He clearly has unrealistic expectations considering the steam deck price. It will never have the power to play new games at 60, which are meant and developed for the newest console hardware which the deck even at release had barely half of.
@@eduardbass839yeah, he should just have said he loves more power and that would’ve been a 30 second short. But instead he goes on and on lol. I get it. He loves windows and tbh, I don’t even know why he’s kept it this long. For what? He prolly has 3 games he plays on the deck. Let’s be real. And two years old isn’t that old. And that point proves that the deck is elite as nothing has come close to it to this day.
I'm a Windows guy myself, I had zero experience with Linux before the steam deck. So to me, the steam deck's OS.... Well, is the steam deck OS and not Linux. Desktop mode is close enough to Windows for me to feel like I can do what I need to do with the little time I need to open it.
I had the same thought about wishing the Steam Deck had more power, but then I found its biggest strength for me. It gave me a reason to tackle my backlog of 1000+ Steam games I've curated over the last like 15 years lmao. I play all the new games on my gaming rig with fancy peripherals and save all the other stuff for my SD. Currently playing through WH40k Space Marines to prep for Space Marines 2 and man that OLED panel really makes these games pop.
The backlog is one of the main reasons I bought a Steam Deck, that and obviously the portability of it and being able to sit on my couch and relax while playing pc games sounds pretty awesome. I have a gaming pc for any new games but I think the Deck is perfect for a lot of games I've bought overtime and haven't got to yet.
I vastly prefer SteamOS but it's pretty egregious that Windows drivers haven't been rolled out. Even though I'd spend 90% of my time in SteamOS I'd still like to be able to dual boot for docked general use and the few games that don't play nice with Linux.
@@sunrisesunset1734 Why would everyone switch to Windows? The LCD Deck works fine on Windows and the people that switched to Windows on it are a tiny minority. Most people tend to just gravitate to whatever their devices come with by default. Whether that's on phones, desktops, PCs, etc. Most people don't bother with switching away from defaults. The only exception seems to be web browsers on Windows.
@@Moskeeto Everyone knows how to use Windows, If the LCD Deck works fine on Windows, then the LCD Deck is the device to get to play pre-GameCube era games, and a few others that don't demand much performance. That's thousands of old but fun games, most even better than some of the newer titles to date. I'm not a fan-boy, I want the best for the gaming community, PC or even console. Look how console games are all filtering to PC now, gamers are just winning today. Period.
@@sunrisesunset1734 Everyone does not know how to use Windows on a handheld, because there's no good way currently. I've used Windows on my LCD Deck, it was a fun oddity but SteamOS is better optimized, better performing, and is a generally more streamlined comfortable experience. The only reason to use Windows on the Deck is for the tiny minority of weirdos like me who dock it and use it as a regular [non-gaming] PC, and for the small number of games that only work on Windows, almost exclusively due to anti-cheat garbage. Otherwise SteamOS is a better experience in every way. You also sidestepped the original point, that the LCD Deck has had windows drivers almost from day 1 and SteamOS is still the vastly more used OS on it, proving you wrong about the consequences of Windows drivers for the OLED model. I'm also confused by your framing, you don't need Windows to play pre-gamecube games, and with Emudeck it's all auto-configured for the user, they just need to bring their own ROM's and maybe a few BIOS's [which they'd need on Windows too]. If anything setting up emulation was easier on SteamOS than it was on my Windows desktop.
The reason that the other "more powerful" handhelds were inferior in battery life is because of there power. Increasing the power of the CPU/GPU requires significantly better cooling solution. The cooling solution and the CPU/GPU require significantly more batter power or "have significantly less run time". There is a tension between processing power/ cooling/ battery power/ weight. Unlike many other manufacturers Steam has opted to lower the CPU/GPU part, thus decreasing the amount of energy required to cool the device thus increasing battery life. This tension is the same for EVs and any other electrically powered device. Also cost is a definite consideration that I did not include in the above formula. In they end they need to make a profit in order to keep manufacturing and improving. They purposely chose not to manufacture the Deck in such a way to block upgradability and tinkering. This is a business decision that will cause a certain number of sales to be a lower priced model, which the customer can upgrade. They did this for the consumer which many in the gaming community appreciate them for. Nothing is perfect.
