Steam Deck Review: Console Quality Handheld Gaming - Believe It! 

Emulation will also be nice on it

I'm honestly excited for this because devs refuse to release older great games on Switch lol

what would be really sweet is if you could connect two together and play emulated local multiplayer games like goldeneye, smash brothers, etc

Same. Looking forward to playing Persona 4 on this.

@@ZSTE how old you're talking about?

That is a great feature, and I remember doing that on Wii-U, going to the browser for maps to display on the TV, but I haven't missed that on Switch. I kind of like that it's not there. It makes me focus on the game in hand instead of outside apps. However, I'm looking forward to it again on the Deck!

@@PunkHippie1971 i mean the main selling point is emulation and the community is doing that like no one

it's still buggy as hell one year later

@@JuanSinMiedo441 ?? its just arch, what are you on about

Also the only gaming company that treats Linux as a first-class citizen. I hope Valve starts treating Windows (and possibly macOS) as a second-class citizen

I’ll be playing on 30fps to match PS4 performance.

Absolutely - nothing wrong with 30 FPS especially if it stretches out your battery by an extra hour or two on a road trip. What a great little device.

PC Gamers are averse to 30fps because it’s noticeable when you’re using a mouse and keyboard due to the much higher sensitivity of the mouse input. There is zero problem with 30fps on a console because it’s barely noticeable when you’re using a controller input. The Steam Deck only requires to run games at 30fps.

@@Bendaak it’s definitely noticeable on controller

@@evanlouanthony I don’t see it as an issue if it’s a solid 30fps, it doesn’t impede the experience.

we also see stutter below 30 fps with unlocked framerate while it holds steady at 30 vsync. this is likely because running at higher framerates encounters other system bottlenecks that aren't hit at locked 30, resulting in momentary slowdown.

Actually that makes sense and as the Deck is still new, it's likely going to get better in time and being as the hardware is also fixed, shader caches could be done before the game is launched but I'm not sure if that would need developers input, I do know that Valve has it's own shader cache for Vulkan so maybe that will do the trick.

Henk mijn ballen jeuken.

@@paul1979uk2000 The easiest thing developers can do is just follow ID's example and do it properly using Vulkan in their games. Doom will load very slow the first time since its going to compile everything it needs and then your set. That way even if the shader cache distribution fails it will not stutter during gameplay and only load a little longer.

Lazy game devs still using DX instead of vulkan.

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Even less then that, 6 months from now as I suspect now the Steam Deck is out in the wild, we are likely going to see much bigger changes to SteamOS, Proton, the drivers and games compatibility for it to see how much progress happens. On the gaming front, I always suspect that the amount of games that will play on the device would really start to go up once the Steam Deck is on the market and it wouldn't surprise me if most games work on the Deck without any real issues after a year of the Deck being on the market. So basiclly, it's a good start, needs a bit more polish but the right building blocks are in place that this could be a massive success for them.

@@paul1979uk2000 I hope we can have PC gaming not exclusive to Windows because for as much as I like what Microsoft has done for PC gaming, there must be competition.

What I'm interested to see if in a year or two new games will have a Steam Deck -quality option in addition to Low, Medium, High, etc.

lol did you get a steam deck and now are hoping for the best?🤣

This.

It’s been the year of Linux on desktop since 1999 so yeah possible

Technically, that's not entirely correct. Windows can indeed be stripped down to its barebone, even without GUI, if one so wish (and have the money throw at Microsoft). Basically stock Windows for PC were built the way it is, that is to have a considerable amount of bloat, is that you would have to install something similar anyway if those weren't built into the system. I'd say the reason why Windows handheld doesn't go the barebone Windows route is that since most of those were released in China, people do prefer them to act like a portable computer rather than a pure handheld, and they won't have the time and money to tune a barebone version of Windows to suit their needs anyway giving how rapid new products were released. Valve choosing Linux means one thing only and that's to save money, as they would have to heavily modify the system anyway even if it was Windows, and not to mention Valve already has some experience working with Linux.

