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[Chukhopops]

It’s a fantastic machine from a hardware point of view but I don’t see it taking over the handheld market simply because who is the target market for this?

You need to have a need for mobility AND not be satisfied with the much cheaper options of a Switch or mobile games if you’re into this. I commute an hour every day and sure it’d be nice to play Ys IX at 60 fps instead of 20 but I can’t justify the investment.

The other « issue » is that the PC games I enjoy are games like Civ or Stellaris which need KBM and a lot of screen space to work.

But that’s just a guess, I didn’t do market research or anything.

 

[March Climber]

You can't even buy the damn thing without waiting months for it, so no.

Sounds just like a PS5 and Xbox Series X.

A true revolution for mobile gaming....being cheaper than the competition?

Ahh so it is the price that will revolutionize the hand held gaming market?

 

[Boss Mog]

I dont even understand what i would look at in the Steam Deck to think its revolutionary.
i havent paid too much attention to it since announcement and those initial teardowns.

But what features does it have that would have people think its some sort of revolution?

Unless its all about the brand recognition of Steam being behind it so it has software support directly from Valve, cuz otherwise havent we seen everything it does done before, and with APUs getting more performant, screens getting better and better, battery technology advancing it wont be too long before its easily bested in basically every category.

Most of these other devices that can compete with Steamdeck cost $1,000 though and the base Steamdeck is $399

 

[Zannegan]

I'm super excited for mine to ship (sometime in the next month or so >=/), but, no, it's not going to revolutionize the handheld space let alone take a significant portion of the Switch/Switch 2's audience away. Steam Deck has way too little market penetration for Nintendo to even notice, and most handheld gamers who are interested in a Deck would likely get both rather than choosing between them. If Valve nails a second and third generation of the handheld though, building brand recognition and their supply chain along the way, then Nintendo might actually start feeling the pinch.

Regardless, if Valve does manage to turn Steam Deck into a successful hardware line, I see it having more potential to shake up the PC gaming space than the handheld industry. I mean, as a handheld, it's another option, one with a great suite of controls and access to a massive library, but it's not really doing much that's different. As a PC though, it's not the first of its kind, but it is a pioneer. If Deck can stay alive long enough and get a large enough audience to change the default idea of what PC gaming is, or even just get more AAA companies accommodating low-power builds while still targeting the high end, that would be a huge deal.

Sounds just like a PS5 and Xbox Series X.

Except that it's being produced and sold in significantly lower quantities than either of those two.

 

[March Climber]

Except that it's being produced and sold in significantly lower quantities than either of those two.

...and who or what are you blaming for this? Surely not Valve, MS, or Sony.

 

[KingXtreme81]

Of course not. The fewest of the few want a large, heavy and - more importantly- dedicated game device in their bag. This is as niche as it gets; doesn’t mean it isn’t good, nor an exciting product for those that want it.

The truth is that, one of these days, Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft….and all others, will have to find a way onto the two existing portable platforms that matter - iOS/iPadOS and Android. That is the way, and that is what all will have to get used to in the future.

 

[SteadyEvo]

No. But I think enough PC players will support it and I could see it sticking around for the long haul.

 

[arealhumanbean]

I still don't understand handheld gaming. I will not carry this thing around, I have to take phone and wallet already. At home I don't care about subpar performance of this thing in comparison to console gaming on 4K 65" display. I can also lay in front of the TV so it's not like portable gaming is more comfortable in some way. The only time I would use it is when using public transport, but that's like once a month maximum. So is it like for people who have to share a TV with parents? Lol.

 

[Mister Wolf]

Being able to arbitrarily set the frequency of the display on the fly is a nice feature.

 

[ShirAhava]

The Vita in 2012 was one thing but

Smartphones have come way too far for me to care about this

My OLED, 120HZ HDR 10+ SCREEN w/ Xbox series controller can play/stream anything I want with ease

 

[Kacho]

When the steam deck can run for 6-6 hrs while gaming then maybe. But this 1.5-2.5 hrs isn't cutting it. I cancelled my order

Indeed. Way too much of a compromise for anyone who devotes serious time to gaming, and that's the audience they're targeting with this device. You're better off just playing your PC or a console at that point.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Steamdeck isn't the kind of gadget that will fly off the shelves like a half priced Switch. But it'll have an audience.

