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PaperclipPerfector  4mo ago (text post)   1913 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for January 5, 2024

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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I'm surprised that throughout the past few weeks I've seen no discussion on handheld computing a la the Steam deck, so here it is.

I've fairly recently gotten my hands on a Steam deck OLED, and it's everything that I've wanted a modded PSP to be (maybe a touch too large). A higher quality brighter screen is a significant improvement from the old LCD I had from yesteryear. Having Arch OS behind the scenes comes at a significant benefit as well, as full software support means you can literally run common applications, Emulators, etc. with actual software support! Oh, and it can run steam games too, I guess.

Anyways, I think it goes to say I enjoyed messing around with it a lot and have actually started tackling a non-0 amount of my steam backlog. My hope is that the success of these handheld compute units will create incentives for Microsoft to actually take a look at a lightweight version of their OS for ease of use without the endless need for internet connection to send telemetry and personal information and maybe implement some battery-optimizing techniques. I'm not holding my breath but one can hope!

Valve still don't sell the deck directly in my country. I'd have to pay a very inflated price to an importer. I can't justify that given how I can often go 2 weeks without playing any games, and how much I enjoy my PC/TV setup for most gaming purposes. Don't see myself using a handheld all that often. Might get tempted by the Deck 2 though, if it has good specs and they sell it directly to consumers in my country.

I certainly think it had limited use case is somewhat limited if you don't choose to tinker with it. It definitely leans towards the 'portable' end of the current offerings of handheld computers in that it emphasizes battery life over performance which is why it's my preferred device. If you don't game a lot or have an extensive steam library it's probably not worth the money imo. I have both and tend to travel and split time between multiple places so having a to-go device like the steam deck is beneficial for my lifestyle.

If I were more of a traveling man I'd get one for sure. Would eliminate the need for a gaming capable laptop.

I don't travel anymore but I've found much use for my steamdeck anyway.

I can now lie in bed or on the sofa and game more easily. I wasn't sure I would use it enough but I game on it more than my computer and TV nowadays.

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