Thoughts on the Steam Deck, Legion Go, Rog Ally, etc.

[Hulk]

So after doing some research I've decided on possibly buying the Legion GO but after watching some YouTube videos I just don't get the point of these handheld consoles.

The Legion Go plays games like Witcher 3, CyberPunk, etc. at like 35 fps at LOW settings even though it has a 144hz screen. I just don't get the point of these. I've got my gaming PC in the basement and I can play either on my 34" widescreen monitor or on my 60" Plasma TV that has a recliner like two feet in front of it. I guess the only reason to buy one of these is to play at work on your lunch break?

Maybe I'll just wait a couple years and get the II or III version where these consoles can actually do 60+ fps on acceptable settings.

 

[vegeta535]

These things are pointless to me. They will never catch up to a real PC. Sure in 5 years they will ay Cyber punk at ultra setting but still won't be able to touch games released in 5 years.

 

[Hulk]

True. I guess I could play older games like Skyrim, Snowrunner, Fallout 3 and 4.

 

[t1337duder]

So after doing some research I've decided on possibly buying the Legion GO but after watching some YouTube videos I just don't get the point of these handheld consoles.

The Legion Go plays games like Witcher 3, CyberPunk, etc. at like 35 fps at LOW settings even though it has a 144hz screen. I just don't get the point of these. I've got my gaming PC in the basement and I can play either on my 34" widescreen monitor or on my 60" Plasma TV that has a recliner like two feet in front of it. I guess the only reason to buy one of these is to play at work on your lunch break?

Maybe I'll just wait a couple years and get the II or III version where these consoles can actually do 60+ fps on acceptable settings.

I doubt that's the case with The Witcher. And Cyberpunk isn't a very well optimized game relatively speaking - there are people with full PC's that have a hard time with it.

Like, you have a handheld computer that can play hundreds if not thousands of games - basically any of the best games released. I could be on a snow-topped mountain waiting for a tow-truck and be entertained for hours. And it's not worth it to you because it can't play bleeding edge games at high settings?

Your creativity is the limit with these devices, and if the only thing that appeals to you is sitting at home playing the newest games at max graphics, then obviously these devices aren't for you. Most people play a library of games that span across the last couple decades, and the Deck can play all of those just fine.

 

[Hulk]

Speaking of the Deck I heard it's hard to play non steam games like Snowrunner or Diablo, Starcraft. etc. Steam should make it easier for people to play non Steam games, it would help boost sales.

 

[Axman]

I just don't get the point of these handheld consoles.

Did you have a Gameboy or Game Gear growing up? That's basically what they are, and you can absolutely use one with a dock as a desktop. More and more games are getting Deck builds every day, so it's not just retro gaming. The number of games in my library that went from "Great on Deck" since its launch has doubled.

Speaking of the Deck I heard it's hard to play non steam games like Snowrunner or Diablo, Starcraft. etc.

That's gaming on Linux in general, not a Steam/Valve issue. Personally I bought my deck to promote developers making games run on Linux, because I don't think Windows is the way going forward anymore, not with the tracking and other weird shit Microsoft is up to. And more companies are making this happen already.

I can understand wanting to wait for a Deck 2, this is still early adopter territory (look at all the people complaining about the OLED update) but as far as it matters, the other non-deck handheld PCs are just hangers-on, the Deck is where gaming companies will focus on from here on out. Not in a primary capacity, no, it'll still be PS/Xbox, then Windows, then Deck, but you can bet hard currency that they won't give two fucks about the Asus or any of the Chinese handhelds.

 

[UnknownSouljer]

So after doing some research I've decided on possibly buying the Legion GO but after watching some YouTube videos I just don't get the point of these handheld consoles.

Steam Deck is the only one worth getting, as it's the only one that has features like instant sleep and instant on, reasonable battery life, good display, good audio, well thought out ergonomics, etc.

