# Steam Deck? HOOAHH!



## Renzatic

Other than that it looking like you need some extra large hands to even use the thing, it seems pretty interesting. I might pick one up.


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## User.168

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## User 189

Renzatic said:


> Other than that it looking like you need some extra large hands to even use the thing, it seems pretty interesting. I might pick one up.



Finally! A proper competitor to the Nintendo Switch! Ever since Sony killed off the PlayStation Vita, there's been a missing gap in the handheld console market. Nintendo has yet to release a beefier version of their console.

I hope the Steam Machine makes a comeback too.








						Valve Announces the Steam Deck, a $400 Handheld Gaming PC - IGN
					

Valve is making PC gaming portable with a Nintendo Switch-like handheld.




					www.ign.com
				











						Steam Deck: The First Hands-On With Valve’s Handheld Gaming PC - IGN
					

Our impressions of the Steam Deck, Valve's new handheld PC gaming device.




					www.ign.com
				











						Steam Deck FAQ: Valve Answers the Biggest Questions - IGN
					






					www.ign.com
				











						Gabe Newell: Hitting Steam Deck Price Was 'Painful' but 'Critical' - IGN
					

Valve characterizes the Steam Deck price as "very aggressive," saying that it's vital that it feel like a high-end PC gaming device without being too expensive.




					www.ign.com


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## JayMysteri0

Renzatic said:


> Other than that it looking like you need some extra large hands to even use the thing, it seems pretty interesting. I might pick one up.



I logged back in to Steam for the first time in ages to get ready for pre orders tomorrow.

Only to see this...



> Why is my account not able to place a reservation until Sunday?
> We are aware of potential unauthorized resellers, and as an additional safeguard to ensure a fair ordering process, we’ve added a requirement that the reserver has made a purchase on Steam prior to June 2021 for the first 48 hours of reservation availability.




I hadn't made a purchase since 2017, so I'm not sure if I can get in the first set of orders.  Or if that means an account had to have made an order before that date.

Just in case, I managed to pre order a new Nintendo Switch OLED, to give a Switch a try.


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## User.168

.


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## Renzatic

AutomaticApple said:


> I hope the Steam Machine makes a comeback too.




This thing is pretty much a Steam Machine 2.0. It's a Linux powered gaming PC, after all. Just Switchified.


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## User 189

Renzatic said:


> This thing is pretty much a Steam Machine 2.0. It's a Linux powered gaming PC, after all. Just Switchified.



The Steam Machine was more in line with the Xbox One or the PlayStation 4 rather than the Nintendo Switch. On the other hand, the Steam Deck is more in line with the Nintendo Switch rather than the Xbox One (Series X/S) or the PlayStation 4/5. 

Even though it runs Linux, it's not an ideal PC in the traditional sense. As a handheld console with PC-level technical specifications, it's an amazing device (especially since it'll work with all of your Windows and Linux games).


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## JayMysteri0

One thing I did NOT catch.  When comparing this to the Switch, it's important to note that the DOCK is NOT included in those prices, it will be sold LATER.  So out of the box it's the PC version of Switch Lite, with no date set yet for the dock.


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## User 189

JayMysteri0 said:


> One thing I did NOT catch.  When comparing this to the Switch, it's important to note that the DOCK is NOT included in those prices, it will be sold LATER.  So out of the box it's the PC version of Switch Lite, with no date set yet for the dock.



Having that thing docked... it still seems like a dream device, that's for sure. A great (and superior) replacement for the aging Steam Machine!


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## JayMysteri0

> Elgato Picked A Very Bad Day To Announce A New "Stream Deck"
> 
> 
> No, it's not Valve's "Steam Deck", this is the "Stream Deck"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> kotaku.com


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## User 189

Elgato has a braindead marketing team.


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## Renzatic

AutomaticApple said:


> Elgato has a braindead marketing team.




Eh, it's not their fault. No one knew Valve was gonna announce a new console yesterday. Seems more like a shitty bout of luck for Elgato to me.


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## User 189

Renzatic said:


> Eh, it's not their fault. No one knew Valve was gonna announce a new console yesterday. Seems more like a shitty bout of luck for Elgato to me.



They could've held off on the press release. It came out _after_ Valve's announcement, right?


