My number came up on reservation thread this weekend, and I'm not 100% sure if I still want one. Game Pass and let's plays keeps me pretty satisfied as far as novelty goes, and I don't want to...
My number came up on reservation thread this weekend, and I'm not 100% sure if I still want one. Game Pass and let's plays keeps me pretty satisfied as far as novelty goes, and I don't want to spend money on a neat piece of kit when I already have a desktop I never use. I could just attach it the TV, and never use it over there instead. Anyone who has one got an opinion?
Everyone is different, so maybe you won't end up getting much use out of the Steam Deck, and it'll just be a waste of your money. However, at least anecdotally for me, I honestly had very similar...
Everyone is different, so maybe you won't end up getting much use out of the Steam Deck, and it'll just be a waste of your money. However, at least anecdotally for me, I honestly had very similar worries as you regarding the Nintendo Switch. I thought I would just play a few of its exclusives that I had been wanting to, and then it would end up collecting dust like all my other consoles before it. And yet to my genuine surprise, ever since I got my Switch I have taken it with me almost everywhere, and it's become my primary gaming platform these days despite me almost exclusively being a PC gamer beforehand. Being able to conveniently play games while I'm out and about, or even when I'm still at home but feel like sitting outside, is great.
The Steam Deck is basically a Switch on steroids, with a much larger games library, so I will very likely be picking one up for myself some time down the line now too. But again, everyone is different so if you really are certain you won't use it there is absolutely no shame in backing out of your preorder.
I've had mine since mid-April. I don't use it every night, but at least every week, depending on the situation. So far I've finished Elden Ring, almost done completing the campaign of every Halo...
I've had mine since mid-April. I don't use it every night, but at least every week, depending on the situation. So far I've finished Elden Ring, almost done completing the campaign of every Halo in the Master Chief Collection, and I'm about 20% (total guess) through Ori and the Blind Forest. Other than Elden Ring, those others have been sitting in my library waiting for me to get to them, and the Deck has been a great excuse to visit some of the neglected purchases in my library. It's pretty easy to set up for emulation too.
If you have kids, or feel the need to have some mobility gaming (sometimes I just sit in the same room as my wife and she plays her Switch and I play the Deck while we casually chat about things), then I would recommend it. If every time you want to play, you have your computer available, then maybe you don't have a strong need or desire for one.
Alternatively, you could flip it for a decent profit, if you want to do so. There's certainly the demand for it.
I'm still in the honeymoon phase with mine (got it on Monday), but I'm absolutely loving it. I'd say there are three use cases I'd really recommend it for: You are (or plan to be) heavily bought...
I'm still in the honeymoon phase with mine (got it on Monday), but I'm absolutely loving it.
I'd say there are three use cases I'd really recommend it for:
You are (or plan to be) heavily bought into Steam as your primary gaming platform.
You want a handheld emulation beast.
You want a portable system that isn't a Switch.
Regarding 1: if Game Pass is keeping you happy right now and you don't see that changing, then this probably won't scratch an itch for you. If you've got a sizable Steam library that you want to enjoy/explore, then the Deck is awesome for that.
Regarding 2: I've done almost nothing but emulate old Playstation games on it since I got it, and I couldn't be happier. It's beefy enough to do much more than Playstation games well, but it's not just the system's power that makes it great: Steam Input allows for very robust and customizable control setups which are invaluable for emulation. If you're interested in emulation, there literally isn't a better device available right now.
Regarding 3: If you like the idea of gaming on the go, or of freeing up your TV or laptop, then the Deck is a solid buy. Attaching it to your TV is actually a pretty terrible idea, as from what I've read its docked performance is lacking right now, so if you're not planning on playing it handheld then it's probably not worth it.
@cfabbro @Autoxidation @kfwyre The time has come and gone, and I have not sprung upon it. If I want to re-reserve, it would come back up some time in Q3. Honestly, I'm pretty happy with my choice...
