How the Steam Deck breathes life into underrated old games
techradar.com
techradar.com
I also prefer games that have cross-platform cloud saves so I can play longer sessions on my Xbox or PC and continue from the exact same spot on the Deck when I'm on the go. I think I can finally finish Witcher 3 this time when they added cloud saves, I don't need to have 3 parallel games going on different platforms.
The quick pick up and immediate suspend are the killer features for me. The Spouse Acceptance Factor is pretty good for a device I can play with on the couch and be semi-present. Instead of me taking up the TV or being in my own dark corner playing with my gaming PC.
I've finished more games during this fall on the deck than my PC during the last two years.
I even get away with playing in bed as a "kill time until I feel sleepy" activity. Nothing else other than browsing a phone has reached this level of acceptance.
(I must admit I do have an unusually tolerant partner...)
Yep, this has been the killer feature for me too.
When playing a game involves closing out some other stuff, starting up steam, starting up the game, waiting for it to load, loading my save, waiting for it to load, playing for a bit, saving, exiting to the menu, exiting the game, etc... there's a certain minimum commitment of time involved.
When I can just tap the power button and get dropped back in the game where I left it, and when the next distraction comes up just tap it again (in a menu, in a cutscene, anywhere) and put it back down... suddenly all those little 20 minute chunks of dead time where I'd be doom-scrolling the internet can turn into gaming time.
Even when I _am_ sitting at my desk, I often just dock my Steam Deck and play with a controller on my monitor instead of firing up the game on my PC because it's so convenient. (The fact that it also doesn't heat my office up to 85 degrees like my PC is a bonus as well.)
As a grown ass adult with children, I have no time to sit through several hours in a single shot. So this has been invaluable.
It does drain the batteries relatively quickly while in stand by though
My only complaint right now is that, for some reason, it seems like my cloud saves on Steam also saved the configurations for some games so my graphics settings always revert to the settings saved on the Steam Deck, even when I play on my PC. Titanfall 2, for example, crashes when I open it on my PC the first time after playing on the Steam Deck but then restarts and runs fine afterwards (albeit with the settings from the Steam Deck). Changing the graphics settings back words until I play again on my Steam Deck (which lags horribly until I reset the settings back to Steam Deck defaults).
It's the first game that made first person wall running actually fun and easy to do even for a casual player like me.
Steam Cloud docs explicitely mention this:
https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/features/cloud#1
> Avoid machine specific configurations such as video settings.
I'm guessing you own the game on Steam and not from EA/Origin? Are you using the base game or Northstar? If Northstar, did you have more trouble setting that up than on your Windows PC?
Northstar first got really popular in a period when the official Titanfall 2 servers were extremely unreliable - you'd either be stuck matchmaking forever even with a supposedly large number of players online, or you'd start a game with 12 players and be lucky to have 3 or 4 of them still connected by the end. Most people blamed the problems on DDoS attackers, and although the game developer Respawn acknowledged the problems, they never really delivered a server-side or client-side fix for them. So, the only enjoyable way to play TF|2 on PC was with Northstar.
I have some games in Steam, but actually don't like to use a PC to play games, so the steamdeck looks like a viable alternative.
Thanks for this!
I can say the same, but about single-player games. I play games very often (you can call me addict if you want), but every time i get to my PC i always get dragged into some coop/multiplayer game by my friends. While with deck, i can just drop to bed, fire up some game i've been delaying to play for 5 years, and finally complete it. Almost without distractions.
There is no web browser, Discord, Spotify, IRC or anything. Just you and a thousand games you promised yourself you'd finish some day =)
Also, on steamdeck subreddit i saw people using it as their main PC (not much power, but definitely more than enough for majority of day-to-day tasks, especially with external monitor). I recall motorola razr (android one) had dualboot (android + ubuntu), and when plugged to external monitor you was able to use it as a small PC. But due to pretty weak hardware back in 2011, this idea never took off.
