Valve’s Steam Deck: Simplified Guide on the Pros and Cons

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It’s now been just over two years since the initial release of the Steam Deck, and with it comes a quick review on what makes the Steam Deck a solid choice for portable gaming on the go. While the Steam Deck is a portable powerhouse, it does come with some flaws. Do the pros outweigh the cons? Let’s dive in!

Disclaimer: So here’s the deal. This post contains an affiliate link to a product that could give me a commission based on if you buy it. I only recommend things that I trust, use and really do think it’ll help you in some form or fashion. However, if you don’t make a purchase in it, you still get something in return – a sad face on our end. And that’s for free. Seriously though, legally required or not, we want to be up front and honest, as really any business should be!

Game Availability

Steam Deck offers a unique hybridization of native gaming console with SteamOS (Steam’s custom user interface to simulate a console-feel) and an excellent remote streaming device for xCloud (with some set up) and Remote Play on PlayStation through Chiaki. The actual capabilities of the Steam Deck make it viable to play a plethora of games. We won’t get into super technical specs here, but its custom AMD chip allows it to outrace a lot of portable PC gaming options. Pair this with an OLED screen to make games more vibrant, and you have a beefy device that can play games ranging from The Binding of Isaac to Cyberpunk 2077 (with the right settings).

As we said, it’s a portable PC, meaning emulation is not off the table. With its specs, this device can play games from the original NES up to most PlayStation 2 games, plenty of Xbox 360 games, and some Switch games (though I highly recommend being aware of that current situation – Polygon explains it very well in their article). I personally loved being able to play Marvel’s Midnight Suns to then switch over to Pokemon Radical Red to continue my Nuzlocke run. And through SteamOS, you can easily add third-party games into being accessible through Gaming Mode, just like you would with the Steam Library. It all runs like a dream!

Portability and Ease of Use

The Steam Deck is quite the portable device, offering your games on-the-go. That much we’ve touched on. However, let’s dive into the actual portability and practicality of it. We know that it’s relatively the size of the Nintendo Switch; the OLED Steam Deck is a 7.4″ HDR OLED screen and the OLED Switch is a 7″ similar screen.

The difference is the weight, where the Steam Deck comes in weighing 1.41 lbs. In the opposite corner, the OLED Switch is 0.93 lbs. Even the similarly built ROG Ally is 1.31 lbs. While the difference is slight, your wrists may think otherwise when playing in bed or on the couch. Holding a device in that position itself will be uncomfortable for a prolonged amount of time, but adding an extra half a pound of weight makes a surprising difference.

The Switch also possesses a bonus of detachable Joy-Cons, making it a bit easier to take apart into three pieces. The Steam Deck – not so much. It’s one big ol’ block that will require a carrying case (luckily, every purchase through Valve comes with a carrying case that’s quite high-quality). There’s no ability to shove it into your pocket or holding it easily and protected on your commute unless you have a case.

The battery factors into this as well. The OLED model of the Steam Deck does boast an improved battery compared to the original model. However, playing a high-end game like Starfield will result in only a couple hours of game time depending on settings unless connected to a power outlet. Of course, this is still a remarkable feat, and through time and improvements on technology in the future, this will continue to improve as well.

Versatility and Features

While it’s marketed as a handheld gaming console, the Steam Deck is also a fantastic handheld computer system. With Linux as the primary OS, Steam Deck features both a Gaming Mode and a Desktop Mode. Switching to the latter will bring up an actual computer desktop, where you can utilize the device as your own laptop. By using a Steam Deck dock, you can attach a USB for both a mouse and keyboard, use an HDMI cord to a monitor, and voila, you have a laptop setup with two monitors.

Personally, when I dabbled in streaming on Twitch, I used the Deck for streaming games and a laptop as my computer to interact with the audience. The monitor was my gaming screen. I actually had the Deck capture gameplay through a capture card, specifically the Elgato HD60 X (please note this link is an affiliate link; however, it truly is a fantastic piece of equipment with little set up needed) while playing Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order on the PlayStation 5. The Steam Deck had zero hiccups during any session; I also used Open Broadcast System (OBS) on it to mix video/volume during streams with no issues.

As with a computer, you can also mod your games on the Steam Deck too. As with every playthrough, I felt compelled to revise my mods on Skyrim to change up my playstyle from the usual sneaky archer build (I still regressed to it eventually). Downloading and managing mods wasn’t too difficult on the Deck, even without a mouse and keyboard. Going back to the Linux OS – it’s not everyone’s favorite. But guess what? You can do an install of Windows too. The versatility of the device is really the shining beacon of consumer friendly practices that other companies might want to review in the future.

Does it All Come Together?

We’ve talked about weight. We’ve looked at screens. But let’s talk how the hardware comes together for that overall feel of it.

It’s good. Really good. Despite the weight.

What comes together is a high-quality piece of equipment with few gripes. The trackpad on each side along with the haptics feel responsive and smooth. I don’t think it substitutes a mouse in first-person shooter gameplay, but it’s easy to use for point-and-click tasks, mouse-only games like FTL or for Desktop Mode.

The OLED screen comes at a 90Hz refresh rate compared to the original’s 60Hz. This means games will play even more buttery smooth compared to the original Deck. It’s stunning to see the difference in how the colors are more intense; it truly makes a gamer feel more immersed into the game.

Unlike the OLED or regular Switch, the Steam Deck has controller grips. I never realized how much more comfort it gives to hold onto a grip than a thin plastic controller until the Steam Deck. The back buttons are easy to access and give more options on shortcuts to utilize or changing individual games’ control scheme.

For the most part, the button pressing feels good. My main gripe is still the D-pad, which feels a little cheap and mushy for my tastes. For fighting games, if you rely on a d-pad for your inputs, it’s a hard pill to swallow. Lucky for you, the versatility shines again, and you can even breakdown the Steam Deck to replace parts yourself. Don’t like the d-pad – just replace it! It’s a shining pro of the console. It’s designed to be easy to open up, so those familiar with working on PCs will feel at home.

Pricing

Price is where if you’re on a budget, this may be more of a con than a pro. Valve offers three options to purchase a new Steam Deck as of this writing. The lowest price features the basic LCD screen Steam Deck at $400.00, a bit cheaper than current gen home consoles. That’s not too bad, as OLED tech is pretty expensive – this is shown on the next tier, which is $549.00. However, you aren’t getting just a fancier screen. The mid-tier option comes with double the storage capacity to 516GB, the upgraded battery and compatibility to Wi-Fi 6. It justifies the extra $150 investment a bit more.

The top-tier comes in at $649.00 – the extra $100 all goes to additional storage up to 1TB, plus an exclusive start up move and profile icon. Do I think it’s worth it? Not really unless you absolutely NEED the best of the best or have spare change lying around. But the extra storage is always tempting for a gamer-on-the-go.

The Verdict:

TLDR: The pros outweigh the cons by a good sized margin.

In my opinion, it’s absolutely worth investing in the Steam Deck. The LCD model is a great entry point for many, but if you have a little bit extra laying around, I’d definitely go for the OLED model instead. Regardless which you choose, it’s a worthy investment for such a powerhouse portable!

Let us know what you think or your experiences if you have one!