Steam Deck - Before You Buy

[@samplautz5586]

Mad respect for him saying “don’t just watch our video, watch others before you make your decision”. You don’t get that kind of honesty and transparency all the time

[@raiu_fp5194]

Facts

[@Thundra1000]

Ya I liked when he said words too.

[@frank9367]

@@Thundra1000 this seems like a salty comment itself ☠️☠️

[@kjellbeats]

@@Thundra1000 who hurt you 😭

[@Thundra1000]

@@kjellbeats What

[@Jayxe]

I'm a trucker. Got a BEAST pc at home but 4 days out of the week, I can't use it. Steam deck was an instant pre order for me. Had some hiccups pre ordering so I made it to q2 and got pushed back to q3 recently so I'm a little sad, but I'm expecting this thing to change my life lol.

[@Risingleaf77]

If you like games, and you spend alot of time driving look up LitRpg something ya might like

[@strohhuttv8848]

@@Risingleaf77 Yeah RPG's translate really well with portability factor.

[@pax1217]

Playing ETS2/ATS at your truck?

[@theoneonly2406]

@@Risingleaf77 what is this? A game or a concept?

[@Risingleaf77]

@@theoneonly2406 Basically imagine a rpg game but in the form of book. They have systems leveling up and plenty of other things. Think ready player one but better. As well as its in audio form so it feels like you are playing a game without actually playing a game

[@demiel]

Steam deck seems like the perfect device for gamer dads with young kiddos who can’t commit to sitting down for long pc sessions but can use it’s portability and accessibility to sneak in some gaming time. Loving mine so far!

[@charper9890]

I’ll be living in an Rv for a while for work. This seems like a great option for me.

[@bionaraq]

This was literally my thought. Diablo 3? Half life 2…

[@RubinLisky]

Lol dude, you literally described my situation and why I’m even watching this video. Just pre ordered mine.

[@caseyblankenship987]

That’s exactly why I’m about to get one my game time is very limited and the portability will add to that

[@Cokoroach]

Why do i feel old now?

[@Ksizzle11c]

Steam Deck really takes me back to the days where PC gaming took a little more tweaking to get working well (which is not as annoying as it sounds but also makes me appreciate how smooth PC gaming has become). I'm having a good time so far and think it's a great gateway to PC gaming, and a fun hobbyist toy for PC gamers in general.

[@Donnerwamp]

To me it's part of the fun to fiddle around until things are exactly like I want them. But then, to me it's not just limited to gaming...

[@Ksizzle11c]

@@Donnerwamp Same. This is the first time I've dipped my toes into Linux and I do not hate it.

[@Donnerwamp]

@@CasualGamerx91 Crashes are not the norm, as long as you don't mess with your hardware and it's running as intended, there are no more crashes than on console. Getting a new console every 7 years isn't considered an upgrade? Also, even if I upgrade all my hardware, I can still play my old games like I didn't change anything at all. Frames are only inconsistant if your hardware is faulty, you demand too much from your hardware or the game is a shitty port. More and more games come to PC, either from the devs directly, via game pass, a streaming service or by emulation. Then there're much more PC games than for consoles since it's an open platform, not to speak about basically 40 years of games being developed for PCs. One point I'd give you is that PC often gets shitty ports that keep too many consolefriendly choices that don't work on PC or are just ported badly in general (like Arkham Knight). It's a hobby, just like building model trains and woodworking. If you overdo your hobbies and your close circle doesn't share them, you'll end up all alone. This can happen with ANY hobby, not just PC gaming.

[@Kadeo-ms6qw]

@@CasualGamerx91 1. Your pc shouldn’t be constantly crashing. 2. I upgrade my pc about as often as I upgrade to a new console.

[@thacoolest13]

@@CasualGamerx91 What an oddly aggressive opinion. If your not a techy person, don't shit on others just because they are. Not everything is made for you and thats ok.

[@chrxunleashed7654]

Dude, my buddy would love this. He's always wanted to get into PC gaming but the price point to play more modern games has held him back.

[@lordnox69]

dont let this be his first experience 720p on ultra low graphics and still barely scraping 60fps is not a good first experience this is for a a junkie that cant walk away from his PC

[@spartankelly392]

That’s awesome! I’m glad he’s enjoying it

[@josh223]

@@lordnox69 oh yeah it totally isnt for people who travel frequently, or just enjoy handhelds, or have spouses they'd like to enjoy their games with. no its just for the mega addicted gamers.

[@lordnox69]

@@josh223 and that is exactly who i was referring to my dude the people that cant walk away from there games to go to there girlfriends house without having a game with them or they already have a dedicated console/pc that they can actually get a full experience from this is 100% not for your first step in the door to the pc master race 720p 60fps is a 15 year old experience i have a onexplayer on paper its way more powerful than the steam deck and any fps game is unplayable anything outside of 25m from you is just a single pixel the only enjoyable games are RPG and other open world style games and emulation and RTS and 2d platformers

[@Trigger200284]

@@josh223 i own one, it's better than a switch, but i would rather just game on pc. I find it quite meh actually, had mine since march 2 and i might of spent an hour on it. the library of approved games doesnt line up with what i want to play right now and the touch pads are poop. Screen is lacking as well.

[@deathlord8239]

Wow, I can confidentially say that handheld gaming has officially reached its peak way sooner than I expected, A switch that can play PC games is awesome.

[@superpotato657]

Ye

[@leafq]

It's not really a switch because- nevermind

[@dark12ain]

Wouldn't say this is peak, more of a beginning

[@deathlord8239]

@@dark12ain Yeah PC games have all originally played on a keyboard and mouse, the new steam deck might have introduced a new future of gaming.

[@danyj27]

@@dark12ain the gameboy would have been the beginning no? The psp was a game changer but died off quickly because everything was still changing and getting better I cant really see things changing too much over the next 5 years so it ahould have a good run This will be a start of the new age letting people take full games whereever they like with no bulk But like the psp it could be dead in a couple years the way things evolve. I hope not though

[@old-dream-left-behind]

The reviews have been quite hit or miss on this thing and I love yours. I feel like you just get it, like you actually try and understand what this thing is trying to be and therefore, actually try to see from its perspective. The fact that you talked about the trackpads alone shows it, so many reviewers just skip over this. Great review. The good and the flaws, all while actually understanding what this thing is trying to be. You’re awesome Jake.