The Legion Go plays games like Witcher 3, CyberPunk, etc. at like 35 fps at LOW settings even though it has a 144hz screen. I just don't get the point of these. I've got my gaming PC in the basement and I can play either on my 34" widescreen monitor or on my 60" Plasma TV that has a recliner like two feet in front of it. I guess the only reason to buy one of these is to play at work on your lunch break?

Maybe I'll just wait a couple years and get the II or III version where these consoles can actually do 60+ fps on acceptable settings.

To answer your second question, yes, this device is likely not for you. If the only gaming you do and intend to do is at home then I wouldn't even consider this device.
Even if you were living a more mobile lifestyle, then for someone like you a gaming laptop would likely be a better option.


View: https://youtu.be/PSmEo2smPJs?feature=shared

 

[Nyageki]

why nvidia doesn't do anything with their stream gpus?

 

[cvinh]

Yea honestly, unless you're into retro games/emulation or you do a lot of gaming on the go outside of the house, you'll never really pick up a handheld. Haven't picked up my deck for a few days now and thinking of selling it.

 

[SeymourGore]

Yeah, I love my Steam Deck, but that's because I use it for emulation, JRPGs, platformers, etc - genres that are suitable for portable play. I tried to play a AAA title on it (Horizon Zero Dawn and Cyberpunk), but I'd rather play graphically rich games on my desktop PC/gaming console.

 

[Burticus]

Yeah I mean for people on the go, or if you have to fight the kids/housemates for big screen time.

I had a Vita for a while, and it was really cool but I found I wasn't playing it very much around the house.... why play on a tiny handheld if I can play on a big screen? Also some games didn't do so well on the smaller screen. I suppose if I traveled more or had long work commutes (like daily trains etc) I could see value.

Also also, I'm getting old (51) and my vision is changing. Having to switch to reading glasses to play a game and switch back to regular for everything else was a drag. Bifocal time? Maybe.... it's definitely coming. I can use my phone ok but I don't really play games on it. I want to see a portable gaming console with a bigger screen like tablet sized.

 

[t1k]

Yea honestly, unless you're into retro games/emulation or you do a lot of gaming on the go outside of the house, you'll never really pick up a handheld. Haven't picked up my deck for a few days now and thinking of selling it.

It's also for those looking for a more console-like experience in the PC world. A gateway drug into PC gaming for some people. "Bridging the gap between console and PC gaming" might be a better way of putting it. Games that are verified for it just work and already have preconfigured settings and controls. From what I've gathered it can come pretty close to serving as a Switch replacement these days too.

I have one on the way because it just seems like a tinkerer's dream and excellent for indie games, retrogaming, and emulation. It will also serve as a backup PC in a pinch and be nice for traveling. For me it also evokes some nostalgia of my first gaming experiences in the good old Game Boy days.

I'm too intrigued with the device to not at least give it a chance. I don't expect it to replace my desktop PC though -- not by a longshot. I will share my thoughts on it once I've spent some weeks with it. I'm excited to receive it even if my expectations for it are measured.

 

[Erebus]

I think you will already know if it’s for you, if it’s for you. If you are going into it thinking you don’t have a use case for it, I bet you are right. Not being snarky, just think that’s the case with the Deck with how niche it is. And that’s ok if you don’t have a use for it, choice is the spice of life.

If you already have and like a Nintendo Switch, emulation handheld, travel, game in bed, etc, you probably already have a Steam Deck.

 

[zrikz]

I was really on the line about buying a deck. I have a fancy gaming PC with a 4090.. but in the past 4-6 months of having it, I've gotten a good 150+ hours out of it.

I've got young kids / family and can't always hide in an office playing my games, it's very convenient to pull out the deck and fill in 15-45 minutes where there's downtime and the kids / family are close by. Definitely played through the backlog of a few indie games and got emudeck up running some switch games / older classics I've played through.

I also travel once every 2ish months for a week or so for work and on the airplane / airport or in the hotel for an hour or two it's been pretty spectacular.

Are you going to play new AAA games at max settings, absolutely not, that's what my sweet gaming PC is for.. can I fill in some times, put it in suspend mode and play / pause a game in short session? absolutely. I've also used it plugged in for 2-3 hours at a time hanging out mindlessly watching some show neither of us really care about.

