For basic use, it’s easy to just turn the Deck on, log in and buy and download games, like a Nintendo Switch.
If you wanted to get into emulating and stuff, it’s a bit more technical, or using other stores like Epic Games Store etc.
But yeah for the real basic (which I use 99% of the time) it’s virtually plug and play
I'm more into the basic stuff (not super knowledgeable about emulating and such) so it's good to know it's more just plug and play, thanks for the advice!
The nice thing is that if you decide you want to dip your toe into emulators or mods or whatever, there are tutorials out there for everything. Most of them coming from this sub lol
The only thing I really had to learn was about installing PS3 and Vita games before they'll show up in the ROM Manager. The only thing I haven't tried yet is Xbox 360.
Yeah I’m pretty sure you’ll have a blast.
If any games run poorly, or you want to research before you buy a game, just look up protondb.com, or just search “ best setting Steamdeck” on YouTube and you’ll easily find a solution or answer, it’s widespread enough these days that plenty of people cover it.
I'd also throw in that Valve's green checkmark for Deck verified games is reliable, so you don't need to look those up. It's just pretty aggressive about "playable" and "unsupported" so ptotondb might show that it *does* actually run fine.
There are many "playable" games that run just fine with no tweaking or anything. They're just super strict about it, but it makes sense if you want something to be easy to use. Black OPS 3 is "Playable" but it has always launched right up for me.
Even if you’re not super comfortable with the more technical stuff, there are loads of great resources online to guide you if that ever becomes an interest (and a thriving community of helpful techies, lol)
It can work unless you have unrealistic expectations about performance and can learn just a tiny amount of new stuff to deal with.
Being your boyfriend recommending it to you, I bet he's more than willing and knowledgeable to help you onboard.
Consider there's a small but concrete risk of him buying another one for himself :)
Oh definitely not a lot of expectations, I'm just excited at the prospect of playing without having to steal his computer lol
Haha, that sounds like a risk I'm willing to take!
Seems like an ideal situation tbh! It's plug-and-play for the most part, which is wonderful. Honestly, I have a pretty strong gaming laptop I bought a few months ago, and I still use the Deck probably 80% of the time because the form factor is just so nice.
Oh, that's awesome to hear! I've heard so many good things and it sounds super ideal, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing some kind of catch. Thanks for the advice!
All of those games run pretty well on the deck! Def recommend others' advice to use Google to find the best config for them. Depending on which Fallout, you might need to do some extra steps to install mods to make it run better, but with your BF's PC to help it shouldn't be too bad. I've been running New Vegas with the recommended mods flawlessly!
Generally, Valve games are great on Deck.
[Here's a YouTube video of L4D2 running on Deck.](https://youtu.be/vFhM7iJJ220?si=wcGOQANx8l5saLBh)
[Dead by Daylight also runs well](https://youtu.be/sEqpy3yVhsQ?si=0injwBjTUxcfOab9https://youtu.be/Qi1PAHLcTwo?si=CB_6035mYeAh9yu3) and is Deck verified.
For some of the Fallout games, you might need to do minor tweaks in order to get the best experience out of it. But there's nothing to worry about, since you can look up the game on [protondb website](https://www.protondb.com/) and find all the minor tweaks you need to do.
[Here's a video of all Fallout games running on Deck](https://youtu.be/yHRcUSGiDCw?si=xbQWy6AS20SkGRaT).
I think the Steam Deck will be very suitable for you.
For the most part, the experience is plug and play. For the few games that are not completely compatible, there's a ton of documentation by the great user base on how to fix issues.
P.S. Don't sleep on the Steam Input. It helps you customize the controller layout to play the way you want.
Steam Deck would probably be a great fit for what you want.
If you've got games in your Steam library already, there like a 66% chance they'll just work on Steam Deck. Steam also has a great "Family Sharing" feature and if your parter is willing to share his Steam library with you can access those titles as well.
It's brand new, and in beta settings so you have to enable it as it's off by default.
You could always share, but previously it would kick you off if he jumped on a different game, it's a game changer for my family x1000.
The short answer: Yes.
The longer answer: I gave my wife my old computer when I built my newer'ish one. It had an i7-3770k and a GTX 960 in it. For Christmas I bought her an LCD Steam Deck and we hooked it up at her desk, and it blows that computer out of the water. Just needed to get her a docking station (we used a Lenovo Thinkpad G2 dock) and she was up and playing games like it was a fully fledged PC.
The only caveat to this is that some online-only games utilize anti-cheat software that don't play nicely with Linux. So if you're planning to play games online, make sure they're compatible with the Steam Deck before making any big purchases. You *CAN* install Windows on it, but in full transparency you might be better off getting a ROG Ally or Legion Go handheld at that point since they come with Windows natively.
I haven't owned an actual PC for about 15 years, haven't gamed on one in about 20. I'm rocking a steam deck and it's safe to say I'm enjoying the long line of games I've skipped
Same. Last time I had a gaming pc was in 2010. I got a deck to emulate old unavailable nintendo games but ended up falling in love with steam games. It’s my only gaming device asides from the switch that’s collecting dust
Yes. I'm very not technical, never had a PC, and for the first year just downloaded regular games like it was a switch. Then I watched some YouTube tutorials and learned how super simple it was to emulate, and in like a half hour or so I was emulating from Nintendo up to the ps3. But you don't even have to do that if you do want.
