Weekend Question: Do you think the Steam Deck will be a success?

[bh3bh3]

Don't you think it is much better to play your games at a PC rather than a handheld gaming console? For me, I think yes it will be a success since it is a portable handy device where you can play your steam games but still I would definitely enjoy playing my games with a keyboard and a mouse.

 

[JaxonH]

Depends on your definition of success.

Will it sell 150 million units like Switch is going to? Certainly not. It'll likely do 5 million, maybe 10 if it really hits it off. It's a massive cruise ship more than twice as heavy and 2-3X more expensive than a Switch Lite, with less battery life, can't fit in your back pocket, and doesn't have any exclusive must have games that will draw ppl like on Switch.

That said, 5-10m for a variant form factor of an already existing platform is plenty good enough. It's got a massive library out the gate (even if some games won't run via Proton or, if they do, they may have quirks and niggles even with Gold rated compatibility). 80% of my Steam library, even now, is Native, Platinum or Gold, offers Gyro and Steam controller config options for every game.

I think this device appeals to 3 groups: Steam players who want portability. Lapsed Steam players who see it as an easy re-entry point. And Nintendo Switch gamers who have a deep respect and appreciation for the portable gaming experience and will see this as the perfect complement to run those heavier titles Switch doesn't do too well with.

And I don't think it's going to cause some massive rift between Switch and PC fans; on the contrary, it's going to unite them. I reserved a 512 GB Steam Deck, as well as a Switch OLED, because I love portable gaming. I think the biggest boon the Deck has in its favor is Nintendo Switch gamers who will evangelize its merits.

If they manage to release a slim version- change to 16:9 720p and remove bezels, shrink the screen to 6" and redesign as much as possible... if they could manage a slim version around 3" shorter and 200 grams lighter, with size and weight comparable to Switch (forget Switch Lite, that's never happening) I think Steam Deck could blow up.

 

[Alm]

I watched a YouTube video that showed a tweet saying that all of the gameplay from IGN was running off of micro sd. I know this system won't be futureproofed in general but there should be a huge amount of games from last year backwards that will run on it.

 

[JaxonH]

Absolutely. I've been gaming from SD cards for the last decade. 3DS, Vita (proprietary but still), Switch, GPD Win 2, and soon, Steam Deck.

It's never been a problem, and contrary to what some will claim, there's not a single game I can think of that won't run just fine on microSD. Will it have uber-fast load times? No. But they're good enough. Instead of 10 seconds you wait 25.

Anyone who plays portably understands the limitations, concessions and compromises required to retain large scale storage on a handheld device while keeping costs reasonable.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

I probably read it somewhere but I also thinks its true: Valve are trying to start a platform here for others to release hardware for. I think they want Alienware or Corsair or MSI etc to be releasing their own models in the same way that others imitated the IBM PC originally.

Steam Deck isn't supposed to get a new model every 5 years like a Switch or Playstation, its supposed to be kick starting an eco-system like PC is for mobile gaming, as a vehicle for Valve to sell more Steam games exclusively.

 

[JaxonH]

They tried that with Steam Machines and it didn’t seem to work. Granted, Steam Machines appealed to neither PC gamers nor console users, while this appeals to both. But still. I think it would be best if they kept it as a single device that got revisions every few years.

By sticking to a single device made by Valve themselves, I think it has a much better chance of success. Console gamers don’t want the confusion of countless devices to choose from. And with only a single hardware configuration, games can target the Deck with a Low Settings mode. Multiple configurations means developers won’t bother because there’s too many.

Thats not to say other companies couldn’t still release Windows based handhelds. And perhaps Valve could let ppl install Steam OS on those other devices if they desire. Or maybe they include Steam OS but aren’t marketed as a Deck. Just as a SteamOS enabled handheld alternative.

 

[Pr0udCh0sen1]

I think it will be a success just because there are no alternatives for pc gamers that want to play Steam games on the go on a handheld device. I have no interest as I just bought a laptop last year with a 2080 card which has 144 hz monitor and great power just for when I'm traveling and away from home. The handheld is interesting but even the top model isn't worth the price to me for such little storage space, 30 fps rather than my 144, a weak battery that last 2 hours etc. Again, I see it being a success, but for those like me that already have a powerful laptop and desktop, it's not worth the price. Perhaps down the road on sale years from now I would think about it, especially if superior versions with better power and overall specs release, but as of now, I have no interest.

 

[Nova_Gaming]

ut they really should have a 1TB option as well.

They have microsds but they aren't as fast as the ssd

 

[Krud]

Depends on your definition of success.

Will it sell 150 million units like Switch is going to? Certainly not. It'll likely do 5 million, maybe 10 if it really hits it off.

