- Product links - JSAUX Screen Protector*: amzn.to/3MXHNkZ dbrand KillSwitch case*: dbrand.com/shop/grip/steam-deck-cases SanDisk microSD card: amzn.to/49MgSm0 Sabrent 1TB SSD (internal upgrade)*: amzn.to/47uJsGX Dock with full M.2 drive slot: amzn.to/3SWtX6b Crucial SSD 2TB: amzn.to/3sLSZu8 Crucial SSD 1TB: amzn.to/49RbNZN Anker 60W charger: amzn.to/3G9qGZR Anker 10' charging cable: amzn.to/47qebF1 45W charger dock*: amzn.to/3MTtuhn USB C hub (Switch compatible): amzn.to/40S5Es6 Newer USB C hub: amzn.to/3MUwgCW Deckmate (full kit)*: amzn.to/49PAjug 30,000 mAh batter w/ Power Delivery: amzn.to/49HGmkB Nintendo Switch Controller: amzn.to/49RkO58 8bitdo Pro 2 Controller*: amzn.to/40OXUae 8bitdo Ultimate 2.4 GHz controller*: amzn.to/3R8YlZR 8bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth controller*: amzn.to/40N0NIJ Sony DualSense controller: amzn.to/3QT6vEa Sony DualSense Edge controller: amzn.to/3uylD2g NOTE: I was not paid to include any of these products in this video. Listings marked with an asterisk (*) were items given to the me to review previously and each has a review video.
For reference, I still have a steam controller that works. the right touchpad used to have a crusty/friction surface which is all worn down and entiresly smooth now, but it still works. I wish valve made a steam controller 2 xD
The Black-Friday/Christmas consumerism always begins with 'must-have' accessories. You can't just buy a thing, you have to buy things to go with the thing that you bought. And once you have those things, they probably sell you more things to accessorize your accessories and so on...
The JSAUX ModCase is really great too! It's a cheaper version of the Kill Switch, and it's really comfortable to hold, with lots of accessories. I got a USB hub accessory for it that slides right onto the back of the case, and I use it in place of a dock 'cause it's far more portable. There's a really strong strap as well to hold a portable charger or any other accessory (they actually have a portable charger you can buy and attach straight on too). I love the strap vs the adhesive accessory on the Deckmate 'cause it's far less restricting but no less secure.
If you like using your deck docked i highly recommend getting one of those 3rd party chatpads for an xbox or playstation controller. Unlike the official ones that use proprietary software, the 3rd party ones connect with a dongle, so theyre universal
Love this video because 1) I just bought the new OLED that came out that upgrades and resolves many of the issues raised in the vid and 2) I’m an old head from the 70’s gamer with limited time etc, so I relate to the reviewer’s experience re limited time etc.. Thanks for helping convincing me that I shouldn’t have buyers recourse. (Still waiting to receive the OLED. I’m also a dedicated Xbox/X player.) 👍👍🙏
I feel bad for people that have a hard preference for thumbstick layout. I have a soft preference for the PlayStation layout,but honestly I can switch back and forth between PlayStation and Xbox layouts and not give any thought to it.
Anybody else using their stadia controller?.. Normally I use Xbox controllers for their good compatibility on PC.. but when I got my steam deck, I didn’t have an extra Controller.. then I remembered I had that stadia controller collecting dust. 😅 And the orange on the thumb stick is an almost exact match for the limited edition thumb stick color on steam deck OLED.
I love how you ask for a like during the video. I hate when people ask me to hit the like button in the beginning of the video. Why would I do that? I don't even know if I like your video or not at that point. When people ask for that in the beginning of the video, I hit the dislike button right away. You, Sir, got a like. Great video and lots of useful information. Keep up the good work!!
One problem with 8BitDo Ultimate is that despite having Bluetooth, it presents itself as a Nintendo Switch controller, meaning it does not have analog triggers. If connected via 2.4Ghz it presents itself as an XINPUT controller, which has analog triggers but no gyro. Also, due to a bug in Steam OS you'll need to disable steam input for it in all games to not get double inputs (because steam OS recognizes both the dongle and the controller connected to the dongle at the same time), so you basically lose Steam Input configurations for it. 8BitDo Ultimate software allows 3 profiles to be saved in the controller, so it's better than nothing, but it's still far inferior of Steam input complete features. I have both Pro 2+ and Ultimate Bluetooth and I recommend the Pro 2.
