Steam Deck VS Gaming Laptop: Which Should You Buy?

[@JasonWitmerYT]

Switch to Mint Mobile TODAY in 15 minutes using my link www.trymintmobile.com/jasonwitmer to save big bucks on your wireless bill! Thanks to Mint for partnering on this video.

[@OUTS1DER666]

14:34 Peformance? =)

[@zipsnap]

I went with Steam Deck because the wide availability and ease of having replacement batteries in the long run removed all my worries. (I haven't done thorough research but from what I've seen, non standardized batteries for laptops are difficult to replace) Also as a mechanical keyboard hobbyist, it did benefit me of not having redundantly two keyboards in use (the laptop keyboard and the mechanical keyboard) for a cleaner setup

[@404hopenotfound]

msi has one battery that they use in most of there laptops

[@frosken8889]

​@@404hopenotfoundand also laptop and indie gamers mostly release games for pc

[@fairphoneuser9009]

Well, it's a different use case. You won't play on the go with your gaming laptop.

[@Asfanboy1]

If all you want is a cheap gaming solution and don't feel like building a PC its the same use case

[@bulletpunch9317]

Its possible, just a bit uncomfortable.

[@fairphoneuser9009]

@@bulletpunch9317 A bit as in *airquotes* a bit *airquotes* ...

[@fairphoneuser9009]

@@Asfanboy1 And then just use your handheld in docked mode?

[@portman8909]

It's far weaker than laptop and you can't do MS office etc.@@fairphoneuser9009

[@signe_stilett]

So, I used to have a non-gaming laptop. A big factor for me was weight, as I used to commute rather far for university. It served me well and was handier than a gaming laptops are, and I coped alright with limited performance... But I wanted an upgrade. Cue the Steam Deck. Much better battery life, better performance even when docked, and half the weight. For what I wanted it, Steam deck was perfect choice. I feel that this review lacks low load, long-endurance comparison between these devices, as that is very much a factor for many of us. I deal with ~4h power outages, and my old laptop wouldn't last half an hour even in indie games on battery alone, and 2h watching videos/reading. With deck, I can game through whole outage, and even have extra charge should it last longer than planned. Another thing to consider is if you use a PC as well, how does your mobile computer complement it. There's hardly a reason to use laptop at home if you have a stronger PC, there is not much extra comfort to be gained. But with Deck, you can make the case for lazing in bed, which just isn't that good with laptops.

[@natassiabrusewitz7371]

Jeez if you wanted to write a yet video script you could have said so

[@natassiabrusewitz7371]

*yt

[@joshreebel2520]

I too am fond of having a light and portable laptop, (using an EliteBook 830 G7 currently) and my desktop. I also have a Steam Deck and have since day 1. I have been torn lookin for that all in one solution and if I want to sell everything and go with something like this laptop he has shown here. I am considering it but still looking a the trade offs for size and weight. But my desktop is definitely not a Powerhouse by any means.

[@signe_stilett]

@@joshreebel2520 I feel that an all in one will be more feasible when ARM architecture gets into laptop market. Just so much easier to cool... Ideally, I feel we should be able to run desktop programs on our phones by just docking them. Two pretty big and regular expenses rolled into one. Also makes me wonder how supplemental tech would evolve with this. Would phone-as-PC lead to phone keyboard cases or low profile keyboard-docks? And will waveguide glasses become more feasible for multimonitor replacement... Do tell what your top contenders for your all in one device are so far!

[@TheFrantic5]

I actually kinda want that cow wallpaper.

[@thompsonevergreen8006]

wallpaperset.com/w/full/c/8/9/525448.jpg

[@gdot1803]

Do you have kids or a partner? Do you want to play your videogames while being in their company, for example, while they watch TV, you sit next to them and play your games on the sofa and have some family time together, instead of you isolating yourself to a desk in another room? It so, get a Steam Deck. Does the idea of playing games from the comfort of your sofa while lounging, or any room of the house or while out and about, sound good to you? If so, get a Steam Deck. What's more comfortable, and where would you rather (casually) play your games for hours at a time: your bed or a desk chair? If bed: get a Steam Deck. Steam Deck is not a pocketable device, but there are plenty of fashionable and unobtrusive sling bags, like the TomToc bag, which let you easily travel with your Deck, and quickly pull it out and play while standing, and then quickly holster it back, you can't really do something like that, while standing, with a laptop. So again, another use case in favour of the Steam Deck. All of these points matter. Because once you get older, you're going to realise you don't have the time to play games like you used to - unlike back when you were a kid, with a gaming laptop. And when you do have the time, you may feel like you don't want to be seated at a desk, like you already do at your day job, when it comes to game time.