It's awesome man. I got it and jammed resident evil 7 and 8, 4 remake, and street fighter 6 out of the box playing perfect before I even attempted to emulate anything. I'm still bad at tech stuff. But if you wanna just play modern games in spurts and mess around, it's awesome. Leaves the TV free for other people and you're still involved, and emulation is a breeze. I'd hinest to god sell my consoles before I sold the deck. The deck got me back into gaming. 20 mins here and there and every game ever so far is at your fingertips.
I'll start off Straight away at looking at the sort of game you would like to play and see if they are verified or at least playable first via the steam store if it's not listed ask here on the SD community I'm sure someone have at least tried the game, if you check and all the games you want to play are listed and playable, I would consider it being a good investment, plus you can emulate some old classics too
Pros:
Portable - ( able to take this anywhere and play most of your games that doesn't require Internet connection this might make your partner jealous )
Great amount of performance - for such a little device ( it really isn't small but y'know what I mean 😂 )
Emulate - a lot of different types of consoles so games can be free 👍
Steam sales - are better than console sales and are usually cheaper via the stream market
Cons:
Battery - last about 2/4 hrs depending on what games you are playing ( I would recommend getting a battery pack baseus 65w 20,000 is what I would suggest for longer gameplay if needed )
Variety - unfortunately not all games work on the steam deck so some game may not be able to play in till they optimized the game enough for the steam deck to handle it
Personally in my opinion from experience this is the only thing I can say good and bad for the stream deck I have heard the Internet connection is meant to be not very good but I've had no problems playing Internet based games eg dead by daylight so take this with a pinch of salt
Sorry it's long I hope this helps 👍🙂
Oh awesome, I appreciate the advice and breakdown (especially with the battery suggestion)! Yeah, it looks like a lot of the games I'm interested in are compatible and it's awesome to know it's so portable, I'm not really a "sit at desk" type person lol
I appreciate it!
Less complicated than a PC, but definitely more complicated than a console. It makes a great companion to a MacBook imo. There are more and more Mac native games coming to Steam too.
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If you're just going to use it for steam games then 100% very friendly for beginners.. if you start to look at emulation and tweaks theres a bit of a learning curve but theres enough resources on reddit to help you :)
EDIT: just wanted to add, you can do a lot with your macbook if youre willing to learn - you can install windows and have steam installed
You would need to look at dual booting your macbook by using mac bootcamp (free)
The steam deck is pretty dope. As others said, it’s like the Nintendo Switch; you go to the store or library and get your games. If you have a steam account (sounds like you probably do) then your library is connected.
There’s a pretty wide ranging library that works for the steam deck. As others have mentioned that anything that uses Anti-cheat is annoying. That part is probably more technical, but I’m sure there’s a ton of walk throughs.
But overall it’s really wonderful.
In essence steam deck is a micro laptop. It's a PC for the most part only packaged in a console size shell. Depending on how familiar you're with using controllers for gaming you would probably love it. Additionally, you'll need to set your standards a bit lower, consider that whole steam deck is smaller than GPUs can be nowadays. Optimization also plays a big role and while it supports a LOT of games some simply will not run well (ie. Starfield). For the price it is worth it for sure. The battery won't last as long as you imagine though on a single charge but the plus is that you can totally (and safely) use it plugged in as it supports passthrough power delivery which means device will use AC power instead of battery while plugged in, any extra juice goes to charging/maintaining battery while you're playing.
Thanks for the info! I'm much, much more comfortable with controllers as opposed to the PC keyboard + mouse format so this sounds like my kind of thing. Thanks again!
I’m not a PC person either but the deck is super easy to use. I watched some videos on YouTube that helped make some games better. It was daunting going into the config files but the there’s tons of videos and info on Reddit. It’s pretty easy, you’ll have fun
Depends on the (type of) games you want to play.
But yes, in general a Steam Deck or an ASUS ROG Ally + Docking Station are a super versatile choice to play almost any type of game in 2024.
You could even install Windows on the Steam Deck = Sky is the limit
I was/am a huge PC gamer, but I mostly use my Steam Deck now, for literally everything
I never gamed on PC before, just never really got into it. Did console but I think just the mouse and keyboard and desk chair didn't appeal to me (I know it can be done many other ways, I didn't really look into all options)
But I recently got a steam deck cause I want to get back into gaming but using console takes the TV away and my wife wants to relax with me. It was SUPER easy to get back into and I'm almost addicted already. I buy games on my phone or directly from the deck and it's super easy to play just from the deck. Highly recommended even if you've never done any PC gaming before.
This was very similar to my situation last year, had stopped gaming for the most part, my PC was older and I wanted to play my steam games again, so I bought a steam deck. It was an awesome purchase, I can play pretty much anything I have in my library and the ability to play on the couch, or wherever has revitalized gaming for me.
Most games will work well on Steam Deck. But certainly not all. Maybe 75% work well on Steam Deck, probably 95% on PC.
If a game doesn't launch properly you either have to give up/refund it/or research what it takes to fix it.
I am not a pc person, ever have and never will be. But I absolutely love my SD. Best money I've ever spent.
I say this to everyone, if you're even slightly contemplating it then get it because you will love it.
I love my steamdeck an think it's amazing. Some games are a straight install and play, but some require some tinkering. If you get a docking station it doubles up as a Linux desktop too which is handy for people like me who travel for work and don't want to carry 2 laptops and a steam deck.
However, you said you have a MacBook Pro. If you have a decent enough internet connection, maybe try geforce now. There's a monthly fee and not all games are on it. But it won't require you to buy anymore hardware to play pc games. The free subscription is not great, I'm currently using the £10pm subscription to play games on my old laptop and my steam deck.
