Steam Deck and PC Gaming
I am fiending for a Steam Deck, and I’m not even ashamed about it.
Although I have discussed before how there is a time and a place for consoles, I’m finding myself gravitating more toward the idea of PC gaming lately. I’m not saying that I’m done with console gaming; I still think the Nintendo Switch is probably the best gaming console ever made from the perspective of form factor. A single device that can be both a handheld and traditional console is amazing, and my family leverages that capability to great extent.
And maybe that’s why I’m now becoming more interested in PC gaming specifically with the Steam Deck. Effectively, it’s the PC equivalent of a Nintendo Switch. It can be a handheld, you can dock it for a more stationary experience, and the OS seems to be very much geared toward browsing a game library and selecting something to play.
My aversion to PC gaming traditionally has largely involved the difficult decision between building out a desktop rig and buying a high end laptop for the portability factor. I don’t exactly have a dedicated gaming space. My office has the hardware peripherals for it, but I try not to sequester myself off outside of work hours. That seems to make a desktop rig rather pointless. My Surface Pro 7 is great as a platform, but the performance just isn’t viable for gaming. It struggles to play OpenRCT2, let alone some modern AAA title. That leaves a gaming laptop as an option, but I just can’t see myself paying over a grand for the type of performance I would need.
Enter the Steam Deck. It has the portability of a laptop, the price of a console, and the performance to play current games. Especially with the price drop on the original model Steam Deck, or even with the lower storage OLED, I could pop a larger drive in and I’m good to go. We can dock it in the living room for family gaming, or I can take it handheld to sit with the rest of my family and socialize while I grind out levels on whatever I might be playing at the time.
What really drove me to this interest in the Steam Deck is just how apathetic I am toward the Sony PS5 and Microsoft Xbox Series X|S (which, that’s a stupid naming scheme). There are still console exclusives, but I can’t say I care about any of them individually. And if I can avoid the exclusivity by just playing PC, why would I pick either? One of the final straws was the availability of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart on Steam. Ratchet and Clank was one of the only non-Nintendo intellectual properties that I cared anything about, and it used to be Playstation exclusive. If it’s on PC now, why would I have any reason to get an Xbox or a Playstation?
Notice, I mentioned non-Nintendo IP. I’m going to buy Nintendo consoles and games, flat out, no question. The Wii and Wii U had me doubting that back in the late 2000s and early 2010s, but the Switch gave me full faith in Nintendo again. As I said, I truly think that it’s the best video game console ever made. The form factor is just super convenient and the library is pretty massive. Performance isn’t as good as the PS5 or Xbox Series whatever, but that’s what the PC is for. A Steam Deck would allow me to get that level of performance and portability for cross platform games, while the Switch would scratch the console itch. I’m not one to have ever cared much about top tier graphics, and the reduced performance of Switch ports is frankly a non-issue to me. I can’t imagine what game would be available as a bad Switch port and not on PC, but I would have the coverage if it existed.
I’m still not quite interested enough to pay for a Steam Deck, but it’s definitely on my radar. Now that I’m done with school and I should have more time to play games, it’s a more compelling purchase. Besides, the kids hog both Switch devices so I need something of my own again. What else am I going to do during boring meetings that don’t require me to pay attention?
Although I have discussed before how there is a time and a place for consoles, I’m finding myself gravitating more toward the idea of PC gaming lately. I’m not saying that I’m done with console gaming; I still think the Nintendo Switch is probably the best gaming console ever made from the perspective of form factor. A single device that can be both a handheld and traditional console is amazing, and my family leverages that capability to great extent.
And maybe that’s why I’m now becoming more interested in PC gaming specifically with the Steam Deck. Effectively, it’s the PC equivalent of a Nintendo Switch. It can be a handheld, you can dock it for a more stationary experience, and the OS seems to be very much geared toward browsing a game library and selecting something to play.
My aversion to PC gaming traditionally has largely involved the difficult decision between building out a desktop rig and buying a high end laptop for the portability factor. I don’t exactly have a dedicated gaming space. My office has the hardware peripherals for it, but I try not to sequester myself off outside of work hours. That seems to make a desktop rig rather pointless. My Surface Pro 7 is great as a platform, but the performance just isn’t viable for gaming. It struggles to play OpenRCT2, let alone some modern AAA title. That leaves a gaming laptop as an option, but I just can’t see myself paying over a grand for the type of performance I would need.
Enter the Steam Deck. It has the portability of a laptop, the price of a console, and the performance to play current games. Especially with the price drop on the original model Steam Deck, or even with the lower storage OLED, I could pop a larger drive in and I’m good to go. We can dock it in the living room for family gaming, or I can take it handheld to sit with the rest of my family and socialize while I grind out levels on whatever I might be playing at the time.
What really drove me to this interest in the Steam Deck is just how apathetic I am toward the Sony PS5 and Microsoft Xbox Series X|S (which, that’s a stupid naming scheme). There are still console exclusives, but I can’t say I care about any of them individually. And if I can avoid the exclusivity by just playing PC, why would I pick either? One of the final straws was the availability of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart on Steam. Ratchet and Clank was one of the only non-Nintendo intellectual properties that I cared anything about, and it used to be Playstation exclusive. If it’s on PC now, why would I have any reason to get an Xbox or a Playstation?
Notice, I mentioned non-Nintendo IP. I’m going to buy Nintendo consoles and games, flat out, no question. The Wii and Wii U had me doubting that back in the late 2000s and early 2010s, but the Switch gave me full faith in Nintendo again. As I said, I truly think that it’s the best video game console ever made. The form factor is just super convenient and the library is pretty massive. Performance isn’t as good as the PS5 or Xbox Series whatever, but that’s what the PC is for. A Steam Deck would allow me to get that level of performance and portability for cross platform games, while the Switch would scratch the console itch. I’m not one to have ever cared much about top tier graphics, and the reduced performance of Switch ports is frankly a non-issue to me. I can’t imagine what game would be available as a bad Switch port and not on PC, but I would have the coverage if it existed.
I’m still not quite interested enough to pay for a Steam Deck, but it’s definitely on my radar. Now that I’m done with school and I should have more time to play games, it’s a more compelling purchase. Besides, the kids hog both Switch devices so I need something of my own again. What else am I going to do during boring meetings that don’t require me to pay attention?
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