But if you do have a decent gaming PC in addition, it's super smooth streaming to the deck, I played a good 10+ hours of starfield on it (did do local starfield, looks like trash, but it does work).

As to playing non-steam games on it, there's a slight annoyance for setting up the epic games launcher, etc but I got RDR2 working through epic in less than 10 minutes, granted it runs at low settings, it still looks pretty decent, gameplay is fine, I have a solid 10 hours on it.. also got Cyberpunk 2077 from epic running on low, doesn't look the best, but come on, I paid $350 for the thing.. $410 with the 1TB SSD upgrade I put in myself.

Also, bought a cheap $10 dock from aliexpress and paired with an hdmi cable, pretty decent HTPC, have streamed for 20+ hours during various vacations this year to a TV.

It's what you make of it.. I haven't used it in about 5-6 days, but I easily get 2-3 hours in on it a week no problem, travel weeks or times kids are off school.. 10+, it's a convenient lifestyle gaming device, especially if you're playing games that can be paused. Convenient for building up some wife faction when she wants to watch some garbage TV in bed for an hour.. pull out the deck, play something from the backlog with the sound off and halfway pay attention to her show, win/win.

 

[emphy]

So after doing some research I've decided on possibly buying the Legion GO but after watching some YouTube videos I just don't get the point of these handheld consoles.

The Legion Go plays games like Witcher 3, CyberPunk, etc. at like 35 fps at LOW settings even though it has a 144hz screen. I just don't get the point of these. I've got my gaming PC in the basement and I can play either on my 34" widescreen monitor or on my 60" Plasma TV that has a recliner like two feet in front of it. I guess the only reason to buy one of these is to play at work on your lunch break?

Maybe I'll just wait a couple years and get the II or III version where these consoles can actually do 60+ fps on acceptable settings.

You got the point fine and have rightfully concluded that you have no interest in this sort of device.

By the time they can play the games of today at 60+ fps, you will have precisely the same stance because the games will still run badly compared to your (possible upgraded) pc in the basement. Particularly the games that will be current by that time will be running at those selfsame unacceptable 35fps at low settings.

Unless, of course, something in your usage patterns changed to the point that the performance tradeoff became acceptable for the mobility those computers provide.

 

[The Mad Atheist]

I'm toying the idea of getting a LL-Go, might wait a while to see if the software improves, also want to see if a 32GB hack can be done on it like the SD.

 

[t1k]

The gyro aiming on the Deck is pretty kickass. It's my first introduction to it since I haven't done much FPS gaming with a controller. "Always on" gyro aiming in Dhewm3, DUSK, Half-Life, and Blood feels really good.

I put a WD SN770M 2TB in my LE unit a couple days ago and read/write times aren't noticeably any slower than my desktop. Setting up all my Steam and non-Steam games with it and also slowly curating games to emulate. Some games like BG3 work really well with it without much modification.

Steam Input setup for games is pretty glitchy, though I've been able to work around or through issues I've had with it. I do wish the Deck had an official controller, but some compatible controllers on the market like the dualshock 4 seem like they would be pretty good. Overall I'm very happy with the Deck so far. You can get nearly any game running smoothly on it with enough time and effort.

 

[bananas1]

These things are pointless to me. They will never catch up to a real PC. Sure in 5 years they will ay Cyber punk at ultra setting but still won't be able to touch games released in 5 years.

I really underestimated how much easier it is to enjoy some games while laying on the couch or in bed. Also it's really easy and fun to pass it to somebody you're sitting next to - "here, you try this level"

 

[Gorilla]

I really underestimated how much easier it is to enjoy some games while laying on the couch or in bed. Also it's really easy and fun to pass it to somebody you're sitting next to - "here, you try this level"

That's pretty much my use case. Relax in bed for an hour before sleeping with some SNES Yoshi's Island or some Stardew Valley. My deck gets more usage than the system in my signature.