[@JasonWitmerYT]

Great follow up questions and an excellent point of view. But I would argue that you don’t need a desk to use a gaming laptop. I’ve often sat in my living room with my partner in a recliner with a laptop in my lap and played games on it leaned back and enjoyed the experience. Thanks for watching and your insight, really appreciate it.

[@kinein]

​@@JasonWitmerYTim going to say if you were a father with a infant sleeping in your arms youd prefer the steam deck. Or toddlers.

[@xMRxLAMAx]

You can do all of that streaming to a phone or tablet

[@Reeeko562]

100% which is why I’m considering a steam deck or gaming laptop…. I don’t need to be on the couch as long as I’m in the same vicinity instead of being isolated in my office away from everyone, it would go a long way. lol

[@ICantSpell]

One thing not talked about with the steam deck: Due to the handheld having some of the best gyro built in, you also get precision on par with a mouse in-games + flick stick. So you don’t have to suffer through ghost runner with stick controls. (disclaimer: accessibility over everything else, if gyro controls make you motion sick please don’t use them 👍)

[@slc9800gtx]

That budget entry level gaming laptop is a GREAT deal at that $400 price. It also has terrific upgrade options.

[@harveybrooks1460]

I went from gaming desktop and gaming laptops to steam deck and only use it now for gaming. Steam deck is worth the price it is at and worth for the portability.

[@kirby260b3]

I really love the steam deck cuz it runs games better than my laptop and it let's me take it on the go and I get to play my favorite emulated games with ease ❤

[@rsiv5156]

Good comparison, and I’m really impressed with the laptop for that price. If cost isn’t a factor (which I get goes against the whole point of this video), it’s ideal to have both. I tried going deck only for a while (it was my entry point to pc gaming), but then I got a gaming laptop, and I’m finding they complement each other really well.

[@badmoose01]

The best “money is no object” setup is SteamDeck for on the go gaming, MacBook for mobile productivity, and a full fat gaming desktop for high end graphics at home. (This is the setup I use).

[@B_Machine]

The steam deck is at its best imo when you already have something else. If not, you may find yourself counting frames and games you can't play.

[@Muhluri]

​@@badmoose01"money is no object"? At that point just get an AOKZOE A1 Pro, Onexplayer 2 or Ayaneo Kun. You get a powerful chip alongside a big battery

[@NemusDark]

As much as I love handhelds, I have to take the Gaming laptop, it offers so much value.

[@plasticred]

and no repairability

[@theevildice83]

​@@plasticredYeah, I had a clevo gaming laptop years ago, as soon as that flimsy plastic shell gives way you're toast. I have zero worries about the same happening with the steam deck, replacements for every part of it are incredibly easy to come by.

[@StuntzMcKenzy2D]

​@Nulldron and a hardwired Steamdeck does? If you can repair a Steamdeck you can repair laptop. I'd argue a laptop is even easier because it just a desktop with less modularity.

[@fightnight14]

People pay up to $650 for a Steam Deck so you should compare it at that price point as well. A $650 laptop can be your main PC as well and it plays games better than the SD

[@tigrankhachaturian8983]

Good luck playing on your gaming laptop on a train or a bus

[@Wolfgang_rw]

@@tigrankhachaturian8983its not like missing 20mins of gaming in an uncomfortable bus seat is gonna change my life yk

[@tigrankhachaturian8983]

​@@Wolfgang_rw idk, SL's bus seats (they operate in Stockholm) are pretty comfortable. And I mean, it depends on your usecase. I'd rather have steam deck than a laptop on a 40 minute bus drive or 1 hour communal train

[@Wolfgang_rw]

@@tigrankhachaturian8983 yeah but thats a super niche situation, I personally wouldn't consider “will I be able to play on a bus trip?” as a deciding factor if Im unsure between buying one or another

[@tigrankhachaturian8983]

​@@Wolfgang_rw that's a very niche situation for YOU. Not for me, nor for a lot of other folk. Also depends where you live. In europe you use public transport a lot more compared us, for example.

[@Batang_peymus]

Steam deck is way to go specifically if you have power bank and play all the day any coffeshop with no ac outlet. Most starbucks doesn’t offer ac outlet.

[@bulletpunch9317]

How big of a powerbank for all day play?

[@chariothe9013]

@@bulletpunch9317I have baseus 30000mah it can fully charge steamdeck 2 times and probably a half.

[@Eunostos]

@@bulletpunch9317Define all day? And depends on what you're playing. My 10000 power bank let me play a 6 hour "Hades" marathon with 60% left, but that's a pretty light game.

