Using Windows 11 for this just seems like an awful idea. They’re using an already shaky OS that Microsoft has a tendency to force updates to that cause problems on desktop PCs - who knows what it’ll do on something like this? Windows is also a resource hog, not what I’d choose for a presumably light-weight machine.
Windows is also not particularly great about sleeping / hibernating and resuming while games are running… that’s really the greatest feature of the Steam Deck, in my opinion - just like a handheld console, you can turn it off at any point and resume your game flawlessly, in almost all cases.
Hopefully they’re at least building a custom front-end for it. If they’re expecting users to navigate using the normal Windows interface (or Windows’ tablet interface, maybe), that’s another huge problem.
I bought an ROG ally and returned it the next day because windows in a handheld like this is straight trash. With all these announcements of new windows handhelds it makes me wonder if Microsoft is working on a handheld focused version of windows 11.
I wonder if they’re also quietly making deals with other companies making handhelds to keep them on Windows, maybe to kind of promote that as the ‘standard’ mobile gaming OS instead of Linux?
Or maybe these other companies just don’t know Linux/aren’t comfortable enough with it to create their own system with it perhaps?
As far as updates go, a machine like this might have less problems than a PC. Because it’s a fixed set of devices, MS and Lenovo can test any updates before they’re released, and iron out any bugs.
Whether they actually test them is another question though…
One of the Steam Deck’s great benefits is that it offers an easy way to be free of Windows. Unless this thing does that as well as the Deck, I’m not interested.
Looks like another company that doesn’t realize the bundled software is just as important as the hardware.
Windows as a portable gaming platform is dead in the water.
This better have track pads. Unlike the majority of comments here, I don’t mind Windows, but using the Ally without a decent pointing device was pain. I don’t know why they make a Windows machine without the track pads.
Shame they didn’t go the way of Linux.
I really don’t understand some company decisions. Are they unaware of how monolithic Steam is? Are they overambitious? Are they ignorant to years of news regarding failed gaming platforms?
Xbox was lucky to have broken into the gaming space all those years ago. Epic is still trying to break even. Stadia is dead in the water. I never heard anyone talk about Geforce NOW. Amico… Lol. SouljaBoy is making another gaming console.
Can I be hired as a consultant, just so I can say “no, this is a bad idea” and be almost certainly right?
You think this is to compete with Steam in the west? Lenovo are a Chinese company, this is for China.
You’re not going to be much of a consultant if you can’t think beyond your limited experience.
Lenovo, under their legion brand, had an egpu enclosure which literally cannot be found.
I really wanted one. Could not for the life of me find one. Still can’t. Had to go with some shit tier razer egpu which I can’t even use the usb/nic cards out of and instead use a usb hub separate.
They still have a site and such but no stock. Literally have never had stock that I could find. They just throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks.
https://www.laptopmag.com/lenovo-legion-boostation-egpu
We use thinkpads for work. They were hit HARD by supply chains.
I won’t ever believe a Lenovo announcement until I see stock. And even then expect some big bugs. Their new thinkpad Z13/z16 has such an atrocious wake from sleep bug they literally have a pinhole on the bottom cover to manually reset the power (disconnects the battery/power from the mainboard). Like I swear during engineering they were like “put a pinhole reset in the bottom and let’s ship this thing”. To Ben fair is a nice laptop short of that and the power warning on boot you can silence if you dare use less than a 140w usbc power brick
At the end of the day this is great news for Valve as they really only make their money on people buying PC games (through Steam). You were in a situation where mobile gaming was really only practical on the Switch or phones, both cases that would result in lost revenue for Valve. I can see the Steam Deck as being intended to kind of kickstart mobile gaming for PCs, in which case these other companies joining is a complete victory for Valve as is it provides more opportunities for consumers to spend on Steam.
@alessandro Yeah… we’ll wait and see.
I wouldn’t touch it simply because my main platform is choice is Linux, if this doesn’t provide an easy OOBE for Linux it’s a no from me.
Steam Deck is doing just fine and does not need a Revival. Some journalist sure needs to expand their vocabulary.
Version? Clone? Own take on Steam Deck? Not Revival though.