Honestly for baldurs gate 3 its fantastic on the steam deck you just need to adjust some settings. I do admit some parts of act 3 are a bit frame dippy but it really shouldnt matter that much in a game that doesnt really need high fps to enjoy
I can't say I agree fully with some of the things in this video. First, the performance difference between the Windows handhelds and the Deck. Devices like the ROG Ally or the other 7840u devices, sure they're more powerful. But they're not a LOT more powerful at 15W. Most of the other x86 handhelds just don't have the battery chops to make >15W really all that usable IMHO. I have one of the only devices that can do it, the Win Max 2, and that only because the cooling is really good and it has a much larger battery. The ROG Ally X is another viable option. But past devices with massive batteries, going above 15W is a big sacrifice. The other thing is, the Deck OLED is my go-to for in-home streaming personally. 1080p (on something like the Odin 2) vs 800p on the Deck, yes I lose on resolution. But I can stream PS5 in HDR and I have a beautiful OLED panel. I'm playing through FF7 Rebirth (which admittedly is becoming a slog) and half of my gameplay has probably been streaming to the Deck in HDR. I've also streamed to my Odin 2 as well but the experience isn't as nice and it feels like the image quality is taking a hit somewhere in the translation to a non-HDR panel. I'm sorely tempted by the Odin 2 Mini just because the panel is reportedly capable of HDR.
Nice review. In my opinion, the lack of power is actually the greatest selling point for the SD, at least for me. With less power, you can maintain the battery use for more time even with a small battery and as a portable pc, battery is a valuable asset. Dont know if is just me, but since i always played my games on old tech and notebooks, the higher 4k60fps is not that needed, if it runs at 720p on 30fps is more than better (maybe my needs are a little low on that part)
I love my oled. I could never really get myself to play steam on pc, and the oled has me clearing my backlog and getting access to some great games I'd otherwise miss.
Valve still hasn't commit some drivers to the upstream Linux kernel for the OLED, either. I like Bazzite more than SteamOS. I put Bazzite on my Steam Deck LCD, but I have to wait until Valve provides support for the OLED before I can do the same to my Steam Deck OLED. Hopefully they provide the Windows drivers at that time as well.
For me it's the opposite: Windows is the thing that holds the other handhelds back for me. Aside from the fact that using a desktop UI on a handheld is suboptimal, I have moved away from that UI and OS as a whole and seeing Win11 on a handheld feels like I'm going back in time. There's Bazzite, but depending on the device the level of support varies. To each their own of course. Oh wait this is the youtube comments.... uh... if you don't like what I like you're a monster! There ;)
It's the price to performance for me. I really didn't want to blow my $500 budget so steam deck was the best option and I'm very happy with it. I don't play aaa games on it, but that's ok 😅
Thanks for keeping it real. I was wondering if i should get a hand held pc but ima pass since i have ps portal and a mig switch .. will have to wait for a dedicated xbox portalable player i guess. Also what is the side kick looking one
I can relate, I purchased a bunch of the lower end handhelds but my second voice keeps bugging me about this device. I think I will hold on to see what is around the corner.
The OLED is fantastic for streaming games. Long battery life and great graphics. Just make sure you have a Wi-Fi 6e modem and an ethernet cable connected to your PC/console.
I absolutely love the SDoled! Mostly just hard to go back from Oled for me. Even my Odin2 got shelved once I got my Dereck. To be fair I also love Linux. I don’t have any major issue with Windows either though, I think 11 feels pretty good and thought 10 was the best Windows is since XP.
