Steam Deck Review (From a normal guy!) (MUST BUY!)

[@adityakhanna113]

If someone doesn't know about Valve the company (creators of steam) - one thing is that they are not on the stock market, which means their whole focus is pleasing the userbase and not shareholders

[@VekTechGames]

I hope it stays like that forever. :)

[@TheDarkguide]

Best spent 550$ of my life.

[@jeromes9186]

Too bad it cos about $800 where I am. Im still willing to blow it tho 😂

[@User556q]

@@jeromes9186 you cant order it directly from Steam?

[@casualgamer177]

It’s not worth it for $550

[@VekTechGames]

And considering the cheapest version is $350 - this thing isn't that bad of an investment at all. I got the OLED for $550 as well and I have LOVED it, I have not regretted the purchase at all either! Thank you for your comment DarkGuide, hope you enjoyed the video :)

[@ashend8308]

Don't even know why am watching these videos when I already have a steam deck lol

[@adityakhanna113]

Helps when someone tells you you made the right choice xD

[@wile123456]

To avoid flicker, dont fix it in editing, set your camera's shutter speed to be a multiple of the refresh rate. So if it's 90 Hz, you want a 1/45 or 1/90. These will give you sharp look with a bit but not too much motion blur. 1/180 will look too stuttery. You also need to wipe your lens, there is a lot of grease on your lens, creating a lot of bloom and lower contrast in your recording

[@VekTechGames]

Thank you so much for the information :) I will certainly try to adjust this for the next videos. I will also clear the lens too, thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to give me that information to improve the next videos :)

[@BLVCKCR0WN]

I subbed because of the no nonsense, important information review. We need more of these on the internet.

[@VekTechGames]

Thank you for your support. I appreciate you sharing that a lot. It's hard because a lot of the algorithms support KZbinrs that make very long videos - but I just feel like I have to break that mold. Nothing is more annoying than opening a video that has ton of filler words and content while you're sitting there just saying, "Get to the point!". I appreciate you taking that time to let me know you appreciated it, it really means a lot. :)

[@jaydeschain4991]

My favorite part is it makes a great emulator. I happy to be able to play my old PS1 and 2 games on the go

[@mikkiw.l1497]

Agreed ! I've been playing Pokemon Emerald on my Steam Deck Oled and it looks beautiful. I'm really happy.

[@VekTechGames]

Excellent point - this is great for those old games that aren't supported on things like PS5/Xbox anymore. If you miss playing some of those old games and wanting to emulate on the go - this is definitely the thing to buy! Thank you for your comment and insight Jayden :)

[@MrLocsei]

best no-nonsense and to the point review of the Steam deck I ever seen. good job !!

[@VekTechGames]

Wow - thank you so much for your support. That comment means a lot to me. Thank you!!

[@sabermaamri692]

Useful content on steam deck OLED keep going

[@VekTechGames]

Appreciate your compliment my friend! Thank you so much :) (OLED is the best!!)

[@AlecsLee]

Good review but the battery point isn't right, because its pure math: the deck oled has a MAX consumption of 24w, and it mounts a 50wh battery, so 50/24= 2.08 hours, so it can't last less than that, nor the 1.30h you state as the "nornal", and anyway, its not so related to the game but to the config and mostly the FPS: You can play the EXACT same game at ultra, 60 fps, and it would consum lest say 20w, so that would be 2.5h, then you lower profile to medium, and cap the fps to 30, so the total wattage goes down to 12w, so 50/12= 4.1h. So, the battery life is directly related to the graphic profiles and the fps, and properly configurated you can easely achive a minium of 2.30h to 4-5 hours average, and you are only going to get the 2h mark average if you allways play at max fps and graphic profiles or the most demanding games in general without configing anything, but that is your fault, nor the machine.

[@conormcloud3473]

Great review absolutely agree the steam deck is an amazing machine, i have a gaming pc but the steam deck is great to just pick up and play whilst the wife is watching shows on tv or when my kids are playing about. Instant sub keep it up and happy gaming.