[@bulletpunch9317]

@@Eunostos idk man im asking the guy above.

[@Frank_42]

The biggest hesitation with Steamdeck is from my experience with Nintendo Switch the screen is too small. If a game has text or is something with tiny units or objects that would be small even on a laptop, then it is not ideal. I've played some adventure games and such on Switch but a laptop would be better. Also some games work better with a mouse or trackpad and really need a keyboard, You can plug all this stuff and even a bigger monitor into a Steamdeck, but it would be awkward if you were using all that in bed or on a couch.

[@sebs30v]

Nothing beats a bigger screen, keyboard and mouse for precision.

[@MrYossarianuk]

Which you can use on a Steam deck as well.. It supports any dock

[@nine_moons3073]

​@@MrYossarianuk*_aditional cost_*

[@fightnight14]

There are also games that are better be played with a mouse and keyboard. Cities Skylines, eSport titles like LoL and Dota 2 and Counter-Strike

[@Badboy25251]

@@fightnight14 The steamdeck can't play most epsorts games thanks to anti-cheat blocking it. Unless you do so work arounds its not gonna work.

[@kennypowers1945]

Uh no I’d rather have controller over keyboard and mouse all day lol. I hate Kbm

[@CarelessKingdom]

The Steam Deck, while never has it been necessarily the ultimate gaming value, offers a unique proposition. Even before its release, one could frequently stumble upon deals under $500 featuring the equivalent of the current Nvidia 4050 and that year's I5, providing a better value in terms of performance. However, the true allure of the Steam Deck lies in its portability and the cool factor associated with handheld gaming. 🌻

[@_zombiezone]

I’ve seen official refurbished Steam decks start at $279

[@TheRoundOne123]

where did u find a deal for a $500 pc with an rtx 4050?

[@lilbadatrap]

its pretty portable for me i take it everywhere. even taking it on holiday abroad in september

[@CarelessKingdom]

@@TheRoundOne123 It appears that in the last couple of years, I've noticed HP, Dell, MSI, or Asus (that year depending) were offering Black Friday deals featuring that year's Intel Core i5 and equivalent Nvidia 4050 graphics card, coupled with 8GB of RAM and either a 256GB or 512GB SSD. If you browse through BestBuy and Microcenter during this year's Black Friday sales, you're likely to find the same trend. With a quick google search I found in November of 2023 MSI had one for $599.

[@Pkou]

As somebody from the UK, I'd feel like a thief picking up a laptop with those specs at that price. That's a crazy bargain.

[@wizardly9211]

As someone whose second home is essentially my friends house, toting around my laptop every time I go over there, when there's a chance I won't even use it, and also having a flimsy, thin backpack, the Steam Deck 100% wins in convenience and portability, and it's not even close. I know the pain of packing up my laptop, charger, keyboard, and mouse. Trust me it is *not* fun. Especially not when I'm leaving my friend's house, constantly worrying if I'm forgetting something or if the charger or keyboard could break the screen.

[@starscotten]

Lugging a desktop is even worse.

[@artemmovsisyan8389]

In Eastern Europe and Western Asia, where I'm currently writing from(armenia), laptops with a 3050 graphics card start at a price of $750. while the Steam Deck still costs +-$400.

[@akosbogar1885]

slovakia, cheapest gtx3050 729 euro

[@c1nqbl7]

Damn ​@@akosbogar1885

[@faqihaldiannoor1266]

Not gonna lie the laptop actually sounds pretty good (unfortunately can't find any like that in Indonesia), if I can buy it I might choose that over steamdeck, but since I already have pretty decent laptop (i3 7th gen with MX130) so I choose steamdeck instead. So far I don't really feel any regret buying steamdeck over gaming laptop or PC, so far game that I play run pretty well on steamOS even game like genshin. For valorant I just use dual boot and yes I upgrade the SSD to 1tb. I even use steamdeck for my school stuff sometimes since I already have type C hub and a monitor, the desktop mode from steam deck is pretty good for me, it took me a while to get used to Linux enviorment, like using Libreoffice or Googledoc as alternative. It run software like android studio pretty good and I can do some of my assigment with it pretty well which actually still doable in my laptop but insteamdeck it run a little bit better and emulator run more smoothly.

[@ArtemisKitty]

As someone who has always been a big buyer of both ROG/XPS laptops, I've always also searched for the perfect balance of portability and power. This went in for decades. The SteamDeck changed my gaming entirely. I did not expect it. I so often just pick it up instead of bothering with a laptop or desktop now... Unless it's an FPS where I really want kb/m, the deck just does it better. More conveniently. Definitely a different machine though, and better at some games, worse at others vs an equally priced or powered laptop, just based on the game type.

