Is steam deck worth buying in 2025 ??? :: Steam Deck General Discussions

drsxzgsa Feb 7 @ 6:41am

100%. But make sure you buy a dock. I bought Valve’s. Both the deck and dock have been great. The only game I’ve been unable to run is Battlefield 1 due to anti-cheat. But in fairness, Valve does state that it won't run because of anti-cheat. So yeah, very happy with it!

Last edited by drsxzgsa; Feb 7 @ 9:47am

#1

MUD Feb 7 @ 6:52am

Really depends on what games do you want to play. If indie or retro, knock yourself out. AAA games like Cyberpunk 2077, red dead redemption 2, KCD 2 etc play great. But Helldivers 2, Hunt Showdown, etc you're gonna have a hard time with the SD. Also check your tittles on ProtonDB.com.

Last edited by MUD; Feb 7 @ 6:59am

#2

Haruspex Feb 7 @ 9:20am

Originally posted by deleted:
...if i do not want to buy PC ?

The Steam Deck is a PC.

I would first ask yourself why you don't want to buy a PC. If the reason is cost, or the amount of space it takes up with a desk setup, then maybe a Steam Deck is a good fit for you. If it's the need to sometimes troubleshoot or understand things like graphics settings or anything remotely technical, then the Steam Deck won't save you from that.

I would also ask yourself what games you want to play. Most of the games on Steam will run fine, but if you're primarily a multiplayer or live-service gamer, you're going to run into issues with anti-cheat. It's not that the Deck can't play multiplayer. It does so very well, but sometimes developers use an anti-cheat system that operates at the kernel level and doesn't play well with Linux. If the make-it or break-it for you is your ability to play Destiny 2 or Fortnite, you're better off looking elsewhere.

Then there's performance. If you're expecting high-performance in demanding games, you're going to be disappointed. The Steam Deck is great. It's very capable for what it is, but at the end of the day it's a battery powered portable device running an APU at a 15 watt TDP. It's not made of miracles. To play brand new, demanding, AAA titles will require sacrifice. They'll run. (usually) They'll be playable. (usually) But you won't be turning those settings up.

Last edited by Haruspex; Feb 7 @ 9:24am

#3

[?]legit Feb 7 @ 9:53am

Originally posted by deleted:
Hi a quick question , is steam deck good and worth spending time and money on if i do not want to buy PC ?

Absolutely not. First of all the game compatibility is very limited, many games are unplayable, performance isn't good anymore. If you like to play modern games (if they are working under steamos) in 30fps go for it, if you want to have a good gaem performance get the legion go. Which has an integrated kickstand, so that you don't need to buy an overpriced dock.

#4

drsxzgsa Feb 7 @ 10:11am

Originally posted by ?legit:
Originally posted by deleted:
Hi a quick question , is steam deck good and worth spending time and money on if i do not want to buy PC ?
Absolutely not. First of all the game compatibility is very limited, many games are unplayable, performance isn't good anymore. If you like to play modern games (if they are working under steamos) in 30fps go for it, if you want to have a good gaem performance get the legion go. Which has an integrated kickstand, so that you don't need to buy an overpriced dock.

None of that is what I’ve experienced. As for game compatibility, what you’ve said is wrong.

#5

G1 Feb 7 @ 10:42am

It's a great entry point into the ecosystem.

If you can find a refurbished 64GB model from the steam site, snatch that thing up. It will be far less money than a traditional PC and you can still sell it for around what you paid for it.

I'm not a fan of the OLED deck prices myself, I would rather sink that extra money into a desktop rig. That desktop will be around and upgraded long after the deck is in the recycle bin...

Everyone has their own opinion though, so buy what makes you happy.

#6

Lruce_Bee Feb 9 @ 6:02am

Originally posted by ?legit:
Originally posted by deleted:
Hi a quick question , is steam deck good and worth spending time and money on if i do not want to buy PC ?
Absolutely not. First of all the game compatibility is very limited, many games are unplayable, performance isn't good anymore. If you like to play modern games (if they are working under steamos) in 30fps go for it, if you want to have a good gaem performance get the legion go. Which has an integrated kickstand, so that you don't need to buy an overpriced dock.

Game compatibility very limited? What? Last time I checked, the Steam Deck boasts a compatibility library containing 10's of thousands of titles, so your statement is completely incorrect. https://www.steamdeck.com/en/verified
As for performance, I'm currently playing Diablo 4 on my Steam Deck with high settings & 60 fps. it's flawless performance. Everything I've played on my SD performs perfectly, so I dunno where you're coming from with your negative assessment of the Steam Deck but it's not reliable, that's for damned sure.