[@VekTechGames]

Thank you so much for your support - I really appreciate it!! I'm the same way, when my wife is watching some shows it's a nice way for me to play games too - and then obviously we're both spending time together instead of me being away at the computer. Happy gaming :)

[@Pegfoxx]

I love your channel I subbed & liked. Yeah Iv'e had the Steam Deck for about two years now, and I love it I sold all my consoles including the Switch lol. I love Cyber Punk & Doom Eternal on the Deck. Doom Eternal runs with everything on max settings even raytracing enabled. If you download Emudeck using desktop mode you can play all the classic game consoles, even Playstation 3. Without a doubt it is the best gaming system I have ever bought in my life!

[@VekTechGames]

Hey pegfoxx - thank you for your comment. I appreciate your support and thank you for subscribing, it really helps. This was basically my first real video I've ever published and I did not expect anyone to even watch it! Your support means a lot. Thank you for sharing your experience with it- this thing can really run games like a beast. I also love how you pointed out using Emudeck as an emulator to play old games on the go. My favorite is GTA: San Andreas and I know a lot of people were playing Red Dead Redemption 1 before it came to PC! Wish you the best - thanks for your comment :)

[@aarongrenon]

Love it best purchase I’ve ever made this is my only gaming console I have I play it constantly in bed or when I’m bored I can’t imagine having something like this when I was in high school 12 years ago it’s so crazy to actually play Skyrim on a handheld that I can take where ever I want

[@VekTechGames]

I wish this was out back then too! Would've been a lot more fun. Thank you for your comment :)

[@bruhmanfromthefifthfloor]

the suspend button took me by surprise, imagine if consoles had this feature. Especially back in the day, i used to just leave my playstation on and turn the tv off and hope it didn't freeze or anyone didn't need to use the tv lol

[@VekTechGames]

LOL. I remember that in the old Xbox 360 days I would do the same thing. Just hope once I got back home nobody needed the TV. It does seem strange in 2024 most consoles don't have this feature :/

[@mooping9398]

You, sir, just earned a sub

[@VekTechGames]

I appreciate your support a lot - thank you :)

[@jondr]

I bought my steam deck LE oled in january and created a brand new steam account. I'm up to 200 games now, yea... It's kinda like pokemon: gotta collect em all. Currently playing RE4 remake and finishing up metaphor.

[@WhatAFatRat]

Been wanting one and now since this review imma def get one when I can.

[@BargoTheBandit]

I sell and rebuy electronics all the time. This is the only electronic I haven’t sold. I lucked up and got the translucent Limited Edition. Good video buddy!

[@VekTechGames]

Good point - thank you for your comment Bargo! I appreciate your support :)

[@MikeL-hd6sh]

I'm thinking of buying one. Is there a simple step by step video showing how to set 1 up?. I'm not a techie person but I like to play games. Thanks

[@VekTechGames]

Hey Mike! :) Thankfully, this thing is SUPER easy to set up. In all simple terms, you just have to create an account for Steam - which is the PC version of Xbox/PS5. That's honestly the hardest part of it all - once you're signed in you're ready to go and everything is ready for you. It uses a modified "OS" - which means they specifically designed an interface for this, so it's very hard to get lost. It's designed all around being as simple as possible for us fellow non-techie people. It should take you less than 1-2 minutes to get logged in and get playing :)

[@antsheeran1515]

My experience of the steam deck has been stellar first the LCD ,then my current oled ,gabe and the valve guys have excellent customer service in my opinion ,a rarity in 2024

[@VekTechGames]

That's true, it is hard to find companies like Valve these days where every other companies wants to maximize profits and cut customer service. I'm glad they stay true to their mission and I'm happy to support them. :)

[@Griswold20]

What is the alternative to plug into your TV? I see steam deck sells one but you quoted $20 for one, Steam decks is $80

[@VekTechGames]

Thanks for your comment! Yes, the Steam Deck sells one for $80 - but many people online such as this Steam Deck reddit thread: www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/125ctd2/can_i_connect_a_steam_deck_to_my_tv/ talk about buying a cheaper adapter to plug into the TV. I had the Steam Deck one personally, but as far as I know and per this reddit thread it is as simple as just buying an adapter to your TV and it should just plug into your Steam Deck without problems. Some of these adapters can be like $20 and you might already have one laying around your house!

