The Steam Deck continues to win me over – here’s why it’s my most played console of 2024
It’s a bit of a habit to extol the virtues of Valve’s Steam Deck in 2024; it’s the portable PC that gaming and technology journalists have been waxing lyrical about. But here I am about to tell you why this is my most played gaming device of the last 12 to 18 months.
But first some context. Naturally, as a curious technology journalist and experienced PC gamer, I was intrigued by the Steam Deck, and when it launched I was chomping at the bit for reviews, opinions and its capabilities, detailed by people who were lucky enough to get one before the stock disappeared.
Despite the praise, it took a while before I was convinced of the Steam Deck. I felt it seemed a bit limited in terms of power, battery life and display, as well as compatibility. Plus, I’m not a big on-the-go gamer, and if so, I’d use my Nintendo Switch; otherwise I’d stick with my PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X as my gaming go-tos.
Then the Steam Deck went on sale and caught my attention. But I missed this discount, which meant I missed the moment to jump aboard this Steam Train.
Just when I thought I was out, the Steam Deck pulled me back in, thanks to Valve very nicely showing up and sending me one to test and so on. And soon I was hooked.
Steaming forward
Now I had already tried a Steam Deck and was impressed with it, but I just wasn’t completely convinced that it was for me. But having my own deck that I could build around my one Steam library changed my perspective in a big way.
I stopped looking Elden Ring was running at 30 frames per second, instead I was digging Disco Elysium, Divinity: Original Sin 2, Fallout 4 and more. These were games that previously required me to use my PC and then sit at my desk where I already spent too much time, or make do with less than optimal Switch ports.
The Steam Deck recontextualized the way I approached certain games. I was no longer tethered to a monitor or TV, and there was just something satisfying about lounging in a comfy chair or bed and delving into a big role-playing game.
And as has been discussed before by other journalists, it’s just fun to throw things at the Steam Deck to see what works and what doesn’t.
However, that was just the beginning. As game compatibility increased and developers optimized for the Steam Deck, it became more and more capable. Additionally, Sony started bringing PlayStation games to the PC, such as God of War 2018 And The last of us playable on deck; suddenly this wasn’t just a Steam machine, but a pseudo-PSP.
As I was sucked into the Steam Deck, I began to delve into what it could be persuaded to do. Some fiddling around and pouring over manuals and I now have access to my GOG library and Xbox Cloud Gaming; the latter culminated in me being done Starfield on the deck instead of on my Series X or powerful gaming PC.
Speaking of which, I’m lucky enough to have an extremely powerful PC from custom PC builder Starforge Systems; it’s an incredible machine that makes gaming from 1440p to 4K a reality. Still, I found myself playing the likes Cyberpunk 2077 – a game that enjoys ray tracing and Nvidia’s DLSS technology – on my deck at 720p.
Even writing that sentence makes it sound ridiculous, but I haven’t gone crazy. To start, Cyberpunk 2077 looks pretty good on deck; Of course, not everything is bright, but in motion it’s still a very good looking game at 720p. Secondly, it boggles my 38 year old mind that a machine I can hold in my hands can run a game that gives you a hugely detailed city with a whole bunch of simulations in it, and runs reasonably well; I’m talking about 30 fps here.
Third, I refer back to my desk situation: I love PC gaming, but I live in a small apartment, so my gaming desk is also my desk. This means I don’t always want to switch from my MacBook to my PC without some form of break. The Steam Deck is the panacea for that, allowing me to go from my desk to my couch and fire up the aforementioned Cyberpunk 2077. And thanks to cloud storage and cross-compatibility, if I want high-quality lighting effects and the ability to see Night City’s mud in detail, I can pick up where I left off on my PC.
This also means it’s a great holiday gaming machine, allowing me to continue a good chunk of my PC gaming when I’m visiting family without having to lug around a hefty gaming laptop.
It’s this flexibility that has made the Steam Deck my favorite gaming machine over the past 18 months. While the libraries of both the PS5 and Xbox Series While there are now a range of similar portable gaming PCs, especially with the Asus ROG Ally, I can’t help but feel that Valve has managed to combine the combination of adaptability and reach for PC gaming with the fun of handheld gaming that the Switch offers.
Despite the Steam Deck approaching its third anniversary, and the murmurs of a Steam Deck 2, I still feel like there’s more to be had from it, which means if you haven’t taken the plunge yet, I highly recommend you highly recommend doing that can really turn your gaming life upside down.