I agree with this sentiment. I think it "won't fail," but I don't think it will succeed on a level they may hope for. Not even sure it'll do 5 million, actually. I think it will do better than VR headsets, but that's a relatively low bar, since VR is still a bit niche. (Sorry to even drag VR into this, but it's the only other relevant PC-related hardware argument I could think of.)

But really, I've no idea what to expect. I thought Steam Machines were going to fare better than they did, and we saw how that went.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

They tried that with Steam Machines and it didn’t seem to work. Granted, Steam Machines appealed to neither PC gamers nor console users, while this appeals to both. But still. I think it would be best if they kept it as a single device that got revisions every few years.

By sticking to a single device made by Valve themselves, I think it has a much better chance of success. Console gamers don’t want the confusion of countless devices to choose from. And with only a single hardware configuration, games can target the Deck with a Low Settings mode. Multiple configurations means developers won’t bother because there’s too many.

Thats not to say other companies couldn’t still release Windows based handhelds. And perhaps Valve could let ppl install Steam OS on those other devices if they desire. Or maybe they include Steam OS but aren’t marketed as a Deck. Just as a SteamOS enabled handheld alternative.

They did, and obviously it failed. I think mostly because you couldn't play a lot of games on them due to using Steam OS. You could put Windows on a Steam Machine, but then you were just buying a PC. They're trying to fix that by using Proton with the Steam Deck, I just feel like they have the same plan as before.

I agree that console gamers mostly don't want the confusion of specs and so on, but people have managed with the PS4/Pro and Xbox One X Series S/X series Xtra Spesh. If they set their version of the Deck as the lowest spec for Steam OS I dont see why it couldnt be as simple as everything else must be faster then that minimum. There were also about 50 (maybe) versions of the DS and Nintendo people still managed.

If they had a whole ecosystem revolving exclusively around their store in a market big enough for developers not to want to miss out on theres a lot of money there. It would be a kick in the face for Epic and Microsoft, who've been on the rise lately. Gamepass is such amazing value I bet theyre losing a lot of custom from that alone.

Who knows really, but interesting to think about the possibilities.

 

[Krud]

I think it will be a success just because there are no alternatives for pc gamers that want to play Steam games on the go on a handheld device....[snip]... but for those like me that already have a powerful laptop and desktop, it's not worth the price.

This is where I'm at on it as well. It seems like something I'd be willing to buy at a discount or refurbished. But with the low-end starting at $399, I can think of a lot of other things I'd rather spend four hundred bucks on.

 

[kiwil007]

I ask the PCG staff a regular Weekend Question and post the answers on the site. If you'd like to throw in an answer here, I'll squeeze the best into the finished article!

This week's question is: Do you think the Steam Deck will be a success?

Valve has announced its own handheld device, the Steam Deck, which is a very William Gibson thing to call it. Have you been tempted to slap a $5 deposit down? What do you think the odds are of it doing well? Maybe there are enough people out there with kids who hog their Switch, or who want to play indie games on the go without paying the Nintendo mark-up, or need more ways to chip through their backlog of PC games. Or maybe this will be another abandoned Valve experiment, like the Steam Machine or Gordon Freeman.

The goal of the Steam Deck is none other than to give streamers quick access to the various functions and features they often use during live streaming sessions. So, I Think It'll be a huge success...

Even though it is portable, this Steam Deck is able to function like a normal PC or laptop. Valve said users can browse the internet and install other software on their devices.
I think some gamers will switch to using The Steam Deck

 

[Face Hugger]

Many people reserved a model (myself included), and feedback across the various forums and social media appears very positive, so I hope that it is as successful as Valve needs it to be to support it for years, and getting a new model down the road.

 

[RedSunset]

One of the biggest questions regarding new handheld devices is battery life. It is especially concerning with this particularly beefy machine. Valve has already said the device's battery will last anywhere between two and eight hours.

 

[DXCHASE]

One of the biggest questions regarding new handheld devices is battery life. It is especially concerning with this particularly beefy machine. Valve has already said the device's battery will last anywhere between two and eight hours.

As someone who would rather play at a PC than on handheld, 2-8 hours is fine enough for me, if im away from my PC and want to play, it wont be more than that, again this is personally. and if im away more than that, im sure charging it wont be a problem, at least i can get back into my game sooner than waiting to go home to my PC (if this situation came about).

its going to be a success, i mean there is SO MUCH HYPE around it, pre-orders are sold out (you can still buy one but why at this point, you wont get one within the first 2 or 3 shipments), its a viable option for those with A. Crappy PCs B. People without PCs but have steam accounts C. On-the-go PC gamers that take hourly commutes each day but dont want to use sub par other handhelds that DONT have steam and its games.