[@justincharlton1132]

Thank you, I just bought one because of your review!

[@VekTechGames]

Wow thank you Justin! Hope you enjoy!

[@jondr]

One correction, VALVE is the creator not steam.

[@drakliveplays]

I bought my steam deck last night because I hate gaming on my desk after work. Today I lost my job lol I might spend a lot of time playing with my steam deck while looking for a new work from home job.

[@Rebe-Caufman]

Find a real work, not a home job lol

[@VekTechGames]

It's certainly nice for gaming without having to be on the desk - certainly after work. I'm sorry to hear about the job loss, best of luck in your job search - good thing you're able to pass the time with the Steam Deck in the meantime.

[@TonyLemon]

Best investment this machine retired my ps5

[@dermitderwahrheit]

Yah same for me, never touched my Xbox anymore.

[@Endewuzet]

I don't like consols but i see some advantages of having one... I was "PC master race" but i was seeing some disadvantages of PC... Now I'm Deck'er and I combine advantages of PC and console into one device! :) It's just like taking the best things from console and PC gaming I have a HUB, plug in my Steam Deck and i have a PC (keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc.)! In any time i can plug out go to the living room and connect to TV and I have a console! Also I can take it out and i have handheld! Beacouse of Linux some games don't work (Lost Ark, GTA5 Online etc.) but Linux (SteamOS) is more stable than Windows and don't require almost any tinkering! BUT I strongly suggest to make some changes in SteamOS, but it's extremely easy, just download "Cryo Utilities" scrypt, run it and chose "recommended settings" it will boost Your Steam Deck a loot!

[@VekTechGames]

That's an awesome set up you have. I'm the same way, there's disadvantages to both PC and console - but we're kind of combining it in the steam deck and you get the best of both worlds!

[@diogomes26]

Great informative video! There's also a huge emulation community for this, so that's another plus!

[@Serpent_LOrd]

cheers, since it's only just coming to australia i've been thinking whether it'd still be worth it

[@adityakhanna113]

5:20 the Deck loses around 10% a day in sleep mode, so you could pick it up after days but I don't think weeks

[@VekTechGames]

Haha great point, on those days I would end up charging it every couple days while I was at work/travels. But, as long as you try and charge it every couple days it is a great pause/play tool!

[@Suggins0311]

Nice video. Thanks for the advice.

[@Unreal-v2q]

thanks cool review, I'm not exactly the target audience as i'm only 16 but i'm gonna try to get some money to buy it. (Also i do have gta V and BeamNG drive and a dew other steam games that I wanted to play on my macbook pro m2 but only gta v worked and it wasn't to great of a performance either as well 🤣) Thanks for the review definitely put me off ali express retro handhelds

[@VekTechGames]

Thank you for your comment my friend! It's certainly nice, and definitely way better performance than the macbook for sure LOL. I always say - if you're interested in normal PC gaming, you can always build a cheap gaming PC too - but if you want the portable stuff the Steam Deck is really nice!

[@MisterPikol]

thanks for showing the hibernate option in action

[@VekTechGames]

Thank you so much! I added that part in specific because I know it's hard to believe that you can actually pause and leave this thing and come back just fine. I felt like just showing me doing it live and pausing it and then resuming people would know I was being serious about how awesome this thing is!

