mizzer
Believing is Seeing
https://www.steamdeck.com/en/?snr=1_4_4__118
This might be the handheld console we've been waiting for.
This might be the handheld console we've been waiting for.
THE Official Steam Deck Thread
- Thread starter mizzer
- Start date
It's neat, but I can't help but feel a bit underwhelmed with 720p. It's no better than the Switch in that regard. Hell, my phone (Moto G5 Plus from 2017) is 1080p on a screen that's nearly 2 inches smaller.
1080p's like the minimum these days. They really should have striven for it.
1080p's like the minimum these days. They really should have striven for it.
Sasquach
Hidden in plain sight
Rage was down, plus i didnt know about this until later.
My thoughts:
I think people are vastly over-estimating this thing's power. Its for all intents and purposes a portable PC. It'll have all the benefits and drawbacks of such a configuration. Its got the right specs for a powerful portable console but as a PC its gonna suffer from all the PC-isms:
-unoptimized gaming
-gigantic gaming file sizes...that 64gb one is gonna be able to hold like 2-3 AAA titles before running out of space.
I believe the CPU/GPU combo is going to be something similar to a Ryzen 7 4700g but with an RDNA2 based GPU instead of Vega (both have 8 CU's). So it'll be more powerful than one but not nearly as good as people would like to think. A ryzen 3400g which performs more or less similar to the ryzen 7 4700g can provide passable-decent 720p gaming at low settings. so i think the steam deck would probably get good 720p gaming at med-high settings. maybe decent 1080p low-med performance can be had...but i think it'll struggle with any higher settings. Its almost like what's the point when it comes to PC gaming?
If it was a console with these specs, the games could squeeze much more out of it due to optimization.
Plus this thing is gonna throttle like crazy in handheld mode....I cant imagine the fan or whatever cooling system on this will be able to keep up with a full utilization of the APU.
I think I also read that at its pricepoint (399 for the 64gb model) its implied that its a money loser.
However it might be a good starter game system for someone wanting to play PC games on the cheap. Just dont expect it to be anything more than a low end current generation PC.
My thoughts:
I think people are vastly over-estimating this thing's power. Its for all intents and purposes a portable PC. It'll have all the benefits and drawbacks of such a configuration. Its got the right specs for a powerful portable console but as a PC its gonna suffer from all the PC-isms:
-unoptimized gaming
-gigantic gaming file sizes...that 64gb one is gonna be able to hold like 2-3 AAA titles before running out of space.
I believe the CPU/GPU combo is going to be something similar to a Ryzen 7 4700g but with an RDNA2 based GPU instead of Vega (both have 8 CU's). So it'll be more powerful than one but not nearly as good as people would like to think. A ryzen 3400g which performs more or less similar to the ryzen 7 4700g can provide passable-decent 720p gaming at low settings. so i think the steam deck would probably get good 720p gaming at med-high settings. maybe decent 1080p low-med performance can be had...but i think it'll struggle with any higher settings. Its almost like what's the point when it comes to PC gaming?
If it was a console with these specs, the games could squeeze much more out of it due to optimization.
Plus this thing is gonna throttle like crazy in handheld mode....I cant imagine the fan or whatever cooling system on this will be able to keep up with a full utilization of the APU.
I think I also read that at its pricepoint (399 for the 64gb model) its implied that its a money loser.
However it might be a good starter game system for someone wanting to play PC games on the cheap. Just dont expect it to be anything more than a low end current generation PC.
I'm not sure the handheld gaming market is what it was 20 years ago, especially with the proliferation of phones becoming lame gaming devices.
I think this is going to be another try/lose scenario for Valve. I like the idea and I may even buy one, but my reasons for doing so are only novelty. I have to think that they're banking on expanding Steam's influence, and if that's the case, it's obviously a net loss.
I need to know if the rechargeable battery is user replaceable and/or if it can be substituted for off the shelf AA/AAA batteries. Is 49% of a purchase factor.
I think this is going to be another try/lose scenario for Valve. I like the idea and I may even buy one, but my reasons for doing so are only novelty. I have to think that they're banking on expanding Steam's influence, and if that's the case, it's obviously a net loss.
I need to know if the rechargeable battery is user replaceable and/or if it can be substituted for off the shelf AA/AAA batteries. Is 49% of a purchase factor.
Nagorak
Well-known member
Isn't it a compromise that you're playing on a screen the size of a postage stamp? 
I also agree with what others have said. I think performance is going to be subpar. Handheld console games are targeted at the hardware's spec, while most PC games are targeted at much higher specs. It might run older games fine, but there's also the question of how much interest there is in a portable gaming device with phone games now being dominant. In addition, the price would go a long way toward buying an inexpensive ~$600 laptop that probably will offer equal or better performance on a much larger screen, while also having non-gaming utility. I know a $600 laptop is not going to be great, but comparing directly to Steam Deck, it still may look better.