@@FlameRat_YehLon Linux and all the projects involved with gaming on Linux being open source are absolutely a reason for why it’s easier to integrate a system compared to windows.

@@roccociccone597 Open source doesn't make anything "easier". It just means you are allowed to use the source code rather than the full package and that's it, you still have to configure the hell out of it just to have it working. Not to mention most of the "gaming on Linux" things were just there to run Windows games, and won't be needed on Windows to begin with, plus it's not that relevant to the topic giving that what Steam Deck needs is more about the hardware (say, power efficiency tuning) than the software (aka games). Anyway, my opinion stays that Windows is no less flexible than linux on the right hands, but Valve likely has more experience tuning Linux so they chose Linux.

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That's what they've been doing with Proton from the start. Proton was a bootstrap for the Steam Deck, and they managed to convince Linux gamers (a sometimes *obnoxiously* enthusiastic demographic of technically skilled users) to do their testing for them.

@@lunasophia9002 You're welcome 🤗

I’m just excited to possibly switch to linux if gaming gets good enough

@@lunasophia9002 which is still, in the end, good for the Linux community.

Eyyyoooo Ricky

Thanks for Cameo Ricky. Bull got his 200 wins!

It's not cripple-compatible!

@@paulgambro4264 Ricky will find a way he always does.

@@franciscor390 That goes without saying. The Steam Deck will pale in comparison to Ricky's technical specs!

Always trust in DF mate, these lads don't mess about

I think you're 100% right. This product is less about... the product... than the OS. Good to have a non Mega corporation path to choose 👌🏻

@@jenshuxley You know you can install Windows, it's still a PC.

@@jenshuxley There is no singular "Linux" therefore you can't make that claim. There are tons of ways Linux runs better than Windows, vice versa, depending on your usage. I'd never go back to Windows for my daily driver as it slows me down and is so much more clunky than Linux for what I do. Likewise I will continue on Windows for gaming, while benefiting from Proton for games I can run in Linux, so I don't always need to boot up my gaming PC. I also have a Macbook Pro for its amazing screen, speakers and battery life. (though man I despise MacOS) Its all about picking the right tool for the job at hand.

There's a reason that 100% of the world's fastest supercomputers run linux. Most were running Windows previously but now Windows is just way too inefficient to stand a chance.

@@jenshuxley at the moment.

The reason people normally don't do this type of comparison is that, yes, it's interesting and can be useful to know today, but that number will change over time. I'd imagine in about a year, it will be much closer to 1:1 if not performing better.

@@Joe-cm5kl It won't. It cannot magically get twice as strong computing power out of thin air

@@wadimek116 we talking it getting better by 5-10%, we not talking about 1080p gaming but 720p its already matching the 1050Ti in some cases. So its very possible to get better performance if they make proton better, not the 1080p performance the 720p/800p

@@imo098765 1080p requires double the computing power than 720p. We're not matching 1050ti. If we would go this logic then Nintendo switch matches rtx 3090 because of resolution difference

@@wadimek116 We never said it matches at 1050Ti. Are you a bit slow? We using the 1050Ti 1080p as what we can expect the SteamDeck to do at 720p, if not a bit faster once the tech gets more mature. Also the Switch doesnt match the 3090 because you cant play at the same settings, you cant even play the same games

An adult Nintendo switch basically. Nice

Oled with VRR, would be the dream.

OLED IS dimmer than LCD

@@DarkPhychic depends on the LCD you're comparing it to.

Valve is already working on an update

Such a fantastic point!

That's one of the main reasons I'm putting Windows on mine as soon as I get it.

@@liamharrington6672 i don't understand. I play games on Linux and can mod them no problem lol. Modded Skyrim? Sure thing. Even have Vortex Mod Manger working. Neither Skyrim nor Vortex natively support Linux but they run perfectly through Wine/Proton

@@YourLocalMedic You dont understand? Mod software is usually developed for Windows, so there are a few programs that may only run on Windows, but there isnt a single one that only runs on Linux. Therefore its the way better option and easier for that type of use without going through "compatibility layers" every time, if even that works.