[@drummer7557]

Same I'd never buy a gaming laptop.

[@luisdominguez4307]

Have my Steam Deck since December I love it.

[@itzdarrenv2716]

Steamdeck to a full blown laptop is apples to oranges

[@curbthepain]

With the advent of the oled deck id proposition that it's the best mobile gaming machine around. Switch and vita coming in second and third respectively. I bricked my deck day 2 but for the time I used it I was in love. Can't wait to flash the bios when my 1.8v eeprom flasher arrives. Then I'll be able to tune in the perfect OC.

[@lazarushernandez5827]

A good 3rd party dock for the Steam Deck helps with some of the expandability. I picked one of the JSAUX docks that allows you to install a full size SSD NVMe drive in it. It also has an HDMI and several USB ports to attach other things. A portable screen and wireless keyboard and mouse help you get the most out of it.

[@omarguerrero6417]

The steam deck isnt bad but the issue with it is the os a lot of games wont be playable,you can use some steam plugs to make some of them playable but is very random which one works

[@JimCamel37]

I Gota acer nitro 5 laptop with GTX 1650 8gb ram that I've been using 3 years now daily. Jus picked up a 512gb steam deck during the anniversary sale. And a dbrand travel kit with digital camo skin. The steam deck is great and all but can't play ALL games you could ona PC. But all in all I love both my devices regardless

[@JasonWitmerYT]

Good to hear!

[@user-hh4hc2lt6e]

It can play like 98% of games lol tell me games it can’t play i wanna know. U can dual boot windows and play COD warzone

[@JimCamel37]

New world for example. @@user-hh4hc2lt6e

[@scorpi3795]

The problem of laptops is overheating

[@Badboy25251]

@@user-hh4hc2lt6e Define play. Yes it can play most games it can't at native resolution.

[@bvggamer3707]

Steam deck is literally a monster. I often have to pinch myself while playing it. Any handheld that plays PS5 caliber titles on low settings can't be touched. My entire lifes game library is playable on steam deck as well.

[@cheerful_crop_circle]

But I feel like the Lenovo Legion Go is better than Steam Deck

[@bvggamer3707]

@@cheerful_crop_circle really? I haven't messed with it. What makes it better?

[@MrMerengue69]

My first gaming laptop at college was the Gateway FX-6860 which I upgraded its CPU to an Intel Core 2 Duo Extreme SLAQJ 3.0Ghz.

[@OTKPoki]

only problem with the gaming laptop, is that god dam weight

[@sleepyshinx174]

I didnt even know gateway was still a thing, I havent seen one of their PCs since i was in elementary school.

[@Sneekystick]

I don’t even touch my desktop anymore. The Steam Deck gives me the feel of playing on my DS as a kid while playing all the games in my Steam library.

[@onionike4198]

I haven't heard gateway for like 20 years 😮

[@sadisticnobility6579]

I prefer the mobility that a Steam Deck has, but it doesn’t up measure up well against even a laptop in terms of performance. Both can function as an Xbox, which is another plus.

[@88laserbeam]

I needed a computer (not a laptop), so i went and bought myself a steamdeck oled 1TB. I am already familiar with linux and i already have a kb and a mouse. Startup time is awesome and you can put it to sleep and pause your game.

[@StrongArmEntertainment]

I needed a car. So I bought a bike.. that is you lol

[@88laserbeam]

@@StrongArmEntertainment i dont really need a computer for my day to day, this is perfect! After 2 months of use, no complaints!

[@AmierAzzeal]

Oled versions are decent upgrade for value, they provide a battery, storage improvements + the OLED screen. Not sure if they are easier to upgrade then LCD versions. I found finding decently priced Laptops annoying and already have a pc so decided to try steam deck myself hoping it to be a decent introduction to linux.

[@TFx2TV]

$400 won't buy you a potato when it comes to gaming laptops, atleast not in the UK. Steam Deck is a complete and utter steal Checked amazon uk, closest thing to that gateway laptop is an asus tuf f15 with similar specs (only 8gbs ram though) and its £674 on offer down from £849. 674 pounds is 841 dollars. £849 is £1060. In US you have better deals and more options, in the UK Steam Deck is an absolute undeniable bargain.

[@markdebruyn1212]

The same is in the Netherlands

[@LARVideos]

Kinda feel like these two aren't even comparable. The Steam Deck is a handheld. A laptop is a.. laptop. You can't use them the same way under normal circumstances. Completely different use cases.