[@diamondsinthedirt489]

❤🇿🇦 dont forget its king of emulation

[@KM-hk8tc]

I want to get one so bad but my wife keeps saying “but your switch is working fine and you have so many games to play”. Would any of you take her? On a serious note. I love games like BOTW, Skyrim, Witcher 3, RDR - would Steam Deck be good for me? I play primarily when commuting (I’m a dad so console gaming sadly doesn’t fit with my life schedule)

[@Kaotix666]

You can play all of those on the deck, even botw

[@VekTechGames]

Haha, I also had my wife say the same thing initially. I did switch because obviously I'm sure you know the Nintendo Switch has very limited games, but the Steam Deck kind of has everything! I think @Kaotix666 brought up a great point, all fo those games you play are on the deck and run a LOT better and look a lot better than they do on the Nintendo Switch. I'm also a huge Skyrim + Witcher 3 + RDR - fan. I think you'd love to be able to play the newer releases (such as red dead redemption 2) and even play with mods! Witcher 3 at max settings on Steam Deck runs PHENOMENAL and looks so good. You'll get a much better experience than the switch. Plus you'll be able to sync your save files and stuff too which is nice. And like I said, when Witcher 4 comes out, it will likely be on the Steam Deck but won't be on the Nintendo Switch for a very long time. Plus, there's many more games like Skyrim/Witcher on Steam that aren't on the deck. Most games on PS5/Xbox are on the Steam Deck, so if anything there interests you, you have the opportunity to play it on the Deck too (but the Nintendo switch often doesn't get these games). Unfortunately, many Nintendo games (like mario/pokemon) are not on the Steam Deck [you will likely have to use an emulator to play BOTW, but it is an easy setup and MUCH better gaming experience than the switch!]. So - if you like those keep that in mind. But for the games you listed they are all on the Steam Deck and I think you'd get a much better gameplay experience on them. :)

[@bahaash6418]

I love my steam deck, it’s very easy to pick up and play especially old titles on steam that I missed on like currently Doom 2016, but if I need to play more demanding games like cyberpunk 2077 then I go to my ps5. It’s not much fun to play such game on average 24 fps.

[@VekTechGames]

Thank you for your comment! I'd like to add - if you ever build a gaming PC in the future, you can always stream your gaming PC to your Steam Deck (it's a built in future!). This would let you play Cyberpunk at everything maxed out while still being able to play on the comfort of your couch.

[@megasquidd]

Good review. I'm now interested.

[@VekTechGames]

Thank you for your comment, I'm glad you appreciated the video :)

[@123dodo4]

I heard the apu's hardware is 1 version newer than the lcd models

[@dermitderwahrheit]

The ram is faster and therefore you have something like 4-5 fps more on games comparing to the LCD model

[@VekTechGames]

Yes, the OLED has a slightly better performance as @dermitderwahrheit said - but I felt the performance difference was negligible to comment on for the scope of this video. (I didn't want to make it overly complicated or make it a super long video for you guys either!) That couple FPS difference gets even smaller in more demanding games and the big thing is really more the battery life difference. While it certainly does have a little better performance, most people are buying the OLED for the battery life and screen - although the newer APU is certainly a nice touch :)

[@OTRGaming-v3r]

i love the steam deck! love playing it on the go + there are so many great games to enjoy it!

[@VekTechGames]

Couldn't agree more!

[@cs-ge5kx]

Am really thinking of getting a steam deck oled or legion go just don't know

[@VekTechGames]

You know I don't think you could go wrong with either! Although the Legion GO is much more expensive even on sale. But I've heard good things about the Legion GO and ASUS ROG Ally. Both are great systems and I'm super excited to see this development towards handheld devices.

[@SSukram_]

4:32 you also need a tv or monitor to play on other consoles

[@CellPhish]

Great Video

[@EspionageTV]

Running steam os or windows

[@VekTechGames]

It runs SteamOS - but you can install Windows if you want but that's more of a complicated process.

[@warlockboyburns]

I can win at rocket league on it.