The time has come and gone, and I have not sprung upon it. If I want to re-reserve, it would come back up some time in Q3. Honestly, I'm pretty happy with my choice in that if I really want to get one, I can just wait three months, change up my sku, or just get it as an impulse purchase instead of putting down a reservation by the time I'm properly tempted. Thank you all for your insight, and happy gaming.
I also have a GPD 1 that has gone unloved, and it's not like it's unusable just because the new hotness is out. </aside>
My number came up on reservation thread this weekend, and I'm not 100% sure if I still want one. Game Pass and let's plays keeps me pretty satisfied as far as novelty goes, and I don't want to spend money on a neat piece of kit when I already have a desktop I never use. I could just attach it the TV, and never use it over there instead. Anyone who has one got an opinion?
Everyone is different, so maybe you won't end up getting much use out of the Steam Deck, and it'll just be a waste of your money. However, at least anecdotally for me, I honestly had very similar worries as you regarding the Nintendo Switch. I thought I would just play a few of its exclusives that I had been wanting to, and then it would end up collecting dust like all my other consoles before it. And yet to my genuine surprise, ever since I got my Switch I have taken it with me almost everywhere, and it's become my primary gaming platform these days despite me almost exclusively being a PC gamer beforehand. Being able to conveniently play games while I'm out and about, or even when I'm still at home but feel like sitting outside, is great.
The Steam Deck is basically a Switch on steroids, with a much larger games library, so I will very likely be picking one up for myself some time down the line now too. But again, everyone is different so if you really are certain you won't use it there is absolutely no shame in backing out of your preorder.
I've had mine since mid-April. I don't use it every night, but at least every week, depending on the situation. So far I've finished Elden Ring, almost done completing the campaign of every Halo in the Master Chief Collection, and I'm about 20% (total guess) through Ori and the Blind Forest. Other than Elden Ring, those others have been sitting in my library waiting for me to get to them, and the Deck has been a great excuse to visit some of the neglected purchases in my library. It's pretty easy to set up for emulation too.
If you have kids, or feel the need to have some mobility gaming (sometimes I just sit in the same room as my wife and she plays her Switch and I play the Deck while we casually chat about things), then I would recommend it. If every time you want to play, you have your computer available, then maybe you don't have a strong need or desire for one.
Alternatively, you could flip it for a decent profit, if you want to do so. There's certainly the demand for it.
I'm still in the honeymoon phase with mine (got it on Monday), but I'm absolutely loving it.
I'd say there are three use cases I'd really recommend it for:
You are (or plan to be) heavily bought into Steam as your primary gaming platform.
You want a handheld emulation beast.
You want a portable system that isn't a Switch.
Regarding 1: if Game Pass is keeping you happy right now and you don't see that changing, then this probably won't scratch an itch for you. If you've got a sizable Steam library that you want to enjoy/explore, then the Deck is awesome for that.
Regarding 2: I've done almost nothing but emulate old Playstation games on it since I got it, and I couldn't be happier. It's beefy enough to do much more than Playstation games well, but it's not just the system's power that makes it great: Steam Input allows for very robust and customizable control setups which are invaluable for emulation. If you're interested in emulation, there literally isn't a better device available right now.
Regarding 3: If you like the idea of gaming on the go, or of freeing up your TV or laptop, then the Deck is a solid buy. Attaching it to your TV is actually a pretty terrible idea, as from what I've read its docked performance is lacking right now, so if you're not planning on playing it handheld then it's probably not worth it.
@cfabbro @Autoxidation @kfwyre
The time has come and gone, and I have not sprung upon it. If I want to re-reserve, it would come back up some time in Q3. Honestly, I'm pretty happy with my choice in that if I really want to get one, I can just wait three months, change up my sku, or just get it as an impulse purchase instead of putting down a reservation by the time I'm properly tempted. Thank you all for your insight, and happy gaming.
I also have a GPD 1 that has gone unloved, and it's not like it's unusable just because the new hotness is out. </aside>