[@gameranxTV]

Thanks for watching!

[@zainahsan8757]

This got me teary eyed

[@DudePeyton]

@@gameranxTV thanks for making

[@oddballgames3357]

Linus had a great review as well

[@vonclaren1]

It's just an advertisment, they may as well work for valve

[@MrCrimAngel]

This kind of thing will really excel at playing older games. Since it will use less battery and look 1000x better than on your 32in pc screen. When the graphics get compact on older games like this it ends up looking new.

[@richardcorns8553]

True. Playing Alan Wake on mine now at high settings 60fs. Looks amazing on that small screen.

[@funnybone6149]

The thought of playing Arkham Knight or Fallout New Vegas anywhere in the world is fine by me

[@Floridamangaming729]

@@funnybone6149 same. Also its not in like 10 fps like the switch. honestly im extremely disappointed with the Nintendo switch. So many games on it are practically unplayable because of the hardware limitations. and its owned by Nintendo who im not the biggest fan of. Im thinking about selling it once i get enough money to pre order a steam deck or something. It feels like a kids toy. which is pathetic.

[@shanamoens822]

@@Floridamangaming729 I've been doubting really hard between buying a Nintendo Switch or reserving a Steam Deck and saving up for when it becomes available. I'm glad to know I seemingly made the right choice. What also made me choose for the Steam Deck is the fact that I have like 500 games on Steam and sure, they're not all playable, but even if only 100 of them are playable, that would be 100 games I immediately get to choose from to play compared to zero (or maybe one that comes with it) with the Switch. Also the emulating, which I didn't even know was possible before watching this video, is a big plus.

[@mab3667]

Yeah older games really benefits on smaller handheld screen size

[@superpotato657]

If only this thing was sold in stores then it would get the recognition that it deserves

[@RicardoGonzalez-fb9li]

Echoing a lot of comments: best review, by far. Not as technical as some, but its the gut-check review that compliments some of the deeper technical dives. Nicely done, Jake.

[@gameranxTV]

Thanks!!

[@LazyGuyCoyote]

Yeah I agree. I feel like this review basically rounds up everything great, and things that are case by case (by consumer), as well as the bad. I feel like overall, it’ll be a great device, I feel like most people getting the deck, should understand what it is (a pc, in your hands). So of course it won’t be as well rounded as a console, but it gives You want you want.

[@NE0C]

This sounds like a beefer nintendo switch that is completely open source and has incredible potential! Glad to see steam finally nail a physical product. Im sure a lot of people are gonna be getting these and having a blast

[@applehazeva2739]

I think its MUCH BETTER To the point, where a Steam Deck 2 is more exciting than a Switch 2

[@taaktuuq]

Steam Link and Steam Controller are amazing devices.

[@lukamagicc]

AND you get most of your existing* library?? Wow being able to run emulators alone is pretty incredible, the fact a $400 device can play elden ring portably is quite insane purely in tech advances

[@redcrimson1028]

True

[@redcrimson1028]

@AppleHazeVA [Voice Acting] I wouldn't go that far, switch 2 is going to be better than this.

[@afoxstale]

Brings me back to the game gear days. Crazy how far gaming has gone since then

[@askeeter84]

It looks like the game gear to me

[@supazippy3059]

I own the Sega Nomad I bought for $70 in 2011. Can't believe those things are $500 on eBay now.

[@bluemidnight5926]

@@supazippy3059 You read my mind when you brought up the Sega Nomad. That thing ate up batteries like it was going to war with them.

[@jangamecuber]

@@bluemidnight5926 Wasn't it 8 AA batteries for 3 hours

[@bluemidnight5926]

@@jangamecuber I forget how many batteries it was, but 8 sounds accurate. I don't remember getting no 8 hours. I felt like I got 45 minutes, no exaggeration lol.

[@imarealwitch1154]

I've been using Linux since 2011, the community has achieved a lot of things to make most distributions running it easy to use but remain powerful and extremely tweakeable. You gonna find some crazy stuff in that little store and terminal.

[@harris9624]

The terminal is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be...unnatural.

[@goticogordo]

hi there, i ordered my steam deck and i loved the idea of LINUX, do you have any tips of how do i get linux on my pc? any youtube channels that teach how to format the pc and install linux

[@bigboiman1236]

@@goticogordo If you want to dualboot with windows (have both windows and Linux installed, and then have a menu to select what to boot at startup), it’s not that hard. The only thing you’ll need is a 8gb+ usb drive. First, you’ll need to enter your pc’s bios by pressing a key on startup. The key you need to press depends on your device, but it is usually something like esc, del, or f2. Once you are in, you’ll need to tweak some settings. First, you’ll need to disable secure boot, which should be in either the “security” or “boot” section. Now, boot into Windows. Open control panel (not settings), hardware and sound, and change what the power buttons do, under power options. Press “‘change settings that are currently unavailable”, and uncheck “turn on fast startup”. Now, press the windows key and r, and type diskmgmt.msc, and press enter. In the menu that shows up, and find the partition that is the largest. Right click it, and press shrink volume. In the box, put the amount of storage you want to allocate next. You can allocate as much as you want, but note that you CAN increase the amount of space Linux has if you set it up right. Press shrink, and wait for it to finish. Now, you will need to choose a linux distro. There are many out there, and for a beginner, I would recommend Pop!_OS or Manjaro. Whatever you choose, go to that distro’s website, and find the download for an iso image. For manjaro, there are 3 editions that look different, just choose what looks best to you, as you can change this later whenever you want. While the iso file is downloading, search Baleneetcher, and download it. Run the program, say yes to the admin prompt, and open the program. Plug in your usb drive, and select it. Next select the iso image you just downloaded. Now at the bottom, press start. NOTE THAT THIS WILL WIPE ALL DATA AND FILES ON THE USB DRIVE. Once this process is done, unplug the drive, and shutdown your pc. Then, start it up again, and immediately press the button to open the boot menu. This button is different from the bios key, and you may need to reboot a few times to get it right. In the menu, use the arrow keys to select your usb drive, and press enter to boot. A bunch of messages will pop up on your screen, just wait. Eventually, you’ll reach the desktop, and a welcome screen will pop up. Find the button to start the installer, and press it. The installer will start. Follow it until it asks you how you want to partition the disk. THIS PART IS VERY IMPORTANT. Select “manual partitioning”, and a window should appear. In there, there should be an area on your disk that read “unallocated”. Right click it, and choose, new partition. Set the file system to fat32, the size to 512mb, the mount point to /boot/efi, and check the “boot” flag. Press ok. Now, right click the unallocated space again, and creating another partition. Set the file system to btrfs, the size to whatever is left, the mount point to /, and check the “root” flag. Press ok. Press “apply changes” to continue. Now, continue with the installation. When it is done, reboot into the bios. Go to the boot section, and change the boot order, putting Linux at the top. Now, reboot, and a menu should pop up telling you what to boot. Both Linux and windows should be there, but if windows is not, boot into Linux, open a terminal, and run the command sudo os-prober . This should make windows appear. You are now done!

