if you see us Steam deck video (opens in new tab) A while back — long before our own Steam Deck review (opens in new tab)Plus, you’ll find that I (that one girl, Katie) weren’t all that enthusiastic about Valve’s gaming handhelds. Perhaps it was the price. (opens in new tab), maybe I was just a little scared of Linux. I was pretty vocal about what I thought was thick, awkward, and doomed to failure.
And I was partially right… but not about the last part.
In February, hardware tycoon Dave yelled at me with a Steam Deck in my hand. of the story. I’m not sure why Dave is a good old pirate in this memory, but here goes the epic quest atmosphere.
This was before many games were officially validated with decks. So there really wasn’t anything close to a treasure trove of games guaranteed to run smoothly. Like Kirisame, I didn’t really like things that were compatible.
I’ve always preferred sims, strategy, and management games.i.e. Steam Deck Control (opens in new tab) The game loadouts I chose weren’t all that intuitive. Still, I pushed through and found that, in fact, the deck’s controls were so versatile that with a little tweaking, you could play just about anything, one way or another.
As we pushed through the control system, we finally got a lot of games. (opens in new tab) Their “deck verified” status meant I could stretch my wings a little. It also meant that more people started coming up with community control schemes, so I could spend less time fiddling with them.
When tasked with putting together a guide to the best games for the Steam Deck (opens in new tab), I was still pretty skeptical. Still, doing all the tests brought me back to genres I had forgotten how to enjoy, or thought my giant console was overkill. , all back on my radar. I honestly appreciate the Steam Deck’s role in that.
But the most deafening hurdle of the period was Wes’s biggest complaint about Steam decks. (opens in new tab)— turned out to be a constant fan whine. However, while the deck initially failed to pass what we called the “serious miscellaneous test” (a test in which our partners determined the level of fan annoyance during games), Valve’s fan curve significantly increased. Announcing an improved software update. just memories.
The versatility of Steam Decks was first realized when it came to answering the most pertinent questions for future Deck gamers (Deckizens?). In other words, “Should I buy a Steam Deck or a gaming laptop? (opens in new tab)“That question caused me a small existential crisis. (opens in new tab).
We tested it out and realized how portable it really is in comparison, as long as you pair it with the best Steam Deck accessories (opens in new tab), of course. Climbing a big hill with her friends and watching her sunset while showing her the character of Elden Ring was no longer a dream.It really was a game changer. You can bring your Steam deck to the bar (opens in new tab) If you’re not as embarrassed as opening your desktop replacement and asking someone to move so you can sit by the plug socket.
But what really makes the Steam Deck the ultimate gaming handheld for me is its familiarity with non-Steam games.For example, the ability to download the Epic Games store launcher on the Steam Deck (opens in new tab) It’s really surreal (get it?), not to mention the fact that it can be displayed on Steam OS.
Plus, we’ve found it to be the perfect platform for reliving your childhood through the magic of emulation.Don’t get me wrong, Emulation on Steam Deck (opens in new tab) Frankly, even with a near-perfect tutorial, it’s hard to follow. But life on the retro side of gaming has taken off with tools like EmuDeck, which integrates all emulators, and Rom Manager, which lets you access all (fully legally acquired) games without booting into desktop mode. Much easier now.
It’s cumbersome and has a few flaws, but I’ve grown to love the Steam Deck more and more. It’s like a fat tomcat that doesn’t do what you’re told, but it’s too cute to throw on the side of the road. Yes, it took a while before Valve was ready to release the deck to the public. Also, Linux is still a bit intimidating (although not as much as it used to be).