Meh, im one of those people that doesnt get sad about where the switch - which i bought year 1 - is at year 8. The idea that my switch oled is dated feels like a joke. It runs great, imo. Sometimes i have to tweak a setting, i check in with the community and see what makes it run better, and it runs great. And for emulation, there were several PS3 games i wanted it for and ❤. It works so well. And since i have that set up, i use it for all my other emulation, and it just...works. For everything. Its a freaking beautiful device.
Good video! For the operating system, I am a "forced" windows user for work, but a Linux lover (though not really expert... But everything just looks to work faster and better on Linux). For the development of windows compatibility for the deck... Well... The deck is a Linux device mostly for Linux users, imo, especially since when there are alternatives with native windows... Basically windows on the deck is not interesting for the average deck user, and valve is more concerned with the development of proton to have windows games running natively on Linux than with developing windows compatibility with the deck, since proton solves the issue deck/Linux gamers have with... Linux! But surely is not correct to promise and then not delivery. Also, at this point saying the project is abandoned would plss off the ones waiting for it to progress like yourself, so valve is just... Doing it extremely slow lol
wait, this isnt a unanimously praising review for the steam deck OLED?? Unsubscribed, blocked, reported, cursed. JK 😅. I never minded the 800p res even on the LCD, and less so on the OLED because it looks amazing, but I get that some people want more. I definitely would like some more power on my Deck, but still, being able to stream any game from my PC to the Deck means I can play any game I want on an OLED display without shelling out a grand for an OLED TV/Monitor, and thats awesome.
Yeah i personally got the deck to play games in bed. And maybe its because I didn't grow up with the strongest pc's but if my system can't run a game then I just don't buy it. FOMO isn't really a thing for me, lots of other games I can play instead.
I guess I’m a monster because Legion Go is my second favorite to hold next to the Deck OLED 😂 For my use case after trying all 3 the Deck, Ally, and Legion Go I’m settled on the Deck OLED and the Legion Go if the Deck can’t run the game because of Linux.
I think the great thing about the Deck is SteamOS. Linux lets valve create a custom OS that gives the Deck a console like experience. Windows customization is limited. I think for the average user, as in people that don't think they are a windows or linux user, it is fine. It's worry free, linux can be extremely stable and doesn't require any maintenance or cleaning up , so it just works. At least that has been my experience with linux and steam OS, assuming you don't do anything wacky that is. I've borked linux too many times to count, but im a 'power user'. I wouldn't count on Windows coming to the Deck.
In my opinion, the OLED outweighs the higher resolution of the other devices. I much prefer the image of the SD Oled over that of the legion GO(I own both). I can easily get used to the lower resolution, but I can not get used to the lack of a true black on the legion go. It's distracting to me, especially when you play something like a ps2 game which has black bars all the time.
Power on the steam deck isnt a big issue for me since I've had an original Nintendo switch for years. I was so used to 720p 30fps across more than half my library and now I can't go back to the switch because I'm now used to playing those same games on my steam deck OLED at 1080p 60fps-90fps.
I think handhelds are primarily meant for console users tired of the shenanigans of console makers while also letting them get into PC gaming with a form factor and price that's closer to a console. If you are used to 120 FPS, locked handheld aren't for you if that's what matters to you. Edit: Valve has a custom amd chip optimized for steam OS windows sucks when it comes to cpu usage and bloat. I doubt this version of the steamdeck will run windows unless Microsoft optimizes windows way more.
Well it's not surprising the steam deck in terms of power is stuck between the PS4 and the PS4 pro it's not even on par with the PS5 or an Xbox series x
No offense to Joey but buying a Steam Deck for windows makes no sense and you are not helping anyone by being upset over it I do not think valve should release windows drivers myself it is a subsidized device like a game console and putting windows on it defeats the purpose and lets be honest without software to make it usable like Armory Crate windows on a small screen a al a handheld is horrendous steam OS smokes it. besides anyone who swears allegiance to windows is nuts windows is a terrible OS in general but we are all stuck with it to some degree as gamers. people need to give linux and chance and grow the userbase to give windows some competition either it gets better or gets beat out win win either way.
