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

[Paulando]

The Deck is currently a niche. But so was the iPhone when it was released. So was the iPad. And the Apple Watch, AirPods, and even the iPod.

 

When we get to a point where all games for the last few years have a specific ‘Deck’ mode, with basically no tinkering required for anything, and a smaller/lighter model is released and you can buy it in Argos, I can definitely see it becoming less niche. 

[thesnwmn]

20 minutes ago, Paulando said:

The Deck is currently a niche. But so was the iPhone when it was released. So was the iPad. And the Apple Watch, AirPods, and even the iPod.

 

When we get to a point where all games for the last few years have a specific ‘Deck’ mode, with basically no tinkering required for anything, and a smaller/lighter model is released and you can buy it in Argos, I can definitely see it becoming less niche. 

 

Problem is, to become "really not niche" it needs that sort of support. But the main blocker to those modes is at least full support from all other big publisher platforms to play nice on Deck.

 

Remove pop up launchers. Offer installs through the deck OS not desktop.

 

The no tinkering for anything basically kills what makes the Deck what the Deck is. They shouldn't stop striving for the best experience but that flexibility has always been the PCs power. Developers can push ideas faster here because the standards are looser.

 

Plus, if you make Valve that powerful over the PC platform does it change the landscape? Whilst we might not love the Epic stores and their ilk all the time they might, to some degree keep Valve from being the MS or Sony of the PC platform.

[Popo]

2 hours ago, g wings said:

She… licked the cart

Come again?

[g wings]

21 minutes ago, Popo said:

Come again?

 

no. Just the once. 

[Popo]

40 minutes ago, g wings said:

 

no. Just the once. 

Just because goldeneye was released today doesn’t give you permission to crack extremely dated jokes!

[Stanley]

3 hours ago, thesnwmn said:

 

Problem is, to become "really not niche" it needs that sort of support. But the main blocker to those modes is at least full support from all other big publisher platforms to play nice on Deck.

 

Remove pop up launchers. Offer installs through the deck OS not desktop.

 

The no tinkering for anything basically kills what makes the Deck what the Deck is. They shouldn't stop striving for the best experience but that flexibility has always been the PCs power. Developers can push ideas faster here because the standards are looser.

 

Plus, if you make Valve that powerful over the PC platform does it change the landscape? Whilst we might not love the Epic stores and their ilk all the time they might, to some degree keep Valve from being the MS or Sony of the PC platform.

That flexibility will always be there, but just as gaming on PC has become more user friendly over the years, then so it should be on Steam Deck as well. 
 

It’s been converging more with console gaming anyway since at least the PS4 & Xbox One generation, and now all Xbox games come out day one on PC and even PlayStation follow not long after, Steam Deck just offers further flexibility and choice. 
 

And if it continues to do well then it will attract competition, there are already other handheld gaming PC’s. 
 

At this point I just don’t see this going into reverse, hardware has reached a point where it’s powerful enough and cheap enough. I just can’t imagine a situation where in 5-10 years time we’ll still be looking forward to the next more powerful console from Microsoft and Sony, the market needs something fresh and disruptive, and this could be it. 
 

Of course I’m excluding Nintendo from all

this because they are wizards and who knows what they’ll be up to. 
 

 

[JoeK]

It'll be a terribly sad day indeed if I ever stop getting excited by a new hardware launch . 

 

 

[Gotters]

think I've found my sweet spot on a lite strategy/puzzle game with Train Valley 2 - always ignored it as it's out on everything as I thought it was just a train conductor game, it's that and more.

 

I got a code off eneba for £1.89p instead of the £11 on Steam and it's just a lovely game. took me a few goes to understand some of the nuances with sending your trains and building tracks, it adds a light resource/industry element on top of the basic train stuff so you need to plan sending items from location to location with your scores based on time and other targets (like not crashing or destroying scenery for tracks).

 

seems to use more battery than I thought it would for a simple looking game but it's just lovely and plays really well, plus has a wealth of DLC and a workshop user levels mode too (they polish and package these up if you want to pay a few quid as confusingly called 'gem packs', which makes them sound like in game currency)

 

[bradigor]

Ooooh I've been wanting that but couldn't afford the Steam price 

[Gotters]

3 minutes ago, bradigor said:

Ooooh I've been wanting that but couldn't afford the Steam price 

 

Eneba & Instant Gaming got codes for over 70% off and never had an issue with either.

 

Took me a few goes to get some of what was going on, mainly the mechanic that your trains are available to you from any station and don't persist into the unit you send them to, now i have it's got a lovely light puzzle/build aspect on top of the train track and movement, you can zoom into map for the fiddliest bits of building and it feels well worth a couple of quid.

 

Plus you can scale the UI which may be of benefit to you.

[bradigor]

Excellent thank you

[thesnwmn]

Went to add it to my wishlist. Already in my Library. The joys of Steam 🤣 Will add it to my "try on deck" list.

[Gotters]

It's really nice, almost stuck 3h into it already.

 

You are against the clock but can pause and build track before setting things in motion, so get time to take in what is required and the order you need to build/approach the level completion goals. Can already see only a few levels in how they're starting to expand the levels and get you working in different places on the map at the same time with more trains in motion. 