[@digitalsublime]

There is one compromise that I just can't do, anything below 30fps, even 40, so i don't get a headache

[@VekTechGames]

That's fair. While some games might struggle at 30-40FPS, most games you can get to 60FPS with the right settings. Even the Cyberpunk can be played at 60FPS at decent settings according to this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6HShKeGnNOcj8Usi=8e5N59QFwGpZqcqd

[@digitalsublime]

@@VekTechGames that's a vsync bug bud... it's running CP2077 at 30fps... It's amazing it can do that... but that's the problem of getting used to 60fps+ 30 becomes torture it breaks immersion and some we get motion sickness.

[@dm_tardi]

Best Gaming device for dads

[@dermitderwahrheit]

By far i also enjoying it as a dad

[@VekTechGames]

True! A lot of my friends are dads and love being able to use the pause/play to set it down and pick right back up whenever the kids need something. Especially since you're on the go so much in a family - bringing this on a family road trip for some down time when the kids are asleep is a nice way to get some gaming in - as all dads know it is very hard sometimes to find ANY time to game lol. Thank you for your comment :)

[@aecawwna5497]

Very good review

[@VekTechGames]

Thank you so much for your feedback - it means a lot :)

[@DatMarkan]

You are playing CP at 20 fps… that is not smooth.

[@VekTechGames]

You could argue that - although I am playing at high and unoptimized settings and trying to create as much chaos as possible. Dropping the settings and focusing on optimized settings you'll get a lot more FPS. I prefer higher graphics over framerate personally, which is why I don't mind playing at those settings. There are many channels on KZbin that test different settings - personally on this channel I don't make that content and want to encourage support for those other channels too that make that content. Here is a video showing Cyberpunk at 60FPS consistently on the Steam Deck with optimized settings: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6HShKeGnNOcj8Usi=8e5N59QFwGpZqcqd Regardless of your choice, I am playing Cyberpunk at high settings and this thing is handling it VERY well!

[@toaster-dude_]

I used to have a steam deck, but i actually sold it for an rog ally

[@VekTechGames]

Do you like the ROG Ally better? It is a bit pricier but I have heard good things about it.

[@toaster-dude_]

@ i absolutely love it, the improved performance and resolution is a great upgrade, the only thing I don’t like is the battery life but it isn’t that bad

[@acegear]

this gives me no more reason to buy 500$ gpu , ill turn my pc into work horse only less reason to buy a laptop ill just use the deck into hybrid pc just connect it to a monitor

[@edwardlashley3572]

Don’t buy this IF you have an expansive gaming library. It is tailored to people who have never gamed on pc & don’t own a single pc game. The storage is expensive as heck & if you had like 100-ish games or something you wouldn’t want to mess with this.

[@CellPhish]

Just swap them in and out as you are playing them. I store most on a 1.5TB SanDisk SD card I got on sale for $79 off Amazon and when I want to play a game that’s on the card and not my 1TB internal I just move it over to my internal. Only takes a minute or two. When I want to take a break from a game I move it to the card. I have hundreds of games and I’ve never been in a situation where I don’t have something I want to play for hours.

[@necropolia1870]

Bruh you are totally wrong I have big steam library and I got my steam deck now I can play all my backlog from my steam library games I wouldn't play that badly on my PC I actually play only few games on my PC like TF2 or Counter strike and lol and anything else on steam deck I even bought more games for steam deck after owning it

[@edwardlashley3572]

other then this is an annoying process & the fact that the steam deck tries to Initiate updates every time you swap cards, micro SD cards are expensive. this is the most expensive form of true portable storage. You can grab a 5tb or 6tb external hard drive for pretty damn cheap & install 180 games or something & most games still run off a external hard drive, but you can then put whatever games need an SSD onto your internal storage, but this is what you do with a portable windows pc.

[@VekTechGames]

I could see your point - but I'd say as some other commenters said is just to uninstall the games if you aren't playing them. The storage on PS5/Xbox is very comparable to the Steam Deck and most people are fine just uninstalling the games they aren't actively playing. Although, if you are someone that likes to rotate through multiple gams everyday you bring up a good point that the storage can be a concern. I do think some other commenters that replied to this comment provided excellent information on how to increase that storage for cheap :)