Problem is Valve really has to up the compatibility on Linux so the experience is roughly the same as Windows before people are willing to switch. Out of my 700 game library 130 are either untested or unspporrted. Granted, probably some of them would work with tinkering but Denuvo is going to be a pain point. I'm not a Windows fan and everything from putting ads in the start menu and recently lot of people were concerned over the AI recall feature. At the same time for any game that prioritizes development with the latest versions of Direct X or has DRM, there will be challenges making that work under Linux.
@@jeremy__hopkins I I mean, you gotta give them credit by how much they’ve done you are correct I agree with you but overall they have done a lot for the Linux community
I've been a Mac user and I haven't had a gaming PC since 2004. I was wanting to get back into pc gaming but I don't really have the space for a another full computer. I got the steam deck OLED this past December for Christmas and I love it. For me and what I want to do as not a super hardcore PC gamer it's perfect. With that, multiple retro handhelds, and my Xbox I kind of have all of my bases covered for everything that I personally want to play.
Yeah... fully disagree with the "800p" isn't great anymore Joey, sorry. These devices are barely powerful enough to run modern games at 30fps / 800p without massive visual downgrades while already straining battery life limitations.A 1080p screen seems like a waste of resources you don't have, not to mention even typical resolutions like 720p do not scale perfectly to 1080p, leading to blurrier images. I can totally empathize preferring Windows over Steam OS for game compatibility though 👍 even if it's objectively a pretty sub-par experience from a UX perspective due to the poor scaling, lack of gamepad/touch friendly UI, and broken sleep functionality. Overall, I think your observations make sense if you care that much about graphics/fluidity. Seeing it's primarily a streaming device, I can see why you'd want a 1080p that much. Though I understand why the practicality of portable play keeps games like Helldivers 2 / Elden Ring / Baldur's Gate near the top of Steam Deck's play charts. They might not run or look great, but the Steam Deck makes them so much easier/more practical to pick up and play anywhere than on a stationary Desktop PC, or even a ROG Ally at times.
I really wish Microsoft would partner with GOG to create a bare metal version of Windows with a seamless menu experience designed for a handheld x86 device.
There is a noticeable difference between 800p and 1080p. And there are thousands of games that benefit from that. A handheld PC is not just about current games, it's about older games and emulation. Those games and even some modern ones benefit from the higher resolution and they run very well. I could never go back to 800p...it's awful to look at.
This sounds like it'd be correct IF you've never owned a ROG Ally or similarly powered x86 device. 1080p is totally viable with a Z1 Extreme, it's mainly just the newest of the new games that need to be downscaled to be enjoyable (and upscaling solutions like FSR still benefit the 1080p screen in those games). And with the recent driver update that allows for AMD's frame generation (FSR3 in supported games, FMF in everything else), there's even less compromise than before. That combined with the VRR display smoothes out any variable frames and makes for a great gaming experience. 800p is outdated and was only used as a crutch due to the Deck's limited power.
@@JB-tp6uj even old games like Condemned are really hard to run at max settings with 4x aa and holding 60 fps, and gamecube emulation like F-Zero GX is way too demanding at 1080p plus the HUD is low resolution so 800p will look better anyway
@@agamaz5650 LOL! Ok, now I'm totally convinced some of you never owned anything but a Steam Deck. F-Zero GX runs at resolutions beyond 1080p absolutely perfectly on 7840u devices. Heck, you can run that game beyond 1080p on an Odin 2. And Condemned's peformance is a reflection of the emulator, Xenia. It has nothing to do with the power of the device. Even if it did, that's one game that would not be optimal among thousands that run extremely well at resolutions and framerates above what the OP implies. Some of you need to break out of your 800p bubble and learn how to use your device.
idk man. not being okay with having the kind of graphics the Deck can push but at 30 fps kinda smacks of not having loved games during the early 3D eras. I mean there was even a time when the slowdown was just proof that "it was real" and was pushing your hardware in meaningful ways. I'll keep playing Helldivers 2 on the go with, honestly, ps4 level graphics at 30 fps and anything else I play that's demanding locks really well to 45 fps which, at half of 90, looks and feels incredible on the deck.