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## Renzatic

AutomaticApple said:


> They could've held off on the press release. It came out _after_ Valve's announcement, right?




I have no idea. I just heard that they were both announced on the same day.

One thing's for sure, it's funny as hell.


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## Renzatic

Reservations open up in 15 minutes for $5 a pop. I think I'm going to get the highest end version.


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## Renzatic

...or I wanted to. Looks like the reservation site got slammed, and can't be reached.


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## JayMysteri0

Yeah, I get my reservation in.  It's when you try to pay for it, it completely hangs up for me.

I have $10 sitting in my Steam Wallet for years, so it's a no brainer reserving.  It just keeps hanging up when I try to pay with that, Paypal, or a a card.

I finally got past that, and now it hangs up on the next step.

It doesn't seem like any system can stand on online crush of purchases, no matter who it is.

FINALLY.  Just got my email confirmation.

Now the fun part is waiting to see until December, and IF I get chosen to actually purchase the mid tier model.


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## User 189

JayMysteri0 said:


> It doesn't seem like any system can stand on online crush of purchases, no matter who it is.



I think it's a good indicator that Valve has a very successful (and competitive) console on their hands. Nintendo better watch out!


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## Renzatic

Hell, I can't even get the reservation page to load up at all anymore. I might just have to wait until tomorrow, and hope for the best.


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## Renzatic

GOT IT!


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## User 189

Renzatic said:


> GOT IT!



Congratulations!


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## JayMysteri0

AutomaticApple said:


> I think it's a good indicator that Valve has a very successful (and competitive) console on their hands. Nintendo better watch out!



That's hard to say.  We don't know the numbers of units Valve is actually producing.

It's like saying a chain store sells PS5's very well.  Until you find out they were allotted only enough units to sell ONE per store.

Yeah, every store sold out of PS5's ( I'm looking at you early day Gamestop ), but so what.


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## User 189

JayMysteri0 said:


> That's hard to say.  We don't know the numbers of units Valve is actually producing.
> 
> It's like saying a chain store sells PS5's very well.  Until you find out they were allotted only enough units to sell ONE per store.
> 
> Yeah, every store sold out of PS5's ( I'm looking at you early day Gamestop ), but so what.



Valve has made a big deal of it in the press. I can only assume they produced a lot of units in preparation for launch (especially due to the ongoing shortage of device components).


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## Renzatic

AutomaticApple said:


> Valve has made a big deal of it in the press. I can only assume they produced a lot of units in preparation for launch (especially due to the ongoing shortage of device components).




Valve isn't a traditional hardware company on par with Sony or Nintendo,  and their reputation proceeds them when it comes to supporting what they do release. I'm thinking their first shipment will probably be in the 100,000 units ballpark. Enough to gauge interest, but still fairly limited.


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## User 189

Renzatic said:


> Valve isn't a traditional hardware company on par with Sony or Nintendo,  and their reputation proceeds them when it comes to supporting what they do release. I'm thinking their first shipment will probably be in the 100,000 units ballpark. Enough to gauge interest, but still fairly limited.



Back in the early 90s, Sony wasn't a traditional hardware company on par with Nintendo or Sega. I don't think anybody at the time could've imagined them making a video game console.

The same thing can be said for Microsoft in the early 2000s.


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## Renzatic

AutomaticApple said:


> Back in the early 90s, Sony wasn't a traditional hardware company on par with Nintendo or Sega. I don't think anybody at the time could've imagined them making a video game console.
> 
> The same thing can be said for Microsoft in the early 2000s.




That comparison is more apt for Microsoft than it is Sony. MS, like Valve, was primarily a software company, but Sony's always been pretty big on the electronics scene.


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## User 189

Renzatic said:


> That comparison is more apt for Microsoft than it is Sony. MS, like Valve, was primarily a software company, but Sony's always been pretty big on the electronics scene.



Yeah, now that I think about it, Microsoft is a much more fair comparison.


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## JayMysteri0

AutomaticApple said:


> Yeah, now that I think about it, Microsoft is a much more fair comparison.



Yeah, I don't believe Valve sold the Steam machine in relatively big numbers ( half a million ), so I can't see them going overboard here on their first try back.  I think if this wave does well, reviews are good & strong, and many issues aren't found, the next wave will be bigger.

