Steam Deck (handheld from Valve) - shipping is 4-8 days from NL to UK

[Mr. Gerbik]

31 minutes ago, Alex W. said:

Apparently they are retiring the current big-screen Steam interface in favour if the Steam Deck UI on all platforms, so the interface at least is here to stay.

Oh that's good news. At least, I assume that is good news. A few days ago I fired up Steam for the first time this year (all my gaming time is being consumed by the fancy new consoles) and was not really that surprised to find the big screen UI still unchanged. It was okay and very cool when it launched but I always assumed they would keep improving it. They probably did some optimization or whatever, but AFAIK it's largely unchanged. And while it's nice that it exists it was never as effective as simply using by Bluetooth keyboard with trackpad from the couch when using the telly. I hope the new UI is a significant improvement in that regard, I want to be convinced that using my controller is more efficient.

[Uzi]

Yeah I really don't like the Big Picture UI

 

Steam OS looks less fisher price in comparison - still big and simple but just less clunky. 

 

Is there currently a way to automatically launch the big picture mode by hitting the power/x button on a xbox controller? That would be a really nice way to launch the Steam OS 

[Mogster]

2 minutes ago, Uzi said:

Yeah I really don't like the Big Picture UI

 

Steam OS looks less fisher price in comparison - still big and simple but just less clunky. 

 

Is there currently a way to automatically launch the big picture mode by hitting the power/x button on a xbox controller? That would be a really nice way to launch the Steam OS 

I think the Xbox button launches it, although I haven't tried in a long time. One press used to launch Steam, with a second launching Big Picture.

[Uzi]

12 minutes ago, Mogster said:

I think the Xbox button launches it, although I haven't tried in a long time. One press used to launch Steam, with a second launching Big Picture.

Ah does nothing for me - 1 press or 2 so probably something that needs to be configured 

 

EDIT - Ignore I'm an idiot - steam needs to be physically open and running first - you can't use it hard launch steam

[Mogster]

4 minutes ago, Uzi said:

Ah does nothing for me - 1 press or 2 so probably something that needs to be configured 

 

EDIT - Ignore I'm an idiot - steam needs to be physically open and running first - you can't use it hard launch steam

Yep, sorry. I meant launch the window assuming it's running in the background.

 

I always found it a bit temperamental anyway. Occasionally it just wouldn't work, and sometimes would be triggered by a long press to power off the pad. These days I only use the button to turn the pad on.

[Mr. Gerbik]

19 minutes ago, Uzi said:

Ah does nothing for me - 1 press or 2 so probably something that needs to be configured 

It just does it for me. When in Steam, press Guide and it launches into big picture. I think -but I'm not sure- that if you leave it in big picture when turning it off, it will launch into bog picture immediately next time.

 

Edit: I also have all the built-in gamebar or whatever it's called shenanigans in Windows 10 turned off. Maybe that makes a difference.

[Uzi]

Thanks guys - I noticed in steam settings you can set Steam to run on start up so that should help with making the PC with a pad a bit more console like with pressing a button on the controller without needs to use the mouse and keyboard to launch anything first

[Mr. Gerbik]

11 minutes ago, Mr. Gerbik said:

 launch into bog picture 

Just noticed this spelling error but I'm leaving it in. Because SURELY this is the perfect name for the Steam Deck UI???

 

Steam Deck featuring Bog Picture mode(tm)

[Mr. Gerbik]

4 minutes ago, Uzi said:

Thanks guys - I noticed in steam settings you can set Steam to run on start up so that should help with making the PC with a pad a bit more console like with pressing a button on the controller without needs to use the mouse and keyboard to launch anything first

That should work. Iirc if Steam is running but minimized pressing the guide button makes it appear full screen.

[Mallet]

I'm a sucker for Deck videos at the moment

 

 

[jonamok]

IGN has put up its next exclusive video, which is a very misnamed ‘deep dive’ into the hardware. Not worth the 10 minutes, and absolutely zero new game footage. The DF video above is good though.

[Mitchell]

On 20/07/2021 at 10:45, Uzi said:

FYI those with earlier orders who didn't have date estimates under their preorder on steam should now state December 2021 estimate 

 

Your expected order availability: December 2021 

 

😍

 

( Sorry everyone.  None of my friends or family care in the slightest and this is the only place I can 'flex'.  😐 )

[Lyrical Donut]

Mine is now showing as Q2 2022 (previously Q3) 

[Hitcher]

Why is this such a big deal because it seems counterintuitive to the whole point of PC gaming to me?

[Ry]

Mines is Q2 2022 as well. I'm happy to wait as I want to see impressions from other users. 

 

Also gives me more time to save up some money.

[Jamie John]

15 minutes ago, Hitcher said:

Why is this such a big deal because it seems counterintuitive to the whole point of PC gaming to me?

 

I'm not seeing it as 'PC gaming', per se, but rather portable gaming on a relatively powerful piece of kit. It's more or less everything I wanted the Switch Pro to be. If Nintendo had announced one of those instead of the Switch OLED the other day then I'd be a lot less excited about this.