All the "negatives" like 60hz and games only getting 30fps etc. are areas that obviously still need improvement but are only deal breakers to people that probably shouldnt have an interest in hand held anyways. I mean its a handheld, we only just got to the refresh rates and FPS at high resolutions within the last 6 years or so and the machines that run it are A LOT BIGGER than a small handheld. Again, this is all hype and talk around the steam deck and is only good for its sales in the end.

PC handheld gaming is a new-ish market and Steam seems to be dropping a good venture into that field imo.

 

[Addict]

each new console arouses curiosity.
I remember when the very first PlayStation came out. I stood in front of the window looking at it for hours. I didn't know yet if this would be a great experience, I just knew it would allow me to play on the TV screen!
I think a lot of gamers will buy it and try it out. Possible that works and possible that the success will not CV come. It all depends on what it offers in the face of very tough competition at the moment.

 

[Bayu09]

yes it will definitely be successful, in the future the technology world will grow

 

[ChuckB02Z]

I think Steam deck will be a huge success!!!! Having a handheld in which you can play steam games is a PC gamer's dream, not to mention that it's a handheld. I mean with a GPU clock speed at 1-1.67ghz, 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, 64GB of storage, and a 7-inch display is awesome!! There is a cool video on youtube about "10 Things You Need to Know" about Steam Deck and it's really awesome. The link is at the bottom of my description. I know a lot of Steam fans have been waiting for this to come out, Hopefully, this device will move up to a 10'' screen in the near future.

Check out this very informative link that I put in my post about Steam Deck:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yVDsEUyOf0

 

[Clashback]

Hmmm [checks Magic 8-ball]: Reply hazy, try again

It all depends on what will be defined as 'succes'. Financially? Probably. It's only a matter of time before Gabe joins the billionaire-in-space bandwagon I reckon, so his Steam Rocket budget can use some extra cash.

If it fails financially, but warms some folks to PC Gaming? That's probably cool too, no?

Personally, I rather sink my money in a new GPU or some other upgrades. I'd rather sit behind my ergonomically designed desk and chair, and emerge myself in games in private. I really don't need my PC gaming to be mobile thank you very much. It's really nice and healthy, for me at least, to take a step back once in a while.

Unless I can join Gabe into space, than a Steam Deck will come in handy...

 

[AnjayMabar]

It can run any games as said by Valve. I am confident it will be a success

 

[Brian Boru]

PC Gamer has a 3-min YT preview:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRUElAEGXBo

 

[Brian Boru]

Linus has a good 20-min first look video:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SElZABp5M3U

 

[MrShadow]

Steam Link is still very much alive and well and working as a phone app though, loads of people use it.

i have steam link on a smart tv,and one of my casual gamer support staff has stardew valley on her phone,and i taught her how to attach it to her smart tv using my tv, she was delighted as her old laptop had died so she was fed up at playing it on her phone, its a great app.
it can be a pain though, i cant play some of my games through it like FORZA horizon 4, as the screen moves half way to the right and cuts off the speedometer and other info and bits of the track.

as for the steam deck, i am not ashamed to say i quickly put down a deposit for the biggest SSD version/half a terrabyte SSD. i use steam a lot so itll be a good investment for me,absolutely buzzing that its linux- ive used linux for 21 years, one of my laptops is purely running arch linux, i got my computer phobic dad into linux using that one, and now hes bought a pretty old but nice mint linux based laptop off ebay.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

i have steam link on a smart tv,and one of my casual gamer support staff has stardew valley on her phone,and i taught her how to attach it to her smart tv using my tv, she was delighted as her old laptop had died so she was fed up at playing it on her phone, its a great app.
it can be a pain though, i cant play some of my games through it like FORZA horizon 4, as the screen moves half way to the right and cuts off the speedometer and other info and bits of the track.

as for the steam deck, i am not ashamed to say i quickly put down a deposit for the biggest SSD version/half a terrabyte SSD. i use steam a lot so itll be a good investment for me,absolutely buzzing that its linux- ive used linux for 21 years, one of my laptops is purely running arch linux, i got my computer phobic dad into linux using that one, and now hes bought a pretty old but nice mint linux based laptop off ebay.

I'll play wait and see as I dont like to pre-order anything as a rule. Means I'll probably have to wait until much later by the sounds of it, but I'm ok with that.

I'm pretty sure you will only see an interface like the Steam big picture mode. I'm sure there will be ways around that, but then I'm not sure how well the games will perform if Proton doesn't work and you have to use some other version of WINE with another distro of Linux. Not really something I'd know a lot about though beyond the surface

 

[Brian Boru]

PCG 25-min hands-on video:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJoxE0mH0iM