What are your use cases for the Steam Deck?
What are your use cases for the Steam Deck?
I’ve been on the fence for a while thinking about getting myself a steam deck. I got a great gaming computer and I’m wondering if it can possible accompany it in some way, or is it just the excitement of getting new tech kicking in.
What do you do with your steam deck? What makes you glad that you got it?
For me, it’s been useful to get in some gaming time while still being around my family/kids. I have a gaming PC too, but it’s in my office which is kind of cut off from the main living areas of our house. The SD allows me to play and still easily pause to do whatever for my kids or talk to my wife, etc. The sleep/wake is *chef’s kiss.
My other use case is emulation. It’s really good at it, and even passable at emulating the Switch. Though the sleep/wake doesn’t work with those, it’s a trade off.
I bought it to play in hotels while travelling for work, but what I most use it for is playing games while sitting on the sofa.
There had always been this separation between PC gaming and handheld/console gaming. With the Deck that separation goes away. The things I would normally go upstairs to play on a PC on my own are now things I can play anywhere.
It works well with almost any game, but it works particularly well with games with control systems designed for gamepads. A great use case are the former Playstation exclusives ported to PC - Spiderman, God of War etc.
My use case is being able to play my PC games while laying bed/on the couch, and also have them on vacation when not near my desktop.
I also have a great gaming PC so I do most of my major AAA gaming on that. People will talk about how great games like Elden Ring, RE4, or even Cyberpunk run on the deck but the experience is so degraded on the mobile platform that I'd rather play other games on Deck.
Things like Emulation, JRPGS, Platformers, Indie games fucking excel on the deck. The experience playing them there is so much better when being able to take it and go places.
If you are only interested in playing major AAA games or shooters, probably not worth it
Honestly, the Steam Deck is my favourite bit of tech that I've bought in a long time. For one thing, my SO has a Switch, so now we can both game on the couch together instead of sitting across the room. But also, between Steam, being able to run Epic and GOG through Heroic Launcher, and being able to emulate all the consoles I grew up with, it's like having my entire gaming history all in one portable device. Plus it's amazing for travel.
Also being familiar with Linux, in Desktop Mode it's just a regular Linux PC, so with a bluetooth mouse & keyboard and a dock/monitor (and maybe a bigger hard drive) I genuinely think I could probably get away with just using it as my daily driver PC if I really had to.
I use mine when I travel for work. Great for being bored in the hotel and procrastinating actual work I should be doing
I was in a similar boat as you during the spring sale - have a powerful desktop, was pondering getting the deck. Decided to go for it and to be brutally honest, it's mostly a new shiny toy, not a revolution - which is absolutely fine enough.
I am excited about it, enjoy using it very much (on a long train/bus ride, on couch/in bed), but I don't use it every day, it hasn't been some miraculous revelation. However, it built a new clear division for my library: on one hand smaller, less demanding games I now save exclusively for handheld experience (thanks to this I already tried some games I probably wouldn't on PC, at least not in near future), on the other for big, graphically marvelous games still prefer a big screen.
Also, if the desktop goes unexpectedly tits up some day, it's nice to know I have an emergency solution in the form of the deck.
I have a pretty good computer and play on it lots. I also use it for tons of productivity things. I recently bought a steam deck for:
Playing a half hour in bed before going to sleep
Playing during my hour long work lunch
Playing on the couch while partner is using the TV
Playing on long car/plane rides
Playing while away from home on vacationI use it as my primary computer. The handheld ergonomics and thumb track pads make it the most comfortable device I own. I am familiar with KDE / arch, so I am at home in desktop mode. I bought the cheapest one and added a 2TB SSD. I am considering dual booting or just removing SteamOS and installing a standard linux distro. It’s a great computer.
I have a friend who uses the same 4g chip that’s in a PinePhone via USB. This lets him use his Steam Deck as a phone. That’s way beyond my skill level.
I use it everyday, but only occasionally play games on it. I love it for Spelunky 2, Risk of Rain 2, Dwarf Fortress, Rocket League, and puzzle games. I don’t play too many 3d games on it. High performance games seem to run ok, but I don’t have the attention span or time for cyberpunk or similar games.
I've got a powerful desktop computer, but I also have a 6 year old daughter and very little personal time. Grabbing the deck and playing alongside / with (for instance, both of us playing Minecraft, me on the deck, her on the PS5; or her playing on the PS5 while I play separately on the Deck) is a big thing. Also I have been emulating a lot, as she's stolen my switch so I can play on that. It's nice to be able to whack headphones in and game for 10 or 20 minutes in bed before sleep... Honestly, it broke and had to be RMA'd, and I missed it so much because the 'instant on' play for a few minutes is just so addictive...