I've been finding myself using the steam deck the way you use it. I first wanted to take AAAs on the go. I bought Helldiver's for it, Elden Ring, and Hogwarts Legacy as well. Although I had a good time playing those on the deck, I ultimately decided to wait until I have a full blown desktop to play those games. It has slowly been morphing into a roguelite machine.
Great video. I noticed the performance stuff as well, right away. I have a high end PC, so the steam deck fits my needs for emulation and smaller games that i can play on the couch, using a comfortable device. The deck really got me into the nostalgia feel of gaming and thats worth it to me.
I bought the original Steam Deck & Sold it as soon as they announced the Oled. I love the Steam Deck & use it pretty much like you do to play things it runs well which happens to be enough to keep me happy.
This is the exact reason im sticking with the Odin 2 until the steamdeck 2 comes out 😊 the steam deck is so close to being perfect after the oled but its just not powerful enough just yet 😉😉 i really hope they offer a way with the steam deck 2 that can duel boot windows by switching out the SSD that would be easily accessible like the onexplayer x1 series :)
I'm in the same boat, but I prefer to play these heavier hitters on the Rog Ally. I just like the ease and novelty, to not stream these games. Steam Deck was great and I will purchase a SD2 day 1, but it's collecting dust now.
I agree with a lot of your thoughts. I went from a ROG Ally to a Deck OLED. I loved the transition at first because of the ergonomics, battery life and OLED. But I came to find that I couldn’t play all the heavy AAA PC games natively like I could with the power of the Z1E and I found myself really missing that extra sharp 1080p VRR display. So I came to find myself playing more emu games like PSP, N64 and Switch on the Deck but I prefer to play those games on my other devices, like my modded Switch OLED and Surface Duo 2. So basically, the Deck OLED is just collecting dust at this point, going to sell it and just stick with my gaming PC and maybe get an Ally X down the line if I ever feel compelled to play more PC games portably.
I prefer console gaming (PS5), only ever used WIndows on PC (gaming laptop), so having a handheld for gaming with Linux was a nice breathe of fresh air, since Windows gaming isn't always hassle-free. Now I can remote play PS5, play PSP, PS1, PS2 and Steam games (since I don't really have a library for PC and mainly PS). So glad I didn't get the Legion Go because the Deck Oled and customization for how it looks and controller layout is amazing (track pads for the games is such a good feature that others don't stand out).
I'm definitely considering buying a Steam Deck, however if Valve comes out with an AMOLED Steam Deck or Steam Deck Mini I'll be all over it like White on Rice!
So you use it only for old retro consoles and complain about screen resolution and think the oled is the one to go, to display those 8 color palettes made for a crt :D not sure it makes sense im my view. My complaint about the steam deck is that some games are made for normal monitor sizes, making the text hard to read. also the 4 extra buttons underside are so hard to press I would never see myself use them in a game. the 64GB option (if not on sale) made no sense, it should have been 128GB as smallest. and so on
The RP4 Pro is the size of a switch lite and still cheaper; and what worries me is a few reviews have said you feel the lack of internal GB space on the smallest LCD Steam Deck - you’d want the 256 version at least.
I can't even imagine being with a device without an OLED screen anymore 😭 for my personal experience, oled+hdr gives a way more impressive image/experience against higher resolutions LCDs, but of course, anyone can think differently :)
I personally think the deck is perfect. Especially if you have a gaming pc to pair it with. It's just so much more polished than its competition. And I would argue power is the least important thing about a handheld system. It has enough power to play the games I want to play on the go. And if I want to get into something a little deeper, I go to my pc.