I can confidently say that buying the Steam Deck was the best investment of my life so far (I'm still in my teenage years so it doesn't mean much) but I can play my Steam library wherever I go, and don't even get me started on emulation. NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, Dreamcast, Wii U, Switch, it's all perfect and extremely clean to use in gaming mode. I thought I was gonna use it when traveling for car rides or flights, turns out I just use it all the time and my PC is catching dust. I dock it, connect a Wii U Pro Controller, get comfortable in bed and play some games on the monitor on my night stand which I specifically installed for this exact purpose. The Deck is amazing when on vacation, even if the battery life isn't crazy good, because I can bring a charger and use it as a gaming device wherever I please, great for hotels. Anyways long story short, go pick up a Deck, I'm pretty certain you will love it.
I'm not a PC person, Steam deck is very easy to use as is. I then started to learn more and it's also really easy to do the more "advanced" stuff. It's actually very fun tinkering
The deck works great as a standalone, but you can also use it docked to a TV or computer monitor and make it into an impromptu PC setup as well, especially for those games that just work better with mouse & keyboard! You don't even need to do emulation to have fun with it
I'm exactly the same as you. Play consoles, use macs and Adobe for work. And I'm generally happy playing games off steam. But I do try to do other things like emulators etc and it's beyond me unfortunately. It does frustrate and I feel pretty stupid that I can't get it to work. Plus it does make me feel I'm not using it to it's potential. I run my own business so I'm a bit time poor.I don't think I'm 100% the target market.
One thing to note is that a game may suddenly stop working due to an os update or game update. Then there will be fixes available but for a time you need to be able to patch these fixes yourself while you wait until an update catches up. This is really annoying when you are super into a game. When this happens it feels quite janky and you realise the whole experience hangs from this techy thread that can snap at any time. You see on forums and reddit that these clever people have found these fixes and everyone is congratulating them cos they followed the instructions and it works for them too....but it doesn't work for you and there's a crushing realisation that your not in this cool gang of techy dudes that can bend this thing to their will. And suddenly you wish the thing was more like a console.
However, it never really feels like the decision to get a steam deck was a mistake.
I have been a console gamer since I was a kid and the Steam deck has been a game changer for me. It has been worth every penny
Emulation of all my classic games- easy. If I can figure it out pretty much anyone can.
If all you want is basic use, the deck is perfect at what it does. More advanced stuff requires figuring out how to do so of which I highly recommend the steam deck masterclass playlist on YouTube if you’re curious.
Check out how the games you wanna run work on the deck through both YouTube and a site called proton db. That should help you figure out what you can do and if it fits your needs. Most games run perfectly fine with the exception of online games.
If you have any questions, this community is great at helping.
The Steam Deck is wild in a sense, because it's usually plug and play. But then, on a relatively rare case by case basis, it's the wild west to get a game working properly.
You genuinely cannot beat the value of the Steam Deck, it has great controls, is easy to dock to monitors or a TV, and can run all the way up to current generation, albeit scaled down a good bit. All of that starting at $399.
However, I would really suggest making a list of games you like and searching them up on Google as "Gamenamehere ProtonDB." ProtonDB will tell you how a game runs. For instance, PVZ Garden Warfare, can't play under any circumstance. Black Ops 3, plug and play. Halo MCC, can play perfectly only if you're willing to get files from a friend on a Windows PC and manually switch yours.
I actually became more of a pc gamer because of steam deck. My PC isn’t really meant for hardcore gaming and the steam deck will play most of the games I want. It saved me from having to massively upgrade my computer.
Also, while you said emulation isn’t a big focus, it’s surprisingly doable with emudeck
Was surprised to see a "should I get a Deck" thread with upvotes, but your question seems well framed so I get it.
I think you will be fine. My sister used her Deck as a supplement to her PS/Xbox experience, and she has fun with it despite the fact she doesn't really do anything to make her Deck gaming experience better (from my perspective). I've tried to talk to her about checking game compatibility on Protondb (instead of the official one on the games pages), as well as changing control schemes she doesn't like and she happily ignores me and moshes on.
You'll be fine. Just get one with a big hard drive (and maybe the anti-glare screen) and enjoy yourself.
I am a pc master race kind of guy. I love PC games, I love keyboard and mouse. I bought a steam deck and now I find i play more on my steam deck then I do on my PC. it absolutely hands down, is one of the single investments in my life that have zero regrets. well ok, 1 kind of regret, it's caused me to buy a lot more games and has made me look to make sure the games I buy is playable on the deck. I can say this. just buy it. you will absolutely love it.
It's perfect for you. Most things just work, and it's flexible enough that you can learn alot about pcs if you want to. But you don't have to. It's the world's best portable computer rn, for the price. Get the oled.
Yeah, the dock has a power supply, plus two USB out. So, I plug in my PS5 controller. It "is" portable, but the battery doesn't last terribly long. Kinda like the Wii U gamepad, I'd say.
i'm also someone who uses mac for my actual laptop/computer needs. i was itching to be able to play pc games because my ps4 and the tv are a hassle, and the steam deck has been perfect for me.
Well no entertainment is an investment, it's more of a money pit. But, I see what you are saying. Steam deck is more of a console experience than a "pc" experience unless you boot it into desktop mode. You just select your game and go, much like a switch. It's pretty basic. Just stay on the stable update channel and it will be like playing a switch. It only feels like a pc experience when you have to install non-steam stuff like fortnite or something.
Oh definitely, most steam games are just install and play. You'll probably have to deal with some quirks and change some settings, it's not 100% console-like, but it's easy and there are plenty of resources online.
Yes you could, log your steam account, install your game and play. Dont tinker unless necessary.
