#steam deck

[finjico]

Usual June: from concept 🧠 to combat 💥 Here's just one of the creatures you can fight in our upcoming action adventure game, Usual June! What do you think of it? 🤔 🪦 LEARN MORE ON STEAM! Join our Discord! | Subscribe to our email newsletter!

[fieldsofmistria]

Fields of Mistria is 20% off for the Steam Summer Sale ☀️ The sale lasts from 6/25 to 7/9! 🔗 http://bit.ly/Mistria

[prokopetz]

If nothing else, I think the Steam Deck has been a positive development because having a fixed-spec target platform that can't be dismissed by insisting that a two-year-old GPU is obsolete and a formal certification process for being allowed to claim compatibility with that target is demonstrably encouraging publishers to actually let developers optimise their shit.

[shoomlah]

HAPPY 20TH ANNIVERSARY STEAM just wanted to share a couple of my favorites from the whole set! Can't believe that I got to draw these on company time baybeeeee 😎

[technology-2]

Man, I feel like I'm the only one posting tech stuff.

Where's everybody?

[dizzyluc]

"The price increase can't be THAT bad for electronic stuff due to AI!"

Steam Decks are back in stock.

To put into perspective how much they USED to be.

How many times can I say "fuck A.I." before it finally gets into the AI bros' heads?

[artsekey]

Hand-Held Consoles

I hate to say it, but the Switch 2 is actually... really nice. I wasn't going to buy it initially because the price-point is extremely steep at $450, but between the scarcity of RAM and the anticipated price spike of consoles/computers, I went ahead and purchased it for Kirby Air Riders.

For context, I own a Switch 1, a Switch 1 OLED (the TOTK edition), a Steam Deck OLED, and a Switch 2. I know this is going to be a niche post, but for anyone thinking about purchasing a hand-held console in the future, this is for you!

The Switch 1 and Switch 1 OLED are both out of the running for me. The Switch one was middling even in its prime, and though I definitely enjoyed some of the library-- BOTW and TOTK are fantastic-- neither model packs much of a punch. The price point, however, is great. You can get it on Amazon for $280 right now, so if you don't mind frame-drops or aliasing artefacts but want to experience some of Nintendo's heavy hitters from the Switch era, go for it.

Now, things get closer between the Switch 2 and the Steam Deck OLED. The Switch 2 is actually the more powerful console; it docks comfortably at 4k, and it comes with the dock + controllers. It's also $450. However, the game library is really limited right now. In my opinion, the only reason to get it is if you're a die-hard Air Riders fan (like I am!), but as a Zelda, Pokemon, and Mario fan, I have no doubt I'll be getting a lot out of this console in years to come.

The Steam Deck OLED, which won't be getting an update any time soon according to Valve, is $550. Is it as powerful as the Switch 2? No. But...

The library is massive, and the control scheme is better than any other system/controller I've ever used. There are eight trigger buttons instead of four, and two trackpads in addition to a D pad and joysticks. Valve also sent the best carrying case and USB charger I have ever owned.

Plus, you have access to all of Steam's games-- and a fully functional desktop mode that runs Linux, which allows you to mod the ever-loving shit out of your games if you know what you're doing.

Even though the hardware may not be the most powerful, I can also stream my games directly from my gaming PC to my deck from pretty much anywhere if I've got a good connection. I feel like I have control over my experience with the Deck, whereas I get locked into an (admittedly) quality experience with the Switch 2.

So imo: Steam Deck OLED > Switch 2 > Switch 1/Switch 1 OLED.

If you have any questions or anything lmk and I'll answer 'em! I wish I had been able to ask someone the difference when I was shopping.