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

[T Pot]

Has anyone played RCT3 Platinum and got remaps working? I've mapped the analogue sticks to WSAD / Arrows and then set the camera controls up in the game to match the same inputs, but it just doesn't respond to them at all. 

[Wiper]

2 hours ago, Siri said:

Oh, one other tip for new deck owners:

 

Back Paddle buttons. Put your fingers on the flat back of the handheld and press there, not on the handles as you would an Xbox elite controller. Your hands will thank you.

 

Must be nice having long fingers

 

I can't physically reach the flat of the Deck while holding it. Possibly part of the reason I find it so uncomfortable to hold for a prolonged period. Apologies for the poorly taken one-handed photos, but this is as far as my grip reaches: 

 

 

 

My middle finger can just about touch the flat of one paddle! Of course in actual use my fingers are even further from the back of the unit if I want to be able to reach the joysticks with my thumbs.

[Opinionated Ham Scarecrow]

I'm playing Xanadu Next on the Deck at the mo. What a cracking hidden gem of an action RPG.

[Siri]

6 minutes ago, Wiper said:

 

Must be nice having long fingers

 

I can't physically reach the flat of the Deck while holding it. Possibly part of the reason I find it so uncomfortable to hold for a prolonged period. Apologies for the poorly taken one-handed photos, but this is as far as my grip reaches: 

 

My middle finger can just about touch the flat of one paddle! Of course in actual use my fingers are even further from the back of the unit if I want to be able to reach the joysticks with my thumbs.

 

Hmm, that's unfortunate. I did see some of the Reddit lot use adhesive bumps to help alleviate access to the tactile press, although something like this might be a good idea, too.

[deerokus]

Fwiw I had a flare-up of trigger finger for the first few weeks with mine. Think I found a more comfortable way to hold it and it calmed down.

[Hawklord]

I find it easier to press this part

 

 

My fingers sit naturally on there

[SuperFamiTom]

1 hour ago, Stanley said:

Will Civ play ok with traditional pad controls, or using the touchpads? 

 

I think I'd struggle with the text on Steam Deck. I bought it to play on my desktop. 

[Strafe]

1 minute ago, Hawklord said:

I find it easier to press this part

 

 

My fingers sit naturally on there

I would think that’s the part you’re supposed to use, right? Based on paddles on other controllers.

 

But it’s designed so both work. I can reach the inside (the bit further away but use the outside)

[Stejay]

2 hours ago, T Pot said:

 

Got lucky on an ebay listing. Put in a lowball offer and the guy accepted it. 

 

Jammy!

 

1 hour ago, Siri said:

 

Including, although not limited to:

 

- L3 and R3. Amazing!

- Built in Steam OS functions, namely Magnifier and Open/Close keyboard

- Binds for D-Pad if I want to keep my hands on the analogues (handy for flasks in PoE)

- cloning a button but mapping it for a turbo function (ie. Running in GTA4)

- binds for keyboard buttons if the controller is entirely mapped to standard controller functions (similar to the above SteamOS stuff, but things like menu shortcuts, etc)

 

Thanks. I'll have to look into what the Deck can actually do.  It's mainly been a Vampire Survivors player so far, but there is so much I need to explore, Epic Store games, PS5 and Xbox remote play, emulation, etc, that I don't know where to start.  What a machine!

[AlexM]

Is anyone else finding that the Deck has essentially 'ruined' console gaming for them?

 

I don't have access to my Xbox/Switch atm, haven't noticed - when I get them back they'll be in the classifieds section.

The PS5 is (temporarily) being used as a glorified media centre and I'm starting to think its days are numbered too.

 

I'm really into PCs again, despite working in IT. I have a library that works across a handheld, a desktop, and a laptop, and most (sadly not all) games have cloud saves. I can seamlessly jump from one to the other, no streaming required! (Insert Swoon smiley here)

 

This thing is brilliant.

[Gotters]

Sold my PS5 to part fund the Deck, got Splatoon 3 sat loaded on the Switch with 0 mins played and bought FIFA 23 in the £20 offer sale for X Series and played 2 matches.