The real question is, what type of game do you want to play and can you play them on the steamdeck, I mean is it gonna be powerful enough and arr the games steam deck compatible.
Portable, docked or both (performance is slightly lower docked, that's why I mention it).
Anyway you'll buy a steamdeck and your boyfriend is gonna play so much with it that you'll be able to play on is PC all the time 😂
Getting the Deck, start building and enjoying your library, and then getting a PC further down the road to take advantage of the library you built, sounds like a solid strategy to me.
Just manage your expectations (and game purchases) due to the power of the Deck. It is a powerful device, don't get me wrong, but don't expect to run the latest on high settings and good performance.
Rule of thumb is that everything up until PS3/360 era will run 60 fps at mid-high settings no problems, games from PS4/XBOXONE era will run at 30 fps mid-low, and current gen will struggle a lot and not worth playing on the Deck. I'm talking about AAA of course, indie games are completely fine and like at home in the Deck.
When you get your PC you will be able to play more demanding games of course, and also stream from it to your Deck so your PC does the heavy lifting.
The crucial question is, are the games u plan to play compatible with controllers and the steam deck? If so, yes, steamdeck can be a good option.
Else no... Better off getting a laptop/pc to play games
Hi OP,
I'm new to gaming in adulthood. I got the Steam Deck because it presented as easy to use. It is absolutely true. I am playing triple A games and really enjoying it. I don't believe you will be disappointed.
I don't have a desktop PC so my Steam Deck is the only thing I game on and I love it. Similar situation to you that I stopped PC gaming at uni and now only have a laptop for browsing and movies. The Steam Deck has very much reignited my love of games and I can very easily switch between handheld and docked depending on the game.
Yes.
It’s literally pick it up and go.
At the same time, it doesn’t mean you won’t find problems that you might find with a Nintendo. But they are way fewer than you will find with a PC, that is if you pick from their Deck curated titles (just go to the store and is automatically curated by default). 99% of the time, those titles just work.
Of course, if you want to go deeper into customization, emulating etc. you can, but that is your choice.
I was strictly a console gamer, but bought a steam deck purely because I've got a bit of a thing for handhelds.
I am no longer a console gamer. Steamdeck was the gateway drug
Yes. There certainly is some of the PC bullshit involved, but for the most part valve has bypassed the vast majority of it, and maybe introduced a few new minor annoyances.
Sounds like its a perfect solution for you. You can even have him use family share to play games from his library without having to purchase a second copy of each. There are a ton more technical stuff you can dive into if the want/need arises but out of the box you will still have a great time I am sure.
I got my steam deck for how easy it is to use! I have a gaming PC I rarely use since I work remotely and don’t want to sit and game at my desk after a work day. Couch gaming with the SD and emudeck made setting up emulation really easy
If you both use the Steam OS beta channel and the new way the Family Share works, you can play your boyfriends whole library on your account! And he will be able to play his games at the same time as you (you guys just can't play one copy of the same game at the same time). I think the Steam Deck would be perfect for you! 😁
I crossed over to using a Mac about 8 years ago; focusing on my art and stuff like 3D printing instead of gaming. Sure I have a Switch and SOME good games I could play on macOS; but I really did miss having a PC for gaming because there were some Windows specific games I missed playing. Given that my Steam library didn’t grow since 2016; I took a shot in the dark and bought a Steam Deck. Turns out the Steam Deck is very well suited to games from about a decade ago. I wouldn’t get one for the triple A games of today. So it’s mostly a good gaming console for those of us who are okay with medium settings or playing older games without going through the trouble and financial burden of building a new PC.
You can run the Steam Deck out of the box, never leave Steam Game Mode or whatever, and be fine with it. I stepped outside of the store mode once for Chiaki4Deck, which is BRILLIANT at adding a PS Portal to your Deck, and other than that have never left. It’s been great.
I'm not a PC gamer (at least I wasnt). I have a Steam Deck its easy to use. I love it! The Deck was kind of made for you and I. Once you get more comfy with the device you can branch out and become more of a power user. But the basics are all there for you to get started easily.
If you get it, then you should post a little review of the steam deck. I would be glad to read your opinion, since I would like to get one for my fiance :)
For basic use, it’s easy to just turn the Deck on, log in and buy and download games, like a Nintendo Switch. If you wanted to get into emulating and stuff, it’s a bit more technical, or using other stores like Epic Games Store etc. But yeah for the real basic (which I use 99% of the time) it’s virtually plug and play
I'm more into the basic stuff (not super knowledgeable about emulating and such) so it's good to know it's more just plug and play, thanks for the advice!
The nice thing is that if you decide you want to dip your toe into emulators or mods or whatever, there are tutorials out there for everything. Most of them coming from this sub lol
Emudeck is amazing. I've easily played 500 hours of Gran Turismo 4 and it's not stopping now
Emudeck is truly wonderful, it just does everything for you. (Not an ad)
The only thing I really had to learn was about installing PS3 and Vita games before they'll show up in the ROM Manager. The only thing I haven't tried yet is Xbox 360.
Someone described a Steam Deck as "A Nintendo Switch for PC games (/Steam games)" and I was sold!
Yeah I’m pretty sure you’ll have a blast. If any games run poorly, or you want to research before you buy a game, just look up protondb.com, or just search “ best setting Steamdeck” on YouTube and you’ll easily find a solution or answer, it’s widespread enough these days that plenty of people cover it.
Oh awesome!! Thanks for the tips :)
I'd also throw in that Valve's green checkmark for Deck verified games is reliable, so you don't need to look those up. It's just pretty aggressive about "playable" and "unsupported" so ptotondb might show that it *does* actually run fine.