One thing I can recommend when it comes to Docking stations.... Do you really need a docking station? What I have found is that normal USB-C hubs are generally way more flexible. Personally I have a high quality 3m usb-c cable connected to a HUB that is connected to the TV... That way I can still enjoy the great controls on the Steam Deck's while playing on the big screen. In a traditional docks you render the Steam Deck's input useless. You need to buy extra controllers, which are generally inferior to the Steam Deck input. :)
Granted you have the TV with the HDMI cable, you're going to need a dock or a dongle with HDMI port for output - the dock or dongle preferrably has PD so you can charge or power your deck while attached. That should be enough to output your deck to your TV. The docks in the vid above should serve the purpose. I'd recommend you to have dongles or docks with multiple USB ports for you to plug in your mouse and keyboard (and other peripherals) if you plan to use those.
Don’t waste your money. Get the deck and then a screen protector for $10, that’s all you need. If you really need a dock, buy the basic JSAUX one. No need for a new controller, use the one you already have, or just use the steam deck itself even when docked (you’ll probably want a USB C extension cable if you do that)
Problem with the 8bitdo Ultimate is that it only has two modes, Xbox controller mode and switch pro controller mode. The former has no gyro and the latter has no analog triggers. So you’ll have to switch frequently if you play shooters and racers that need the gyro and analog triggers respectively. I’d say just save the hassle and use the steam deck as a controller even when docked
Can you use analog triggers and gyro at the same time with ultimate controller? In my mind de only way to archive this is with a playstation controller. But I hate de button layout.
Haha, I bought that same Protable Switch Dock, the link even shows that I ordered it before. I'm actually surprised it worked for the switch, and that it still works with the Steam Deck. That other Dock though, that looks better than the Valve official Dock, at least for portability.
If he thinks the Switch pro has a good D-pad then I can't trust anything he is saying. It is the worst D-pad I've ever used right up there with the GameCube's super tiny one.
I would advise against the 8bit do controller. i bought one because i was sold on how they said they could prolong the life of the sticks so there wouldnt be any drift. mind you my other controllers previously lasted at least 3 years before i saw any drift. this controller the battery on it went dead completely after 1 year. wouldnt charge at all
For controllers, the 8Bitdo ultimate controller also has hall effect sticks. Most controller analogue sticks have moving parts that physically make contact and over time they wear out, causing stick drift or worse, there are times you move the stick and it doesn't register the full movement (which often results in-game as the character not running in certain directions). Over the years, I've gotten a lot of controllers that feature both of these issues. And even brand new, a controller will have a small amount of drift, though usually they have a factory calibrated deadzone to avoid the drift registering. 8Bitdo controllers have ways to deal with the former, since you just increase the deadzone, but the latter is often not fixable without replacing the stick itself. Most controllers are not designed to be user serviced. So I have a hard time recommending any controller without hall-effect sticks. The hall effect sticks suffer almost no drift and in the software you can set the deadzones on them to 0. There is a quick with them though. When I said they suffer almost no drift, what I mean is that they can start drifting if the battery needs to be charged. If you get any, plug in in or put it in the dock to charge it. The other downside of the controllers being that analogue triggers don't work alongside gyro (you have to choose) is because xinput doesn't have gyro and when in d-input where it does, the controller is acting as a Switch controller, which doesn't have analogue triggers. There is only one controller I know of that supports both at once, and that is the Gullikit KingKong 2 Pro controller. And the way it has it is by having the gyro mimic the right stick, sort of like Steam Input's Gyro as right stick mode. The Gullikit KingKong 2 Pro controller also has hall effect sticks so it's another good choice. Now, you could technically just open up a controller and replace the sticks when they die. The sticks tend to be cheap but most people do not open up controllers and fix them. When the sticks die or the battery wears out, they tend to buy a new controller. Controllers are also not the most user-friendly accessories to open up and fix. And when you consider that these things tend to cost around 50-70 dollars, that only adds to my reason for getting one that actually is good. The 8bitdo controllers and the Gullikit controller is the same price as one by Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo, and due to having hall effect sticks that allow it to last longer, I would recommend it over one of those. What bugs me the most is that Sony and Microsoft each have even more expensive controllers that also don't have hall effect sticks despite costing over 100 dollars and I'm pretty sure the PS5's upgraded controller is 200. Sony's "solution" was making the sticks modular so when they drift you can replace them easier, but their solution is also more proprietary and likely will cost more in the long run than just getting it with hall effect sticks.
funny how you call the dualsense's garbage dpad "best in class" at 9:12. it's very easy to misinput directions in fighting games. if you press down on the right corner of the button, it will input down - right.
