- cross-posted to:
- buildapcsales@lemmy.ml
- cross-posted to:
- buildapcsales@lemmy.ml
How many of you don’t have a Steam Deck yet?
You must log in or register to comment.
Out of curiosity… Anyone use the Steam Deck as a computer beyond just gaming? I don’t play games that much but I’d love a decent spec portable computer that I can also use to play video games, the price is quite generous given what its specs look like so…
Yes, I’ve been using it as my PC for about a year now, I do game on it but my primary reason for purchase was that it was just a great deal on a Linux machine.
I’m curious what makes it a great deal on a Linux machine? It seems like pretty niche (i.e. expensive) hardware for any other purpose than handheld gaming.
It’s cost:performance ratio at the time was crazy, it is widely assumed Valve is selling it as a loss leader or at mfr cost. The only thing they’ve said is that it’s pricing was “painful”. It’s hardware isn’t that niche, it’s just a PC in a handheld form factor.
Yup. I got some JetBrains IDEs installed and do some dev work on it.
I don’t, but I want to get one for my husband for his birthday. If I get the dock, can 2 people play the same game of it’s on a TV or do I need 2 decks?
No, you don’t need two decks. You need:
- Steam Deck
- USB-C Dock with power delivery (for example, the official dock)
- 1 to 4 game controller (most bluetooth controllers will work fine)
However, there are not very many “Couch Multiplayer” games on steam. Most multiplayer games are online.
So, I guess there’s no stupid questions: How future proof is it? How likely is it that in a few months / a year there’s a new, better iteration of the steam deck? Also, if a new version was announced, can the current steam deck be upgraded?
Valve supports their hardware well, so I’d guess you can easily use it for 5 years or so. Probably have to replace the battery or sticks after a few years, but the good news is that most parts are replaceable.
@cron I just found about this deal today. Don’t know how I missed this post. Got it 2-3 months earlier than expected.
Is this the first actual discounted price sale for Steam Deck?
It’s the second time it’s been discounted so far. The first time was on March 23rd this year, on Steam Deck’s first birthday.
I don’t have one, because it still isn’t available in Australia.
You can buy it through Kogan or other online stores, but those are imported versions. I’m broke right now anyway, so I’ll probably just wait until I can buy it through Steam itself.
Yeah but I’m saving for a car rn… I might consider it once I get the car. Along with the laundry list of other things that I want to buy.
Still would be nice to buy it through official options regardless of how many third parties decide to sell it for marked up prices.
Is the anti-glare screen worth it?
Does the eMMC version allow installing an NVMe drive?
The price difference between the 256GB NVMe version and the 512GB version is more than the cost of a 1TB NVMe drive.
Edit: Ah wait, just realised it’s the stubby 2230 NVMe drives, the ones that are much more rare and like half the length of the long boyes.
Still, the storage is annoying. The difference betwee PCIe 3.0 and PCIe 4.0 is massive, and there’s been another leap with PCIe 5.0.
The anti glare screen is amazing in sunlight. However, if you are like me and have very light coloured eyes, you probably also rely on sunglasses. The anti glare screen will not be compatible with polarized sunglasses. You will not be able to see a single thing.
The eMMC one does support installing an NVMe drive, and from what I’ve seen the Deck can’t really support more than PCIe 3.0 speeds. If you find a good deal on a PCIe 4.0 or 5.0 drive it will still work but there’s no reason to spend extra on a newer drive.
Does the eMMC version allow installing an NVMe drive?
Yes, the only hardware difference between the different version is really only the screen and the drive it comes with. You can technically buy the 64GB version and replace the screen with an anti-glare one at a later date, as it can be bought as a spare part for not much.
Personally I got the 64GB some time ago and am still happy enough with just an SD-card with good speed and decent size. I suspect that will change down the line, but right now I’m happy.
The anti-glare is definitely worth it and it’s also very noticeable outside. The other option is that you could just upgrade the screen from ifixit if you’re also going to be upgrading your storage anyways.
All versions of the deck allow you to upgrade the SSD. There’s actually a lot more vendors selling 2230 nvme drives now. I’d recommend staying away from SABRENT Rocket since their support is nonexistent and they also have a high failure rate. The Corsair MP600 mini and Micron 2400 is a better option.
More than anything I’m sketched out about buying SSDs from untrusted sellers, don’t want to pay for 1TB and get 256GB that pretends and gets faulty when filled.
There’s tools you can use to verify the disk is right. It’s smart to do so before you put it in the deck if you have access to a computer. Just get a cheapest enclosure.
Yeah I’m aware. I’d still rather avoid the hassle and buy from a trusted seller.
You can just buy an aftermarket anti-glare screen. They are cheap.
You can change the SSD by yourself but you’ll lose waranty. There’s a noticeable speed difference between the eMMC and NVMe versions. There’s no noticeable speed difference between the NVMe versions.
IMHO if can afford it and have a few technical skills buy the little one and install one of these. You might even want to wrap it in one these (there’s a real leather option too) or these or replace the joysticks with these (can’t get drift and have a much smaller deadzone).
Any of those said aftermarket screens you could recommend?
Agree on the NVMe bit, only reason why I took the 256GB intermediate aside from the fact that extra space gave me some breathing room off the bat
I can snag a better NVMe on sale down the road
Great tips all round, will be snagging those sticks you shared
It sure is, because I bought one!
Wonder what games play the best on it
Tunic is a blast on steam deck, I highly recommend it. I’ve also been playing Vampire Survivors, Dishonored, emulated Nintendo games: Breath of the Wild (wii U), Super Mario Bros (switch) , Advance wars (ds). Basically anything that can be played with a controller works well, and some of what needs a mouse and keyboard is also good.