Also, this might be good to know BEFORE...



> Steam Deck Might Not Play Some Of Steam's Most Popular Games
> 
> 
> Games like Destiny 2, Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, and PUBG don't currently work with Valve's "Proton" feature
> 
> 
> 
> 
> kotaku.com


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## Renzatic

JayMysteri0 said:


> Also, this might be good to know BEFORE...




Well, you'll still be able to, just not through SteamOS, since Wine/Proton doesn't currently support any of the anticheat measures in those big online games.

This may not be the case when the Deck launches, but if it is, you'll have to install Windows on it to play those games.


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## User 189

Renzatic said:


> Well, you'll still be able to, just not through SteamOS, since Wine/Proton doesn't currently support any of the anticheat measures in those big online games.
> 
> This may not be the case when the Deck launches, but if it is, you'll have to install Windows on it to play those games.



I don't think you'll have to install Windows onto it in order to play Windows games. I'm not sure how you'd even get the drivers working...


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## Renzatic

AutomaticApple said:


> I'm not sure how you'd even get the drivers working...




I wouldn't imagine it being too big of a deal to do. When you get right down to it, the thing's just a tarted up AMD based laptop. All the basic hardware will be supported by Windows right out of the box, and Valve will probably release drivers for whatever isn't.


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## Renzatic

Digital Foundry has a video up on the Deck. I haven't watched it all yet, but they do a size comparison to the Switch, and...

...it's...it's a big ole bastard.


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## User 189

Renzatic said:


> When you get right down to it, the thing's just a tarted up AMD based laptop.



In a partnership with AMD, Valve chose to use a custom-built APU _specifically_ meant for the Steam Deck though.


JayMysteri0 said:


> Also, this might be good to know BEFORE...



You might want to watch this video (and on an unrelated note, they take a shot at Apple by boasting about how the Steam Deck isn't a walled garden ).





So far, the Steam Deck can play over 50,000 PC games. By launch, it should be able to play every single PC game available on the Steam library.





Renzatic said:


> Digital Foundry has a video up on the Deck. I haven't watched it all yet, but they do a size comparison to the Switch, and...
> 
> ...it's...it's a big ole bastard.



The Nintendo Switch "Pro" that we've always wanted...


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## Renzatic

AutomaticApple said:


> In a partnership with AMD, Valve chose to use a custom-built APU _specifically_ meant for the Steam Deck though.




It's semi-custom. AMD's done enough niping and tucking here and there at Valve's behest to make it unique to the Deck, but it's still a fully compatible x86 chip at its core. It kinda has to be if they want to make good on their advertised near 100% of your Steam library quip.

Even if it is a Linux machine, Windows still represents the universal compatibility standard. If the Deck doesn't work well with Windows, then they've failed right out the gate.


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## User 189

Renzatic said:


> It's semi-custom. AMD's done enough niping and tucking here and there at Valve's behest to make it unique to the Deck, but it's still a fully compatible x86 chip at its core. It kinda has to be if they want to make good on their advertised near 100% of your Steam library quip.
> 
> Even if it is a Linux machine, Windows still represents the universal compatibility standard. If the Deck doesn't work well with Windows, then they've failed right out the gate.



I assume most people won't be installing Windows onto their Steam Deck. After all, SteamOS 3.0 is a fork of Arch Linux.


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## Renzatic

AutomaticApple said:


> I assume most people won't be installing Windows onto their Steam Deck. After all, SteamOS 3.0 is a fork of Arch Linux.




Probably not, but it still sets the standard. As in, if it doesn't work well on Windows, it sure as hell won't work well on Linux running through Proton. That's why Valve won't change things up too much when it comes to their hardware architecture.


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## User 189

JayMysteri0 said:


> Yeah, I don't believe Valve sold the Steam machine in relatively big numbers ( half a million ), so I can't see them going overboard here on their first try back. I think if this wave does well, reviews are good & strong, and many issues aren't found, the next wave will be bigger.



The Steam Machine was Valve's first attempt at making a console though. They've probably learned a lot since then. The Steam Deck is a vastly different device in a less saturated market.