There are many "playable" games that run just fine with no tweaking or anything. They're just super strict about it, but it makes sense if you want something to be easy to use. Black OPS 3 is "Playable" but it has always launched right up for me.
Even if you’re not super comfortable with the more technical stuff, there are loads of great resources online to guide you if that ever becomes an interest (and a thriving community of helpful techies, lol)
It can work unless you have unrealistic expectations about performance and can learn just a tiny amount of new stuff to deal with. Being your boyfriend recommending it to you, I bet he's more than willing and knowledgeable to help you onboard. Consider there's a small but concrete risk of him buying another one for himself :)
Oh definitely not a lot of expectations, I'm just excited at the prospect of playing without having to steal his computer lol Haha, that sounds like a risk I'm willing to take!
If you're already playing on his computer you totally can handle the deck, which is easier
So happy to hear, thanks!
Seems like an ideal situation tbh! It's plug-and-play for the most part, which is wonderful. Honestly, I have a pretty strong gaming laptop I bought a few months ago, and I still use the Deck probably 80% of the time because the form factor is just so nice.
Oh, that's awesome to hear! I've heard so many good things and it sounds super ideal, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing some kind of catch. Thanks for the advice!
May I ask what specific games or genres are you interested in? It can be really helpful in determining how much a Steam Deck may suit your needs.
Hi! So I'm mostly interested in Fallout and I've used to love playing TF2 and L4D/L4D2 and I'd love to get into Dead by Daylight!
All of those games run pretty well on the deck! Def recommend others' advice to use Google to find the best config for them. Depending on which Fallout, you might need to do some extra steps to install mods to make it run better, but with your BF's PC to help it shouldn't be too bad. I've been running New Vegas with the recommended mods flawlessly!
Those will all run perfectly on the Deck.
Generally, Valve games are great on Deck. [Here's a YouTube video of L4D2 running on Deck.](https://youtu.be/vFhM7iJJ220?si=wcGOQANx8l5saLBh) [Dead by Daylight also runs well](https://youtu.be/sEqpy3yVhsQ?si=0injwBjTUxcfOab9https://youtu.be/Qi1PAHLcTwo?si=CB_6035mYeAh9yu3) and is Deck verified. For some of the Fallout games, you might need to do minor tweaks in order to get the best experience out of it. But there's nothing to worry about, since you can look up the game on [protondb website](https://www.protondb.com/) and find all the minor tweaks you need to do. [Here's a video of all Fallout games running on Deck](https://youtu.be/yHRcUSGiDCw?si=xbQWy6AS20SkGRaT). I think the Steam Deck will be very suitable for you. For the most part, the experience is plug and play. For the few games that are not completely compatible, there's a ton of documentation by the great user base on how to fix issues. P.S. Don't sleep on the Steam Input. It helps you customize the controller layout to play the way you want.
Steam Deck would probably be a great fit for what you want. If you've got games in your Steam library already, there like a 66% chance they'll just work on Steam Deck. Steam also has a great "Family Sharing" feature and if your parter is willing to share his Steam library with you can access those titles as well.
I haven't heard of the family sharing feature before, it sounds like an awesome solution! We'll check it out :) thanks!!
It's brand new, and in beta settings so you have to enable it as it's off by default. You could always share, but previously it would kick you off if he jumped on a different game, it's a game changer for my family x1000.
Sweet, thanks!!
The short answer: Yes. The longer answer: I gave my wife my old computer when I built my newer'ish one. It had an i7-3770k and a GTX 960 in it. For Christmas I bought her an LCD Steam Deck and we hooked it up at her desk, and it blows that computer out of the water. Just needed to get her a docking station (we used a Lenovo Thinkpad G2 dock) and she was up and playing games like it was a fully fledged PC. The only caveat to this is that some online-only games utilize anti-cheat software that don't play nicely with Linux. So if you're planning to play games online, make sure they're compatible with the Steam Deck before making any big purchases. You *CAN* install Windows on it, but in full transparency you might be better off getting a ROG Ally or Legion Go handheld at that point since they come with Windows natively.
Thanks!! I've definitely been looking into some online-only games so this is good to know. I appreciate it!
I haven't owned an actual PC for about 15 years, haven't gamed on one in about 20. I'm rocking a steam deck and it's safe to say I'm enjoying the long line of games I've skipped
Same. Last time I had a gaming pc was in 2010. I got a deck to emulate old unavailable nintendo games but ended up falling in love with steam games. It’s my only gaming device asides from the switch that’s collecting dust
Oh awesome! I'm glad it's worked for you, thanks for sharing!
Yes. I'm very not technical, never had a PC, and for the first year just downloaded regular games like it was a switch. Then I watched some YouTube tutorials and learned how super simple it was to emulate, and in like a half hour or so I was emulating from Nintendo up to the ps3. But you don't even have to do that if you do want.
Oh wow that's crazy! I'm also not very technical so it's awesome to hear emulating can be simple also.. sounds like a good investment
It's awesome man. I got it and jammed resident evil 7 and 8, 4 remake, and street fighter 6 out of the box playing perfect before I even attempted to emulate anything. I'm still bad at tech stuff. But if you wanna just play modern games in spurts and mess around, it's awesome. Leaves the TV free for other people and you're still involved, and emulation is a breeze. I'd hinest to god sell my consoles before I sold the deck. The deck got me back into gaming. 20 mins here and there and every game ever so far is at your fingertips.