A couple of times a year I think about whether I should ditch music streaming and pick up an old iPod
I mostly don't use it as a handheld. More as the "living room console for the kids" and as the "portable friends/family" device, in that way that e.g. the Switch advertises (but supports stuff like the Jackbox games)
We should have had "gaming device that is also an actual general purpose computer" a long time ago, but I"m glad it's here now.
Basically I'd be perfectly fine with the Steam Deck hardware in a small box without the controller, battery or display. Just power button and usb-c for power/data, and maybe even integrate the Steam Dock[0] hardware in the box with the extra connectors (USB ports, HDMI, Display Port, Gigabit Ethernet).
If they can shave off 100€ or more off the price doing this and maybe even allow people to use full size M.2 SSDs it'd sell like hotcakes. Nvidia Shield but one that can actually run games, not just stream them.
Failed might not be appropriate, it's still plenty usable in my opinion.
Both those products were meant to be mass adopted, and the steam controller was meant to be the best input choice for both of them.
Lots of things that arose from their steam machine project were more successful than the steam machine, including:
- the steam deck - funding various Vulkan projects - funding Proton development - general Linux experience for gaming getting better (many many patches that were funded)
So it’s not really meaningful to differentiate their intent just by the popularity of their product. The steam machine and the steam controllers were meant to be the every day console and valve certainly invested a ton into trying.
1. It’s an accessory that was an extra purchase when many alternatives existed. So it was competing for mindshare from people who either were using keyboard+mouse, or could also buy a console controller and connect it up. Unless you already researched it, there was no surface reason to own one for many people.
2. Low availability. You couldn’t just find it in any retail store. So you already needed to be aware of it to want it, and then be willing to wait for delivery. So it had a higher bar to cross.
3. Comfort was a big one. Some people loved it. Others hated it. It was too big for many people, and too cumbersome for others. I personally thought it was one of the worst controllers I’ve owned and I have very large hands.
4. The touch controls mapped poorly to many games. If you did buy one, it was really hit and miss how well it worked for your games. A lot depended on either putting in the time to map it out or hoping the community had something.
It just had too much going against it. Which is a death blow for a product that can’t exist by itself and has competition (even if it does more).
The steamdeck in comparison sort of exists in its own niche and is a complete product.
This is a key point that undermines the rest of your argument. Controller support is practically a given today, but when the Steam Controller launched in 2015 there were _a lot_ of games on Steam (even AAA console ports) that were mouse/keyboard only.
[EDIT] To clarify, I mean games that lend themselves to gamepad controls to begin with have tended to support X-Box controllers really well for about that long, and I'd bet that's most of what PC gamers want to do with gamepads. They want to play GTA games or Red Dead on a gamepad—most of them still prefer keyboard and mouse for first-person shooters or isometric RPGs or strategy games or what have you. The market for people who want to replace the keyboard & mouse on games that are best played with a keyboard & mouse is surely much smaller than the set who just want a gamepad as a supplementary controller for platformers and 3rd-person action games, or as the "poor (or space-constrained) man's" flight stick / steering wheel—that larger market is already pretty well-served by cheap used X-Box controllers.
For the games I used it with, it was great, probably the best Dark Souls controller I ever used by turning the right track pad into a simulated trackball. But without a d-pad it ruins it for most fighting games, joystick FPS are kind of shit without a second joystick as there is no more muscle memory to rely on, and it lacks the speed needed for any serious RTS games.
That leaves racing games, and surfing the web.
It does make an amazing remote mouse for watching shows and stuff from my computer while not sitting at it, but that certainly doesn't drive sales. And the one joystick is has is absolutely phenomenal, the smallest deadzone out of any joystick controller ive used and it is super sensitive and precise, which would have been really great if there were two of them. And the haptics was pretty great in my opinion for racing game.
I have one, but only used it a couple times. Don't remember it being a game changer for me but it's been so long since the last time I touched it that I can't remember now what it was like to use it. I'll have to find it and give another try
I'm still kicking myself for not ordering a half-dozen of them when they suddenly went on super-sale on Steam (5€/pop or something)
First of all it really needed to secure sales early ideally preorders.