Switch - Nintendo and console games
Smartphones - Smartphone games
Steamdeck - PC games

This basically covers what you need more mobile gaming.

 

[Portugeezer]

It won't sell near enough for it to revolutionise anything.

 

[RobRSG]

All I gotta say is that this thing is awesome.

 

[soulbait]

A simple "No" option would have answered the question for me. Neither "no" responses fit within the reality of it: mobile PC gaming will remain small, due to the limitations of mobile hardware.

This will hold true for as long as desktop hardware surpasses what is capable for mobile, and battery capacity remains where it is. If a new battery technology comes out, that provides many hours using the best hardware, then it would not be a question about the Steamdeck, but all the other mobile PCs being introduced. If mobile hardware begins to match desktop hardware, without impacting battery life, then once again it would be more than just Steamdeck, but many other manufacturers making PC gaming in a mobile form.

Right now, there are too many sacrifices and the Steamdeck is more of a companion piece of hardware. If begins to shift where people only buy the SteamDeck as their sole gaming device (similar to how some people only buy a Switch), then we might begin to make those steps. But I really feel that improvements in mobile hardware and batteries need to take place before a full on portable gaming PC future is viable.

This does not mean the SteamDeck is not a good product or anything. It is really cool for what it is doing, but it is not going to be the main gaming device for most people.

 

[TheThreadsThatBindUs]

Lol no..... mobile already revolutionized the handheld gaming industry and so nothing is going to shift back from that.

 

[RobRSG]

A simple "No" option would have answered the question for me. Neither "no" responses fit within the reality of it: mobile PC gaming will remain small, due to the limitations of mobile hardware.

This will hold true for as long as desktop hardware surpasses what is capable for mobile, and battery capacity remains where it is. If a new battery technology comes out, that provides many hours using the best hardware, then it would not be a question about the Steamdeck, but all the other mobile PCs being introduced. If mobile hardware begins to match desktop hardware, without impacting battery life, then once again it would be more than just Steamdeck, but many other manufacturers making PC gaming in a mobile form.

Right now, there are too many sacrifices and the Steamdeck is more of a companion piece of hardware. If begins to shift where people only buy the SteamDeck as their sole gaming device (similar to how some people only buy a Switch), then we might begin to make those steps. But I really feel that improvements in mobile hardware and batteries need to take place before a full on portable gaming PC future is viable.

This does not mean the SteamDeck is not a good product or anything. It is really cool for what it is doing, but it is not going to be the main gaming device for most people.

If people can have a Switch as their main game device, I don’t see how this is not possible.

 

[BennyBlanco]

So is it like for people who have to share a TV with parents? Lol.

No, it’s so I can pretend to watch TV with my wife

 

[arealhumanbean]

No, it’s so I can pretend to watch TV with my wife

That's truly sad

 

[CrustyBritches]

The purpose of the Deck is to pry PC gaming away from Windows, and in that regards it is a revolutionary device.

 

[nominedomine]

I think the Steam deck will carve a niche for itself, specially now that Nintendo has the portable market all to themselves.

I could see Valve releasing an annual revision due to the nature of how PC games work and I wouldn't be surprised if Valve made another attempt at something like Steam Machines or tried different formats: switch like, tablet, etc.

I don't have a Steam Deck but it's definitely something I'll consider in the future. On the Vita most things I played were emulated PSP and PS1 games and a Steam Deck is perfect for that sort of thing.

 

[BennyBlanco]

That's truly sad

I’m just messing around but handhelds are good for laying in bed at night while you watch TV in the background. It’s hard to make time to sit in front of a monitor/TV with headphones on when you have a family and work full time sometimes.

 

[Black_Stride]

Most of these other devices that can compete with Steamdeck cost $1,000 though and the base Steamdeck is $399

So revolutionizing handheld gaming is by having a lower price?
How much is the Switch Lite?

 

[Black_Stride]

Sounds just like a PS5 and Xbox Series X.

How is being cheaper going revolutionize handheld gaming?

The Switch Lite is cheap.
I didnt see no thread about it revolutionizing handheld gaming

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Can anyone who has got one tell me if Painkiller works?

