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Steam Deck: First Anniversary

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Re: Steam Deck: First Anniversary

#171

Post by Razengan »

TheRealDunkirk wrote: post #143
smileybarry wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If you install Windows, apparently Microsoft doesn't allow you to get updates (on W11) because of the Deck's lack of a "TPM". False for almost a year, a fTPM was added in a system update in March 2022. It's even a note in Valve's Windows drivers page. > Heck even an M2 MacBook + Windows VM would do. I seriously doubt it, you have questionable GPU acceleration + 2 levels of binary translation + 3 GPU translation lay…

>> Heck even an M2 MacBook + Windows VM would do. > I seriously doubt it... And you're right to do so. I've been a pretty hard-core gamer for 30 years. I also ran Linux on the desktop for almost 20. I've tried every version of Wine and Crossover and Cedega and PopOS to play games. Let's put it this way: I never got rid of my Windows partition. Since buying a Mac, I've tried Parallels, bought an external GPU, and boug…

> I've been a pretty hard-core gamer for 30 years.

Same. Grew up on the Commodore 64 (long after its sun had set; it's just what my folks allowed me to mess around on as a kid)

> TL;DR: Can confirm gaming on a Mac sucks.

Nahh.

I jumped ship from Windows around 12 years ago and never looked back. Sure I missed out on some stubborn AAA titles, but I've played a lot of great games on the Mac just as well, and between native ports, CrossOver/VMs, and my Vita/3DS/Switch and now the PS5, I've never once thought about booting into Windows.

Re: Steam Deck: First Anniversary

#172

Post by ascagnel_ »

ushtaritk421 wrote: post #91
a13o wrote: post #36

The next generation of gaming platforms is really going to be heated. We basically have two philosophies in the field now. The Switch and the Steam Deck sacrifice high end hardware for portability and versatility. The PS5 and XSX are about as portable as a LAN party, but can theoretically push 4k@120hz for the cost of a graphics card. Is there room for everyone next gen? Each of Valve, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo h…

Steam deck is an extension of the already existing PC gaming market. I suspect that almost all Steam Deck owners already have a PC they game on. Steam Deck just makes it so those PC gamers will care if a game runs well on Linux. The point isn’t to take over the console market but to defend the PC gaming market from console exclusivity and Steam itself from e.g. Microsoft Store

> Steam itself from e.g. Microsoft Store

That was initially the case for SteamOS/Steam Machines, but the MS Store has been a _resounding_ failure in the gaming market. It's use is largely limited to PC Game Pass subscribers, who use it as the download backend for the Xbox app (which is the primary interface for installing/managing games).

If anything, it's a way for Valve to hedge against streaming platforms.

Re: Steam Deck: First Anniversary

#173

Post by snuxoll »

Hamuko wrote: post #86
ccouzens wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Steam ecosystem has devices in both categories. It's the only ecosystem in the list where you can buy a game and have your progress synced between a performance device and a portable device.

Sony used to have hardware and software for this, as you could cross-buy a title for a PlayStation 4 and a PlayStation Vita, and then sync the save data through the cloud. Unfortunately Sony abandoned the handheld gaming market just before the Switch and Steam Deck blew it up.

RIP PS Vita, the device was far ahead of its time; but Sony didn't abandon it "just before" the Switch and Deck blew up the handheld market again, they had shot it and left it to bleed somewhere between year 1 and year 2 on the market. Frankly it's amazing it has the library that it does considering Sony basically stopped supporting it or marketing it in any way long before they stopped producing the system.

Re: Steam Deck: First Anniversary

#174

Post by goosedragons »

Guillaume86 wrote: post #167
NineStarPoint wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s important to recognize that while the Steam deck is awesome, it’s sold 1 million compared to the 100 million of the Switch. Nintendo has massive name recognition and exclusives of course, but also price. The cheapest Steam Deck is 400 dollars, whereas the Switch is 300. For people who don’t already have big steam libraries and don’t care about open hardware, the Switch is where they’re going to go for a mobile c…

The price argument is completely reversed if you factor in that you need to buy games to play. Nintendo games prices are horrendous even for very patient gamers while Steam has big discounts on the regular. The same game on Switch vs Deck will routinely be 4-5x more expensive.

Not really. Nintendo first party titles hold their value well but you're not playing those on Steam either. 3rd party titles will often be the same price or close enough with the exception of super recent ports of old PC games. Definitely NOT 4-5x more expensive unless you're only comparing to full price not on sale eShop titles to best possible discount on Steam.

Re: Steam Deck: First Anniversary

#176

Post by jasonlotito »

nailer wrote: post #33

As a former owner of a Steam controller: Do games just work like a console? Or do I have to mess around like on a PC? I’m old, and don’t have time to game. I don’t want to spend 20 minutes of the first hour in a settings menu.

I was able to install Elden Ring and play without any changes. It carried over my save from my PC. It just worked. Same with Vampire Survivors. I use these two as examples because they are opposites of one another in terms of resources. If ER and VS can both provide games that work out of the box with the Steam Deck, then it really falls on the games developer, and really, do they support controllers?

Steam makes it clear what works well with the Steam Deck. Not everything does for various reasons, but if you stay with what works well, my experience is you'll be fine.

Re: Steam Deck: First Anniversary

#178

Post by boh »

Valve is a pretty amazing company that consistently innovates and makes long-term, strategic decisions. Its a real model for a great tech company. Its unique capital and management structure has insulated it from any real competition. Companies like EA have to constantly turn a profit, cut corners where they can, and think in very short timeframes. Valve is completely private, with mostly (if not complete), owner/manager ownership. There's no managerial hierarchies. Ideas are both welcome and constantly challenged. If it was a public company we would likely see Google-like growth since its inception.

Linux-based gaming became a focus for the company for at least the past ten years. Steam Deck is the culmination of a focused, persistent strategy--the type most highly leveraged, public companies with unreasonable growth requirements are completely incapable of facilitating.

Re: Steam Deck: First Anniversary

#179

Post by tylersmith »

ghusto wrote: post #170

I'm catching up on the last 20 years of gaming I've missed for not having a Windows machine :) Bonus points for most of the old games being super cheap now. I'm really happy with mine. Games just work, no tweaking or weird configurations necessary, gamepads and other controller schemes work well, and; it's running Linux in the back! Once you configure something like Syncthing in desktop mode, it carries on working in…

> my Switch doesn't need to phone home to believe I own the games I've bought

However once your Switch _can_ connect to the internet Nintendo can just erase all your games.

Re: Steam Deck: First Anniversary

#180

Post by metalliqaz »

ghusto wrote: post #170

I'm catching up on the last 20 years of gaming I've missed for not having a Windows machine :) Bonus points for most of the old games being super cheap now. I'm really happy with mine. Games just work, no tweaking or weird configurations necessary, gamepads and other controller schemes work well, and; it's running Linux in the back! Once you configure something like Syncthing in desktop mode, it carries on working in…

As far as content platforms go, Steam is one of the very few that I trust. So it's not a huge concern in my humble opinion
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