 

I was lapsing as a gamer and had been for years but would quite happily get rid of both those consoles now and just stick with the Deck, which I actually play games on rather than buying them and never getting round to it.

 

It's the freedom of sitting on the sofa playing something with the TV on in the background and my other half chatting away, gaming has become complimentary to everything else rather than dominating a room or my time. It basically turns most games into mobile games for me, to the degree I don't really play phone games anymore either (unless in the loo of course, the Deck is too nice to go in the bog).

[Stanley]

Does this SD look good? It’s £10 cheaper than the Samsung one and seems to be pretty much the same speeds. 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B088HRR8KT?tag=eurgam-df-uk-21

 

the Samsung one

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09D3LP52K/

Also how about this dock? I’m guessing you can use the power adapter supplied with the deck with this too? 
 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/JSAUX-Compatible-Ethernet-Charging-Deck-HB0603-Black/dp/B0B9RBLBQS/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=33AL4NM4WT89Y&keywords=stream+deck+dock&qid=1673558642&sprefix=steam+deck+dock%2Caps%2C83&sr=8-4

 

 

 

 

[Curtis]

31 minutes ago, Stanley said:

the Samsung one

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09D3LP52K/

 

 

 

 

 

This is the one i bought:

 

https://www.scan.co.uk/products/512gb-samsung-mb-mc512ka-eu-evo-plus-microsdxc-memory-card-class-u3-v30-a2-130mb-s-read-adapter-incl

[Stanley]

That’s a very good price, I went with the integral in the end as it has a faster read speed (180mps vs 130). Hopefully it’s alright! 

[Opinionated Ham Scarecrow]

The only issue I have encountered with the deck is battery life when you push it to its limits. Seeing Elden Ring on a handheld is absolutely insane, and the novelty still hasn't worn off, but you'll be lucky to get an hour and a half before having to recharge. It really is a brilliant device though, and as others have mentioned, it really helps maintaining this antisocial hobby whilst still being present in the front room with family instead of skulking off to an RGB lit mancave.

[Fry Crayola]

But I like my RGB-lit mancave.

 

(Kitchen)

[Siri]

13 hours ago, AlexM said:

Is anyone else finding that the Deck has essentially 'ruined' console gaming for them?

 

Kind of - PC as a platform ruined console gaming back when I got into it around the 360 era post Phantasy Star Universe addiction. Unless it's on the console part of game pass, my PC has been where I've played games for the last decade.

 

What the Deck has done is 'ruin' PC gaming, as I don't need to sit at my desk or faff with multiple screens to play that library any more. I just resume the game I want by just picking it up and playing it.

 

RE: battery life, it's been fine for my main use (games during lunch and a couple of hours before bed), although I'm bringing a mains charger for long haul flights.

 

But I don't really know how it's possible to improve it - battery technology has been stagnant for ages (hell, we need something for EVs too), and the APU in it is the first in a generational leap. You're either waiting years for that situation to improve, stuffing more cells into it to make it larger and heavier than it already is, or using a worse performing APU which makes your games run like shit.

 

Although regarding the last one, there's nothing stopping anyone from Slapping power tools onto this thing via Decky and doing some proper fiddling, although ever since adding it I've never bothered using it..

[monkeydog]

13 hours ago, AlexM said:

Is anyone else finding that the Deck has essentially 'ruined' console gaming for them?

 

Nah, that was ruined by having kids.

[Stanley]

Switch ‘ruined’ console gaming for me in the traditional sense. Being able to use it exactly how I wanted and without having to hog the TV totally revolutionised the idea of what a home console should be. 
 

Now looking at Steam Deck it’s the same but with obviously a vast library and capable of playing everything be it small indie games to the latest AAA releases, and then there’s emulation. It’s kind of a one stop shop. 
 

I must admit I kind of ignored it at first thinking it would just be another flash in the pan gadget which was forgotten about after a while, but it became clear that people were really connecting with it and falling in love with the whole idea. I put off buying one for a while in case the fuss died down but it didn’t, which brings me to now having just ordered one and getting pretty excited. 
 