[@chronossage]

In your compatibility section when you say everything just works because it's windows 11 that is sadly wildly misleading. There are a lot of not even that old games that windows just doesn't like anymore. Stubbs the zombie, Sonic Heroes, the original versions Alice madness returns, Ghostbusters the video game, and Bulletstorm are all games that are at most 10 years old and windows just doesn't want to work with anymore and require fixes to get work. Stubbs and Ghostbusters have problems with newer graphics drivers and need fixes to get working. Alice , Bulletstorm, and Sonic on the other hand needs anti piracy fixes or cracks to get working with original legit copies and I still couldn't get Alice to boot. Windows 10 actually broke a lot of older games even when you try to use compatibility mode. Oddly enough I tried playing these games on my Steam deck and besides still needing a couple anti piracy fixes these older games actually just worked. Even Alice Madness Returns which I couldn't get working on windows with anti piracy cracks. Proton actually does more than windows when it comes to being compatible with older games with weird graphics quirks.

[@Codyslx]

Sonic heroes works perfectly fine on windows

[@chronossage]

@@Codyslx Are you installing the 2 CD version from the original disks. Because I needed to download an anti piracy crack to get it working on windows 10 but didn't need it on 7. If you use an abandonware download version that's already build in.

[@B_Machine]

Props for using the steam deck as a computer in public.

[@franciscoaviles2484]

Hey! Great video, and I don't mean to be this guy, but for the CyberPunk section of your video you didn't have "FSR on" on the DECK itself. You can squeeze more performance on the deck if you go to your settings in the game>change to windowed mode>select a screen size smaller then 720p. That will enable your FSR on the deck. With a small tweek like that I'm able to play Aliens Fireteam Elite at 50-60fps when originally I was only getting 30-40 FPS. Hope it helps and I hope to see more videos from ya!

[@ProAvgeek6328]

Laptop is compatible with more games, easy decision

[@Kyle_South198]

Finally a Person Who Knows How Computers Work!!!

[@drummer7557]

In that case get a gaming Desktop, and a Steam Deck, laptops run to loud, to hot, break down easily, are to expensive and only last like 3 years, maybe 5 if you're reallllly lucky. Steam Deck is a marvel.

[@ProAvgeek6328]

@@drummer7557 desktops can't fit in my backpack

[@niebuhr6197]

​@@drummer7557you know steam deck is as hot or even hotter than a laptop? How is it going to last, then?

[@MangoPanic]

I have both a gaming laptop and a Steam Deck atm, and I'm not even gonna lie, I've completely stopped taking my laptop out of the house other than for class, and I primarily play games on PS5 (for AAA RPGs) and Steam Deck (for everything else) nowadays apart from a few things such as MMOs and stuff that's just better with a mouse. One of my fav things to do with the Steam Deck is take it to friends' places and dock it to the TV to play games together, which I used to do on my laptop too, but the Steam Deck just makes it so much easier. Something that really needs to be mentioned is that Windows laptops cannot really run games well in battery mode at all. Trying will lead to very low FPS, stuttering, and lots of glitching in my experience. You can't really use gaming laptops in your lap because they get so hot you can burn your skin, and you can't put them on top of fabrics because it's bad for the fans & temps. So you really need to be playing on a laptop table in your lap or at a desk. And yes, you need to have room for a mouse as well or bring along a controller. Gaming laptops also won't last as long as a Steam Deck will, that's just a simple fact of laptops in general, but the power of a gaming laptop tends to exacerbate it in my experience. 3 years in and my laptop's battery is so trash that I can't use it without a charger for more than maybe 40 minutes with light usage (and that's despite keeping battery preservation settings on to not let it go above 80% since I got it). If you're playing lighter games on a Steam Deck, you can expect up to 5 hours of battery life, and even more with the Steam Deck OLED. AAA games less so, but the fact you can easily use a portable charger or a lightweight wall charger (there are some way smaller than the default one that can even charge multiple devices) is such a big plus that it doesn't matter much to me. You'll be hard-pressed to find a normal laptop that supports USB-C charging in this price range, let alone a gaming one. Play any game on a gaming laptop, and you'll be lucky to make it through the hour while the performance is universally shit. Steam Deck on the other hand is consistent both plugged in and on battery. To be completely honest, I think the best option is to go for a desktop because they last practically forever and are far more upgradable. Unless you are a student or need a laptop for work, in which case I'd probably go with a lower end laptop paired with a Steam Deck. Gaming laptops only really last 4 hours max on lightweight usage (when they're new and the battery hasn't worn), and it's never long enough for those types of tasks really. Windows also likes to forget to switch to low-powered battery modes on gaming laptops, and you don't realise until your battery is dead after an hour. In terms of modding, I think this really depends on what games you play. Personally, I'm finding a lot of mods are starting to directly support Linux since the Steam Deck came out, which is amazing! In many cases, others can be modded by first installing the files on Windows and copying the install over to Linux. I've managed to mod Minecraft (with shaders. Runs natively on Linux), FFXIV (direct mod support for Linux), Sims 3 & 4 (Steam version of 4 + pirated DLC, which had native Linux files to do the installation), and FFVI (by copying over my modded version from Windows). Gonna attempt FFVII next 'cause I've heard wind of those modders improving Linux support. The main thing I've failed to get working is Reshade, tho there is a Linux port of it. Just haven't gotten it working personally.