Renzatic said:


> Probably not, but it still sets the standard. As in, if it doesn't work well on Windows, it sure as hell won't work well on Linux running through Proton. That's why Valve won't change things up too much when it comes to their hardware architecture.



Proton is a compatibility layer though. Isn't that vastly different compared to Windows itself though?


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## Renzatic

AutomaticApple said:


> Proton is a compatibility layer though. Isn't that vastly different compared to Windows itself though?




Proton/Wine/DVXK/Whatevs is basically a bunch of reverse engineered protocols and APIs, meant to mimic a Windows environment so closely, your software can't even tell the difference. While there always will be some differences, like translating DX calls to Vulkan and whatnot, it kinda has to be as close to Windows as humanly possible to maximize performance and compatibility.


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## User 189

Renzatic said:


> Proton/Wine/DVXK/Whatevs is basically a bunch of reverse engineered protocols and APIs, meant to mimic a Windows environment so closely, your software can't even tell the difference. While there always will be some differences, like translating DX calls to Vulkan and whatnot, it kinda has to be as close to Windows as humanly possible to maximize performance and compatibility.



Which makes it very good, right?


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## Deleted member 221

I was initially intrigued and thought about dropping into a pre-order, but I don't really enjoy handhelds anymore in my older age.

Something about the screen moving when I'm furiously mashing buttons and using the sticks, etc..

Obviously one could dock it, but at that point I may as well just use a PC anyhow.

Very cool hardware and attractive price - just not for me.
Looks to be an amazing emulation machine also


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## JayMysteri0

AutomaticApple said:


> The Steam Machine was Valve's first attempt at making a console though. They've probably learned a lot since then. The Steam Deck is a vastly different device in a less saturated market.



Your still going on personal assumptions.  The Steam machine was something Valve learned from, and it took them awhile to return to the hardware market.  It's unlikely they learned from making hardware that didn't perform as expected, to make more.  It's more likely as they've indicated they learned about form factor ( making an on the go PC is a good idea if it can be done ), improving their OS which they admitted wasn't up to par, and more.  Fiscally it just makes sense to take a page from Nintendo.  Produce ENOUGH units to get a fair market share, but NOT enough to meet demand & cause a buzz about your product.  I think what Valve will try for especially coming out so late ( usually you put your product for sale for Christmas out in October so buzz can build as people try & fail to get it and you try to deliver ) is being THE item for the holidays.  Which will be a tough fight with a new Switch and PS5s & Xboxs still hard to find.



turbineseaplane said:


> I was initially intrigued and thought about dropping into a pre-order, but I don't really enjoy handhelds anymore in my older age.
> 
> Something about the screen moving when I'm furiously mashing buttons and using the sticks, etc..
> 
> Obviously one could dock it, but at that point I may as well just use a PC anyhow.
> 
> Very cool hardware and attractive price - just not for me.
> Looks to be an amazing emulation machine also



For me that is the appeal.  I've gone completely Apple & console, while friends went to PC for their gaming.  If cross platform isn't available I can't play with them.  With this I don't need a more expensive PC to play some games with them, and I can take it with me.


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## Deleted member 221

Yep - definitely understand the appeal!

Sadly I'm stuck with a Windows PC for a long time coming I think, for MS Flight Simulator in VR.

I was all excited about maybe being able to go console for that, but MS decided to punt on any/all VR on the console.


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## Renzatic

AutomaticApple said:


> Which makes it very good, right?




Well, right now, it's okay. You sometimes have to futz around with settings, and it doesn't work ALL the time.


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## User 189

JayMysteri0 said:


> Your still going on personal assumptions. The Steam machine was something Valve learned from, and it took them awhile to return to the hardware market. It's unlikely they learned from making hardware that didn't perform as expected, to make more. It's more likely as they've indicated they learned about form factor ( making an on the go PC is a good idea if it can be done ), improving their OS which they admitted wasn't up to par, and more. Fiscally it just makes sense to take a page from Nintendo. Produce ENOUGH units to get a fair market share, but NOT enough to meet demand & cause a buzz about your product. I think what Valve will try for especially coming out so late ( usually you put your product for sale for Christmas out in October so buzz can build as people try & fail to get it and you try to deliver ) is being THE item for the holidays. Which will be a tough fight with a new Switch and PS5s & Xboxs still hard to find.



