Only 2.5 years ago, my #SteamDeck review was subtitled “An Unrivaled Portable Gaming Powerhouse.” It began with this sentence: “The Steam Deck is truly peerless and exists in a class all its own.”
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Dr. Elda King, PhDreplied to Seasons of Jason last edited by
@killyourfm The idea that a handheld needs to keep up with the whatever the newest AAA require in order to even _survive_ seems extremely short-sighted.
The performance arms race doesn't seem to be going that well for console makers or for AAA studios at this moment; the ever-increasing costs aren't being matched by profits. Assuming that performance is the main factor in the success of a handheld isn't exactly safe.
As far as I know the Deck has still been doing well, unlike Star Wars Outlaws. Maybe people might be more willing to give up the heaviest games than to give up an inexpensive handheld. Maybe there is a niche other than "catering to the highest-end titles possible".
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Le Patenteux :verif:replied to Seasons of Jason last edited by
@killyourfm
A Steam Deck II is super bad news... For my wallet!
I will buy it 100% sure!
I have never enjoyed a piece of gaming technology as much as this, since the SNES! (Sorry, the SNES is still unbeatable! There is no contest! )If it is powefull enough to drive a 1080p TV, I might need to install a toilet bowl instead of the sofa, I won't be leaving there soon!
(I don't need 4k... I prefer gameplay to graphical fidelity!) -
Le Patenteux :verif:replied to Le Patenteux :verif: last edited by
@killyourfm
But that brings me to another question: what makes those new games unplayable at reasonable graphics settings?
I say garbage code! Honestly, games are not getting THAT much better since Shadow of the Tomb Raider or Horizon Zero Dawn/Forbidden West, yet they require so much power! That is insane!
I really think we need better optimization in the industry...
(I am not blaming the devs here, there are unrealistic expectations set for them without the ressources required!) -
LexGear :godot: :linux:replied to Seasons of Jason last edited by
@killyourfm I would buy one, but still after all these years it is not available in Australia and I don't understand why.
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Seasons of Jasonreplied to LexGear :godot: :linux: last edited by
@LexGear That's ludicrous!
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Seasons of Jasonreplied to Le Patenteux :verif: last edited by
@Normand_Nadon I agree with this. In fact, I think the entire reason we see mid-generation console upgrades like PS4 Pro/PS5 Pro is because it's easier for game developers to throw more compute units at the problem than it is to optimize.
I must emphasize I'm not a developer. That's just my hot take.
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Seasons of Jasonreplied to Dr. Elda King last edited by
@eldaking I'm willing to concede that performance isn't *always* the main factor in a handheld's success. The Switch certainly proves that an underpowered console can succeed (every Nintendo system proves that). The crucial difference is that the Switch has exclusives.
I stand by my reasoning. If people can buy a Steam Deck competitor that's comfortable, affordable, and more performant while also capable of delivering a SteamOS experience, the market will shift to favor them.
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Dr. Elda King, PhDreplied to Seasons of Jason last edited by
@killyourfm But can people do that?
On the $400 price point, which competitors have better performance? MSI, Asus and Lenovo don't have anything in this category and by the specs I doubt Acer will. Ayaneo has, but those are generally weaker or not x86. $400 is likely to be the price of the Switch 2 as well.
In terms of comfort, which handhelds have touchpads? That might not be a killer, but features are not equivalent - size, battery life, screen, inputs, etc.
In terms of "SteamOS experience", aren't all of them just running Windows 11. SteamOS might not be strictly better but it is a differential.
I'm not saying the steam deck is uncontested or anything, but there are just so many factors in the competition.
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Seasons of Jasonreplied to Dr. Elda King last edited by
@eldaking I wouldn't expect the $400 Steam Deck SKU to last long. LCD models will be phased out, and $549 will likely be the entry level price.
Yes, competitors are shipping with Windows 11 (for now) but it won't stay that way.
Totally acknowledging that it's a very nuanced discussion, and ultimately these are my hot takes. But they are hot takes informed by covering the PC gaming industry for 15+ years.
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Seasons of Jasonreplied to Seasons of Jason last edited by
@eldaking One more factor: Valve will soon ship SteamOS with support for rival handhelds, and we might very well see alternate SKUs of those handhelds selling with both Windows and SteamOS options.