third when the OLED came out and gave the second one to my son. We all use them daily and enjoy them immensely.

[Mahjik]

Originally posted by Nathaniel11B.:

ever since i saw a steam deck i wanted one for trips and for whenever i wanted. now im wondering if i really want to get one in this day and age, just for fun or if im ever going to use after i first get it

In addition to the other posters above, try searching YouTube for the games you expect to play on your Deck should you get one. All you have to do is search for:

Game Name Steam Deck

[Broseph Joseph]

Its been one of the most versatile little entertainment devices ive ever owned. I use it with the dock as the entertainment PC in my bedroom also. If i really wanted to, i could probably compress all of my electronic entertainment into it. Its like a post-scarcity magic technology device in this regard. Considering the incredibly low cost for what you get, the value of it as a product is off the charts imo.

[artofmana]

I'm in the same boat as the original poster. I'll share with you my current thoughts. I want a Steam Deck but with the Switch 2 on the horizon and my expendable cash at a minimum, I'm considering applying my money to that instead. But, I have my eye on the base OLED model. I have too large a Steam library to ignore how convenient it would be to be able to play on a Steam Deck. I like the idea of being able to use it in desktop mode on occasion as well. I've heard of some people using this for light daily driving as a full-fledged computer. I think it might be nice to do some writing on it while it's docked.

[Bigbrotherj1992]

Originally posted by artofmana:

I'm in the same boat as the original poster. I'll share with you my current thoughts. I want a Steam Deck but with the Switch 2 on the horizon and my expendable cash at a minimum, I'm considering applying my money to that instead. But, I have my eye on the base OLED model. I have too large a Steam library to ignore how convenient it would be to be able to play on a Steam Deck. I like the idea of being able to use it in desktop mode on occasion as well. I've heard of some people using this for light daily driving as a full-fledged computer. I think it might be nice to do some writing on it while it's docked.

Eww a switch 2 trust me you’re better off with the steam deck I just don’t see the switch 2 being that good I just see it having the same boring content as the first switch like I don’t even see it being that much more powerful than the first one that’s just how lazy I think the Nintendo is Just a rebranding so they can get more money from people a cash grab

[☆ƧQυiяяєL♫]

Yes.

It is an entertainment item, I bought a 1030 and purchased accessories from Amazon, e.g. small carry-around battery, screen protector, deck sleeve protector, etc.

I also bought a ally to play Xbox games for achievement.

I have a switch but it's still sealed in it's box, in some closet somewhere, for me it's meh no big.

Again, Yeppers.

First choice, purchase the duck directly from Valve/Steam.
Last resort, plan Z, get it from other sites and places (Gamestop); this choice is both "as-is" and caveat emptor

[N]

Originally posted by ☆ƧQυiяяєL♫:

:teddy_talk: Yes.

It is an entertainment item, I bought a 1030 and purchased accessories from Amazon, e.g. small carry-around battery, screen protector, deck sleeve protector, etc.

I also bought a ally to play Xbox games for achievement.

I have a switch but it's still sealed in it's box, in some closet somewhere, for me it's meh no big.

Again, Yeppers.

First choice, purchase the duck directly from Valve/Steam.
Last resort, plan Z, get it from other sites and places (Gamestop); this choice is both "as-is" and caveat emptor

aaaayyyy the resident jester has been released from the steam dungeon!

welcome back brother, try and stay out of trouble man you are way too entertaining to lose again 🤣

[TheDizzle78]

Originally posted by Bigbrotherj1992:

I haven’t regretted buying mine going on 5 years sure it doesn’t play all games mainly ea games that require their stupid ass kernel anticheat software like madden nfl 24 and fi24 and others but i still enjoy using mine for Skyrim final fantasy and other games

5 years? The Steam Deck just turned 3. Feb 25, 2022 was the release date, right?
That said I’m glad people are enjoying it. I love mine and play it more than my bigger PC.

[Bigbrotherj1992]

Originally posted by TheDizzle78:

Originally posted by Bigbrotherj1992:

I haven’t regretted buying mine going on 5 years sure it doesn’t play all games mainly ea games that require their stupid ass kernel anticheat software like madden nfl 24 and fi24 and others but i still enjoy using mine for Skyrim final fantasy and other games

5 years? The Steam Deck just turned 3. Feb 25, 2022 was the release date, right?
That said I’m glad people are enjoying it. I love mine and play it more than my bigger PC.

Yeah the official release date but i was a early adopter of the steam deck and bought mine before it became globally available aka official release date

[@R+5]

Originally posted by Nathaniel11B.:

ever since i saw a steam deck i wanted one for trips and for whenever i wanted.

if you travel a lot, or live in a place where is mostly safe to hold outside an expensive device like the steam deck without serious risk of getting robbed, then it could be a good option if you can afford it.

Originally posted by Nathaniel11B.:

now im wondering if i really want to get one in this day and age, just for fun or if im ever going to use after i first get it

what do you mean with "in this day an age"?
in 10 years this will be outdated. probably even in 5 or less, specially if processors and integrated graphics keep becoming more efficient, and cheaper.

"just for fun"
thats the idea, mostly. unless you are a "geek" or like "(actual) geek-style stuff": ie hacking the deck to add better cooling; try to use the deck in desktop mode for non-gaming stuff; maybe try to do something experimental with linux. or just use it to watch videos when you are not playing. whatever you enjoy, and that you can try with a "portable minipc".

"or if im ever going to use after i first get it"
only you can answer that: which games you want to play most of the time, with a steam deck? what else you would like to use the steam deck for?

i think is a cool device, but in most cases cannot replace a laptop if you want to use it for working editing videos, or to record and do "music engineer stuff", or anything that may need more ram and a better gpu.

if you already have a good laptop or desktop, and you still travel a lot, or need something lighter than a laptop, maybe the steam deck could still be a good option, even for some lines of work: ie, maybe someone that does "videography" or similar role, could use the deck to transfer and manage videos and images with it; i havent checked this, but maybe is also good enough for doing basic 2d art related stuff, like drawing digital art, or do basic art related stuff; ignore how useful it could be for an it professional, but it may have also some uses.

its a tool, mainly designed for entertainment, but can also be used for other things too. how much you take advantage from its features and potential, depends mostly on you.

[TheDizzle78]

Originally posted by Bigbrotherj1992:

Originally posted by TheDizzle78:

5 years? The Steam Deck just turned 3. Feb 25, 2022 was the release date, right?
That said I’m glad people are enjoying it. I love mine and play it more than my bigger PC.

Yeah the official release date but i was a early adopter of the steam deck and bought mine before before globally available aka official release date

Oh! That's awesome!!