...Thats all I care about when I get it

 

[RoboFu]

Bad choices in poll, it’s just no.

 

[March Climber]

The Switch Lite is cheap.
I didnt see no thread about it revolutionizing handheld gaming

...but the Switch did.

 

[Black_Stride]

...but the Switch did.

The Switch? What about the Switch Lite? What did it revolutionize....i specifically mentioned the Switch lite because its legit cheap.

P.S The Switch didnt revolutionize the handheld gaming because it was cheap.
Being cheap in the handheld market doesnt suddenly revolutionize shit, there have always been cheap handhelds.

If the selling point of the Steam Deck being revolutionary is that its cheap....thats false because the Switch Lite is cheaper...so being cheap couldnt possibly be a point attesting to its revolutionist nature.

Im simply trying to get to the bottom of why OP thinks the Steam Deck is going to revolutionize handheld gaming.

 

[chaseroni]

As an owner of one....

Not yet. But it's getting there.
Give us smaller form factor, OLED and VRR.
That's the perfect handheld machine.

 

[Boss Mog]

So revolutionizing handheld gaming is by having a lower price?
How much is the Switch Lite?

Can the Switch lite play all the games PC can play? No, that's why the steam deck is an incredible deal. It also has a custom SoC that at least for now is more powerful; the framerates on the new AYA neo Next are about the same but the SoC consumes almost twice as much 28W vs 15W for the steamdeck. Also devs might make steamdeck preset settings that are heavily optimized which could give it an edge over other portables, not to mention that valve will continuously support it and update proton.

 

[Black_Stride]

Can the Switch lite play all the games PC can play? No, that's why the steam deck is an incredible deal. It also has a custom SoC that at least for now is more powerful; the framerates on the new AYA neo Next are about the same but the SoC consumes almost twice as much 28W vs 15W for the steamdeck. Also devs might make steamdeck preset settings that are heavily optimized which could give it an edge over other portables, not to mention that valve will continuously support it and update proton.

The Steam Deck cant play all games PC can play either?
The Switch also has a custom SOC....is a custom SOC in a hand held a revolutionary idea?
But thats besides the point anyway.

Just so im reading your post correctly.
The Steam Deck will revolutionize handheld gaming, because maybe devs will make custom profiles of PC games specifically for the Steam Deck and Valve(its creator) will support it?

Whats the revolutionary part, thats what im waiting for....what revolution is this device going to create in the industry where every handheld going forward including those from Nintendo cuz they are allmost certainly going to make another handheld......will look back fondly at the Steam Deck and say "Our Forefather".
Where is the Revolution?

 

[Eevee86]

I expect most of the people that get it will use it a handful of times then go back to their PC.

 

[March Climber]

Black_Stride you seem to be stuck on the word 'Revolution' which might be a fault of the OP. If the OP were to say 'The Steam Deck has the chance to inspire pre-built PC hybrids for years, making PC gaming easier to navigate, and introduce a brand new audience to PC gaming' would that wording suffice? Because in that regard, I think it will. I think this device will bridge gaps in terms of not only userbase, but also in terms package to price offering ratio, device and game compatibilities, and interfacing/UI. All for a starting price of 399.

 

[CrustyBritches]

Can anyone who has got one tell me if Painkiller works?

...Thats all I care about when I get it

Yes. Initially I couldn't get it to run fullscreen, even with the -fullscreen launch option. Mess with it for a bit and found out that it will only go fullscreen at 640x480 resolution. However, it works with the Deck's built-in FSR option, so it looks sharp and plays at 150-250fps. Hard to get a good screenshot with the dark level and white knights, but here's an idea of what it looks like.

 

[Black_Stride]

Black_Stride you seem to be stuck on the word 'Revolution' which might be a fault of the OP. If the OP were to say 'The Steam Deck has the chance to inspire pre-built PC hybrids for years, making PC gaming easier to navigate, and introduce a brand new audience to PC gaming' would that wording suffice? Because in that regard, I think it will. I think this device will bridge gaps in terms of not only userbase, but also in terms package to price offering ratio, device and game compatibilities, and interfacing/UI. All for a starting price of 399.