[@Scroolewse]

Can't wait to see Linux forums online start to be bombarded with people like me looking for advice on the Deck lol

[@harris9624]

@@Scroolewse Honestly it's exciting that people buying the Steam Deck will get involved in the Linux community and forums! And don't worry, there are plenty of helpful people out there to assist you with any Linux questions. We all had to start somewhere.

[@TapMyButtons]

This review is 100 Times better than the IGN one and I'm happy to see you spent your time playing a variety of games, mentioned emulator capabilities and encouraged others to do their research and watch other videos. Can't wait for my Steam Deck to arrive Q4 2022

[@wulfone5961]

IGN are a bunch of hacks. You can't spell ignorant without IGN.

[@YaBoiEgo]

Feels bad man

[@gamer-px5cu]

I can make better rewievs than ign

[@InnerRise]

@@gamer-px5cu You have 5 subscribers. 11 videos. And 120 is the highest view count you have. Aim a little lower.

[@sonicandroxas]

@@Stephen_Black nail on the head right here

[@pekpekplz]

I was upset at first getting placed in Q2, but after watching reviews, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Most of the bugs and software issues should be resolved by the time it rolls out for the rest of the people.

[@JainaSoloB312]

Agreed!

[@LuckFourYou]

Thank you for saying that. Makes me a little bit more happy about being in Q3... XD

[@Tidus70222]

@@LuckFourYou haha same here

[@Beetless]

@@LuckFourYou im in Q8

[@Thundra1000]

Lmao such a salty comment.

[@owenabbiss3443]

the "kinda like me" line really caught me off guard the delivery was just perfect 😂😂😂

[@NorthXIVSide]

Pizzas on you? You deliver to Roswell NM

[@belafontelife9781]

This will be my first PC experience, I’m excited to try it out.

[@CarthagoMike]

Have fun!

[@michadybczak4862]

Be ready for frustration, but also for a sense of accomplishment when you overcome some challenge. With the right approach and some distance, it's a lot of fun in the end.

[@NiGHTSChao689]

This review definitely made me more confident in the versatility of the deck. I hope it becomes the definitive emulation device for mobile users among other things.

[@24fretsoffury]

I think that’s what it obviously excels at. The smaller definition screen, at a closer viewing distance, really helps older games. I’m genuinely surprised Elden Ring runs as well as it does on it though. Maybe that’s more of a testament to the FromSoft team.

[@SafetyKitten]

@@24fretsoffury considering ER performance isn't that amazing, I think it is more of a testament to the deck itself

[@llamazing]

You do such a great job with the pacing of the video, hitting all the major points, and keeping the review interesting! Such a helpful vid, thanks!!

[@thomasdaka9920]

Gameranx is really objective. Thanks for encouraging more research into the product in your 'before you buy' video. It's amazing the level of honesty here.

[@ZaffsProductions]

Really looking forward to it when I finally get it! I love the fact that the design is not as premium-looking. It might be wierd to say, but it reflects well on Valve as they have clearly focused on the things that matter. The in-game menu for managing thermals is fantastic as well - you can tell the effort that they've put in. I cannot wait for mine despite the fact it says I will receive it 'after Q3 2022'! 😆

[@lightbeamz3002]

Great to see all the positive feedback on the Steam Deck. Got mine also in the very first batch and the device is great. Its incredibly versatile and its awesome that the device is so open. Just yesterday I installed Spotify on it to play some music in the background, super handy and not possible on the Switch for example. Best thing in my opinion is that the device is ergonomics first and portability is second. Its so comfortable to play on it in comparison to every other handheld that have used in the past. Love it.

[@zerocal76]

Whats up man, how are you liking (or disliking) your SteamDeck so far? I'm thinking about getting one but I have 2 gaming laptops, gaming desktop and can even run some old games on my Surface Pro lol But of course, this is different.

[@lightbeamz3002]

@@zerocal76 I'm totally loving it since day one. I also have a pretty beefy PC but I haven't used it much since I got the Steam Deck. I mostly use the Steam Deck docked in Desktop mode now with an USB-C hub for surfing the web or reading PDFs while studying. When I'm done with that I use it in gaming mode on the couch or in bed. I mean its great to play games in higher fidelity on the PC but its totally something else with the Steam Deck. Reminds me of the good old times with GameBoys just with the difference that it plays almost everything including the very intensive PC games like Cyberpunk 2077. I don't want to miss it anymore.

[@zerocal76]

@@lightbeamz3002 Yooo you just convinced me shiiiet 😁 I will hop on that pre-order train, thanks man. Have to ask, you don't mind that you're wearing down the battery more when you dock it, not by docking it but by simply using it more when you have a PC there? Or are you docking it in a room where u don't have the PC?

[@Sh3ail]

As long as there's no drifting issues...

[@Utubeuser000]

A gamer can dream...

[@teriyakipuppy]

Too late

[@gameranxTV]

There aren't any on our end. Those reports of drift were corrected in a software update as far as we know.

[@catsaretasty]

Have you ever used a videogame controller?

[@swiftlyhere]

Im just gonna assume u talking about the thumb sticks, they are actually easily replace able

[@gyrotyger]

Great overview! I’ve been intrigued about Steam Deck since they opened preorders but didn’t really know much about how it would look feel or perform since I’m a console gamer who’s never played video game on a PC. For all the quality features you’ve highlighted plus the extensive library of games Steam has that I wish I could play this may be my golden opportunity to break into that realm.

[@lp.shakur]

exactly!