Sigh... Been playing Skyrim and Dark Souls for a decade on a Surface Pro and GPD win. Yes, with mods.

Yep exactly. Things can only keep getting better from here on out

The switch is a good console, I dunno what you are referring to with Nintendo’s marketing.

Oled is way more important for a handheld console than VRR.

@@kostasbousbouras2654 - I disagree.

Nobody will be building a 720p 20-60 Hz VRR screen. Neither will Valve pay for a custom build one. Not going to happen.

I think both of those things are pointless. VRR is pointless when the GPU is favored more than the CPU. Today a powerful CPU is still needed in quite a few modern titles so pushing FPS higher means GPU performance must be throttled more and to even things out while keeping thermals in check you will likely run at even lower settings than you would expect on a desktop or laptop computer. As it stands my laptop is much more powerful than Steam Deck but I also have a laptop for portability purposes. That doesn't mean I'm not interested in Steam Deck... but to be fair I wouldn't really need a Steam Deck either and can play all of the above demonstrated games at higher settings and resolutions anyway and still maintain 30FPS performance (or better) with similar battery life when my PC is unplugged from the outlet. OLED screens in a gaming situation are good maybe even great... except in titles which you play all the time which leave content on display unchanged for many hours at a time. In those cases you'll be dealing with image retention and that generally causes irreversible screen discoloration. So for strategy titles and such... it's kind of a no go. Neither The Nintendo Switch or Valve Steam Deck are small water and dust resistant or have stellar battery life. Basically if you favor better battery life smaller size and weight and a brighter faster screen with greater resolutions and you consume more media content than play video games while on the go anyway... then you shouldn't be needing a Switch or Steam Deck. Switch and Steam Deck are competing products, it really doesn't matter how much either company denies this the fact is these two different products scratch many of the same niches.

@@raresmacovei8382 I agree that Steam Deck won't get such a thing but not because VRR displays in that resolution don't exist... they're used on phones like everywhere at this point (even on displays that fall below standard 1080p resolutions). l also I think it just won't happen because the hardware is too weak. VRR means you're pushing FPS up and resolution or settings have to suffer on such limited HW but CPU strain increases. It just so happens that when GPU utilization increases CPU utilization decreases. This is similar to how PS5 functions to limit heat. Steam Deck does this to limit heat and reduce battery drain. VRR would go against both of those things.

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Tbh modern AAA games have been on the decline in terms of fun factor and value. The classics are where it's at.

​@@dr.ticklebum2385 there are so many classics i haven't got to, i just started a playthrough of Fear 1 and it's good so far. My rtx 2060 has mostly been playing old games these past years.

Yeah I’m really happy they went this route, and that they pulled it off so incredibly well. Linux doesn’t have the same selfish motives that Windows has, and basing it on Windows would have been a gamble.

Windows also has background processes which affect performance. Valve has more control over the experience.

Linux allows Valve to customise the os also Valve has always been against Microsoft’s monopoly in the pc space particularly gaming. They have always supported Linux over windows for gaming.

You can play PS2 and Gamecube now even on your Android phone if you have a powerful enough device, so it'll be no problem for Steam Deck at all.

The Phawx specialises in that kind of content, I believe

Literally every game on Steam Deck is running via emulation right now.

​@@VariantAEC It's not emulation. The Proton layer is based upon the long running project Wine which is a compatibility layer capable of running WIndows applications. From the Wine website: "Wine (originally an acronym for "Wine Is Not an Emulator") is a compatibility layer capable of running Windows applications on several POSIX-compliant operating systems, such as Linux, macOS, & BSD. Instead of simulating internal Windows logic like a virtual machine or emulator, Wine translates Windows API calls into POSIX calls on-the-fly, eliminating the performance and memory penalties of other methods and allowing you to cleanly integrate Windows applications into your desktop."

It will play even PS3 games

People will be selling OLED Screens for this on Etsy by the end of the month.

@@kylerobinson6102 It does look like a pretty mod friendly device.

@@kylerobinson6102 I wonder if that would be a positive or negative battery impact. Guess it depends on how dark the games are

So what you’re saying is as time goes by tech gets better?! WHAT A WIN!!!