[Ry]

19 minutes ago, Hitcher said:

Why is this such a big deal because it seems counterintuitive to the whole point of PC gaming to me?

 

It appeals to me because I'm not a PC gamer. 

 

Having this powerful handheld that allows me to play decades of PC games I missed without all the fuss of graphic cards and having a designated PC gaming area. 

 

Being able to just pick this up and play and potentially put it in a Dock to play on TV is just brilliant. 

[Lyrical Donut]

1 hour ago, Hitcher said:

Why is this such a big deal because it seems counterintuitive to the whole point of PC gaming to me?

 

I guess that depends on your interpretation of what the whole point of PC gaming is. It's not always about an overkill build with all the fancy RGB fairy lights.

 

The specs are somewhere between a base PS4/Bone and a PS5/S/X.  It's fixed hardware, meaning that developers can tailor their stuff to it and get the most out of it.

 

Same goes for emulation developers too. It's probably got enough grunt to run stuff all the way up to 360/PS3 - for XBLA/PSN stuff, at least.

[Alex W.]

It’s like a jailbroken Vita but it comes jailbroken, with ten times the size and power, and with a marginally less idiosyncratic view of touch inputs.

[Mallet]

This video is from a guy explaining how powerful the track pads are by demonstrating how a Steam controller works. I'm genuinely shocked and very impressed, I never paid any attention to the Steam controller but the things you can do with one are crazy, now I want a Steam controller as well.

 

I'm getting more excited about the Deck all the time.

 

 

[Dudley]

On 21/07/2021 at 16:48, Ry said:

I thought the 64gb would be fine for me but hearing horror stories on how the speed will be heavily compromised made me get the 256 version. 

 

I only play a handful of games at a time so if I can 4 or 5 big titles on the internal and store the indie stuff on an SD card then I'm happy. 

 

Depends what you mean by "big titles".  That 64gb is probably going to be about 50 usable.

 

Picking a few from what's installed on my PC

 

Assetto Corsa Competizione is 14gb

Beyond a Steel sky is 15gb

Grid (2019) is 77gb

Moto GP 19 is 17gb

Project CARS 3 is 49gb

Rise of the Tomb Raider is 25gb

WRC 8 is 20gb

 

If you mean AAA games you might be optimistic there.

 

 

 

[Hitcher]

1 hour ago, Jamie John said:

It's more or less everything I wanted the Switch Pro to be.

But it wont play Nintendo games.

[Calashnikov]

4 hours ago, Ry said:

 

It appeals to me because I'm not a PC gamer. 

 

Having this powerful handheld that allows me to play decades of PC games I missed without all the fuss of graphic cards and having a designated PC gaming area. 

 

Being able to just pick this up and play and potentially put it in a Dock to play on TV is just brilliant. 

Yeah. First thing I’m going to play on mine will be like Half Life 1. Never played it or any other PC game since it.

[Calashnikov]

Games I’ve added to my Steam wish list in preparation for this coming out:

 

Half Life 1 & 2

Portal 1 & 2

Jet Set Radio

Crazy Taxi

Chrono Trigger

 

For me it’s going to be a retro and probable indie player, with the odd PC-ass PC game I might be curious to fuck around with like Valheim or something, and no doubt the odd Soulsborne game just because.
 

I’ve got my PS5 for AAA next gen shiny stuff and my Switch for Nintendo stuff. Steam Deck is going to plug some gaps for me, no doubt. 
 

The fact it’s also essentially a PC means I can start dabbling with emulators and shit. Or even just download something/anything. Since my MacBook packed in a few years ago I’ve only had the work laptop on the go and no way I’m downloading Sodomania 7 onto that.

[Mr. Gerbik]

6 hours ago, Hitcher said:

But it wont play Nintendo games.

What kind of answer are you hoping for?

[Giddas]

9 hours ago, Alex W. said:

It’s like a jailbroken Vita but it comes jailbroken, with ten times the size and power, and with a marginally less idiosyncratic view of touch inputs.

it’s certainly ten times the size

[simms]

12 hours ago, Hitcher said:

Why is this such a big deal because it seems counterintuitive to the whole point of PC gaming to me?

PC gaming is not always about cutting edge hardware.  The Steam hardware survey regularly shows most users have quite modest hardware.  I’ve got fairly new hardware but mostly play Rocket league or FTL because I’m mental.  But its nice knowing that I can flex the latest games with bell and whistles.

 

8 hours ago, Hitcher said:

But it wont play Nintendo games.

 

It will play everything 😉 I know this is looked down upon but I currently play Zelda BOTW remaster (at 60fps and increased draw distance) before Nintendo releases their official version.

[bradigor]

It's going to be an Indie machine for me more than anything. 

[Ry]

The new digital foundry video where they talk about the wattage power hampering the device is worrying. 

 

They talk about it quite a bit and are shocked no one else is mentioning it as its really important and will effect games. 

[Mallet]

I understand DF's point about the power but at the same time the specs that Valve have posted are using the 15watt power envelope. 

 

I'm basing my expectations on those numbers not what the same components would be able to do if they had a lot more power available to draw on.