I use it for emulation, (up to PS3 / Switch level works perfectly with a beta 3.5 OS with the SMT fixes), AAA gaming (Hogwarts legacy worked perfectly for the screen size at medium), old games, indie games, GamePass streaming, PS5 streaming...
It was a birthday present that I thought I'd use a reasonable amount. However, it's almost taken over my gaming time because even if I want to run something too powerful for the deck, I often don't want to sit infront of my home office PC (As I spend all day there working) and I can just stream from the PC using SteamLink / Sunlight:Moonlight... It's basically only when I want to play at full-screen 4K and have a few hours to myself I bother to game on the PC.
I can play while sitting with my wife on the couch.
I can play while supervising my kids playing outside.
I can play while visiting my in-laws. This is the big one, as we probably spend at least a month there, every year.
I like to play it in bed before sleeping, or lay on the couch and play either on the deck itself, or docked on the TV. The main reason I wasn't using a lot of consoles was more just having to purchase games twice / lack of cross platform cloud saves. The deck made that way better.
My elbows and wrists have been savaged by decades of mouse and keyboard use at work. The only way I can play video games now is with a controller. So Steam Deck has given me access back to most of library. It was expensive but so worth it to game again.
I've got a big library, and most of it works great on Deck. I can also stream via my desktop (also running Linux) and play without a second install. In fact, I recently discovered this works with my PS4 Pro as well, via RemotePlay.
EmuDeck is the best integrated emulation experience I've tried. It's mostly RetroArch, but with very easy setup.
Trackpads. I can play strategy games with no controller support very comfortably in bed.
The list goes on. It's a great device.
Play it on the couch sitting next to my wife while we watch tv or movies in the evenings.
Spending nights sitting at a desktop (or monopolizing the TV) is frequently impractical and honestly unappealing to me, the SD makes it extremely convenient to play whenever.
The other big appeal is emulation- it wasn’t why I purchased one, but setting up Emudeck and Steam Rom Manager is incredibly convenient and lets you easily run anything up to WiiU/PS3 gen seamlessly from game mode. For that alone I would recommend it, the ease of access and convenience is amazing.
Couch pc gaming. I also play it while sitting in bed a fair amount.
I've been into Linux since 2006 and Linux gaming for almost just as long. When Valve announced a handheld PC with a Linux OS that actually has a ton of game support it was a day one preorder for me. I'm super happy with it. It's such a polished experience with SteamOS that it's become the main way I play games anymore. It has the benefits of a handheld console and the openness of a Linux PC. It's by far the best gaming purchase I've ever made. I picked up a ROG Ally as well to attempt to run Linux on it but the out of box experience is garbage compared to the Deck. Windows is a terrible handheld OS and Armoury Crate is a terrible user interface. The performance is better, yet everything else leaves much to be desired while the Deck is an all-around solid and refined experience.
You just have to be willing to say no to games that don't want to support Linux, but that's easy having run Linux on my desktop for years.
- Couch multiplayer on the TV with my partner.
- Couch solo gaming, while hanging out with my partner, to stop myself being isolated awayiny computer room.
I have a 1.5 hour commute in total each day to work, so that entire time can be spent gaming. I really like my bed, or the couch, or just in general different settings especially for the cozier games I prefer.
I game a lot so spending dozens of hours a week at the same desk and chair doesn't work very well for me. The option to play handheld or use my dock to move from my bed to my living room tv seamless is very welcome. Even once at a family gathering I brought it for us all to play Jackbox and it was a blast.
I play a lot of cozy games, ones that deserve to be played huddled up in a blanket on a couch, and I find them all the more enjoyable on Steam Deck than my Desktop.
Sometimes it just works better to be laying on the couch playing as opposed to sitting in a chair
Maybe this is a little weird but I actually use mine the most at the gym while on the treadmill and stair machine. It's helped me stay motivated to keep going back semi-regularly and luckily over the last year I've lost most of the weight I gained during the pandemic. I've also worked through a lot of games that have been sitting untouched in my library, especially those smaller indie games that run well on the Deck.
Apart from that I also bring it to family gatherings since it's convenient for local multiplayer games like Jackbox.
I use my deck mostly for casual couch gaming, when travelling or at work. My gaming PC is still in good use though and won’t be replaced by the deck.
But to be totally honest, it’s the tinkering that’s most fun for me. Installing non steam games/applications, tweaking and playing around with settings etc.
I wrote a long rambling post that I decided to summarise instead. I love that it's basically a PC laptop with all of the flexibility that comes with it, that's smaller, light and portable enough that I can I take everywhere.
