Steam Deck? HOOAHH!

[User 189]

GOT IT!

Congratulations!

 

[JayMysteri0]

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.

 

[User 189]

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).

 

[Renzatic]

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.

 

[User 189]

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.

 

[Renzatic]

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.

 

[User 189]

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.

 

[JayMysteri0]

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

 

[Renzatic]

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.

 

[User 189]

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...

 

[Renzatic]

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.

 

[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.

 

[User 189]

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.

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.

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...

 

[Renzatic]

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.

 

[User 189]

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.

 

[Renzatic]

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.

 

[User 189]

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.

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?

 

[Renzatic]

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.

 

[User 189]

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?

 

[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