That's essentially what I meant. They have a better chance at competing with Nintendo rather than Sony or Microsoft.


Renzatic said:


> Well, right now, it's okay. You sometimes have to futz around with settings, and it doesn't work ALL the time.



And I can only assume it'll be much better by launch? That's what Valve seems to think...


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## JayMysteri0

AutomaticApple said:


> That's essentially what I meant. They have a better chance at competing with Nintendo rather than Sony or Microsoft.



The money Valve already pulls, they aren't worried about competing with Nintendo I imagine, it's about expanding the reach of Steam.

Steam is their very well off bread & butter, a dedicated console is a nice addition, when you're fighting off Epic.


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## User 189

JayMysteri0 said:


> The money Valve already pulls, they aren't worried about competing with Nintendo I imagine, it's about expanding the reach of Steam.
> 
> Steam is their very well off bread & butter, a dedicated console is a nice addition, when you're fighting off Epic.



Has Epic Games been making a dent in Valve's business?

Valve isn't worried about competing with Nintendo. I think they intentionally want to compete with Nintendo by creating a handheld console (the difference being that the Steam Deck's hardware is more comparable to a traditional x86 console like the Xbox One/PS4, unlike the Nintendo Switch).


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## JayMysteri0

AutomaticApple said:


> Has Epic Games been making a dent in Valve's business?
> 
> Valve isn't worried about competing with Nintendo. I think they intentionally want to compete with Nintendo by creating a handheld console (the difference being that the Steam Deck's hardware is more comparable to a traditional x86 console like the Xbox One/PS4, unlike the Nintendo Switch).



Epic has been escalating the race for game exclusives which Steam hadn't had to deal with before.  Epic isn't shy about spending money.

Why I said Valve isn't worried about competing with Nintendo, is because they've seem to take a page from Nintendo on how they re enter the hardware space.  It's a form factor that appeals to a broader group because of it's flexibility.  I imagine they can see the appeal of users like myself who won't own a PC, who will get a handheld that can double as a desktop of sorts.  A machine that is directly tied to Steam and not to Epic.

It's smart thinking to want to broaden one's reach, which I can see Valve doing here.  Like every hardware maker in the gaming space before them, the hardware is NOT a profit generator.  It's the software.  Increase the amount of hardware, you can increase software sales.  They will going from almost exclusively desktops to desktops & portable units.


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## User 189

JayMysteri0 said:


> Epic has been escalating the race for game exclusives which Steam hadn't had to deal with before. Epic isn't shy about spending money.



Outside of free games, I haven't seen anybody compelled to use the Epic Games Store instead of Steam.


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## JayMysteri0

AutomaticApple said:


> Outside of free games, I haven't seen anybody compelled to use the Epic Games Store instead of Steam.



I can't comment on what you see, but I do know that Epic's store has been showing steady improvement in the couple of years it's existed.



> The Epic Games Store is getting a lot more popular
> 
> 
> Epic has released stats for the Epic Games Store - and they show impressive growth.Monthly active users rose from 32 mi…
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.eurogamer.net





> Epic has released stats for the Epic Games Store - and they show impressive growth.
> 
> Monthly active users rose from 32 million in 2019 to 56 million in December 2020, Epic announced in a blog post.
> 
> That's a big jump, but the Epic Games Store still has some way to go before it catches up with market leader Steam. Earlier this month, Valve announced Steam had over 120 million monthly active users.


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## User 189

JayMysteri0 said:


> I can't comment on what you see, but I do know that Epic's store has been showing steady improvement in the couple of years it's existed.



Most of those people are there for the free games that are on sale, right? Epic Games does that in order to attract more people to their store, but it never seems to work and only looks good on paper.


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## JayMysteri0

AutomaticApple said:


> Most of those people are there for the free games that are on sale, right? Epic Games does that in order to attract more people to their store, but it never seems to work and only looks good on paper.



I'll let you try to prove any of that.  Epic's desire is to become a competitor, thus the sales, and money spent to get exclusives.  In two years Epic is almost half way there, something I imagine no one thought possible.  Valve isn't going to sit on their hands while this is happening in front of them.