[@schmiggidy]

If you haven't explored the vast and wonderful world of STEAM yet, I can't encourage you enough to get this device and go !HAM! with it. Enjoy! :)

[@Rand0mN0rwegianGuy]

Same here! As a fellow console player myself (PS4 and Switch), I couldn’t have said it any better. I do actually have Steam (I made an account once lol), but I can never actually use it; the only “PC” I have, myself, is a new M1 MacBook hahah. I literally can’t wait for this, so excited.

[@karen.johana]

I’m really excited for the steam deck, not just bc it looks pretty solid but bc of what it means for the future of gaming. As for me, I think I’d want to purchase it a little bit later when the kinks a little more worked out bc I have been wanting to start pc gaming (I play ps3-ps4 currently) and this seems like the perfect way to come in to it. This looks promising though! Thanks for the review!

[@jaimiepotts]

Might be worth just reserving now (you don't have to pay up front) because the backlog of orders mean you won't get it until the end of this year/beginning of next when I'm sure all the kinks will be ironed out and there will be even better game support :)

[@bickybiswas]

Wow….. a good ‘KAREN’

[@karen.johana]

@@bickybiswas I get that a lot 😩

[@menegene4129]

I'd reserve one now. My reservation went from Q2 this year to after Q3 and I keep checking to make sure it wasn't pushed further. I've seen plenty of reasons not to get anything brand new, so I was fine waiting until Q2, now I'm hoping it's here soon after my wife goes back to work and I'm spending most of my free time with the baby. That said, they better iron out the kinks by the time I get mine.

[@Lt_meancat]

I would stick with the SteamOS unless they iron out the kinks on the Windows port. That's my main concern with it is not alot of stuff talks to Linux nowadays so Windows would be ideal. The UI isn't even close to user friendly on Windows idk I'm ranting at this point. Just know that I would be cautious if you plan on experiencing everything PC gaming has to offer.

[@mahmodaltmimy256]

with the price of this device, it's a really good starting point and i wish to get one, sadly it's not available in my country yet. also nice work guys and thanks for this video.

[@jimmy_x557]

i was happy to see that you guys got More views in this than IGNs review! Quality getting recognised

[@Tri57b]

Considering one of these for Christmas, saw IGNs review top of the search and just scrolled to the next.

[@AegisZer]

I specifically looked for a review that wasn't from a big company with alt-motives, lol.

[@LaMereACaniche]

I'm mainly buying the Deck to support Valve and their awesome choices. This is 100% pro-consumer and will help gaming on Linux which I'm 150% for.

[@LeJimster]

Same here. I'm a full time Linux user for years now and without Valves hard work and funding of open source projects, I wouldn't be able to play many games. The work on proton and driver support has transformed linux gaming and while the Deck might not be perfect right now, it will continue to be updated and improve, because that's exactly what has been happening the last few years and it's been amazing to watch.

[@airspeedmph]

@@LeJimster Hey man :)

[@qu1253]

I feel like there's an elephant in the room nobody is addressing, though. Since Steam Deck is Linux based (and trying to run Windows on it produces less than stellar results), that means no Game Pass. Sadly, I don't think Microsoft could ever be convinced to put Game Pass on Steam Deck since that would also mean opening Game Pass up to Linux users.

[@parkout95]

Im sorry but what is the big deal with this linux? Why is it better than windows? Aren’t they the same thing? I thought how powerful the device matters more than what software it is being run on

[@zackgambrell3153]

@@parkout95 linux is an open source operating system which means its free to download unlike windows, its mainly personal preference on which is better. But most games on Linux have to be run through a translation layer which lets linux understand how to run the game, this means if the translation layer isn't well integrated then it wont matter what the hardware is the game just wont run.

[@daltonoHive]

Barely a minute in and this is already one of the funniest Gameranx videos in awhile. Jacket randomly came off. Posted up on the porta potty. Steam Deck chunky, yet slim from some angles. 👍👍👍

[@warrensnook9435]

I’m starting to get into PC gaming a bit and from what I’m seeing and hearing about the device, I’m considering this, but also for emulation. Everyone knows Nintendo has basically dug themselves a grave with old games. This device seems like a great way to preserve old games.

[@husnainmushtaq9969]

Same boat as you. All the steam games plus emulators, psp, ps1, maybe Nintendo?

[@ScarySkele]

I am in Q3 so, thank you for reviewing the system. Thank you. I’ve always liked your ‘Before You Buy’ series, this really helps. Keep up the gaming fun! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@gameranxTV]

Thanks

[@JetBlack2024]

Good luck with that. I’m supposed to be in first wave and I’m still waiting. So you’ll probably be pushed back to next year

[@ScarySkele]

@@gameranxTV You’re welcome 😊

[@ScarySkele]

@@JetBlack2024 I will wait patiently! 👍🏻

[@HunterKiotori]

Q3 for the win

[@iChewbaccastan]

“this device is for the tweaker” made me laugh out loud. Great video Jake! Probably won’t pick one up, but glad it exists

[@Alex-qw6vh]

I've had mine for almost two weeks, and I gotta say, it's a game changer for me. Being able to play my massive back catalogue of old games on a train, or just when I'm sitting on the couch watching stuff with my wife, is incredible. I'm still amazed by how much this thing can do. It's been 5 months since I left this comment, and I feel like I need to add, if you're unsure about whether or not you want a Steam Deck, and portability is the thing you want most, get it. The fact that there's this much power in something this cheap (relative to the power) is insane. It's buggy, sure, but I've put well over 300 hours into playing stuff just on the steam deck, because portability is that good.

[@Joker-yu5kp]

How is the battery life?

[@Alex-qw6vh]

@@Joker-yu5kp It varies depending on the type of game you're playing. Less graphically-demanding games extend the battery life by several hours (playing Bravely Default on Citra or F.E.A.R. my battery life was 4-5 hours, sometimes even more), but more demanding titles (open-world, super graphics, etc...) the battery life is usually between 1.5-3 hours.

[@iminlove1148]

Is cyberpunk 2077 and rdr2 playable on it and does it run good?

[@danbooke2001]

This will be my first PC gaming experience. I cannot wait to get my hands on mine.

[@isaacal-taraireh9279]

Ive been waiting for this review for ever, this did not disappoint, this is the best youtube gaming channel, great review gamranx keep up the great work

[@gameranxTV]

Thanks!