#7

[?]legit Feb 9 @ 11:11am

Originally posted by Lruce_Bee:
Originally posted by ?legit:
Absolutely not. First of all the game compatibility is very limited, many games are unplayable, performance isn't good anymore. If you like to play modern games (if they are working under steamos) in 30fps go for it, if you want to have a good gaem performance get the legion go. Which has an integrated kickstand, so that you don't need to buy an overpriced dock.
Game compatibility very limited? What? Last time I checked, the Steam Deck boasts a compatibility library containing 10's of thousands of titles, so your statement is completely incorrect. https://www.steamdeck.com/en/verified
As for performance, I'm currently playing Diablo 4 on my Steam Deck with high settings & 60 fps. it's flawless performance. Everything I've played on my SD performs perfectly, so I dunno where you're coming from with your negative assessment of the Steam Deck but it's not reliable, that's for damned sure.

10's of thousands steam "games". All the llow tier copy pasta indie "games" are running, but more popluar games are not. The more popular a game is, the less likely it is to run on the SD. According to steam's official certification system only 19% of the Top 1000 games in steam are marked as verified. Only 30% are marked as playable. 24% are straight unsupported. So at least every 4th game of the Top 1000 steam games isn't supported on the SD.

And that only applies to steam games, have fun to find tedious workarounds for non steam games.

Diablo 4 on high settings with 60fps? I doubt it.

Low preset: ~45-56 FPS
Medium preset: ~31-45 FPS
High preset: ~29-42 FPS
Ultra preset: ~28-40 FPS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o-GKkCulPM

#8

anskill_freezex Feb 9 @ 11:32am

rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

#9

invision2212 Feb 9 @ 1:01pm

For the money you should just buy a lenovo legion go. None of the incompatibility issues, and the CPU and GPU are vastly superior. Bigger screen too.

#10

D. Flame Feb 9 @ 1:11pm

If you want to play older games on the go, then yes, it is a great buy.

If you want to play new AAA games, then no, it is junk for that purpose.

#11

Murasakino Rin Feb 9 @ 2:15pm

Originally posted by invision2212:
For the money you should just buy a lenovo legion go. None of the incompatibility issues, and the CPU and GPU are vastly superior. Bigger screen too.

except windows does have incompatibility issues. alot of older titles no longer work on windows 10 or 11. also the LLG has less PpW/h on battery, although not really sure on the LLGs as its steamOS version is not out yet and have not heard any reviews of the windows model.

According to steam's official certification system only 19% of the Top 1000 games in steam are marked as verified. Only 30% are marked as playable. 24% are straight unsupported.

within that 24% of the "unsupported" label: are some games are mis-labeled as unsupported and/or have been more recently able to run and havent had the label changed, or contain anti-cheat measures that have been disabled on linux.

#12

MancSoulja Feb 9 @ 2:42pm

I have all the handhelds and the Steam Deck is by far the best.

#13

OlympusXD Feb 20 @ 9:26am

Originally posted by ?legit:
Originally posted by deleted:
Hi a quick question , is steam deck good and worth spending time and money on if i do not want to buy PC ?
Absolutely not. First of all the game compatibility is very limited, many games are unplayable, performance isn't good anymore. If you like to play modern games (if they are working under steamos) in 30fps go for it, if you want to have a good gaem performance get the legion go. Which has an integrated kickstand, so that you don't need to buy an overpriced dock.

Honestly can’t agree with you on this, windows is a pain on a handheld all of the updates, issues, no quick resume and I don’t want bazzite sorry but the steam deck is still a amazing purchase in 2025

#14

☆ƧQυiяяєL♫ Feb 20 @ 4:53pm

Yep.

I bought all the Steam goodies, most are discontinued and other are waiting for Stean Deck 2, there no announcements from Valve.

I also bought the Switch and Ally, just to play them. The Ally plays Xbox games and I like it.
The prices are relatively discounted at Sam's Club for the Switch and Ally.
There some others, but those were gifted and meh... it's all good.

TLDR: Yup, I'd get it
If youre strapped for cash, drop a utility, like Gas
Wear Eskimo clothes, lots of blankets and cold showers 🚿 👌

#15

Steam Deck

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