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## User 189

JayMysteri0 said:


> I'll let you try to prove any of that.  Epic's desire is to become a competitor, thus the sales, and money spent to get exclusives.  In two years Epic is almost half way there, something I imagine no one thought possible.  Valve isn't going to sit on their hands while this is happening in front of them.



I'm not sure what all of this has to do with the Steam Deck though? I don't think Epic Games is going to release their own console right now.


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## JayMysteri0

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1416471669753925635/


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## Renzatic

JayMysteri0 said:


> The money Valve already pulls, they aren't worried about competing with Nintendo I imagine, it's about expanding the reach of Steam.




The Steam Deck's biggest competitors aren't Nintendo, Sony, or MS. It's boutique gaming PC manufacturers, like Razer, Origin, Falcon, and the like.

Consolized though it may be, it's still a PC at heart. It has some potential to eat into the traditional console market, especially if they can maintain a smooth experience across all games, but it's primarily a laptop competitor.


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## JayMysteri0

Renzatic said:


> The Steam Deck's biggest competitors aren't Nintendo, Sony, or MS. It's boutique gaming PC manufacturers, like Razer, Origin, Falcon, and the like.
> 
> Consolized though it may be, it's still a PC at heart. It has some potential to eat into the traditional console market, especially if they can maintain a smooth experience across all games, but it's primarily a laptop competitor.



I believe I've said that a couple of times. 

Valve  saw the appeal of the the Switch's form factor.

That appeal & form factor I think is something that I believe Valve is banking on to draw more people ( people who aren't PC mains ) to Steam.  It's also a lower entry point, that offers a possibly greater flexibility & portability that laptops don't.


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## Renzatic

JayMysteri0 said:


> That appeal & form factor I think is something that I believe Valve is banking on to draw more people ( people who aren't PC mains ) to Steam




It's certainly worked for me. Since I bought my Switch, I barely use my PC for games anymore. Spending an hour or two a night playing videogames on the couch while the TV blares on in the background is just so relaxing.


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## DT

So, can I play my Ni-tendo tapes on this?


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## JayMysteri0

Renzatic said:


> It's certainly worked for me. Since I bought my Switch, I barely use my PC for games anymore. Spending an hour or two a night playing videogames on the couch while the TV blares on in the background is just so relaxing.



I think what will be a big draw is the regular steam sales.  I don't know how many friends I got to give Knights of the Old Republic a try, which went on sale a lot.  Also the flexibility of PC games.  One of my favorite games one called Fire Pro Wrestling, which has the player created content as one of it's biggest selling points.  It's basically never ending customization & updates that maintain the extended life of the game.


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## Renzatic

DT said:


> So, can I play my Ni-tendo tapes on this?




Wait. Hold up. I thought that was something only people around my neck of the woods said.


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## Deleted member 221

Maybe this can show some other manufacturers that there is demand for this sort of thing?

I don't think anyone buying one cares at all if it comes from Steam themselves, as you could simply install that on a generic device.

Be a great market to see get going a bit.


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## User 189

turbineseaplane said:


> I don't think anyone buying one cares at all if it comes from Steam themselves, as you could simply install that on a generic device.



Similar to GPUs, the Steam Machine was licensed to other manufacturers such as Gigabyte Technology.





Renzatic said:


> The Steam Deck's biggest competitors aren't Nintendo, Sony, or MS. It's boutique gaming PC manufacturers, like Razer, Origin, Falcon, and the like.
> 
> Consolized though it may be, it's still a PC at heart. It has some potential to eat into the traditional console market, especially if they can maintain a smooth experience across all games, but it's primarily a laptop competitor.



Is the hardware in that handheld console really comparable to a gaming PC or even a laptop for that matter?


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## Renzatic

AutomaticApple said:


> Is the hardware in that handheld console really comparable to a gaming PC or even a laptop for that matter?




It's a 4 core Zen 2 Ryzen chip, with a integrated GPU that's supposedly pretty stout. It won't be able to go toe to toe with a top end gaming PC, but it's still got a lot of bang for it's size.

For comparison, it could probably give a Razer Book with it's Intel XE GPU a run for its money.


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## Renzatic

Steel yourselves, folks. I'm about to fire up some Proton games to see how well they run.