[@MushroomMan7]

Because they do actual video game journaling

[@Loxen86]

I ordered my steam deck July 17 2021. This was two days after the steam deck preorders began. Still waiting. Good luck everyone

[@Dracossaint]

worst case scenario even if valve ended up abandoning this there are literally dozens of gaming focused Linux distros and in the end its just a pc. So someone definitely could tweak an operating system for it. It's just a cheap laptop with a good game controller slapped in versus a keyboard. Good luck finding a PC at $400 that can perform as well as the steamdeck. I got my pre-order in literally soon as possible (11 minutes, yay server bs...), no shipment yet I'm expecting next one though. I'm really looking forward to tweaking everything like crazy.

[@gameranxTV]

👍🏼

[@Latrelant]

I hope they don't abandon this

[@jazzyj7834]

Lol, 11 minutes to get past the server bs? I spent literally 4 hours refreshing the page trying to get my purchase to go through. Literally 4 straight hours. Finally gave up and came back a couple hours later, only to have to deal with it for another half hour of refreshing the page before I finally managed to get it reserved. Still haven't heard a word about getting my hands on my steam deck.

[@madjunir]

@@Latrelant Lord Gaben already talking about future iterations (like a Deck 2) and the reception has been positive so far. Is getting better every day and most issues getting resolved. The Steam controller still gets updates to this day and fully functional. So they never abandoned it. Now the Deck is like a new more complete version of the Steam controller and everything Valve learned over the years

[@Dracossaint]

@@jazzyj7834 for what it's worth I swapped back and forth between three internet connections... (Rural internet, load balanced yatta yatta) I feel your pain and I think I just got lucky really/ya weren't so lucky.

[@RuslanZinovyev]

Thanks mate, really nice and detailed overview. Look forward to getting my preorder.

[@gameranxTV]

👍🏼

[@alexfond2540]

@gameranx buy me one lol jk not jk

[@miciso666]

price cheaper than most handheld powerhouses. but one good tip get the cheaper one and just buy a good sd card. the load times barely matter with sd compared to ssd. unless u play lots of games with heaps of loading. im gonna use mine to mostly farm games like mk11 which are 10-20 secs to load a match and end in 1-2 mins. so over time loading is an issue with battery.

[@PixelJunks]

2 Months into using it, I absolutely fell in love with it. I'd say if anyone is looking to get one, to simply get 256GB model and upgrade the remaining storage with SD card. With that said, I got two Decks at 512GB with carrying case and I love em both. Another hot opinion: Personally I think if you're looking for portable gaming and you're looking at 512GB model, it'll cost you $701 with taxes and all that. I'd say for that price just get a gaming laptop within that range and you'll be able to do more with it. But that's just my opinion.

[@darryl_young]

What are your thoughts on the anti-glare screen with the 512 GB model? Worth it in your opinion? I guess it depends on whether you play outside or not, though, but seeing as you've had one for a while...

[@PixelJunks]

@@darryl_young It's more of a gimmicky thing but I guess I like it

[@feanorkiu]

Realistically I agree with you, I can do way more with my laptop. But this is just such an attractive device 😅

[@Fidelity_Investments]

@@feanorkiu I'd say it's also more portable than a laptop. I can fit it in my pocket (I have admittedly large pockets) and it takes up WAY less room in a backpack, or just use the included carrying case

[@Thundra1000]

Which Laptop that costs 700 dollars is going to play any triple a game these days? Thats cap. Lol

[@monicatoupin3202]

The Steam Deck is a must have! Hopefully within the 6 months. Thank you for your review and sharing your perspective!! I also have to love how you chose to record yourself leaning against a portable toilet to play the deck lol.

[@MikeS42069]

I was sold instantly. After hearing the great initial reviews I put in a deposit. My wife has already told me it's hers and she wants to get back into PC gaming with it! WIN WIN!!!

[@icecoldjohnnyy]

Nice 👍🏽

[@ScarySkele]

Great 😎🤘🏼

[@guillermoelnino]

Once again PC gaming proving it IS the master race :P Yeah yeah, linux box n whatever.

[@prime5991]

Wife approved is important haha

[@yashesh7264]

at 6:24 i love your keyboard nice minimalistic design with light on colors

[@phase_shifter1375]

Being a low budget pc gamer, i am waiting with SOME MUCH HOPE valve adds my region to shipping to list this year! 🙏

[@henrik9030]

This is something i dont need, but really want.

[@johnnycomeau2299]

I'm for sure getting this one day. I really hope this sticks more so because of the competition it's going to bring. Imagine how much Nintendo will have to step up their game if this does REALLY well

[@fynkozari9271]

Lol different demographics, Nintendo Switch is for kids.

[@ryanw3874]

Yeah, and at least it shows you don’t have to sacrifice graphics for portability anymore, Nintendo can hopefully return to producing games with contemporary graphics 😬

[@Xaverrrrr]

@@fynkozari9271 really isnt lol

[@fynkozari9271]

@@Xaverrrrr the games are for kids in Switch.

[@Xaverrrrr]

@@fynkozari9271 You obviously dont know much about the switch lol. It aint just mario

[@Dec4AllTimeAlways]

I reserved mine last Aug 9. I went from Q2 to Q3. This might be a blessing in disguise as I can save more money getting it between July-Sept and first generation products do have problems. Could be mostly ironed out by then.

[@mogberry2139]

You’re getting it shipped to the Philippines? How? Or you reside here in the states? Thinking of grabbing one and sending it back there to a friend.

[@FloatingOfficial]

I am waiting for Steam deck gen 2 or Steam deck 2 whatever they call it.

[@mogberry2139]

@@FloatingOfficial if you don’t mind waiting for around 5 years then.

[@alisma68]

Exactly my thoughts

[@FloatingOfficial]

@@mogberry2139 I'm not in a rush.

[@readyupwait6138]

Nobody mentions that even though this is some what like a console we most likely won’t have the issue with libraries or servers becoming unavailable like every other gaming console on the market. I’m hoping I can use the deck to remote access my pc games on the go and will have enough storage to download enough to run off the decks storage. Using steam remotely from a tablet really has my hopes high for what the deck will do. Waiting until Q3 is a gift and a curse lol I know I will get a better experience right out of the box but who wants to wait around for all that 😂

[@chrisallen9638]

Servers still disappear. Some PC games have fan run servers, but honestly not that many. We've lost a lot of games to servers being shut down.