@D. I was thinking five years, but you may very well be right.

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You probably never heard of psp.

@@freshnesbro3792 The PSP was the first thing that felt like it came close but it still couldnt play anything that your main console could play. The games that came out were like bite sized versions of console games like uncharted & splinter cell, they weren't on par with it. But yeah it was the first time it ever felt like it had got close to console quality

@@frankmarano1118 bro in its first years they got a lot ps2 ports for the psp, its was pretty close, but later it wasn't worth it to develop and optimize the whole ps2 game for a handheld and they just ported shitty DS versions or none at all.

@@freshnesbro3792 Hmm I remember all the shitty handheld ports but I yeah I did forget some of the ps2 ports. I remember the best game I played on ps vita was persona 4 golden so it never felt like it had reached next gen levels which is was I really meant when I was talking my dream as a kid. But vita just didnt have very good support, sony gave up on it when it was capable of so much more. Vita did not deserve that. & no handhelds besides the switch had been ever attempted since, especially when the app stores took over

we be riding alexs settings like a rented mule

Has he released an updated cyberpunk settings for lower end rigs?

@@hurgcat yeah 😂😂🙌🏻🔥

Who is Alex

@@xpmon one of digital foundry’s staff that covers pc ports.

We saw doom eternal

As a Switch title, Monster Hunter Rise has surprisingly low system requirements, even at max settings. It runs like a dream on integrated laptop graphics cards. Monster Hunter World would probably be a better choice for pushing the system to the limit as DF was trying to do.

@@JamesGecko that game still has uncapped frame rates on console, right?

@@JamesGecko I agree I can run this game at 6K (or 4K 120fps) on my 2080. (when using the Image scaler) Without dropping a single fps.

Remember this channel is anti Nintendo they would never dot that

I don't know why you expected any better from Richard... He's basically THE single most uneducated tech personality that somehow still successfully manages to pass himself off as an "expert".

Wouldn't matter unless it came with Windows out of the box and they had to pay a lot for OEM keys, people can just buy a key for $5 from a bunch of sites.

Well they some how added VRR through software lol

@@DrawsWithCubes For real? Now i am really excited! Can’t wait to get mine tomorrow!!!!!’

Especially with the GPU shortage I think everyone benefits from this..

I don't think that this Gen deck will get to that volume.

@@MindBlowerWTF The preorders are already in the millions

@@elitedestroyer0083 so what most devs i know and have talked to have said to me that have unless the thing sells 10 million to 20 million units at least they won't create a steam deck version of there game and even then there is good shot they won't do it

@@elitedestroyer0083 milions or just over a milion?

You had me at emulation.

True but it's remarkable how well it runs with newer games as long as you keep your expectations in check with 30fps and lower visual settings. The Steam Deck is performing better than expected.

@@julianreed7 you had me at ps vita

I wonder how it handles PS2/PS3 emulation

Yea but you have to make a lot of work to put that to work

I wonder how it run when playing emulator games

@@arasy1256 playstation 3 works pretty well, ps2 and gamecube are almost perfect, switch is a bit stuttery while compiling cache but there will likely be updates that can improve this

@@josh223 ı dont think ps3 work good on this. not even on ps5. but xenia xbox 360 emulator good. dolphin good. old xbox not good. bascily it plays rdr1 and zelda 30fps but not play demon souls mgs4 lastof us 15sh something at best. if you open ace combat 6 something on xenia you can see even 60 fps. some games work good on xeina. gamecube dreamcast ps1 ps2 all good in right settings. sega satun not good. mega drive snes perfect. dos emulator not good.

@@MrStrangermoon there are already videos of ps3 emulation running

@@josh223 ı talk those 1050ti performane as you see clearly its not there. yes some ps3 games work good. demon souls for exalple work 25 etc but mgs4 las of us 10fps. xenia xbox 360 emulator way to if you play rdr1. other than that other third party games already on steam. we talking exllusives here.