It needed to "just work" with games, like you said input mapping is huge part of that, also proton and "deck verified".
Valve brought all those things together.
I'm just surprised it was colaunched with HL3.
I've been having a tinker with BBC games too (not integrated with EmuDeck currently) and, after some minor tweaks to the code and config, managed to get quite a useable setup with BeebEm. Will see how feasible it is to upstream in the new year.
Nobody does it, torrents are the way people actually do it.
Nevermind that people would actually pay money to have legal, licensed, digital copies of both - but the game companies don't care or want the money.
You're correct to highlight that it's not explicitly legal/illegal, but at least in America things are pretty cut-and-dried.
I'm not a lawyer, but I'm pretty sure there's no "unless the copyright owner or an affiliated party claims you don't need to" clause in the backup/archival exceptions.
a) use the awful virtual keyboard to switch to joydyick mode and start the game
b) create a controller profile for every single game
Got me.
I was like "The Darkness 2? Relic of the past? Huh?".
However, I must say modern games like Cyberpunk 2077 also run very well on Linux in Steam.
And I got the Steam Deck to thank for that, since more development on Proton and vkd3d was done for it!
I’m not saying incompatible games don’t exist, I’m sure they do, but they’re definitely the exception rather than the rule now.
Multiplayer is the sad part for Linux these days, except for the more cooperative type of games like Terraria, Factorio and Satisfactory where it works well.
https://www.protondb.com/ is your friend. Avoid purchasing games that ate not at least gold
The lower-spec handhelds by Abernic and Retroid, for example, can handle lots of emulation, Half Life 1, Counterstrike 1.6, Unreal Tournament 1999, as well as OpenMW. None of these depend on Steam or Proton.
The higher-spec Steam Deck, at 2-3x the cost, comes into play for newer titles. For me, that's Fallout 3/NV/4, STALKER, Metro, Oblivion, Skyrim, Dark Souls, and Elden Ring.
The Steam Deck doesn't depend on Steam or Proton either, FWIW. If you want to throw Lakka or another homebrew emulation OS on it, it should work out-of-box.
That being said, I get the appeal of other/simpler handhelds for retrogaming. The Steam Deck's real party trick is a powerful GPU at a decently low wattage, which will go mostly unappreciated playing Symphony of the Night.
Same! An often unspoken benefit to playing older games is that they are a good deal less taxing on the hardware, allowing you to stretch out the battery life. I love it.
Also, there's plenty of games that are shorter or can be played in short sessions if you are too busy for long sessions.
The same applies to mental work too.
Rest and relaxation is part of the work.
do you like a mystery, newtonian space simulation, beautiful music and visuals, and being driven by your own curiosity instead of a game on rails?
check out "Outer Wilds"
i similarly find it hard to play games myself. this game came on a recommendation and instantly became the best game i've ever played. and in the vein of wasting time, this game transcends "video games." it's actually a masterpiece. i recommend going in with no knowledge, just give it a shot.
A tip anyone encountering this comment: If you like Sci-fi, story-based, exploration games -- Just buy it. Just go play it. Don't read a single review. Don't look at YouTube videos. It's the type of game that you can truly only experience once, and the less known before entering that experience the better.
Also, play on Controller -- The game has a lot of spaceship flight which is pretty frustrating on keyboard/mouse.
The only flaw of this game is that it is necessary to play it to experience it properly. It is not an accessible medium for those who are unfamiliar with games. This is a shame, because it is a legitimately thought-provoking and transformative piece of art.
Outer Wilds is currently on sale for $15 on Steam.
I would look into games that let you start/stop whenever without any issues. These fit best into (I presume) your adult life, without having the classic "I can't pause this right now" moments. I recommend Stardew Valley if you want something very laid back (and it works on nearly every system) and then one-player games like Horizon Zero Dawn, Witcher 3, Portal if you want some story, puzzle, action. Each is award-winning and has deep gameplay but also easy enough to approach (if you have a background in gaming as you mentioned).
