Primarily in my life ive been a console gamer. Starting with the ps1 and owning every system released since. Never did much pc gaming even when i had access to a decent rig. For the past few years ive been a collector. Going for rare and cool retro games i always wanted to own. After about a year with the steam deck it all feel so… archaic? Like, i went and hdmi modded my ps2, but i find the idea of booting up pcsx2 on deck more appealing. I dont feel the need to have a new game in my hands physically, when i know its gonna take me months to play it anyway, i can wait for a sale, get it cheaper, play it portably with mods. Console gaming, especially in the last 2 generations, feels like a hinderance more than anything. Why would i want to be tied to one piece of hardware, with a dubious at best chance of carrying my games forward to the next gen every 6 years? The steam deck feels like its released me from the shackles of console gaming. I dont think ill get rid of my whole collection… but my ps5 and xsx have been doing a lot of dust collecting these days.
Anyone else feel the same? Or have i just had an existential gamer crisis?
I used to be like you when I purchased the deck a few months ago. But now I am trying to distribute my time between my consoles and the Deck as I have a huge backlog that I need to tackle.
I know I’ll likely never purchase a headless console (ie. one that NEEDS a seperate display) ever again lol; and being locked into their closed eco systems and platform tax is good riddance.
And won’t buy a laptop again for a long time unless it’s for something work-related.
Carrying around my Steam Deck in a casual sling-bag is all I need with me; for gaming or general computer use. And when I am at home, using a USB-C hub to my TV/Monitor is perfect too.
I used Stadia before and that streaming tech, convenience, and accessible it was amazing, and better than the rest; Google’s poor management of the platform business model not withstanding. Steam Deck was more expensive than I wanted initially, but I don’t regret all that I gained in the transition.
Nice call out to that sling-bag. How is it’s fit? Does it securely fit only the bag?
I initially used it in the sling-bag bare with the screen facing the back, before I got my case. But now I use the case you see in these pics; feels more comfortable since I can orient it any way now.
The protective case is listed at $19 now, but it often drops on sale for $8.36 US; it was a few days ago even.
Some other links to the lanyard tabs I used for the straps.
Oh 100%. I was always a console gamer, but that route got so expensive for me… I was a physical>digital guy for the longest, I amassed a video game collection worth 36k retro and new. I recently sold it off to buy wifey a new car and with the economy in shambles, rent being so high, I went ahead and sold it off. I hated the idea of going ALL digital, like I would have NEVER consider it. And now owning the Steam Deck it seems like the perfect gaming device ever to convert me to go all digital especially with all the digital steam sales going on. Also I was technically being a hoarder, games and collector’s edition would sit on shelf and not be played. Physical would still be new in plastic. I’m glad I made my Steam Deck purchase I can clear out some backlog on a lot of older gen stuff from ps3, 360 era that look way better on Windows/Steam since PC version is superior.
Thank you Valve for coming up with such a neat hardware.
Welcome to the platform of choice. I was lucky as a kid as my dad worked for IBM and had access to computers and xonsoles Learned how to use DoS and Win 3.1. PC gaming isn’t about power strictly but the freedom of choice. Enjoy it and praise Gaben for his anti windows atance for the longest time.
I’ve been having a hard time lately trying to enjoy gaming like I used to. Idk blame it on age but even with access to a good pc for gaming, my backlog has grown exponentially over the years. I JUST beat BotW on my pc after like 6 years, lol.
I bought the OLED on impulse and since receiving it in the mail, I’ve been having so much fun using it.
Easy to say that my SD has 100% reignited my interest in games and I only hope that with updates the software continues to improve the experience and further fuel that interest.
It got me back into gami g
Yeah I mean that has always been the advantage of PC gaming, the competitive game prices and the “portability” (in this case, meaning how easy it is to transfer games from virtually any kind of PC to any other kind of PC).
I’m just surprised more people haven’t come to that same realization
id wager most people have this epiphany going from console to PC
I go back and forth.
Pc gaming I end up tinkering too much to get it to run. End up spending more time playing with the settings. Nvcap.dll crashed, feels like office space ‘pc load letter’
Console is great because you just start it up, no settings
Steam deck is great for verified titles. I wish steamos could cloud source the proper settings and proton version or fixes and apply them for the others
Oh yes i was a console gamer I was priced out of the pc market as a good pc is at least 1k. Since getting my steam deck my series x and ps5 go mostly unplayed. When i do play them its thru the deck streaming.its so amazing to be able to spend $20 and get 4 maybe 5 or 6 games.Steam deck to me is probably mav favorite console of all time.
I used to be a console gamer, but I shifted to PC gaming few years ago when I realized how fuss free it is to buy games, as well as the huge number of games I want that are not on consoles. Over the years console makers introduced paid online and no background compatibility (like PSVR games not playable on PSVR2) while PC gaming just keeps getting better and cheaper games, so I just sink deeper.
I still play on consoles once a long while for exclusives like Spider-Man 2 on Playstation and local multiplayer games on Nintendo Switch, but not often anymore. These days I just pick up the Steam Deck, press power button and start playing in bed or whatever. I have hundreds and thousands of new games and retro roms on this tiny system that I can bring everywhere literally, it is just awesome. It’s a dream come true.
I was a humble bundle subscriber and bundle buyer for the longest time, but never got to enjoy most of my games until the Steam Deck. It’s so easy to build up a large portfolio with bundles if you are a patient gamer.
Nope; but I’ll tell you one thing it made me feel right at home since I grew up mostly with handhelds even got a game controller on my phone that I would stream games from any device I could at home I play some games on my desktop because it is better than a steamdeck in terms of screen graphics’s / performance but when I look at my deck I don’t feel like it’s 100% my pc rather a sorta steam library emulator if that makes any sense. I do find myself reaching for it whenever I just want to chill out. I also mainly play vr games on my desktop but when I do play those AAA titles I enjoy them on the deck just as much as on my desktop if not more especially those fighter type games!!
I’m a video gamer.
Started with arcade games in the 70’s, moved to computers and then when Nintendo & Sega started putting out consoles, started buying consoles also.
Always been a PC gamer, always been a console gamer.
Not really. I love my deck, but it’s just another way of gaming for me. It’s nice that it’s portable and having access to my steam games is a nice bonus, but it I can’t say it’s revolutionized anything for me other than having those games I was already playing on pc available to me when I’m on the shitter
I know it’s a meme to bring gaming devices to the shitter, but that’s so unthinkable for me, shitting takes like 5?minutes and it’s full of bacteria that can stick to your device
Nah, not really. Made emulation a bit easier for some old stuff that hasn’t been ported but otherwise, I’m same old same old. I still like my games physically. Steam Deck is fun and Steam sales are nice but it’s never going to replace the feeling of having a physical object on my shelf that I own. And that’s often where I’ll end up playing them too, just where I bought the game physically. That’s not to say I don’t use my Steam deck but it’s more supplemental than anything.