Thats exactly right.
The OPs sentiment is that the Steam Deck will "revolutionize" the handheld gaming industry.....which I dont see why it would exactly.
I do think tis an absolutely amazing device for the price, I think its genius of Valve to create one, devs supporting it wii def give it legs, a battery upgrade will probably put it right up there..........but i dont think the handheld gaming industry has reach some sort of breakpoint where there is the time before SteamDeck and the time after SteamDeck.

Think of actual revolutions in gaming....things like moving to 3D, advanced shaders, home console online gaming....etc etc, actual revolutionary moments in the history of gaming, even if we single out handheld gaming as the OP has......im not sure how or why we would say this is a milestone moment for Handheld consoles.


If anything im hoping for its success and for Valve to allow SteamOS on other handhelds, with whatever SteamDeck optimizations it comes with.
The SteamBoxes didnt work.....but im cautiously optimistic about the SteamDeck and other portable PCs.
I do think its unfortunately still a really niche device....more so than even the current flock of Nextgen consoles.
The "casuals" are happy with their high powered phones, the middle ground gamers are happy with their mid range PCs and consoles, and the hardcore will buy it, use it for the 2 hours it lasts while on the move and be back on their main gaming device the majority of the time.
Lets see how it goes.

 

[Rest]

No.

Also:

(Also, the chip shortage is over at this point. Valve needs to dump the preorder system already.)

lolwut? No.

 

[Boss Mog]

The Steam Deck cant play all games PC can play either?
The Switch also has a custom SOC....is a custom SOC in a hand held a revolutionary idea?
But thats besides the point anyway.

Just so im reading your post correctly.
The Steam Deck will revolutionize handheld gaming, because maybe devs will make custom profiles of PC games specifically for the Steam Deck and Valve(its creator) will support it?

Whats the revolutionary part, thats what im waiting for....what revolution is this device going to create in the industry where every handheld going forward including those from Nintendo cuz they are allmost certainly going to make another handheld......will look back fondly at the Steam Deck and say "Our Forefather".
Where is the Revolution?

Proton might not support every game but you can install Windows on it and run every PC game that way, and they run the same or better than Proton in most cases as of right now. The revolution is that for $399 you can get a portable machine that can play all PC games which include exclusives from Sony and MS like like God of War, Horizon, Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, not to mention emulators of old consoles.

As somebody who enjoys portable gaming but doesn't like the Switch, I really find it quite revolutionary.

 

[CamHostage]

Don't think it'll be revolutionary, since virtually no games will ever be made specifically for it (so far, there's Desk Job,) and everything just works on it so mainstream games won't conform to it if it's a hit.

That said, I think it could be a key moment in games going way more comfortable with being portable (albeit Switch will be the true inflection point for that; sadly Vita wasn't that but it too had its place in the push,) and it could help mobile gaming become less whale-oriented and allow more mainstream titles to flourish (especially if more gaming controls get added to phones, like the Red Magic 6 with its trigger buttons.) Nintendo is doing great with its portable, Steam has its portable, Xbox might get into the game (probably not with a portable Xbox though, more likely through streaming, and I'm sure they'd love to launch a store somehow for Xbox Live on iOS/Android... but also, there's talk of an Xbox stick, maybe a portable isn't so crazy?,) maybe Sony could get back in...

It won't be like the "glory days" of DS and PSP, where portables were their own unique sphere of gaming with amazing titles made just for them; this will simply be an expansion of ways to get at your content. But I've got a lot of gaming content I'd like to play in the park some summer, so it's all good for me, revolution or otherwise...

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Yes. Initially I couldn't get it to run fullscreen, even with the -fullscreen launch option. Mess with it for a bit and found out that it will only go fullscreen at 640x480 resolution. However, it works with the Deck's built-in FSR option, so it looks sharp and plays at 150-250fps. Hard to get a good screenshot with the dark level and white knights, but here's an idea of what it looks like.

Crusty, I fucking love you! That actually made my year, and the wait even more painfull. And 150 fps+?

Holy shit

 

[CamHostage]

Unless its all about the brand recognition of Steam being behind it so it has software support directly from Valve, cuz otherwise havent we seen everything it does done before, and with APUs getting more performant, screens getting better and better, battery technology advancing it wont be too long before its easily bested in basically every category.

