Summary
When I think of theSteam Deck, I think of it being like aPCyou can hold in your hands. But it’s not quite that, is it? And that’s the main reason I don’t own one. PC is my least favourite way to play games, but that’s mostly because of the physical experience - sitting at a desk I associate with work, playing on the equipment I use for work. And that’s before you get into the hardcore business of actually building a PC. And I find that thought so repulsive I’m back to thinking I should just say ‘screw it’ and get a Steam Deck.
I have a gaming laptop - powerful enough to run the PC games I have to play for work (rare platform exclusives or reviews that mandate PC use), but nothing hand-built or customisable. While I do see the appeal in creating something with your own two hands, especially if it can be used as a bonding exercise, the cost and constant obsolescence that comes with each new, more graphicy graphics card are enough to put me off.
Enter the Steam Deck. Sure, they might bring out a better Steam Deck (they already did, the OLED), but that’s a complete upgrade of the entire unit. That makes it an easy temptation to resist. With PCs, there’s always a new part every other week - I don’t need that sort of capitalistic peer pressure in my life. I even figure the Steam Deck helps with the second most annoying thing about PC gaming - the settings. I’m sure the Deck still requires tweaking, but I’m doing them on a purpose-built gaming machine not my typewriter that lets me scroll through Twitter.
The Steam Deck takes away the hassle of PC gaming and the fears over whether the game is stuttering because my laptop is terrible or the settings are wrong. If a game is Verified, I can play it. Nice and simple. It also introduces comfort, allowing me to play from my couch or in my bed, rather than at my work desk. It’s perfect. But it’s not quite a mini PC.
The thing is I have quite a lot of games onEpic Game Store. I know that’s ideologically offensive to some of you, but consider a) I don’t care and b) they give away a lot of games for free. I’m also partial to weird itch.io games, and would play a lot more if I didn’t have to sit at my desk for them. Technically, it is possible to jailbreak a Steam Deck to access Epic and itch games, and it’s not the ethical murkiness that stops me, it’s the technological ineptitude.
You just read that the idea of building a PC makes me nauseous, and that even minorly altering the settings of my PC for a game is enough hassle for me to not bother. So why would I go through the ordeal of rummaging through the Steam Deck’s files to add my various other launchers - especially considering many reviews also mandate games are played throughnative launchers many publishers use nowadays- on a handheld I’d be paying a lot of money for specifically to avoid tasks like this?
Obviously the Steam Deck is made byValve, and thus is used to funnel people towards its own storefront, but the less affiliated alternatives don’t fill me with too much hope either.The Asus ROG Ally is the obvious choice, and the one I may end up getting, but it has suffered from quality control far more than the Steam Deck.TheGamer’s own Ben Sledge reviewed the ROG Ally, and found it struggled with the most intensive PC games likeCyberpunk 2077, and noted it costs significantly more than a Steam Deck.
I already don’t like the thought of paying so much when it would remain fourth in line behindPlayStation,Xbox, andSwitch, and the fact these handhelds still struggle enough of the time only puts me off further. Then there are tablets that advertise themselves as being for gaming, but then I’m back to the non-specialised issue I have with my laptop, plus they’re less comfy to hold, don’t offer docked play, and don’t have the easy button system of a Steam Deck.
The day there’s a handheld that offers a PC you’re able to hold in your hand for a reasonable price, I’ll be there. Until then, I’ll continue to grumble that the Steam Deck and ROG Ally are clearly the best way for me to play PC games, but too expensive and imperfect for me to bother.
Steam Deck
The Steam Deck is Valve’s entry in the handheld PC market, harnessing the power of its Steam storefront. It features a custom APU for AAA capability, with support for many of your favorite games.