[@readyupwait6138]

@@chrisallen9638 Ah that blows i guess i have found older games where there is no longer multiplayer. I was thinking more along the lines of having the ability to go back and redownload old games lol. I just got a decent pc like a year ago and was scratching my head trying to figure out why i tolerated losing so much digital content with consoles yet can download and play borderlands 2 that i bought on steam when it was launched where any digital stuff i had on the xbox 360 around the same time has been long gone for years lol

[@chrisallen9638]

@@readyupwait6138 Yeah, with PC not only will you always have your library, but everything is back and forward compatible, the only reason to have to get a new computer is if the current one isn't strong enough, not because it's incompatible.

[@nikkoa.3639]

_not to mention you get the back catalogue of other consoles too with emulation_

[@fleetjacob]

The issue is that if Valve goes bankrupt for whatever reason (not likely anytime soon, obviously), your library is kaputt. Only way to avoid that would be to buy DRM free, so basically just GOG lmao.

[@saclolochrisjamv.1456]

Steam really revived the portable console era. I still remember getting my Psvita and thinking it was the future, and it really was but the portable console era was going downhill from there. But now, we have reached a new peak and I can definitely say this is the future of portable console gaming.

[@Amayagma]

I'd argue that was the Switch but that's just me

[@EpicTheo]

@@Amayagma Oh it definitely was the switch lol. No other handheld device made as big of an impact as the switch did in recent years. Everything started because of the switch. There’s a reason it’s in the top 5 of the best selling game consoles ever.

[@Amayagma]

@@EpicTheo Yep! Find it kinda funny the OG commenter seemed to forget the switch existed, if they don't like it it's fine but saying portable gaming went downhill until the Steam Deck popped just is inaccurate

[@sonofanubis30]

i'm totally in love with handhelds, and the steam deck is a wish come true! i'm willing to learn to master this thing! can't wait...

[@pretzals222]

Been waiting for this! I hope it’s good.

[@GambitRaps]

4:00 Thank you for showing Fable.

[@12SideMac]

I've been gaming on PlayStation for years & recently in the past few I've been thinking about moving to pc or playing on both ecosystems so when I first saw the steam deck this really caught my attention & seeing this vid only pushed my interest further. The selling point for me will be if I can hook it up to a monitor with a keyboard & mouse without needing a tower and if the resolution doesn't look like crap on pc, at that point I'd be sold on the device

[@justplaygamer2331]

It's just a portable ps4

[@cenciende9401]

Get a 1080p monitor and the res won't look crap, it'll save you money too since 1080p is cheap as chips

[@Dev-dq9ce]

1080p monitor with system level fsr would work fine

[@nikkoa.3639]

It won't output 1080p, but you could use upscaling technology like FSR on it to make it 1080p

[@fleetjacob]

As other people have said, something like FSR can help a little bit, but its definitely not going to hold up to modern consoles, resolution wise. FSR upscaling is not perfect and it will still be relatively evident that it's internally 720p/800p. The PS4 and its performance is a good analogue, although not perfectly comparable. PS4 has more GPU performance, as it has a discrete GPU, so anything GPU-limited will take a hit. Other than that though, yeah, Valve made it pretty clear that you can do whatever you want with it, because it is just a PC with built in display and controller.

[@crazymadd669]

Already have a gaming laptop and several desktops, but this could honestly make things even more comfortable. The most annoying thing about the laptop is that most of the time I need a flat space to place it to really enjoy playing. Being able to just hop on the couch or something and just go for it with this thing really could be nice. Been debating on buying this or a switch.for awhile. This one has my attention already just because I have a ton of games already paid for on pc whereas with the switch I'm back to buying games at $60 a pop and starting from scratch

[@aqwandrew6330]

Why even considering a switch lol I would even buy a new android phone than a switch.

[@napynap]

This morning I was excited to get my Q1 Steam 'Now Available' alert in my inbox. I had already viewed MANY videos of other's experience with the Steam Deck and decided to go ahead and order it, with some enthusiasm, but also some hesitation (and I have a story to tell there...). But, if I don't like it, I can easily sell it. FYI, for those who are still waiting for Q1, it still may happen, so be ready! My preorder was placed at 10:05am PST July 16th,2021.

[@desidiousN64]

I'm a console game collector. Over 2100 games to this date with multiple consoles and versions of consoles. I've been anti-pc gaming a little after Diablo II was going strong. I am absolutely considering this product.

[@angelferreiradg]

I'm really thinking of getting one, knowing I can keep my whole library without having to worry about my new console not being able to play them.

[@chrisallen9638]

Check Deck Verified and ProtonDB. It's not gonna be your whole library. A lot of it, even most, sure, but not the whole thing. Unless you install Windows, but that gets rid of a lot of the battery saving and form factor specific features.

[@CaptainEffort]

@@chrisallen9638 For now, but considering it’s all on the software side that can change

[@chrisallen9638]

@@CaptainEffort No translation layer or emulator is ever perfect. There's also studios specifically opposed to allowing their games on Linux because of how anti-cheat is implemented on that OS. Yes, it will get better over time. It will NEVER be your whole library.

[@chrisallen9638]

@@CaptainEffort I'm a fan of the Deck, I can't wait to get mine. I'm not trying to down talk it. I'm trying to make sure people have realistic expectations of this thing. There are already people pissed off about the battery life even though it's exactly the battery life Valve said it would have. I want to see it succeed, and that requires that people don't think it's going to do things it's never going to do.

[@angelferreiradg]

@Chris Allen I'm talking about the usual worry for us console users. The fact that most of my ps4 games can't transfer to a ps5 irritates me. Very happy Valve is gonna try and fix that

[@MirasaurusRex]

I live on the road for work, and my laptop is 9 years old. I've only had a switch and decade old PC games, this thing is gonna be a godsend. Gotta get my mits on one.

[@KillerTacos54]

Well done Valve and team !!

[@sirninjaraiden]

I'm prolly gonna get minds by the end of this year, and I'm put elden ring, FO4 and Days Gone on it. Gonna be fun

[@thelizardspotters]

Fallout 4 and elden ring on the go is a dream come true

[@abcbizarre]

Have fun with 30 fps 🥱

[@akshatshah6806]

Fallout 4 might be able to reach closer to 60

[@Meepist1]

@@abcbizarre Don’t care about performance, all I care about is having fun.