My Steamdeck Oled is my main retrogaming console. I boot it directly on Batocera and I enter through this to the paradise of retrogaming. I'm looking forward to getting a Windows Handheld console for more demanding PC games and also to be able to play some games that can not run in a Steamdeck. The actual Windows Handheld consoles are not powerful enough for me. So, I'll wait til the next generation of Handheld PC's.
i remember seeing games like witcher 3, fallout 4, borderlands games on my steamdeck lcd for the first time... i was totally amazed, and i still am... also tried gta 4... 60 fps no problem or mafia definitive edition - works perfect more performance is always better, given it wont have negative impact or the negative impact is ok for the user... BUT i never thought playing whole ass pc games on a davice that is like a ps vita but given the sucess steam had with the steamdeck - i really believe they will make another steamdeck if the chipset gets more advanced... i have a 6950xt gaming pc with a 4k monitor at home, and at home i play on the pc (i have a comfortable gaming setup, i can practically play in bed chillin), but when i go to friends, especially one friend, its just super dope to just pull out the steamdeck and play some games while he is playing something too or watch something, you can also get some couch coop games, steam library is huuuge + emulation nintendo... super mario kart no problem... of course a switch can do that too, but a switch cant play a huge ass library of pc games
I have to disagree with SD showing it's age. IMO, the game's companies are showing their trash. Nowadays there's a lot of pretty looking games that only have about 5 hours of boring gameplay. Senua, I'm talking to you. Any decently made game can play at 30-60 fps. I am playing Ghost of Tsushima at 55-60 fps with little tweaks. A lot of these powerful AAA games are not worth it. So, imo, Steam Deck is perfect for players who want to play actually good games at high speeds.
if you want to play AAA games in full max settings with 60-90 FPS, you need a gaming PC/or gaming laptop instead, you can't fit a RTX 4060 or even RTX 4090 in something tiny like that without melting in some fashion and killing the psu in a instance. This will be in the near near near future Steam Deck and the rest of the handheld console is supposed to supplement your main rig's capability and be able to play the previous AAA games that doesn't outdate the current hardware in these handheld console...
yeah, definitely agree on the sentiment about the deck being a bit dated now. Still great but I wanted more power for ps3 emulation. went with a 7840u device that was fairly barebones in terms of software. I also didn't have a good experience swapping between desktop mode back to handheld mode on my oled deck. I ended up returning it as desktop mode was important to me.
i'd still go with the regular steam deck, cheaper, plus im sure i wont mind the battery and non OLED screen, cos only advantage that has is the Anti-glare screen and the slightly improved battery. i don't see the need to pay a few hundred more for a model with several slight improvements.
The LCD is not bad at all. It looks and plays decent for the price. If your budget allows, get the OLED as you might realize you still want the OLED after a while.
When docked, it's an excellent device for streaming your high-end PC to your beautiful OLED TV in higher resolutions depending on what you're playing. A good example for me would be Zelda with high quality mods
Yeah, that's what I'm thinking about doing too. I don't mind using my desktop PC and I think even if the Deck 2 is a year or two away, I can wait and really enjoy that experience when it comes out. Still thinking though...
i totally agree, i wanna play games at 60 fps but most of the games i wanna play run at 20-40 fps. im gonna wait until apus can actually perform good enough, in that meantime ill just stick to a retrohandheld and enjoy the classics at ease cus i dont wanna deal with a huge, chunky boy like the steam deck if its gonna give me a 30 fps experience. may aswell play the game on my pc at that point
@JoeysRetroHandhelds the past few months I feel the quality of vids has been great and the opinions you bring have good reasoning. 👍 it helps for the retro collecting journey❤️ glad we all get to enjoy this hobby together