Playing games, reading, watching movies etc. lets the active part of your GTFO of the way and let the background processes run without interruptions.
Active breaks are also an option to combat any guilt. Just decide that "I'm going to play a game for 30 minutes", then it's not wasted time - you scheduled it =)
I don't have a commute where I spend hours sitting idle wishing for something to do. A possible usage; when I take the kids to the park I spend a decent chunk of time interacting with them. So out of a 1-3 hour excursion, I'd get maybe 0.75-1.5hrs of usage. And that's not every day.
I WANT one. I just can't justify that kind of expense.
That said, the deck is almost cheaper than the 5800u tomtom sort of sff pcs on aliexpress. Everything considered, it's not a bad product at all. I fear its future looks brighter than that of my index
But it's portable and can dock to your existing display/keyboard/mouse setup when needed.
I haven't booted up my (old) Windows gaming PC since I got the deck. It's just so convenient to pick up and play. And when the kids/SO call, I can just hit suspend and go see what's up. When I get back, I turn on the SD and continue exactly where I left off.
WAY easier and more practical than leaving my gaming PC on pause for multiple hours. (Not all games let you save anywhere you want).
I did this recently and a fair number of the old games Just Worked on the steam deck.
https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/wnaiq6/just_took...
Which have a similar phenomenon of bringing old games back to life due to the limited specs of such devices. The Retroid pockets and Anbernics are the best at this in my opinion.
Obviously those things can't play modern PC titles on low to medium settings, but that doesn't feel particularly necessary to me.
I mean, then the SD isn't for you, no? Just get a Vita or one of the modern indie pocket gaming handhelds.
But I agree, it looks super chunky for something that is meant to be portable. I would consider the Nintendo Switch about the maximum size for something to comfortably travel with, and the Steamdeck is 250g heavier and bigger in all dimensions [0].
[0] https://www.pcgamer.com/steam-deck-vs-nintendo-switch/#secti...
I don't understand why. The SD fits in every bag I take with me. Unless all you travel with is a purse? Then I guess sure, it's too big. But the SD being 250g heavier and it being larger than the Switch are all positives for me. It has such a solid feel and the sides are more ergonomic in a way that makes it more comfortable to use than my Switch ever was.
The Switch fits flat down in my backpack. The Steamdeck would probably not fit in the same way. I haven't had a chance to handle one though. But personally I find the Switch already borderline annoying to take.
Typing this whilst waiting for a flight with a fully packed bag for what it's worth. On its own it would be fine, but once you add a drink bottle, toiletries, a laptop and chargers it adds up.
I don't think I'd try strapping it to the outside of any bag, even though the case it came with seems quite good. I think it would be unwieldy.
I have pretty severe hand pain after prolonged use of switch. Getting case with big grips definitely helps, but then switch gets much bigger.
While prolonged use of deck is also noticeable, it's much, much less taxing on hands. Or so i feel. Probably because it's more comfortable to hold due to size and built-in grips?
Compared to gaming on a laptop, the steam deck works better and is more flexible in more locations. The quick suspend feature, though it doesn't work with every game, just extends this convenience by making it easy to pickup and put down.
There's definitely a space for pocket gaming, but that faces stiff competition from phone games.
I even have a portable monitor, and an external keyboard and mouse. Hook them all up with a USB hub and I have a "proper" desktop gaming setup that fits into my backpack no problem.
I can just plug it in to any hotel tv with an HDMI port and play full PC games.
I've had a fantastic time playing Dwarf Fortress on the Steam Deck as a passenger in a car, as well as Team Fortress 2 in bed.
I rarely use the Deck but my girlfriend loves it. She prefers the handheld form factor for couch gaming. I just prefer my office chair to any other seat in my house which makes PC gaming more appealing.
The steam deck replaces gaming laptops for me. Gaming laptops have always been hot, noisy, and highly failure prone. The deck is downright dainty in comparison and doesn't require me to carry a mouse, controller, and clunky power brick as well.