But yeah when you look at the pricing compared to PlayStation and Xbox it’s competitive, and is dockable like the Switch, those consoles seem dated in comparison. 

[Lorfarius]

One thing I have noticed is I'm checking Steam everyday for drops and different things. Tha back catalogue is the greatest thing in gaming I've ever played. Spent a fortune in the sale but already dropped £30 this month on random things. Only had a small library of 160 games or so on my PC but its going up and up and up for Deck stuff. I love it, I usually rinse a console and get board after a few months but this is a keeper. I will get rid of this when the next Deck is out.

[Fry Crayola]

I can't say the Deck has ruined console gaming for me, and indeed I rarely touch mine (but no, you can't have it). The thing is, I've never been a fan of putting my console under the main living room telly where I'd have to effectively negotiate access, so I have them hooked up to my PC monitors instead and can play - other commitments notwithstanding - whenever I like, and can just shut myself away for a couple of hours to do so. As an introvert, that's my preferred experience.

 

That said, having a Deck has meant that I'm no longer interested in picking up games on the Switch for their portability for the odd occasion where I do fancy it. It's back to Steam for those, where I get portability and as good a guarantee I'll ever have that they'll work on future hardware. 

[BubbleFish]

What’s the easiest way to take downloaded games on my current SD card and move them to a larger capacity new card? 
 

Ta!

[SozzlyJoe]

It hasn't ruined consoles for me as I still like th big screen experience (and no, holding it closer to my face doesn't seem to suffice). But what it has done is finally let me delve into my Steam pile of shame in a quiet moment, and functions as a great 'replay device' where I revisit games I played before on TV (e.g. Fallout NV) and enjoy them all over again.

It has also unlocked the full potential for brain-breaking compulsion to pick up and play games like StS and Monster Train. Previously this was constrained to TV time, now I can freebase them all day every day. TBH I got so addicted to Monster Train recently I almost count this as a negative, LOL.

[dizogg]

18 hours ago, Wiper said:

 

Must be nice having long fingers

 

I can't physically reach the flat of the Deck while holding it. Possibly part of the reason I find it so uncomfortable to hold for a prolonged period. Apologies for the poorly taken one-handed photos, but this is as far as my grip reaches: 

 

 

 

My middle finger can just about touch the flat of one paddle! Of course in actual use my fingers are even further from the back of the unit if I want to be able to reach the joysticks with my thumbs.

Cut your thumbnail for god sake!

[Wiper]

No

[Lorfarius]

13 minutes ago, BubbleFish said:

What’s the easiest way to take downloaded games on my current SD card and move them to a larger capacity new card? 
 

Ta!

 

USB - Mini SD card adaptor. Plug it in the slot and copy stuff over in desktop mode.

[earlymodernsteve]

Got Heroic and Xbox Cloud Gaming all sorted as well as a selection of Deck-friendly games. Looking at PS2 and GC (maybe original Xbox too) and have installed the flatpaks and added them to Steam. Now, my question is whether Roms/isos need to be on the internal or whether I can point the emulators to the sd card? 

[Lorfarius]

I think this Sonic Generations might be the greatst Sonic game I've ever played! It almost blew my mind in the first stage, its like a roller coaster and just keeps getting better and better. I've owned it for years and never bloody played it 🤣

[Paulando]

17 minutes ago, Lorfarius said:

I think this Sonic Generations might be the greatst Sonic game I've ever played! It almost blew my mind in the first stage, its like a roller coaster and just keeps getting better and better. I've owned it for years and never bloody played it 🤣

You spelt Sonic Mania wrong bro.

 

 

Nah, it is pretty good. Needs a minimum of 60fps too so plays really well on the Deck, but borderline unplayable in 30fps on consoles.

 

It does get progressively worse the further you get, and stinky levels from the later games start showing up.

[Lorfarius]

1 minute ago, Paulando said:

You spelt Sonic Mania wrong bro.

 

 

Nah, it is pretty good. Needs a minimum of 60fps too so plays really well on the Deck, but borderline unplayable in 30fps on consoles.

 

It does get progressively worse the further you get, and stinky levels from the later games start showing up.

 

Bugger Been enjoying so far.