Cervantes
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Post by Cervantes on Jul 24, 2021 8:45:46 GMT
Any thoughts about Valve's new portable? I think it's cool that they designed a powerful portable pc and I get why a lot of people are excited about it; also, for how powerful it seems to be, it's not very expensive - definitely cheaper than a gaming laptop, and for this one you would still need to buy a controller and it would not be as practical as a portable console. I do notice that there are a few problems that people aren't talking much about, though:
1. Valve has a history of quietly dropping their hardware projects. They discontinued their controllers and the Steam Link, and also made a big deal in the past about those Steam Machines that got nowhere. So it's not certain that they will support the Deck for years to come.
2. Games designed for the Nintendo Switch take into account things like screen size and battery life, which isn't true for the Deck, as it's just running standard PC games. I'm afraid that a lot of games will eat through the battery too fast or present problems like small font sizes.
3. Although it's a portable device, it's just too bulky. Also, while it's relatively cheap considering its power, even the most basic model is still twice the price of a Switch Lite and 100 US$ more than a standard Switch, and the Steam Deck doesn't have a Dock unit yet - there's the promise that it'll get one, but then we go back to Valve sometimes not supporting their hardware, so I wouldn't buy one counting with that until it's released.
4. Compatibility. The unity comes with Steam's Linux-based OS, and very few PC games are designed to run natively on Linux - while it has good compatibility with games for Windows due to Proton, it's far from perfect. I've already seen reports that, from the 10 top sellers on Steam, 4 do not work on it, and some of the others may present a variety of bugs. Of course, it seems possible to install Windows in it, but that adds a layer of dificulty to casual buyers that might just be disappointed that a lot of their Steam games are not running natively on the Deck (besides having to buy a Windows license). Then you consider that many pc games, even when running on Windows, already need fan patches and messing with files and settings...
My points are: it's more expensive than its main competitor, might have too many compatibility problems, short battery life and do not get enough support from Valve if it's not successful right out of the gate. While I like the idea, I would be very cautious before buying one.
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stratogustav
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Post by stratogustav on Jul 24, 2021 9:07:44 GMT
It looks cool and it seems quite powerful for the games it can run, which makes it very impressive. The price is something to consider, but for what it does, it doesn't feel that bad. I wouldn't complaint having one.
This shows promise that if they can already deliver that much power at a handheld level for a reasonable price, the Switch may have a proper sequel at some point, and that portable VR devices are likely to be even more sophisticated in the near future too.
I personally wouldn't get it because I don't have a need for it considering I already have the Switch, which has a library of the type of gaming experiences I like, but for someone that doesn't like Mario or Zelda, I can see this as something they may want to get since Sony isn't playing that game anymore.
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lukefonfabre388
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Post by lukefonfabre388 on Jul 27, 2021 2:29:07 GMT
I already own something like this called the gpd win max. Its got built in controller support right into the system itself and folds up and down like a laptop for easier portability. I like mine and I already have steam installed on it and it had already came with windows installed to it. All I had to do was download steam and install my games and start playing. There's things I would rather play on my desktop as a few titles I own feel like they might be a bit too much for the system to handle so I play those on my desktop instead. I still prefer using my desktop for anything that's really more demanding.
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centipede
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Post by centipede on Jul 27, 2021 9:49:04 GMT
One thing I noticed about my Sega Steam games is that they wouldn't install on a Linux machine. Not even Sonic Mania. They'd better iron out the compatibility bugs.
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Cervantes
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Post by Cervantes on Jul 27, 2021 21:51:41 GMT
I just thought that one good side-effect from the Deck, if it works and is successful enough, is that some publishers will think twice before signing those atrocious exclusivity deals with Epic Games Store. Right now, EGS sucks, barely works, but a lot of publishers are releasing timed-exclusives on it because Epic throws a lot of money their way. If the Deck has a large enough player base, publishers will have to think twice before missing all those users on their initial releases.
Of course, anyone can install Windows and then EGS on it, it's not like the system is locked, but we know that the majority of users won't bother and will just use the already installed Steam OS and store.
By the way, I'm not against publishers releasing games on EGS, and it's good to have more stores/options. I'm just against they signing exclusivity deals with the worst service around - in my experience, even EA's Origin is preferable over EGS right now.
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Post by Dunning Kruger on Jul 28, 2021 2:46:20 GMT
This thing looks really cool. I want to get one. I am going to bet that other companies are going to make one to compete. I hope that can keep the price down, because that price is a bit high for me.
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dschult3
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Post by dschult3 on Jan 20, 2022 23:23:56 GMT
I just watched BeatEmUps video on the Ayaneo Next. It would seem like these things are going to become more widespread. I understand why people are interested in them. I always thought the purpose of PC gaming was to get the best experience possible as you constantly upgrade your device. I don't really see these portable PC systems getting that many upgrades, so I don't know if it really is going to take the PC gamer crowd by storm. Who knows? We shall see. |
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dschult3
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Post by dschult3 on Mar 1, 2023 21:53:43 GMT
It's hard to believe that the Steam Deck just turned 1. Did anyone buy one?
