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 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.