[@manuelquerochang2275]

Man, Best comment ever

[@redrovaeden5143]

This is kind of an unfair match-up since one is Linux and the other is Windows, especially when one is purely made for gaming while the other is made for general use. Of course a laptop would win if you're not gaming and just working. This video is an equivalent of comparing an Assault Rifle to a Pistol, the Steam deck is a secondary device, not a primary.

[@jonathansilverblood52]

I always find the "compatibility" argument pretty non-convincing, since I've spent more than a decade being linux-only and all the great stuff I've come to depend on simply isn't compatible with windows, so for me that's a huge **negative** on the windows laptop side while on the steamdeck it "just works". If course, from a **gaming** perspective the point is absolutely valid, but in this case you had a productivity section and you've evaluated the two as if they were both regular computers and gameing devices, so I find it fair to comment and say that to me, personally, the laptop compatibility simply sucks.

[@deadpaul6587]

But you could always install Linux yourself on the laptop if you prefer it. Whereas running windows on the Steam deck is not really comparable

[@HunterTracks]

I don't think most people have spent over a decade working with Linux. Personally, I have tried it in my student years, and I would rather eat my laptop than use Linux on it. The experience of trying to fix esoteric issues with IDEs or packages or fucking MySQL has surely takes years off of my lifespan.

[@jonathansilverblood52]

​@@HunterTracksFair, though I'll say the same - driver issue, bluescreens and general "errror -20001783" stuff on windows have definately been my worst nightmares. Also, things really changed 6-7 years back and I barely have to do any support work for family and friends running linux these days.

[@Codyslx]

@@jonathansilverblood52 can't remember the last time i saw a bsod on windows in the past 2 years.

[@Qinti101]

I think the more appropriate question would be which is better option when you already have a main computer for non gaming activities.

[@angelfieseler5358]

Yes this is my question someone needs to answer

[@LelandHasGames]

I feel like it's just a little bit of an unfair comparison. That being said, that laptop is pretty dope for the price

[@yashirou618]

Ill choose laptop and gaming phone. Im not that glued to games whenever I'm outside the house.

[@arthurlongshanks]

Excellent video Jason

[@OnBrandRP]

Steam Deck: Great portability means on the go gaming just about anywhere you go, affordable pricing makes it a must buy for people on a budget. Laptop: Less overall portability but hugely significantly better performance but at the cost of a higher price tag.

[@gusonian8637]

My dad used to work at Gateway! Nice to see them up and running

[@Lone432345]

Frankly i built a Gaming PC. For Me, Getting a Steam Deck seem redundant when i could get Android Handheld and just Stream the games from said Gaming PC using Moonlight or Parsec. I don't have to worry about Compatibility Issues or having figure out how install 3rd Party Store. Like Gog, Epic, Ubisoft Connect or EA App.

[@winterheat]

so if I have a notebook with a 3070 and another one with 3080, does that mean they are already quite faster than a Steam Deck OLED?

[@JasonWitmerYT]

Yep

[@simonstead1491]

Anyone else focused on the cow or just me? 🐄

[@sniper9961]

There was one thing I want to understand and would love to see a video on it...., how does the upscaling (docking on TV) work for either steam deck or laptop ? Why does the game look sharp on SD but not TV?? Is the PS4 really as strong as the steam deck on big screen?

[@JasonWitmerYT]

I gotchu… I’ll make a vid soon ;)

[@Moskeeto]

The Steam Deck screen is really low resolution at 800p so when docking to a TV which is much higher resolution you'll get a blurry, upscaled image. If you go into the properties panel of a game before launching it you can enable higher resolutions when docked. Then you can launch the game and it'll either run at that higher resolution or allow you to change to a higher resolution in the in-game video settings. Keep in mind that this requires a lot more GPU power to render so unless it's a really lightweight game it will affect your performance.

[@morobest5351]

​@@JasonWitmerYTDon't let your eyes deceive you: Windows compatibility is an illusion Fun fact windows quite alot of games don't run on it really old like 2008 to 2012 problems on windows 11. In fact max Payne 2 runz batter on linux they windows. Yes linux missed out on online shooters but windows missed out more of classic games.