But more importantly, it's gaming focused - the controls are great and it's fantastic for emulation and weird use cases, like running Interstate 76 with 3DFX support and the correct framerate.
I love that I can replace the hard drive or install whatever I want.
Bought one because a) I don't have a gaming PC and b) I wanted to explore the Steam ecosystem. Seemed like a good choice.
Looking specifically for games I can't already play on my PS5 or Xbox Series X is kind of challenging.
I have always been a fan of handheld gaming. But having a gaming PC also introduced me to the world of indie games and affordable games.
The Steamdeck really brings these two together. The pick up and play nature of the device has doubled my average two week playtime on steam.
I’ve already finished over 10 indie games that have been on my backlog.
For a less obvious use case, I did some light video editing with Kdenlive and an external monitor, mostly because the Steam Deck is more powerful than my laptop ;)
Also PS2 emulation, Burnout Revenge has not aged one bit and plays very conveniently on a handheld.
It's definitely best as a companion to a full gaming pc. You get to play games when you are travelling, staying over somewhere else, or just want to hang out on the couch whith your partner while they watch something on TV. The suspend-resume feature is also amazing.
It can do a lot, I love it for what it is but it also has limitations. Games are just better on a larger, higher refresh screen if you have the option (I'm particularly picky about tight fov settings). Also some games are just easier with keyboard and mouse. Slower, more casual games you can fully enjoy on the steam deck.
So the pc is not going away but the sd is a great accessory in a sense.
Playing PS2, PS3, Dreamcast, and GameCube games that the Retroids can't handle. It's amazing how almost everything runs well. other things I've bought things would be hit or miss, but this is the most consistent device I've seen so far.
Thanks for all the inputs! That was very very helpful! Few things I've learned so far: 1 - It's great for times that you don't wanna stay in the office all day and spend more time with your loved ones. 2 - You can use Moonlight and Steam Link to local-wifi connect to your PC and play games on it without spending as much battery with a good wifi connection. 3 - It's AMAZING for commuting and times you are not at your gaming rig 4 - You can basically install anything on it, and it could potentially replace your PC if it's not as-capable.
I guess I won't be purchasing it at the time as I have figured I could remote-play on my iPad 12.9 inch, and atm I'm not commuting so much so I guess it's just a shiny gadget that I'd love to have sometime but don't really need to spend money on it right now.
I'll probably wait a few years for SteamDeck V2 to come out (rumors are saying it'll be here at 2026+ so we've got a lot of time!) and it'll replace my current laptop then.
Thanks everyone! That was very helpful and I learnt a lot from it! Saved a few bucks thanks to you guys and found a new cool way to enjoy my iPad :)
EDIT: Fuck it I'm getting one.
It's nice on the couch, planes, trains, bed, etc
My Steam Deck is my only gaming PC and is enough for my needs. I dual boot Windows along with SteamOS for when I need to do something that Linux makes too confusing. The Deck allows me to be outside of my office while gaming. I had a switch, but am pretty much done with it since I discovered Yuzu recently. For entertainment and light work, I use an iPad Pro 12.9. I thinks it’s a great combo for everything I need and want to do.
As an example, I recently took my SteamDeck on a trip. I played it on both flights, played it when I had some downtime at the hotel, and using a Bluetooth keyboard I got some minor work done using Desktop mode.
Because of this I didn't need to bring a whole laptop with me, saving me space. It lasted longer than my laptop would've playing games, especially when using the external battery pack I have, and it's way more comfortable to use on tight airline seats with tiny tray tables.
For at home, I just often like to handheld game, on a couch or in bed, rather than being tethered to my Desktop or TV. Because of this I've owned almost every generation of Nintendo handhelds. But as I do often enjoy fancier games than what handhelds got in the past, I owned a few consoles, and then eventually transitioned to PC gaming. Steam Deck finally bridged the gap between those two things, giving me the ability to play my PC games on a handheld, and with better performance and flexibility than a Nintendo Switch. Plus PC games often have great sales, and there's a wider selection of indie titles that the Switch doesn't get.
My main PC is in the hottest room in my house right now, so it's been really nice being able to game where it's somewhere cooler when it's too hot to exist. There's a good 6 hour chunk of the day that is miserable to be sitting in front of my PC during.
I have a hefty gaming computer, and yet for some reason I can't bring myself to play certain types of games on the desktop. Even though I have and love the Steam Controller, there's just something about playing certain games that just feel right on the Steam Deck. Recently I've been trying to beat Yakuza 0. I love being able to pick up and put down without having to worry about the save points.