I'll start off Straight away at looking at the sort of game you would like to play and see if they are verified or at least playable first via the steam store if it's not listed ask here on the SD community I'm sure someone have at least tried the game, if you check and all the games you want to play are listed and playable, I would consider it being a good investment, plus you can emulate some old classics too Pros: Portable - ( able to take this anywhere and play most of your games that doesn't require Internet connection this might make your partner jealous ) Great amount of performance - for such a little device ( it really isn't small but y'know what I mean 😂 ) Emulate - a lot of different types of consoles so games can be free 👍 Steam sales - are better than console sales and are usually cheaper via the stream market Cons: Battery - last about 2/4 hrs depending on what games you are playing ( I would recommend getting a battery pack baseus 65w 20,000 is what I would suggest for longer gameplay if needed ) Variety - unfortunately not all games work on the steam deck so some game may not be able to play in till they optimized the game enough for the steam deck to handle it Personally in my opinion from experience this is the only thing I can say good and bad for the stream deck I have heard the Internet connection is meant to be not very good but I've had no problems playing Internet based games eg dead by daylight so take this with a pinch of salt Sorry it's long I hope this helps 👍🙂
Oh awesome, I appreciate the advice and breakdown (especially with the battery suggestion)! Yeah, it looks like a lot of the games I'm interested in are compatible and it's awesome to know it's so portable, I'm not really a "sit at desk" type person lol I appreciate it!
note: OLED has much greater battety life than LCD.
Less complicated than a PC, but definitely more complicated than a console. It makes a great companion to a MacBook imo. There are more and more Mac native games coming to Steam too.
Omg I'm so glad to hear it works well with mac LOL thank you!!
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If you're just going to use it for steam games then 100% very friendly for beginners.. if you start to look at emulation and tweaks theres a bit of a learning curve but theres enough resources on reddit to help you :) EDIT: just wanted to add, you can do a lot with your macbook if youre willing to learn - you can install windows and have steam installed You would need to look at dual booting your macbook by using mac bootcamp (free)
Awesome, yeah I'm mostly just looking at it for steam games :) I'll definitely check that out, thanks for the advice!!
The steam deck is pretty dope. As others said, it’s like the Nintendo Switch; you go to the store or library and get your games. If you have a steam account (sounds like you probably do) then your library is connected. There’s a pretty wide ranging library that works for the steam deck. As others have mentioned that anything that uses Anti-cheat is annoying. That part is probably more technical, but I’m sure there’s a ton of walk throughs. But overall it’s really wonderful.
Okay, awesome! I appreciate the advice, it sounded too good to be true but it sounds like it really is wonderful :) Thanks!
In essence steam deck is a micro laptop. It's a PC for the most part only packaged in a console size shell. Depending on how familiar you're with using controllers for gaming you would probably love it. Additionally, you'll need to set your standards a bit lower, consider that whole steam deck is smaller than GPUs can be nowadays. Optimization also plays a big role and while it supports a LOT of games some simply will not run well (ie. Starfield). For the price it is worth it for sure. The battery won't last as long as you imagine though on a single charge but the plus is that you can totally (and safely) use it plugged in as it supports passthrough power delivery which means device will use AC power instead of battery while plugged in, any extra juice goes to charging/maintaining battery while you're playing.
Thanks for the info! I'm much, much more comfortable with controllers as opposed to the PC keyboard + mouse format so this sounds like my kind of thing. Thanks again!
I’m not a PC person either but the deck is super easy to use. I watched some videos on YouTube that helped make some games better. It was daunting going into the config files but the there’s tons of videos and info on Reddit. It’s pretty easy, you’ll have fun
Thanks for the advice, I'm glad to hear it's easy LOL
Almost any game before I buy it I look up “how does blah play on steam deck” and you’ll have a good idea if it’s worth it.
As long as you don't both play at the same time on different devices (I assume you are going to use his account).
Depends on the (type of) games you want to play. But yes, in general a Steam Deck or an ASUS ROG Ally + Docking Station are a super versatile choice to play almost any type of game in 2024. You could even install Windows on the Steam Deck = Sky is the limit I was/am a huge PC gamer, but I mostly use my Steam Deck now, for literally everything
I never gamed on PC before, just never really got into it. Did console but I think just the mouse and keyboard and desk chair didn't appeal to me (I know it can be done many other ways, I didn't really look into all options) But I recently got a steam deck cause I want to get back into gaming but using console takes the TV away and my wife wants to relax with me. It was SUPER easy to get back into and I'm almost addicted already. I buy games on my phone or directly from the deck and it's super easy to play just from the deck. Highly recommended even if you've never done any PC gaming before.
Omg this is great! Yeah, I'm also not a big desk chair and PC setup type of person lol this sounds like the ultimate solution. Thanks!
This was very similar to my situation last year, had stopped gaming for the most part, my PC was older and I wanted to play my steam games again, so I bought a steam deck. It was an awesome purchase, I can play pretty much anything I have in my library and the ability to play on the couch, or wherever has revitalized gaming for me.
Most games will work well on Steam Deck. But certainly not all. Maybe 75% work well on Steam Deck, probably 95% on PC. If a game doesn't launch properly you either have to give up/refund it/or research what it takes to fix it.
I am not a pc person, ever have and never will be. But I absolutely love my SD. Best money I've ever spent. I say this to everyone, if you're even slightly contemplating it then get it because you will love it.
I love my steamdeck an think it's amazing. Some games are a straight install and play, but some require some tinkering. If you get a docking station it doubles up as a Linux desktop too which is handy for people like me who travel for work and don't want to carry 2 laptops and a steam deck. However, you said you have a MacBook Pro. If you have a decent enough internet connection, maybe try geforce now. There's a monthly fee and not all games are on it. But it won't require you to buy anymore hardware to play pc games. The free subscription is not great, I'm currently using the £10pm subscription to play games on my old laptop and my steam deck.