 

Stuck a community control scheme on but it's pretty standard trackpad for mouse stuff.

[Spleen]

3 minutes ago, Gotters said:

It's really nice, almost stuck 3h into it already.

 

You are against the clock but can pause and build track before setting things in motion, so get time to take in what is required and the order you need to build/approach the level completion goals. Can already see only a few levels in how they're starting to expand the levels and get you working in different places on the map at the same time with more trains in motion. 

 

Stuck a community control scheme on but it's pretty standard trackpad for mouse stuff.

 

It better be good!

I've spent £1.40ish on it!

[bradigor]

Yeah have it myself now

[Gotters]

Too much pressure all these purchases !

 

Once the track build mechanic clicks (helps to zoom in a bit and go square at a time to see what works I find) and the puzzle logic of the initial layouts starts to form in your brain the level starts to become one of execution and keeping supplies of materials and workers going.

 

Quite key to work out how to build junctions to make your layouts more efficient, this didn't immediately click for me last night but got it this morning just watching a solution to the first level on youtube.

[Spleen]

Haven't got a clue what I'm doing. Ha. 

[Gotters]

9 minutes ago, Spleen said:

Haven't got a clue what I'm doing. Ha. 

Yeah, i felt that too at first

[Fry Crayola]

2 hours ago, Spleen said:

Haven't got a clue what I'm doing. Ha. 

 

Same.

 

Wait, you're talking about a game.

[Stejay]

On 27/12/2022 at 11:31, Stejay said:

So then, Vostok, Inc. Yes, I have it and on Switch and played it to completion years ago, and it’s is pretty much just a gloried clicker game, but I absolutely adored it.

 

Does anyone know if it works well on the Deck?

 

Currently on sale for £2.19 and is now a verified Deck game.  It is legalised crack too.

[StephenM]

With Train Valley and Rail Route, Steam Deck has become my ‘huh I didn’t realise I was into train stuff’ device. Love it. 

[Spleen]

2 hours ago, Fry Crayola said:

 

Same.

 

Wait, you're talking about a game.

 

Yes, but I guess that goes for life now too. 

 

I passed the first level, I 'think' I understand it...

[bradigor]

9 minutes ago, StephenM said:

With Train Valley and Rail Route, Steam Deck has become my ‘huh I didn’t realise I was into train stuff’ device. Love it. 

 

RailRoute is so wonderful. Glad others are starting to find that out.

[bradigor]

On 27/01/2023 at 17:55, bradigor said:

Have some game codes for my favourite community in the forum. 

 

ZERO Sievert 

Source of Madness 

Forager 

Serpent Rogue 

DOOM Eternal

 

 

DM me for the one you would like

 

 

Two left

[StephenM]

35 minutes ago, bradigor said:

 

RailRoute is so wonderful. Glad others are starting to find that out.

Only because you mentioned it! It’s so good. 

[Siri]

Railbound is also very good, btw. Very lovely puzzle game, you should be able to push the Steam Fest demo to your deck from here if it's not searchable.

 

Now I want to have a look for the best way to get into the A-Train series after chugging through Murdered: Soul Suspect.

[bradigor]

Just went through my entire library on Steam. To my shame, I've only ever completed 61 games that are in there (out of 2133). 

 

Now granted, there are also a fair amount I consider incompleteable (Tetris, Lumines, worms, etc) but that is still shocking. I have myself a goal now.

[Stanley]

35 minutes ago, bradigor said:

Just went through my entire library on Steam. To my shame, I've only ever completed 61 games that are in there (out of 2133). 

 

Now granted, there are also a fair amount I consider incompleteable (Tetris, Lumines, worms, etc) but that is still shocking. I have myself a goal now.

Do you play on a desktop as well or is it all Steam Deck? 

[bradigor]

10 minutes ago, Stanley said:

Do you play on a desktop as well or is it all Steam Deck? 

 

I have a desktop but barely touch it for gaming anymore. 

[thesnwmn]

1 hour ago, bradigor said:

Just went through my entire library on Steam. To my shame, I've only ever completed 61 games that are in there (out of 2133). 

 

Now granted, there are also a fair amount I consider incompleteable (Tetris, Lumines, worms, etc) but that is still shocking. I have myself a goal now.

 

Its funny because only today I randomly glanced through my Friend Activity for things I might be interested in and noticed your icon a lot 🤣

 

(Please take no offense here... I just happened to and it tallies interestingly with this comment and the one the other day about not really playing one thing.)

 

In the last 5 days... Bought 7 games. Played 12 games for the first time in the last 4 days. Added 13 games to wishlist.

 

You did earn a lot of achievements though 😁

 

 

Obviously your site drives some of this but I recognise this in my own playing habits for some periods of time. I've never found in the end it's actually satisfying or satisfied by anything other than actually gaming less. In these periods I'm seeking some idealised game nirvana. The idea of a game that utterly captivates me. But there is probably nothing that can do it in that moment. So everything is played for maybe an hour and brushed aside. I say I'll come back but I wont. Its on to the next victim to be used and discarded as not good enough.

 

The reality for me is that I need to be doing something else. Take a step away from gaming (not entirely, just easing back). Let my thoughts collect. Stop trying to force myself to find something to enjoy.

 

Its basically the gaming version of channel hoping on TV all night.