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## Renzatic

I tried out two fairly demanding games, Resident Evil 2, and Nex Machina (aka the raddest game EVAR). This is hardly a scientific benchmarking, since I'm not comparing frames per second or anything, but just at a casual glance based on what I know about how they usually run in Windows.

As far as I can tell, running 1920x1200 windowed with everything maxed out, they're about on par with each other. All you have to do is turn on Steam Play and click Proton Experimental in your user preferences, and the games install just like they would in Windows. The only issue I could see is that it gives a generic app name in the global menu at the top left, rather than the actual name of the program.











...pretty damn swank.


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## lizkat

Renzatic said:


> I tried out two fairly demanding games, Resident Evil 2, and Nex Machina (aka the raddest game EVAR). This is hardly a scientific benchmarking, since I'm not comparing frames per second or anything, but just at a casual glance based on what I know about how they usually run in Windows.
> 
> As far as I can tell, running 1920x1200 windowed with everything maxed out, they're about on par with each other. All you have to do is turn on Steam Play and click Proton Experimental in your user preferences, and the games install just like they would in Windows. The only issue I could see is that it gives a generic app name in the global menu at the top left, rather than the actual name of the program.
> 
> 
> View attachment 7221
> 
> 
> View attachment 7222
> 
> ...pretty damn swank.




That second one there looks like what happens when someone new to the boondocks goes all in for "smart home" tech and wires up a bunch of motion-sensitive yard lights around their five acres of mown grass surrounding their summer retreat in the middle of 25 acres of wildlife habitat.

Come nightfall:   Yeee haaaa.


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## Renzatic

lizkat said:


> That second one there looks like what happens when someone new to the boondocks goes all in for "smart home" tech and wires up a bunch of motion-sensitive yard lights around their five acres of mown grass surrounding their summer retreat in the middle of 25 acres of wildlife habitat.
> 
> Come nightfall:   Yeee haaaa.




It's what my neighborhood looked like on the 3rd and 4th. The neighbors just to the left of me had to have spent about $10,000 on fireworks. I've seen official functions hosted by cities that were less impressive.


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## lizkat

Renzatic said:


> It's what my neighborhood looked like on the 3rd and 4th. The neighbors just to the left of me had to have spent about $10,000 on fireworks. I've seen official functions hosted by cities that were less impressive.




Heh, fun and games you don't even have to download!

Of course for some in range of those fireworks displays, that might go over about like that ill fated iTunes automatic download of a U2 album.


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## User 189

Renzatic said:


> with a integrated GPU



Oh, I thought it was a discrete GPU?





I'd be surprised if it's much better than Intel Iris Xe graphics that come integrated into Intel's latest offerings...


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## User.168

.


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## User.168

.


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## User 189

theSeb said:


> Steam Machine was a response to the risk that Windows may go full on Windows Store only apps, no other store fronts please. Epic's Tim Sweeney had the same opinion at the time. The Steam Machine project was doomed to fail for two main reasons, in my opinion:
> 
> 1. Steam machines were made by all the usual PC makers with no clear guidelines from Valve on what the minimum hardware should be. This project is vastly different, since it is fully under Valve's control with them setting the specs and the design and controlling the entire supply chain from manufacturing to selling.
> 2. SteamOS was immature and not ready for prime time back in 2015. It made no sense for consumers to buy a "steam machine" since many games were not compatible. The workaround was to install Windows, but then why buy a steam machine in the first place, when you could buy an equivalent PC from the same manufacturer for the same price, or less. I understand that things are very different in 2021 and SteamOS is a different beast entirely.



Do you think Steam Decks should be made by other PC manufacturers too (so long as Valve learns from their mistakes and sets clear guidelines regarding the minimum requirements)? I think that would help to expand the reach of SteamOS and finally give Nintendo a run for their money.


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## JayMysteri0

> Valve Says It Hasn't Found A Game That The Steam Deck Can't Handle
> 
> 
> According to one Valve dev, all games tested on the device run at 30 fps or higher
> 
> 
> 
> 
> kotaku.com


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## Renzatic

Linus Tech Tips has a hands on with the Steam Deck. Seems to be pretty impressed with it.


