For those of you that purchased a Steam Deck as your first gaming PC, what has you experience been like this far? Is it the best thing ever? Frustrating and exhausting? Maybe a little of both?

I have been solely a console gamer, but quite intrigued by the SD. I would like to know what others who have been in my place think before I take the plunge.

  • hajleez@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    It has overall been just short of an amazing experience. Being a console only gamer for the past 30+ years has me naive to small workarounds as a pc gamer. As a console gamer you KNOW that the games will work when you turn them on and the controller will automatically connect.

    As a SD user not so much. Especially with connecting BT controllers. If I put my SD to sleep, or switch from docked w/controller to just using the SD controls, things can get wonky.

    Also anti-cheat walls/Linux on the deck stop me from playing some of my favorite games. For instance COD Warzone/Fortnite. I know that there is a windows workaround to play them, but it’s not plug and play like consoles.

    SD is the best gaming device that I’ve had in my entire life!! I’m not complaining, I’m just answering the question.

    • paradsecar@alien.topOPB
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      1 year ago

      Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, I’ve been a console gamer since the Atari days (yikes!) and, like you said, appreciate the plug-and-play nature. However, my job has me traveling quite a bit, and the Switch just isn’t cutting it for me anymore.

      • hajleez@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        You’ll love the deck man! You can play switch games on it! It is literally a pc on the go. I record music on it, browse the web, download fan made games like Pokémon Infinite, and complete work tasks for my job! You sound my age (44) so I think you’ll go nuts for the emulation. I’ve downloaded and emulated the top 20 games for every system from Atari-ps2. WiiU works well too, but I wouldn’t highly recommend Wii games because of the motion controls. You can get them to work but I choose not to bother. I showed my nephew Rad Racer yesterday and he liked it. Then we turned on Blitz the league (ps2) and he went bonkers. After that my brother and I played Archon for the nes and remembered why we loved it as kids. Top it off with Wizards & Warriors (nes) and then a smattering Mike Tyson’s Punchout. Honestly, I would’ve payed 400+ just to have all of my collection on a device, but then I can play AAA games on it too!!! I was sold lol

        • paradsecar@alien.topOPB
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          1 year ago

          Emulation might be the thing I’m looking forward to the most. I have hundreds of games from NES through PS2 I’ve used my old iMac to emulate, but it seems like they would feel better playing portable than upright at a desk.

          I’m also excited to do some Portal 2 co-op with my kid. We played couch co-op with the Switch version (which is very good, btw), but we want some new maps and that’s where Steam Workshop will come in handy.

          Alright, I think I’m 98% of the way convinced. I’ll make it a Christmas and b-day present to myself, because you are correct, I am 44…but only for the next couple of weeks. 😩