It's not necessarily about being "first" though, it's about getting the ball rolling with the right product idea that will change everything.

Apple didn't invent the touchscreen phone (or the computer mouse, if you want to go way back) but even the most ardent Apple hater would have a hard time saying that iPhone (or the first Mac) wasn't a major mover in the revolution to make personal computers and devices a part of our lives.

 

[fart town usa]

It's a cool handheld but I don't see it taking the world by storm. Casuals will use their phone or buy a Switch. Steamdeck is a luxury device.

My brother got his in the mail the other day, I haven't actually used it but I held it for a bit, I was surprised at how thin it is. Not that it's insanely thin, but it's not nearly as thicc as I thought it would be. I like how the sides curve in, seemed comfy to hold. A true successor to the Wii U gamepad.

 

[Ladioss]

It's a cool piece of hardware, but too expansive and too limited in availability to be anything but a toy for hobbyists.

 

[yurinka]

I think the Chinese PC handheld first and specially Steamdeck later did a huge first step.

Right now they might be too expensive and big to become mainstream on their first iteration, and have compatibility issues with many games but they achieved a huge milestone and this will make the devs consider full compatibility for future titles and start building a big userbase of a few millions.

Then in a second or third iteration I think they will reduce the perceived performance distance with contemporary high end home consoles, its size and price, so they will become way more mainstream.

I think they will take the role that first PSP, later Vita and now Switch had as the portable way for console-like games, specially indies or older AA/AAA games. The difference is that now all PC games, including many Sony and MS games plus even via emulation the Nintendo stuff and past platforms.

I think these PC handhelds on their 2nd or 3rd iteration will steal a huge chunk of the portables now monopolized by Nintendo specially due to the insane current and past catalog available on PC and without needing to buy it again.

 

[Ezquimacore]

the steam deck is nothing new, the only thing new is the nice price for a hardware that you can't even buy at stores. Even before switch we had a few people trying these kind of things.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

the steam deck is nothing new, the only thing new is the nice price for a hardware that you can't even buy at stores. Even before switch we had a few people trying these kind of things.

And yet none of them took the market by storm except for the Switch and thats with vastly outdated hardware. If Gabe plays his cards right this thing could dominate.

...Which wont happen.

 

[Bakkus]

Don't think so. And I'll persoanlly wait for a revision to iron out the problems the first version was always bound to have before I'll consider buying one.

 

[BadBurger]

It has already shown that there is a wider market for handhelds outside of Nintendo. And that it doesn't need to be behind a walled garden.

 

[Zannegan]

...and who or what are you blaming for this? Surely not Valve, MS, or Sony.

I don't think blame really comes into it. I guess you could blame Valve for only manufacturing so many, but a slow rollout to test the waters seems like it's all according to their plan. *shrug*

My point was, even with Steam Deck being sold out since launch like PS5/XSX, that doesn't mean it has the same popularity or impact as those devices because we're talking about a fraction of the units.

 

[Fitzchiv]

I ditched my Switch because I didn't feel the games were for me. The form factor was useful as with a wife and two kids you kind of have to be "around" a fair amount, and the main TV ends up being a Disney Channel portal until they all fuck off to bed and I can chuck the Series X on.

My gaming laptop is noisy as fuck (Lenovo Legion) to the point I can't use it on something demanding whilst other people are watching TV etc, so there is a gap here for portable gaming that's relatively quiet running and plays grown up games - the Steam Deck may actually be a solution to it.

My question really is whether the experience on it will satisfy my gaming needs, as said above I tend to use PC more for things like Civ, Warhammer Total War, Football Manager etc, or Rust. I'm not sure in any of those cases the experience will be satisfactory?

It's a real enigma for me this one, in a month I'll be spending decent money on something as a reward for finishing my MBA, just not sure this will be it.

 

[kevm3]

Revolutionize the handheld market? No. Be a niche product that really fits the needs of hardcore gamers? Absolutely. Super powerful handhelds that can play console quality games was done with the Vita and that didn't really sell in droves. Also, with the advent of things like tablet laptops, I don't know if I'd prefer holding a fat handheld versus having a portable computer that I can hook a bluetooth controller up to.