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your right, I always have the skull and co. grip on my og switch yet I find myself concerned over the SD size for some reason

Lmaoooo yeah that’s what I heard in my head when reading the title

Dattebayo!

do you know about PsVita?

@@Miraiko2408 yeah but I’ve never had any hands on usage on that Considering that was created what 5-7years ago? Was it amazing for its time? I’ve heard good things about that guy

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Gamers Nexus is pretty reliable but I'm watching reviews everywhere

@@rmo9808 yeah I like them for hardware, but nowhere covers game performance as well as DF.

It's insane! With a small screen I just can't wait!!

You know the "Digital Foundry" that wrote u a message (above) is a fake account right? Don't give your data to those thieves.

@@tony_0088 They'd have to be pretty dumb not to, considering the user name is Whatsapp, and a line of numbers. Lol.

@@War624 yeah, you're right

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Congratulations 🎉 You have been selected as the random winner of a Steam Deck. Send me a message on WhatsApp via the above number so we can sort this out..

It's due to the shape of the joycons not the size

@@RandomUser-tj3mg it's the size, just like the stupid DS cramped my hands, the Vita cramped my hands, etc. But thanks for explaining to me why my hands weren't really cramping, real useful stuff.

Yeah me too. I was just a few hours late pre-ordering! :)

Q2 gang here as well 💪🏽

It’s going to be a slow roll out

Me too

@@fpstechtesting7653 Aw it’s fine. I was there before preorders went up and couldn’t actually get mine in til ~40 minutes later. I’m also Q2.

The Switch OLED pricing is a scam.

Switch is 5 years old. Back in 2007, it was similar quality performance to how this is regarded now

@@Invertedzero you ate 10 years

@@GraveUypo Switch performance is probably roughly what would be expected of a home console released in 2008/9... Steam deck performance is roughly that of a console released in 2013 (Xbox one)

@@Invertedzero no its better

If that comes, also with a VRR OLED ; I’m buying.

They were never against Linux gaming. Until now, they didn't have a mainstream product to bring that segment of gaming to the spotlight; now they do. Simple as that.

Congrats to you as MangoHud now seems integrated to the Steam Deck :)

I’m with you… As a Sony console guy, it is awesome to also be able to get XB GamePass, as well as have access to Steam. Saving my $$$…

Aether SX2 is amazing if you have a Snapdragon 870 or better in your phone. Not sure what the iPhone equivalent is. Slap a usbc Gamesir on their and you're good to go.

Use Netbook.

It all depends on what you want out of your performance. This fits the bill for me. I have already looked into other solutions, and use other platforms currently for emulation. But, I like this being a handheld that can dock, and play the games at this level (which also means better ability to emulate more recent consoles).

get a gpd win 3 then, it can emulate ps2 no problem

Switch games are already running quite well on the Steam Deck via emulation, it's pretty cool.

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Congratulations 🎉 You have been selected as the random winner of a Steam Deck. Send me a message on WhatsApp via the above number so we can sort this out..

Even a wrapper like dx2v runs better. There was no need to have it be Linux except again just pushing their own os.

@@lasarousi Well you can't really build such an integrated system on windows and you'd probably have to work closely with Microsoft (which is a competitor in the gaming space), so I can understand them wanting to have control over their platform (and wanting to have better performance) and accepting some growing pains for that.

Yep I, have no, real interest in the latest games on this. Indie and older titles will do nicely. I just hope they run because I, don't know how Linux will complicate these games. If at all?

@@orbitingdecay6797 Check out Lutris for games that you won't run from within Steam.

I want one, but only because it's just a way to access my steam games. It's not a full console in its own right like Switch or the Vita since Valve probably won't be supporting it with exclusive games.

The Steam Deck is a console 100%. Anyone who can't seem to grasp this is just in denial. So much for the PC Master Race. Welcome to dedicated systems that have a specific set of specs and hardware for developers to target.

its a console

valve is selling it first party, its their software and hardware, and theyre selling it using the console business model. its a console

@@silverfox__12 so you mean like consoles as usual then? If you honestly think the Deck is going to change that, well.. You’re gonna disappointed.