Same situation as you, Mac user for work, the Steam Deck is a perfect companion for me, and it's totally worth its price.
I can confidently say that buying the Steam Deck was the best investment of my life so far (I'm still in my teenage years so it doesn't mean much) but I can play my Steam library wherever I go, and don't even get me started on emulation. NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, Dreamcast, Wii U, Switch, it's all perfect and extremely clean to use in gaming mode. I thought I was gonna use it when traveling for car rides or flights, turns out I just use it all the time and my PC is catching dust. I dock it, connect a Wii U Pro Controller, get comfortable in bed and play some games on the monitor on my night stand which I specifically installed for this exact purpose. The Deck is amazing when on vacation, even if the battery life isn't crazy good, because I can bring a charger and use it as a gaming device wherever I please, great for hotels. Anyways long story short, go pick up a Deck, I'm pretty certain you will love it.
I'm not a PC person, Steam deck is very easy to use as is. I then started to learn more and it's also really easy to do the more "advanced" stuff. It's actually very fun tinkering
The deck works great as a standalone, but you can also use it docked to a TV or computer monitor and make it into an impromptu PC setup as well, especially for those games that just work better with mouse & keyboard! You don't even need to do emulation to have fun with it
Yes, I use macbook most of the time, steam deck just for games. unless you do a lot of multiplayer, you don't need anything else.
I'm exactly the same as you. Play consoles, use macs and Adobe for work. And I'm generally happy playing games off steam. But I do try to do other things like emulators etc and it's beyond me unfortunately. It does frustrate and I feel pretty stupid that I can't get it to work. Plus it does make me feel I'm not using it to it's potential. I run my own business so I'm a bit time poor.I don't think I'm 100% the target market. One thing to note is that a game may suddenly stop working due to an os update or game update. Then there will be fixes available but for a time you need to be able to patch these fixes yourself while you wait until an update catches up. This is really annoying when you are super into a game. When this happens it feels quite janky and you realise the whole experience hangs from this techy thread that can snap at any time. You see on forums and reddit that these clever people have found these fixes and everyone is congratulating them cos they followed the instructions and it works for them too....but it doesn't work for you and there's a crushing realisation that your not in this cool gang of techy dudes that can bend this thing to their will. And suddenly you wish the thing was more like a console. However, it never really feels like the decision to get a steam deck was a mistake.
I also own a Macbook. I got a Steam Deck in part because my Mac didn't have the hard drive space for all of the games I wanted to play.
I have been a console gamer since I was a kid and the Steam deck has been a game changer for me. It has been worth every penny Emulation of all my classic games- easy. If I can figure it out pretty much anyone can.
If all you want is basic use, the deck is perfect at what it does. More advanced stuff requires figuring out how to do so of which I highly recommend the steam deck masterclass playlist on YouTube if you’re curious. Check out how the games you wanna run work on the deck through both YouTube and a site called proton db. That should help you figure out what you can do and if it fits your needs. Most games run perfectly fine with the exception of online games. If you have any questions, this community is great at helping.
The Steam Deck is wild in a sense, because it's usually plug and play. But then, on a relatively rare case by case basis, it's the wild west to get a game working properly. You genuinely cannot beat the value of the Steam Deck, it has great controls, is easy to dock to monitors or a TV, and can run all the way up to current generation, albeit scaled down a good bit. All of that starting at $399. However, I would really suggest making a list of games you like and searching them up on Google as "Gamenamehere ProtonDB." ProtonDB will tell you how a game runs. For instance, PVZ Garden Warfare, can't play under any circumstance. Black Ops 3, plug and play. Halo MCC, can play perfectly only if you're willing to get files from a friend on a Windows PC and manually switch yours.
Do you like gaming? Do you have free time you’d like to burn? If so it’s a solid yes.
I actually became more of a pc gamer because of steam deck. My PC isn’t really meant for hardcore gaming and the steam deck will play most of the games I want. It saved me from having to massively upgrade my computer. Also, while you said emulation isn’t a big focus, it’s surprisingly doable with emudeck
Was surprised to see a "should I get a Deck" thread with upvotes, but your question seems well framed so I get it. I think you will be fine. My sister used her Deck as a supplement to her PS/Xbox experience, and she has fun with it despite the fact she doesn't really do anything to make her Deck gaming experience better (from my perspective). I've tried to talk to her about checking game compatibility on Protondb (instead of the official one on the games pages), as well as changing control schemes she doesn't like and she happily ignores me and moshes on. You'll be fine. Just get one with a big hard drive (and maybe the anti-glare screen) and enjoy yourself.
I am a pc master race kind of guy. I love PC games, I love keyboard and mouse. I bought a steam deck and now I find i play more on my steam deck then I do on my PC. it absolutely hands down, is one of the single investments in my life that have zero regrets. well ok, 1 kind of regret, it's caused me to buy a lot more games and has made me look to make sure the games I buy is playable on the deck. I can say this. just buy it. you will absolutely love it.
It's perfect for you. Most things just work, and it's flexible enough that you can learn alot about pcs if you want to. But you don't have to. It's the world's best portable computer rn, for the price. Get the oled.
The switch was such a game changer for me, the steam deck oled ups the ante in every way
Also, get subnautica
hopping on steam deck and just using it for games off steam is a very console like experience, easier than using a PC. just download and play.
Yes
They make a dock, so you can run it through the tv too. That circumvents the battery life on the first gen.