[@Rougrou1597]

Can ya use Nexus mods for FO4 on it

[@IronBalls007]

I got the 512GB model a few days aggo and I can tell anyone who is waiting for their own to arrive that the Steamdeck is extremely nice, its even better then I had expected. Throw any game at it, all works smooth 60FPS capped, mostly on high settings, even GTA5 which is almost crazy when you think about it. It is definetly worth the wait/money and you will be happy when you get yours. The only 2 negatives are the lack of rumble, it feels more like a smartphone when it vibrates and the fact that steamgames are so large -_- Put a 512GB microSD in it and got 60 games installed on it now. Almost any game that is not steamdeck verified works just perfect like it is ment to be. Steam Deck is near perfect for what it is and so much more worth then the asking price.

[@AdelaideBen1]

This is an outright exaggeration... you cannot get 60FPS capped on this (unless you drop it down to minimum specs for all games). Also - do you think that running a game off and SD card is a current gen consumer gen expectation? Just watch any technical review.

[@IronBalls007]

@@AdelaideBen1 I can send you screenshots/videos showing that Im playing right now on 60FPS, RE Vilkage with high settings Vsync on. Also 60FPS locked GTA5 on mostly high settings, running from an Sandisk 512GB microSD card. I dont play games at lower then 60FPS because its laggy when you go any lower. currently have 61games installed (intern and external drive) and EVERY game runs at 60FPS, ALL OF THEM, because if it dont get 60FPS (RDR2) its uninstalled instantly. What is your exact point? Ill stick to jealousy :)

[@Sathea]

Damn you're lucky I'm still waiting mine won't come until July lol

[@IronBalls007]

@@Sathea The waiting is long, but very worth it. I had viewed every video related to Steam Deck before I had it and its even better then expected :)

[@panamike6178]

@@IronBalls007 Me too! I was addicted to watching steam deck videos, I'm even watching them after I got it a week ago hahaha.

[@plumbcrazy9195]

Awesome review, I didn’t really look into it much but this covered everything. As usual y’all come through!! Be well y’all

[@AttitudeAndAction]

My biggest interest in this is that it looks to me like a byproduct of R&D for a standalone VR Headset. I can't wait to see what the Deckard has to offer us.

[@Creed5.56]

I’m a college student who’s about to move away for my last 2 years towards my degree. I’m only moving an hour away from home, but I’m not gonna lug my gaming pc (specs below) too and from when I visit for holidays. I looked at several gaming laptops and for this kind of performance, steam deck is the most competitively price item there is. I reserved a pre order for q3 and hopefully should have it by Xmas 2022! RTX 3090FE Ryzen 9 3900x 32Gb DDR4 @3200mhz 18TB of storage MSI x570 Meg ace motherboard

[@owenabbiss3443]

niceeee been waiting for your take on this

[@keithfeltz2019]

As usual, I reserve my hype until I see the Before You Buy. Thank you for doing what you do! I may now engage full hype mode for this.

[@DouglasDillingham]

1:07 you just chillin' by the toilet has me absolutely losing it hahahha

[@kendricklamargaming8174]

cant wait to see how far valve advances linux gaming, they’re the whole reason I switched from windows to arch (btw)

[@lennart3100]

Did the same switch from win11 recently, because of how good Proton has become. Even their VR Headset works (sort of, but good enough for me) on Linux. And most VR Games work through Proton. I don't really enjoy Multiplayer Games anymore so I don't mind missing out on those.

[@LeJimster]

Same. It's great to see the community growing. Also Arch.. btw 😄

[@scaru]

arch btw never gets old lol

[@nikkoa.3639]

With how Windows is going with Win 11, I see no reason to stay with it either

[@sgtmajorfish]

what is arch?

[@rpgfoods1457]

My 9 year old nephew is a huge Portal 2 fan, I pre ordered him one, Then I pre ordered myself one.

[@jonathanzolozabal2779]

I'm in the military and am frequently away from home with downtime, it was a no brainer for me. Just got my pre-order email and ran to Steam to make my purchase. Hopefully shipping isn't as long as the Index!

[@tiandi5585]

Have you gotten it by now? I just got my email the other day and am very excited.

[@jonathanzolozabal2779]

@@tiandi5585 I did! It's FANTASTIC. 100% worth it. I think shipping to AZ was about 8 days

[@tiandi5585]

@@jonathanzolozabal2779 Haha, I'm from Phoenix so it's nice knowing it won't be too long. Thank you for the info!

[@shanamoens822]

I have a potato computer and it would be way too expensive for me to buy a good gaming pc, so this seems like the ideal middle ground for me. I also like handheld gaming more than PC or home console gaming. I didn't know about the emulating, but now that I do thanks to this video, I'm even more glad that I reserved a Steam Deck!

[@JJJ-uo2xb]

This is my first PC, and I'm lovin it, man. I've been using it to play Batman: Arkham games at better frames than any console release and I'm havin a blast. It's buggy as heck but that's kinda the norm these days.

[@applehazeva2739]

Glad to see im not the only one who plays all Arkham Games on it :D

[@brocklewis6462]

have you played elden ring on it yet? Get it if you didnt already

[@Druggy-Doggo]

Can you mod games like cyber punk? Serious question.

[@KotCR]

@@Druggy-Doggo If it's moddable on PC on Steam, there's no reason it wouldn't be moddable on SteamDeck. It still runs the PC Steam versions of whatever game you decide to play. The question is more does the game work on SteamDeck rather than do mods work. Compatibility of mods will likely still differ from mod-to-mod, especially ones that inject custom processes and engine code, but that's always been the case even on a regular Windows PC.

[@bananamcfanana1639]

Very responsible comments about watching other videos, reading articles, etc. Good on you for mentioning that, rather than the "ONLY WATCH OUR CHANNEL" mentality. Kudos!

[@JarisJ_]

This made me want to get one. Wasn’t really on my radar and I was indifferent to it but the potential is very tempting

[@doubtit2815]

Thing is, I used to have a PSP. It's a different experience having a handheld. It's very nice laying in bed, or on the couch, in any way, relaxing, and gaming. It is a unique experience. You can't really lay down and game traditionally on your console/PC cause the screen is up somewhere in its fixed placement and orientation.

[@travisspazz1624]

Aahhh, now I finally know what a steam deck is!!