This just comes across a a tick box exercise to promote as many companies that have crossed your palms with silver in as little amount of times possible tbh pal. Wouldn't trust any of those products without extensive research first.
Fr I have used both xbox and playstation controllers and xbox in terms of thumbstick placement is just better. My big hands feel suuuper cramped when using the thumb sticks on a ps controller. However it is still personal preference. I do think mouse and keyboard is superior to them all by a mile.... Except in fighting and racing games.
You can buy an usb c male - female extension cable and use that on the steam deck charger. No need for a new power brick. Also there is nothing wrong with the Xbox stick layout it gives more accuracy to the left thumb (stick) because of the forward straight placement. Which is nice in 3D games. If there is anything nasty about the 8bitdo controller it are the uncomfortable straight parallel handles. 7:24 just look at the angle your arms have, then realize your wrists follow these side-way angles. If you want the Best Hall Effect gamepad get the Gilkit Kingkong 2.
USB-C M to F extensions are not USB-IF compliant because you can't have a certifying chip in them (would conflict with the one in the cable you want to extend). So be VERY careful when shopping for one and when using them, you need to double check that it support (at least) the USB-PD version (Volts and Amps) your device needs, and they also cannot be very long because adding a pair of connectors adds electrical resistance and a voltage drop (also the cable thickness needed for 3ft @ 5A is not the same as the thickness needed for 10ft @5A so your original cable may overheat). TLDR : if you want a 10 to 15ft cable, buy a good charger and a cable that's the right length, not extensions.
Anyone who says the switch pro controller has a good dpad has either never actually used said dpad on any game that demands precise inputs, is a Nintendo fanboy and are coping, or has never used any other dpad ever, in any case they immediately lose all credibility cuz out of all the controllers I've ever used, third party or first party like the xbox or Playstation controllers I've never used a more trash dpad except maybe the dslite dpad. The pro controller is a joke especially for the price. The only thing I'll give it credit for is the battery life is damn good, has a rechargeable battery included (looking at you Xbox) and the analog sticks are pretty dang nice
I’m not sure if suggesting the Pro Controller to be a good controller for the Steam Deck. Me and many other people have came across an issue where the controller would randomly disconnect unless you disable the rumble on it. Until this is fixed, it’s a no-go in my opinion
@@gardiner_bryant This is so weird I keep trying to send you the link to the discussion board on steam talking about the issue, but RU-vid keeps deleting my comment. You can just find the bug report on google by searching "Steam Deck pro controller disconnect" and it should be the first one there
I still can't afford one and it's unavailable in Philippines anyways, but when a portable monitor is attached, can you turn off the screen and use it as a trackpad instead? Docks are nice, but there are plenty of bluetooth keyboards and I usually only need the monitor. Those together would be way cheaper than a separate laptop. Alternatively, I would like a usb to ethernet adapter that allows us to install an app in tinycore that turns old laptops into clamshell interfaces for the steamdeck
The old clamshell screen would look like crap, of course, but at least it would be a bigger screen and a familiar interface for anyone who needs to borrow it for homework
I couldn’t find a way to turn off the display easily but it might be in settings. But yes, you can dock it and just use it as a controller, including the trackpads, no issues. Touch screen works great too
Yes you can. I do this when docking my SD for mouse and KB input. You can set it to use only one screen (primary screen) but you can only do this in Desktop Mode. "Right click" (or Left Trigger) anywhere on the desktop then go to Configure Display Settings. It should show the different screens plugged to the system. Tick your monitor as primary then disable your built-in monitor. That way screen on your deck is off but you can still use all the inputs on your deck. And this also carries over when you boot back to Game Mode. I only did this once - the next time around I booted up my SD, it automatically disables the SD's screen when I hook it to my monitor.
I rarely ever play FPS games. I prefer traditional 2D platformers. So the PlayStation style controllers work better for that and the Xbox style just doesn't. Therefore it's nasty.
Same, the delivery in europe is a joke. I bought 20min after launch and they only shipped to GLS TODAY… more than a week after, when they said it would be 3-6 days delivery. But I’m receiving minimum Wednesday so basically 2 weeks.
Gf finally pressured me into spending my well earned money on a steam deck after hearing me talk about it nonstop for awhile, this was very helpful to get ready for my deck to arrive