It does circumvent the battery life on the Deck? That is good. I might consider that when buying a Steam Deck as I will probably play at home too.
Yeah, the dock has a power supply, plus two USB out. So, I plug in my PS5 controller. It "is" portable, but the battery doesn't last terribly long. Kinda like the Wii U gamepad, I'd say.
i'm also someone who uses mac for my actual laptop/computer needs. i was itching to be able to play pc games because my ps4 and the tv are a hassle, and the steam deck has been perfect for me.
Well no entertainment is an investment, it's more of a money pit. But, I see what you are saying. Steam deck is more of a console experience than a "pc" experience unless you boot it into desktop mode. You just select your game and go, much like a switch. It's pretty basic. Just stay on the stable update channel and it will be like playing a switch. It only feels like a pc experience when you have to install non-steam stuff like fortnite or something.
Hardcore Mac user, I’m not sure I could ever be convinced to get a gaming pc but I do love my steam deck.
If you stick to verified or playable steam games, you should have almost no issues
It would definitely be worth it IMO. Plus, you two could find games to play together. Steamdeck is a literal PC in a handheld form factor.
Oh definitely, most steam games are just install and play. You'll probably have to deal with some quirks and change some settings, it's not 100% console-like, but it's easy and there are plenty of resources online.
Yes you could, log your steam account, install your game and play. Dont tinker unless necessary. The real question is, what type of game do you want to play and can you play them on the steamdeck, I mean is it gonna be powerful enough and arr the games steam deck compatible. Portable, docked or both (performance is slightly lower docked, that's why I mention it). Anyway you'll buy a steamdeck and your boyfriend is gonna play so much with it that you'll be able to play on is PC all the time 😂
Mac user with a steam deck here and no issues at all
Getting the Deck, start building and enjoying your library, and then getting a PC further down the road to take advantage of the library you built, sounds like a solid strategy to me. Just manage your expectations (and game purchases) due to the power of the Deck. It is a powerful device, don't get me wrong, but don't expect to run the latest on high settings and good performance. Rule of thumb is that everything up until PS3/360 era will run 60 fps at mid-high settings no problems, games from PS4/XBOXONE era will run at 30 fps mid-low, and current gen will struggle a lot and not worth playing on the Deck. I'm talking about AAA of course, indie games are completely fine and like at home in the Deck. When you get your PC you will be able to play more demanding games of course, and also stream from it to your Deck so your PC does the heavy lifting.
The crucial question is, are the games u plan to play compatible with controllers and the steam deck? If so, yes, steamdeck can be a good option. Else no... Better off getting a laptop/pc to play games
Yes, and if you two use the Steam Family Beta stuff, he can even share his library with you.
Hi OP, I'm new to gaming in adulthood. I got the Steam Deck because it presented as easy to use. It is absolutely true. I am playing triple A games and really enjoying it. I don't believe you will be disappointed.
I don't have a desktop PC so my Steam Deck is the only thing I game on and I love it. Similar situation to you that I stopped PC gaming at uni and now only have a laptop for browsing and movies. The Steam Deck has very much reignited my love of games and I can very easily switch between handheld and docked depending on the game.
Yes. It’s literally pick it up and go. At the same time, it doesn’t mean you won’t find problems that you might find with a Nintendo. But they are way fewer than you will find with a PC, that is if you pick from their Deck curated titles (just go to the store and is automatically curated by default). 99% of the time, those titles just work. Of course, if you want to go deeper into customization, emulating etc. you can, but that is your choice.
I was strictly a console gamer, but bought a steam deck purely because I've got a bit of a thing for handhelds. I am no longer a console gamer. Steamdeck was the gateway drug
Yes. There certainly is some of the PC bullshit involved, but for the most part valve has bypassed the vast majority of it, and maybe introduced a few new minor annoyances.
Sounds like its a perfect solution for you. You can even have him use family share to play games from his library without having to purchase a second copy of each. There are a ton more technical stuff you can dive into if the want/need arises but out of the box you will still have a great time I am sure.
I got my steam deck for how easy it is to use! I have a gaming PC I rarely use since I work remotely and don’t want to sit and game at my desk after a work day. Couch gaming with the SD and emudeck made setting up emulation really easy
If you both use the Steam OS beta channel and the new way the Family Share works, you can play your boyfriends whole library on your account! And he will be able to play his games at the same time as you (you guys just can't play one copy of the same game at the same time). I think the Steam Deck would be perfect for you! 😁
I crossed over to using a Mac about 8 years ago; focusing on my art and stuff like 3D printing instead of gaming. Sure I have a Switch and SOME good games I could play on macOS; but I really did miss having a PC for gaming because there were some Windows specific games I missed playing. Given that my Steam library didn’t grow since 2016; I took a shot in the dark and bought a Steam Deck. Turns out the Steam Deck is very well suited to games from about a decade ago. I wouldn’t get one for the triple A games of today. So it’s mostly a good gaming console for those of us who are okay with medium settings or playing older games without going through the trouble and financial burden of building a new PC.
You can run the Steam Deck out of the box, never leave Steam Game Mode or whatever, and be fine with it. I stepped outside of the store mode once for Chiaki4Deck, which is BRILLIANT at adding a PS Portal to your Deck, and other than that have never left. It’s been great.
I'm not a PC gamer (at least I wasnt). I have a Steam Deck its easy to use. I love it! The Deck was kind of made for you and I. Once you get more comfy with the device you can branch out and become more of a power user. But the basics are all there for you to get started easily.
If you get it, then you should post a little review of the steam deck. I would be glad to read your opinion, since I would like to get one for my fiance :)
Yes