[@MrYossarianuk]

@@Moskeeto if you go to desktop mode (KDE) and launch steam from there you can have higher (non scaled) resolution (when docking)

[@MangoPanic]

Steam Deck's native resolution is 800p, while most TVs are 1080p or 4k. You'll see a big dip in performance by upping the resolution to 1080p on the Steam Deck, tho it depends on the game. Most PS4 games are locked to 30 fps, so tbh the performance is probably pretty similar depending on the game, but you'll probably find that really new stuff runs better on a PS4 at 1080p because it's better optimised for the hardware. Even more so on a PS4 Pro.

[@vladislavkaras491]

Great video and good questions at the end!

[@joshreebel2520]

I have been walking the line between my EliteBook G7 and my steam deck and a desktop for years and looking for that all in one that will do it all to sell the rest and go all in on one device. This is tempting me that's for sure...

[@jadorejoe]

Very thoughtful. Thanks for the video!

[@jonathanbarker831]

That story about Starbucks is ridiculous. Pointing and laughing at someone in public for something so insignificant is pathetic.

[@RyanSantos-cn5ij]

For people with stable jobs or doing well who can afford BOTH then there's no problem, but for someone like who barely afford one, which one is better for multitasking? Can I use steamdeck as a working station?for photoshop and making drawing with my tablet? Can it last longer for many years of overtime usage?

[@luigigrabspam4596]

Photoshop is hard to get working on Linux, so you'd need to look into alternatives like Krita but as long as you have a doc to plug in your art tablet it will likely work

[@pedrocosta8658]

just use a laptop. Steam deck is really cool, i own one, but i end up barely touching it because i'm mainly a PC gamer and like to use KB and Mouse a lot more than a controller for most games. Also, i can't stand looking at that small screen for more than an hour.

[@xlr8jaeger]

Ryan Reynolds isn’t a Mint owner anymore. Sold it to T mobile back in March 😢

[@Not_SatoruGojo]

I have both of them + high-end gaming PC, because i want to!

[@JasonWitmerYT]

That’s the real answer haha

[@starscotten]

Gaming laptop automatically wins by default, just for the fact that it can do A LOT MORE than the Steam Deck ever could.

[@LelandHasGames]

Believe it or not, anti-cheat IS compatible with Linux but, developers have to enable it for their games. Epic claims that they will never enable this feature some of their games. Such as Fortnite and others.

[@Sevent77]

12:10 As long as it's a fairly recent game anything from last decade, I had much better luck running old games from W98 and XP era on the Deck thanks to Proton never dropping support for older games unlike Windows.

[@ttalah2964]

After playing a few games on both steam deck and laptop , I have to say I prefer playing games on laptop even with less performance. The reason steam deck screen small and bad compared to my laptop .

[@arieszona]

Great Job Jason!!!!! 👏🏽💯👍🏼

[@arkcorps9138]

I play about an hour or two in bed so steam deck it is

[@foxcar29]

the compativily test its not just...because you can install windows on 1 tera microcard and use windows with all kind pc sofware on steam deck...

[@foxcar29]

and you compare the perfomance with a nvidia 3050 with steam and the amd graphic (equivalent nvidia 1050) its obvius has more fps... its no just comparation , in terms on perfomance win the deck because with a low graphic card its capable to make games playabel near to 3050 grafic card with some time the same fps etc etc

[@maeepicreal]

for kiddys first gaming laptop or just a budget beast i respect that this thing has not bad specifications

[@Synyster07]

a laptop can never be better than pc and a steam deck can never be better than laptop

[@johnboona4048]

Nah it's better than a pc cause you can take it with you

[@emanuelarriaza3710]

A good steam deck and tablet combo is cool i just wish i can connect for extra coding power

[@Frank_42]

Gateway began as it's own company making quality computers that came in a cow box. Then they were bought out by Compaq and became the mass produced product you were speaking of.

[@yourrudeyoutubewatcher]

"Imagine your are waiting for a concert to start. You are not going to pull out your Notebook." Yeah, I am not going to pull out the Steam Deck either waiting for a concert to start.

[@gabewhite6943]

I had a really old windows xp laptop from gateway. Big cow cube on the back of the screen

[@schweeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

Great vid

[@knightofblackfyre7950]

As long as it can play paradox titles and maybe the total war series then im good.

[@iamgooning]

You can have a 2280 ssd in your steam deck if you want, you just need an adapter

[@Carbiniz3r]

What pisses me off is laptops havent even budged over these new handhelds. I feel like at this point im just forced to go the handheld route. Its more competitive between the Steamdeck, Legion Go and Asus Rog Ally then it is across all 10+ laptop vendors.