I was going to say indie-flash style games, but it's not just those that are easier to play.
Oh, and emulation is a dream now. It's awesome.
Streaming your games from your gaming pc to your Deck while at home also makes for better graphics and better battery. Massive difference to battery running Elden Ring natively compare to streaming it. Mostly using it for Diablo 4 myself.
Also some games just feel more right on a handheld. Turn based RPGs for example. Platformers like Celeste or Metroidvanias. Stardew Valley. Heck you can even play World of Warcraft without m+kb. There are add-ons to make binding somewhat like in FFXIV. Plus there is not sub just to play online like on other consoles. You bring all games with you. In my opinion everyone thats a PC gamer and can afford a Deck should have a one.
Playing subnautica below zero in my tent when it’s too dark to go outside and too hot to sleep :D
Travel. Whether it be for: work/leisure, domestic/international, bus/train. I work from home and don't drive. So when I'm traveling via transit, it's Steam Deck time.
Local network game streaming works quite well in my experience. That means I get to use my beefier PC to carry that burden while I play Last of Us part 1 for 5 hours on the deck at 60fps.
It's amazing for playing from my couch when I'm chilling with the family etc.
I use it as entertainment when I'm out at the cabin (mostly playing my hungover away), but on top of that I use it a lot to play at work.
My job entails certain tasks I have to do weekly/monthly. When I'm done with them and unless I get random gigs, I might have a lot of free time at work which mainly consists of having to be there, and keeping an eye out for all the automation. Before having the Deck it meant that when it was slower days, I had scoured Internet empty of all memes, cats and videos by the end of the day.
Mine has become my couch gaming set up for my TV, so pretty much anything compatible with controller support gets played on the couch instead of on my PC. Also use it for playing torrented TV shows & movies on my TV by remote mounting my media drives on my PC.
I've also brought it around for travel a few times now, but I also don't travel all that much either.
Overall I really only would 100% recommend it if you're willing to tinker with the Linux half to really unlock the full potential of having basically a really decent Linux HTPC at your disposal. That said, it's not a requirement and I think it functions super well in the Steam gaming mode on its own.
I've been using mine for gaming in bed, and playing games online with people in the same room. I've always been a fan of split screen, but lots of games now have that missing. Having all four of us in the room playing games on our own personal screen is great, and it's a lot easier to bring around and more affordable than a laptop.
I have a switch to mostly play Pokemon. But for other games, either they're not available on switch or loading times are very long. I have an old gtx 970 and 6700k but I don't feel like big spend on a modern build is valuable right now with how casual my gaming is. The steam deck gave me a gaming computer comprise and I really like it. $500 for a good enough computer that plays a lot.
YSK: the steamdeck is on sale right now for 10 to 20% off depending on the configuration. I just can't find a use case for it for myself. I play a bit of Fortnite on PC and otherwise don't play much at all.
I spend a night or two every week in a hotel for work. The Deck has been clutch as a distraction while working out on a stationary bike, or while relaxing in my room and being able to play games without lugging around an entire gaming PC. At home I use it to stream from my PC so I can spend time on the couch with my wife and dogs. I've also used it on planes and car trips with great success.
I had wanted a Deck for a long while and finally used this sale as my excuse to go for one. I figure it’ll be nice for being able to play games while lying in bed or on the couch since I spend enough time sitting at a desk most days for work and don’t really want to spend the evening also sitting ay a desk. Also arrived at the perfect time yesterday, so I was able to change out the SSD and get everything reinstalled before a leg surgery today that 100% means I won’t be able to comfortably sit at my computer for the next two weeks at least.
Permanently Deleted
Basically any Indie/controller/singleplayer based game I play on my steam deck. Current example: Dave the diver is fantastic on deck
My main PC is for MMO's/DOTA 2/FPS's mostly now
I have a pretty good desktop computer and used to pass all my time there, in my office. But it was at the expense of my wife being mad for me not being with her.
It allow me to still play but also being present in the living room. And since i got the Steamdeck, i’m more playing Switch emulated game than i ever played on my Switch.
And most of all, now i can play local multiplayer game everytime i go to friends place. They never was gamer but now they always ask me to bring it.
It’s really the best piece of tech that i’ve purchased in a while. 100% worth it.
Honestly there's no game it can't play. Like besides super specific games that can't be emulated yet (Xbox 360 & original Xbox don't work, RIP), I'm yet to encounter something that it can't run. Like even shit that you'd expect to be totally unplayable without a keyboard or just kinda... No problem on deck 🤷♂️ the controller bindings or so customizable even Factorio or Apex are as close to PC as a handheld can get. It's wild.