Laro: Good times with the Steam Deck

I’ve been using my Steam Deck on a daily basis for about a month now, and I can honestly say that it’s one of the best purchases I’ve had as a gamer. This is a Steam Deck appreciation post just because I love using it everywhere.

What’s your device and where did you buy it?

I bought it from GameXtreme Ayala Feliz. It’s the Steam Deck OLED 512GB. They have one of the lowest prices on the market for brand new Decks and they’re just walking distance from my location.

They also offered a 6-month payment plan with no additional charge and gave me a free tempered glass, joystick covers, and back button stickers.

Buyer’s initial inspection. What a treat to hold in my hand!

Why 512GB only?

I’m not the type to hoard games on my devices. My gaming PC only has a 512GB SSD and I’ve finished countless titles on it. Half a Terabyte is more than enough.

What games are you playing on it?

Since almost all of the games I’ve been playing since 2010 are from Steam, it’s the perfect device for me. I also prefer single player games that don’t require internet connection. I’ve completed Lost Judgment, Bugsnax, Pacman World, Chained Echoes, Like A Dragon: Ishin, and Persona 4 Golden on this device. I’m currently playing a lot more games and I’ve been addicted to checking the Store page every day.

How’s the experience so far?

The ability to just turn it on and instantly be in the game is superior. I used to put off playing games because I had to boot up my PC and sit on the chair, but now I just lie down in bed and play the night away. The accessibility and convenience is top notch. I play it during down times at the office, while commuting, and in the toilet. It’s great.

Deck at the bar, deck at the airport, deck at the beach.

How’s the performance?

I’m an old school gamer. I don’t believe ultra graphics are important and I personally think that game visuals peaked with MGS3: Snake Eater. With that said, I tweak most games to run comfortably at 45fps on the Deck. Low to medium settings run great so far and I will always prioritize longevity and battery life over pushing the Deck’s performance.

So far, I’ve never had an unplayable game. But that’s also because I do my research and check protondb before I consider buying a game.

How long are you gaming on a single charge?

I’ve only ever went below 20% battery once on a road trip to La Union. I got around 3.5-4 hours of Bugsnax. Thankfully, I’m almost always near a charging outlet so I’ve never been drained. The Deck has charging pass-through which shuts off the battery when plugged in and above 90% so there’s actually no need to worry about overcharging.

It depends on the game’s settings but I usually get around 3 hours of play before I plug the Deck in.

What modifications have you done to your Deck?

Software-wise, I’ve kept everything Vanilla. I’ve only used the desktop mode to add the pinball game and Firefox to the Steam game mode.

I also bought a rubber case with a front plate cover. This reduces the footprint compared to the included case. I can now just toss it in my bag and not worry about it.

I also bought a charger and cord that supports 45W charging to replace the included charger. The original charger is very bulky and came in an EU plug type (it needs a separate adapter most of the time). It’s now permanently delegated to charging the Deck from my bedroom.

What are your favorite features?

The sleep and wake function is definitely one of them. Being able to adjust the performance of each game is also a favorite of mine as well as the performance overlays (I set mine to 2). I thought the back triggers are just a gimmick until I set some game functions to them and now they’re invaluable to my control schemes.

My favorite part is setting the trackpads as the joysticks for single-player RPGs. This makes sure that the joysticks don’t get overused in movement-intensive games like Hades. The trackpads are the thing that sets the Deck apart from other handhelds in the market right now. They feel so good to use and are very convenient.

Playing Like A Dragon Gaiden while waiting in line at the grocery.

Are you happy with your purchase?

Absolutely. I read on forums that some people have buyer’s remorse with their Decks but not me! I’ve been excited about this product since it first launched and I’m happy to have pulled the trigger after the OLED’s announcement. I’ve been using this device for hundreds of hours and it has already paid off its value multiple times.

It has definitely brought back the gamer’s itch in me and I can’t wait to play even more titles on this device.

Any other thoughts on the Deck?

I remember back in college, being poor and not affording the PSP. I had a friend that was kind enough to let me borrow his and I had a fun time playing Monster Hunter, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Rockband, Patapon, Loco Roco, and other games. I marveled at the ability to play anywhere with that device. Eventually I bought a PC for my gaming needs and although mobile games existed, I never had the joyous feeling of gaming on the go with them.

Today is a great time for handheld gaming. The Steam Deck pushed the evolution of these devices and I’m happy to be in a position to own one of these historic devices.

Sometimes when I’m gaming, I get hit with the thought of how Valve managed to pull this off. I’m literally playing a full-featured game on a portable PC while chilling at the beach, hundreds of kilometers away from home. What a time to be a gamer.

Do not disturb mode at the mall.

I’m already thinking of ways to improve my Deck, mostly on the portability side. I want to be able to access it even more easily when on the go. I can’t wait to see where my ideas (and my Steam Deck) will go.

This thing goes everywhere with me nowadays.

-jgzn