[@VMCKTC]

At the end of the day we would all be on a PC we can enjoy games together 😌

[@Bakamanzz]

I dont see the appeal of gaming laptops personally, they are too heavy and require too much when im on the go. You can grab both the cheapest Steam Deck for 399 and a cheap Gateway 14.1 Ultra Slim(i5-1135G7 16gb with Intel Iris iGPU) from walmart compared to a good gaming laptop. Laptops are laptops, they are best when they are the lightest and last the longest in terms of battery, anything that compromises a lot on those 2 are a big no for me. Gaming laptops require you to bring a mouse and then have to set it on top of something like a desk to even function, that will drain your battery in under 2 hours when gaming. That just doesnt sound like a good experience or fun to me. That Gateway 14.1 I mentioned also punches above it weight class too, you can even do light gaming on the side which makes it even more valuable while not compromising what a laptop is suppose to be for. Like if I want a great pc gaming experience, im going to be doing it at home with a powerful pc and a good monitor or tv. More power to those who crane their necks playing over their gaming laptops though i guess lol, because if your going to spend that money on a gaming laptop to play at a desk, especially if you plug in a monitor and mouse... why dont you just spend that on an actual pc at that point.

[@theworldoffun8997]

$350 for a minimum Steam Deck LCD now is just a total give away when it comes to a gaming device. How could anything even compare

[@drummer7557]

Steam Deck is an absolute marvel, I'd never buy a gaming laptop, I play the Steam Deck a lot and it has so many settings to make your games run well, it's awesome!! A small portable PC. I mean 16gb DDR5 memory that works together with the GPU (with is much like a PS4/Pro) at lower resolutions. And an 8 core RDNA Processor like modern consoles. You can't go wrong with that.

[@SenileOtaku]

The laptop running MSWindows is automatically a point against it. So regardless of whether it's the SteamDeck or laptop, both have to deal with any game limitations. But considering there are **SO** many games that run on Linux, who needs any of those Linux-hostile games.

[@akuseru1078]

dude you went to a starbucks without a macbook, doesn't matter what you take there upstart people will laugh at anyone that doesn't own an apple product

[@SougoUltimateSadist]

eu would be like - 600 euros for similar laptop... anything to compete with deck has to be from used market to even have a slight chance, evne then getting something with 1060 would be a challenge for that 350~

[@iphonepunker]

The Steam Deck can run CyberPunk at 60FPS with the VSync bug in Medium to high settings 720p

[@devdath2957]

So nice for Jesus himself to give you a new laptop, you must be very blessed

[@JasonWitmerYT]

🙏

[@sevenredundent7256]

Proton isn't proprietary, it's licensed under the 3-clause BSD license. The Steam library APIs are proprietary but Epic could use Proton to port their games to Linux.

[@DoomGamer2163]

I'd go with Steam Deck and Windows 11, perfect device all around

[@jcherrax]

New sub 🙌👏

[@JasonWitmerYT]

Cheers mate 🙏

[@ExploringAndMe]

Deck would be perfect if vr worked on it you think vr works on this laptop? If so pls send me one

[@rehannoor4961]

honestly, even tho im not gonna buy it anytome soon, i went for Deck because i already had pc.

[@Dinivas]

Got the Steamdeck OLED 1TB, but now that ive seen this video im more interested in that Wargreymon build :)

[@googlefish80]

Wouldnt be shocked if this is just a rebadged nitro 5. Also i own the Nitro 5 which is basicly this and its biggest weakness is its 4gb vram. That vram is most likely whats dropping it in price. Games are asking for 8 to 12 gb of Vram now, and though the 3050 can run most games now, its only if it has 8gb of vram.

[@dadou193]

What sort of high end graphic games can you play on this laptop?

[@edgargabriel6640]

You are quite right man 👍Therefore I got the Steam Deck, a versatile, portable Lenovo Yoga 7 with Ryzen 7 / 680 GPU and my beloved Legion 7i with i9-13* / RTX 4070 😊 Well I worked not only 5 hours to get these together 😒 Greetings and best wishes from Germany 👋

[@mitchelldavidson9911]

my rog strix g17 with the 3050ti and ryzon 7 5800h plays every game i want to play on medium high graphics. the only thing that hold me back are thermals. i would not call it portable but ive taken it to many places its fallen of a table waist height a few times. honestly its been through hell and it still works! its a beast. but for 2000 bucks i would buy something else imo on owning this for a year and a half

[@arefallout]

Seems like a clear winner being laptop for what i want lol.