[@k45oz29]

As a steamd deck user for the past 4 months this is the best entry to pc, all my games works well with it, and this is what I did bought the base 65gb, then rn there is a 512gb ssd card for only 90$, then just bought a dock for 40, then mouse and keyboard and the budget is less than 600$, really great device

[@SkyeD.Hikaru]

I've always wanted to get into pc gaming. I've only ever been a console gamer with shared family consoles, but I never really knew where to start with building a pc (and since I've been in a small college dorm, not the space for one either). Maybe this will be my chance. I will do some more research since I hadn't heard about this before today. Thank you for the video!

[@jays1to]

Thanks Jake, like always, Honest and brilliant review

[@jeremy4170]

I don’t comment on videos ever, but had to for this one. This is the best review I have seen on steam deck. Things I was unsure about were covered. Love the channel.

[@misilestuff1800]

Honestly this thing looks awesome. Sadly I'm in Australia, which is currently an unsupported region right now, but I guess I'll wait and see for how long it takes for valve to start shipping to Australia, then it's an instant order.

[@PixelShade]

The most amazing prospect of this product is the 1-2W power draw during desktop use (that's Raspberry Pi Zero 2 territory... connected to a monitor, with the screen turned off that is). I work as a game developer, focusing on 2D game development, and the performance is MORE than enough. Sure I am somewhat of a Linux enthusiast, but I could actually see myself using this as my primary computer, doing batch PNG-crunch, code compile, compression, capturing with OBS while editing my YT-videos in kdenlive. It's that good. Once I connect it to my usb-c hub I have access to fast SSD storage, wired network (and network storage), peripherals and a 1440p165Hz monitor. Everything works flawlessly. once there is the option to install two Linux distros side-by-side. I will do that. SteamOS for portable gaming. and Manjaro solely focusing on productivity.

[@chaikagaz]

Just got my steam deck today. Bought fallout 3, nv, and 4 last month during a sale. Gonna have a blast

[@panamike6178]

Adding up all the reviews I've seen from all outlets I think the Steam Deck averages out to an 8/10. I can't wait to get mine sometime in Q2 baby! Thank you for creating this masterpiece of a handheld Valve. I never in my life thought I'd be able to play console games on handheld, minus some of the compatible Switch ones. The steam deck will scratch that itch a bit better than the switch has been able to.

[@Happi-HD]

i am VERY interested in the steam deck as someone who had a PSP before a DS. The performance gains and portable full sized joysticks are huge selling points, as well as having access to the entire steam library. For people who like to get Japanese games (assuming thats a large reason why people get switches) there are a bunch on steam, just not the nintendo ones. You could probably very easily get a touhou game on the deck while installing a language mod to translate for you. I am holding out for the dock to be released, as well as a bit more tweaking to the OS. I don't want to be a beta tester. Also waiting for xbox design lab to add more custom finishes because their lab looks a bit boring compared to the past.

[@CptMooney]

No idea why so few reviews dedicate a portion to it, but this thing runs a fully fledged Linux. I can totally see me only draggin this device to work instead of my laptop. Thank you Valve! Heck, you even got AUR support! Ever wanted to mess around with the NSA's Ghridra reverse engineering toolkit? Yeah, you can totally do that with just like 5 mouseclicks.

[@FuruKombo]

8:06 When you think Jake will finally get you the pizza he owes you, but it's just a Steam Deck :(

[@acanadianeh8344]

I like the micro SD addition, but wish there was a usb& hdmi port. I know that bulk it up a bit but I feel like it could give something like this so much more potential

[@ziglanauthiz499]

Just do it with a usbc hub mate

[@cjloha91]

Mad respect for the ending of check out other videos, educate yourself on the product more. Not many do that.

[@dirtdiver4782]

I would love to see a more direct comparison with the Switch.

[@Damdaaa]

they're not really comparable, no one buys a switch to play fortnite or apex

[@wiouxev]

This is an incredible overview and review, great job man!

[@flicka25]

Jake someone mentioned it already but you suggested we watch other KZbinrs and that sincerity is much appreciated. BTW I'm a gadget geek lol And this thing is like catnip to a cat for me.

[@Realfunkymonk]

Can’t wait for mine

[@alessio4761]

Don't know why I watch before you buy. I will buy it no matter what

[@Zinmar]

This is going to be my first handheld device. I'm really looking forward to it as I have quite a few older games on steam that this should be amazing for. Like the different Tomb Raider games that are decades old.

[@alfwaibel4773]

I love the emulation on my deck. Dreamcast, PS2 and Gamecube run fluidly and looking great on the small screen, using under 10 watts, which leave long battery runtime. Also every PC-title before 2020 is running well, without sucking the battery dry as a vampire. New AAA titles are playable, but be aware of extreme battery usage, and frame rate fluctuations. And hey - Halo MCC (just SP atmo) on a handheld - incredible!

[@applehazeva2739]

Switch Emulation on my Deck is also great ^^ playing Smash Bros right now

[@Itslewcario]

@@applehazeva2739 is yours smooth cuz mine is semi playable

[@applehazeva2739]

@@Itslewcario well i get around 47-60 FPS. Few dips here and there but its definitely playable and enjoyable.

[@goodnightcorp.]

Does metal gear run well? i want to finally be able to play mgs3 above 15 fps lol

[@thelizardspotters]

Steam games are my favourite so this is perfect for me

[@osirusvii]

The addition of trackpad inputs is the sole reason I even ordered one. I have only been a keyboard/mouse player for like 15 years. I have never been able to enjoy playing games with joysticks so being able to play cyber punk with controller inputs for everything but camera controls being trackball with the right touch pad. First time I’ve ever been able to game from the couch in comfort. Add remote play on top of that and it’s a nearly no compromise!

[@TruFire710]

I’ve bought every generation of Xbox since the 360 even got the series X on launch luckily enough. PC gaming in my opinion has always been to expensive for my only use for it being gaming. The price point of the deck completely changes my point of view on the price to use ratio for me. Definitely going to get it once the software has seen a few updates.

[@Amos_Huclkeberry]

Shipping got delayed twice. There was the initial delay, then Q2, then Q3… Hopefully I get it this year.

[@Nintendorkfan1]

Bro at 8:42 bro was flexing his SUPREME shirt 😂😂😂

[@ThatFatrabbit]

Look forward to getting one in 10 years when they finally became available

[@johnwrath3612]

Took me a year to track down a ps5 for retail price. Not gonna subject myself to that again. My desktop + switch will do just fine.

[@shadedskys]

I’m 2 years and still can’t get one at msrp. Fucking sucks