I feel like this may have been better if it had been released half a decade ago. In addition, Valve has a bad track record in hardware at this point. Remember Steam Machines? How long is this going to be supported before they pull the plug? I guess there's at least not much risk of it becoming useless if it can play standard PC games.
Lastly, if I were them I would spend money trying to actually combat Facebook in VR, since that is one hardware venue they seem to have done relatively well in. Right now they're just letting them run away with it, because they won't counter the Oculus exclusives. On the one hand there's no connection to them releasing this device, but on the other hand if X amount money is going to be spent I think it would be better sent in that direction.
I also agree with what others have said. I think performance is going to be subpar. Handheld console games are targeted at the hardware's spec, while most PC games are targeted at much higher specs. It might run older games fine, but there's also the question of how much interest there is in a portable gaming device with phone games now being dominant. In addition, the price would go a long way toward buying an inexpensive ~$600 laptop that probably will offer equal or better performance on a much larger screen, while also having non-gaming utility. I know a $600 laptop is not going to be great, but comparing directly to Steam Deck, it still may look better.
I feel like this may have been better if it had been released half a decade ago. In addition, Valve has a bad track record in hardware at this point. Remember Steam Machines? How long is this going to be supported before they pull the plug? I guess there's at least not much risk of it becoming useless if it can play standard PC games.
Lastly, if I were them I would spend money trying to actually combat Facebook in VR, since that is one hardware venue they seem to have done relatively well in. Right now they're just letting them run away with it, because they won't counter the Oculus exclusives. On the one hand there's no connection to them releasing this device, but on the other hand if X amount money is going to be spent I think it would be better sent in that direction.
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Silent-Runner
Noli timere messorem
this
The last few years Valve has made a strong push with Linux gaming. Since the Linux marketshare is still small (I think it hovers around 1% of Steam users), a lot of people wondered why they were doing it. I'm not sure if this is the only thing they are doing, but it appears to be one of the reasons.
One of the reasons that Steam Machines failed is because the games library was limited. This time around, it shouldn't be a problem.
Steam has put a lot of work into Proton, which is a compatibility layer (it's basically WINE with some extra stuff) that allows Windows games to run on Linux. It includes DXVK, which lets DirectX games run using Vulkan instead, which is supported by Linux and doesn't come with much of a performance hit. They also contributed to things like mesa (the open-source video driver) to help reduce things like stuttering, particularly on AMD video cards, so it makes sense that they targeted AMD hardware.
So now Windows game compatibility on Linux is very good. I have about 230 games on Steam, and I think only 20 are unplayable on Linux (about 75 games are native Linux games and the rest run through Proton).
The big issues with compatibilty is DRM, which often fails on Linux, videos that use proprietary codecs, and anti-cheat. If they are pushing this hardware, then it might mean that these issues might be closer to being resolved.
Since it is running Linux, with their Steam OS, that means that this device is a full computer and you can run other software on it.
One of the reasons that Steam Machines failed is because the games library was limited. This time around, it shouldn't be a problem.
Steam has put a lot of work into Proton, which is a compatibility layer (it's basically WINE with some extra stuff) that allows Windows games to run on Linux. It includes DXVK, which lets DirectX games run using Vulkan instead, which is supported by Linux and doesn't come with much of a performance hit. They also contributed to things like mesa (the open-source video driver) to help reduce things like stuttering, particularly on AMD video cards, so it makes sense that they targeted AMD hardware.
So now Windows game compatibility on Linux is very good. I have about 230 games on Steam, and I think only 20 are unplayable on Linux (about 75 games are native Linux games and the rest run through Proton).
The big issues with compatibilty is DRM, which often fails on Linux, videos that use proprietary codecs, and anti-cheat. If they are pushing this hardware, then it might mean that these issues might be closer to being resolved.
Since it is running Linux, with their Steam OS, that means that this device is a full computer and you can run other software on it.
Just came back to this thread to state that I take offense to the "without compromises" portion of the slogan.
Sasquach
Hidden in plain sight
Well my switch never leaves its dock so I would say this is something I dont need.
but but....720p high resolutions!!!! and AAA multiplatformers!!!!!
and MOAR POWERS!!!!
I dont think this thing targets the Switch demographic (dont care about graphics, and nintendo IP) or even the PS4/Xbox group (they're actually overlapping with the graphic whore PC group with wanting more powers and resolutionz).....possibly the entry level PC gamers and users who use Raspberry Pi or something....
PC gamers (graphic whores) likely want and have something more powerful already so they dont really have a need for this.
Someone looking to replace a laptop or tablet.....isnt going to get this because..it isnt a laptop or a tablet.
Taman Linkin
New member
yeah, nothing.