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Post by Imperial Khador on Mar 2, 2023 14:13:49 GMT
I've been tempted now and then, but have not done so.
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dschult3
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Post by dschult3 on May 11, 2023 20:24:07 GMT
As of today, a lot of people are talking about the ASUS ROG Ally. I think this is why I enjoy the console market vs the PC market. It is a rich man's game to stay "up to date." This thing costs $700, and I'm willing to bet it will be "outdated" in 6 months.
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Cervantes
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Post by Cervantes on May 11, 2023 22:58:26 GMT
dschult3 - I think with the moderate success that the Steam Deck seems to have, most developers will try to keep the requirements for their games within its range for some time, so maybe it won't be necessary to replace it so quickly. But people who want to always play the latest AAA game on maximum settings have to be really rich.
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dschult3
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Post by dschult3 on May 12, 2023 0:58:27 GMT
dschult3 - I think with the moderate success that the Steam Deck seems to have, most developers will try to keep the requirements for their games within its range for some time, so maybe it won't be necessary to replace it so quickly. But people who want to always play the latest AAA game on maximum settings have to be really rich. I hope you're right. I tried to play "keep up with the latest specs" in the late 90s, and I realized how fruitless it was after having outdated soundcards, CPUS, or GPUs after a new version came out 6 months later. I realize that means consoles will be considered "outdated tech," but I'm ok with that if there is a dedicated software developer base. I couldn't believe what a money pit it was back then, and it is even more of a money pit today. |
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dschult3
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Post by dschult3 on Jul 4, 2023 13:08:21 GMT
1. Valve has a history of quietly dropping their hardware projects. They discontinued their controllers and the Steam Link, and also made a big deal in the past about those Steam Machines that got nowhere. So it's not certain that they will support the Deck for years to come. I think people are getting worried about your first point, Cervantes. I'm starting to see articles and videos like this pop up in my feeds to calm the nerves of the customers: There seems to be one heck of a dedicated community to this device, so I hope for their sake that this guy is right. |
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Cervantes
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A former Incompetent Evil Commander (XP: 2423)
Posts: 2,820
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Post by Cervantes on Jul 5, 2023 6:19:04 GMT
dschult3 - I get the impression that the Deck has had a moderate amount of success, so I'm getting the impression that, unlike previous hardware projects, Valve isn't dropping it so soon. I also think, and this is pure speculation on my side, that the Deck is Valve's leverage against the growth of Epic Games Store: a person buys a Steam Deck to have a portable PC and it's almost certain that this person will become exclusively a Steam user on it, since most people won't go through the trouble of installing any other store on the thing. Now, the most important part is that, if a publisher wants to reach this growing PC-handheld market, then they pretty much need to put their game on Steam. Again, I'm going by my impressions, but I think we've been seeing barely any games being released exclusively to EGS since the Deck's release. Big companies like Sega and Square-Enix were releasing exclusives on EGS (even Sonic and Final Fantasy games!) and that was the biggest risk to Steam; the Deck may have been a strong part of Valve's strategy to bring those companies back and lock their new releases on Steam. Before, you could release a game on EGS just counting on PC players downloading the EGS app and buying it; now, those publishers must know that an EGS exclusive is a lost sale for Deck users. Valve has a good reason, then, to have their own platform and keep the Deck alive.
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dschult3
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Post by dschult3 on Jul 5, 2023 14:39:16 GMT
dschult3 - I get the impression that the Deck has had a moderate amount of success, so I'm getting the impression that, unlike previous hardware projects, Valve isn't dropping it so soon. I also think, and this is pure speculation on my side, that the Deck is Valve's leverage against the growth of Epic Games Store: a person buys a Steam Deck to have a portable PC and it's almost certain that this person will become exclusively a Steam user on it, since most people won't go through the trouble of installing any other store on the thing. Now, the most important part is that, if a publisher wants to reach this growing PC-handheld market, then they pretty much need to put their game on Steam. Again, I'm going by my impressions, but I think we've been seeing barely any games being released exclusively to EGS since the Deck's release. Big companies like Sega and Square-Enix were releasing exclusives on EGS (even Sonic and Final Fantasy games!) and that was the biggest risk to Steam; the Deck may have been a strong part of Valve's strategy to bring those companies back and lock their new releases on Steam. Before, you could release a game on EGS just counting on PC players downloading the EGS app and buying it; now, those publishers must know that an EGS exclusive is a lost sale for Deck users. Valve has a good reason, then, to have their own platform and keep the Deck alive. There seems to be a portable PC release every month these days. Do any of them push EGS? |
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