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## User 189

Renzatic said:


> Linus Tech Tips has a hands on with the Steam Deck. Seems to be pretty impressed with it.



Linus Tech Tips isn't the only one.


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## Renzatic

AutomaticApple said:


> Linus Tech Tips isn't the only one.




So rad.


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## JayMysteri0

A little more on it, that I guess Steam wasn't in a hurry to reveal about it's little discussed dock.



> The Steam Deck Might Struggle To Play Some Games On Big TVs
> 
> 
> Valve has confirmed the portable device won't get a power boost when docked and plugged into a external monitor
> 
> 
> 
> 
> kotaku.com






> In an interview with _PC Gamer_, Valve’s Greg Coomer explained that when developing and designing the Steam Deck, Valve had thought about adding a “higher power mode” that would be activated after docking the device. However, the company decided against it.
> 
> “...We felt that it was actually better all things considered to not modify based on docked status or mobile status,” Coomer explained.
> 
> “We really wanted to prioritize for using it in what we thought would be the highest use case, which is actually mobile,” Coomer told _PC Gamer__._ “And so since we were focusing on that, and we chose like a threshold where the machine will run well, and with a good frame rate with AAA games in that scenario. We didn’t really feel like we should target also going after the dock scenario at higher resolutions. We wanted a simpler design target and to prioritize that.”






> Still, if you were planning on using the Steam Deck as a living room PC and portable console, this might be something to consider before trying to snag one later this year.
> 
> As of today, we also don’t even know how much the dock for the Steam Deck will cost, when it will be available to pre-order or purchase, or really any other details for that matter.


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## Renzatic

JayMysteri0 said:


> A little more on it, that I guess Steam wasn't in a hurry to reveal about it's little discussed dock.




That's no surprise. The integrated GPU in the thing will work fine running all your games in 1280x800, but try to push it anywhere beyond that, and you'll quickly begin to see its limitations.


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## User 189

Renzatic said:


> That's no surprise. The integrated GPU in the thing will work fine running all your games in 1280x800, but try to push it anywhere beyond that, and you'll quickly begin to see its limitations.



Maybe it isn't the Nintendo Switch "Pro" that we all wished for...


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## Renzatic

AutomaticApple said:


> Maybe it isn't the Nintendo Switch "Pro" that we all wished for...




Oh, it's still a killer machine, you'll just have to curb your expectations a bit.


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## User 189

Renzatic said:


> Oh, it's still a killer machine, you'll just have to curb your expectations a bit.



The custom AMD "Ryzen" APU is underwhelming and unimpressive.


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## JayMysteri0

Finally got mine.

Will start playing with it this week.


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## Cmaier

I'm still on the Q3 waiting list


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## JayMysteri0

A friend ordered his the same time as mine.  He ordered the most expensive one though, and his order got pushed to Q2.  

Q2 just began & he's already counting the Mondays looking for his email.


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## diamond.g

JayMysteri0 said:


> A friend ordered his the same time as mine.  He ordered the most expensive one though, and his order got pushed to Q2.
> 
> Q2 just began & he's already counting the Mondays looking for his email.



I dislike you, lol. I am in the Q2 bucket but didn't get an email today. Did you order the 512GB unit?


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## Renzatic

JayMysteri0 said:


> Finally got mine.




You SUNUVABITCH!


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## JayMysteri0

diamond.g said:


> I dislike you, lol. I am in the Q2 bucket but didn't get an email today. Did you order the 512GB unit?



I ordered the 256GB version.  It seems that & lowest tier version they can put out with less shortages.  I thought I read the screen for the highest tier was a shortage issue.  Thus some of the Q1 people being pushed back.

I literally got my email on the last Monday of Q1.


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## diamond.g

JayMysteri0 said:


> I ordered the 256GB version.  It seems that & lowest tier version they can put out with less shortages.  I thought I read the screen for the highest tier was a shortage issue.  Thus some of the Q1 people being pushed back.
> 
> I literally got my email on the last Monday of Q1.



Ah, I reserved the 256GB unit. According to the email I got in 15 minutes after reservations started. So maybe I'll get my email next week.


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## Renzatic

I reserved the 512GB version, so...

...yeah. Q3 for me!


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