I find it's just small enough, but I don't use it for every case. It's portable in the sense of being great to take with you on a plane or a trip; you wouldn't take it with you to work or school every day, I don't think. It fits in my personal item with good headphones, but there's not much space for something like a jacket. So I understand how the size excludes it from a lot of situations.
My current gaming is built around NVidia GeForceNow, Steam and the Steam Deck. I have all my bases covered and (almost!) all the games I want, "retro" and "current".
At home I have NVidia SHIELD devices on each TV. That's three rooms (one of which is on a gaming monitor with 120 Hz/HDR). I can play all my Steam (and Epic) games seamlessly on all three. They were $100 each and my founder's membership to GFN is $4.16/mo. The controllers were around $35 each as well. I don't strictly need three of them but I got them for symmetry. I like that I buy games on standard PC game stores like Steam, so if the service shuts down or gets crappy, I'll still have my games--it doesn't have the disadvantage that Stadia did. I had a PS4 and Xbone and I just never used them--I gave them away.
For the "very portable" case I have my phone. Its GFN client is great. I can use it with an onscreen controller in a pinch, or I have a Razer Kishi which is okay (standard thumbsticks and buttons). I also have a cheap Chromebook with a good GFN client I can use the play the same games. Of course, both these require good wi-fi or particularly good cell service. I've played on hotel marginal hotel wi-fi and on 4G/"5G" and that's about on the border between useable on non-useable.
Enter the Steam Deck. This covers the offline use case: planes, areas with bad wi-fi/wireless coverage. And it's still the same games with good hardware and good control. Ironically, what doesn't work well on it is GFN; but that's okay, because that's not really what I need it for.
That's the setup that works for me, and it works very well. I'm not a "hardcore" gamer and I don't own a PC at all. So for me, it is definitely portable enough for its use case.
There are various disadvantages that people might not like (besides the Steam Deck being pretty big, as you point out):
Game Selection: Obviously, this is a tradeoff with any gaming platform; not every game is available on Steam. With my setup, it's even more narrow: not every game on Steam is offered on GFN; and not every game on Steam works on the Steam Deck. There are some games I own that I can't play on the Deck; there are some games I could buy for the Deck that I couldn't play on GFN (I don't buy those games). There are still hundreds of games of every stripe available, so this doesn't faze me. It's true I can't play GTA:V, but that's probably the only game I really "miss".
Game streaming: I'm told input lag makes this not an option for "serious gamers." I'll believe them. For me, a "non-serious gamer", I detect no input lag. GFN isn't completely seamless and the fact that you're interacting with a Windows VM can be kind of clunky. No problem for a nerdy type, but there are a couple of rough edges for a consumer (for example, when launching a game you may need to interact with the Steam application in the VM to launch it, or sometimes it launches by itself; sometimes you need to invoke an onscreen keyboard and mouse input method to interact with a game launcher or close windows).
It also means your Internet access needs to be up to snuff. When it is, streaming is fine. In the past, I'd run into lag/jitter problems even when the problem wasn't on my end; that seems to have been fixed and I don't experience that anymore. I think there are also time or usage limits but I've never run into one so I'm not sure. On the other hand, the game client's connection to servers is always great (e.g. on Star Wars Battlefront II).
Limited controls: As far as I can tell, there's no GFN story for racing wheels, dance pads and other alternate controllers, at least with the SHIELD. This is probably the thing that bugs me most; I'd like to use a wheel for Euro Truck Simulator 2.
Glitches: The biggest problem on my Steam Deck is Bluetooth audio delay. I have tried remedies and system settings and they haven't worked. It's not great for a game where synced audio might be important. As it happens, my games aren't really like that and the delay is "okay". It bothers me aesthetically but doesn't make playing a game much less fun. But I'd love to see it resolved.
Another nit: cloud saves are not totally seamless, you need to pay attention to whether they're synced when using the Steam Deck. If you do, your play will be seamless; if you don't, it's possible to lose a save moving between the platforms.