PC & Video Games

Valve Announces Steam Deck - Handheld PC console with your Steam library

  • Last Updated:
  • Dec 15th, 2023 10:29 pm
Newbie
Mar 10, 2022
79 posts
45 upvotes
What should I be on the look out for if I buy a used one? By used, I mean an unopened one. There a 256GB model close to me. I've looked at a Deck for months now. Fly a lot, work away and stay in camp. Would work well for me if the games I play work on it.
Deal Fanatic
Oct 13, 2002
6877 posts
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Calgary
16hypen3sp wrote: What should I be on the look out for if I buy a used one? By used, I mean an unopened one. There a 256GB model close to me. I've looked at a Deck for months now. Fly a lot, work away and stay in camp. Would work well for me if the games I play work on it.
Its getting to the point you dont really have to wait much to get one from Valve. I pre-ordered Sept 1, 2022 and its looking like Ill be getting the deck possibly in first week of Oct. Very soon, its going to be almost instant buy and not preorder if Valve keeps up the pacing!
Sr. Member
Sep 28, 2003
899 posts
527 upvotes
markj wrote: Its getting to the point you dont really have to wait much to get one from Valve. I pre-ordered Sept 1, 2022 and its looking like Ill be getting the deck possibly in first week of Oct. Very soon, its going to be almost instant buy and not preorder if Valve keeps up the pacing!
Definitely the way to go. I reserved Feb. 28th and was able to order by Sept. 5th. They're now sending out order emails to people that ordered in late July (256GB). Thursday's batch will likely cover to last week of August. I think they'll catch up on the backlog after 1st week of October. Anyone that reserves now until the end of the year will probably get their Deck in Q4. They're sending out so many that shipping to Canada has been backlogged. So expect a Deck to ship about two weeks after payment.

For those that are thinking about using this as a replacement for a gaming laptop, there are pros and cons. The Deck is definitely more portable and can play a lot of games well. Some cons that I've encountered is it requires endless configuration and tweaking. If you're not comfortable with Linux or even a PC gamer, there will be things to learn and get used to. Consider connecting a keyboard for configuring things or get used to using the virtual keyboard with the touchpads (use both to control their respective side). Also, buy games through Steam if possible because the integration is much better and you can easily tell how well the game works based on the Deck rating. Just because a game is listed in ProtonDB as working, it depends where you purchase the game.

I just configured Stellaris and Fallout Tactics that come from GOG. Both had significant issues and took a lot of figuring it out how to get it to work from Gaming Mode. There's not a lot of info available on how to configure a game, just that it works in Linux or works on the Deck.

Stellaris is natively supported but I had trouble getting the Paradox launcher working. Lutris and Heroic can both install it but it wasn't the greatest experience. BoilR can automatically add the game to Steam but it wouldn't work. I had to manually add the game (specify dowser as the file to execute).

Fallout Tactics also has a launcher and Steam wouldn't load it with certain Proton versions. Proton 7.0 seemed to work best but then it wouldn't load the intro video and crash. I had to add BOS.exe manually to Steam and that seemed to work. Once it was working, the controls weren't set up at all. No community configurations were found. I had to set up something myself and I'd rather be playing than configuring.

Other games seemed to work pretty well. Some have pretty good input configs but it's still more complicated than what a gamer may be used to. If a game doesn't support the gamepad then you have to learn how to play the game differently. It's weird when you don't know the controls and have to refer to the input layout over and over. I tried The Witcher 3 that I hadn't touched in years and it was easy to pick up again because it shows the controls on screen.

I had one hardware problem where the right trigger wasn't calibrated. It kept thinking it was partially pressed, which triggers input in some games (Aperture Desk Job). I had to run trigger_cal in Desktop Mode to calibrate the trigger. Tutorials helped with this but SteamOS seems to have changed and doesn't allow you to execute it. So you either set up a user with permission to do that or you copy the file to your home directory to execute.

The software is a bit rough on the edges. Sometimes you press back endlessly after exiting a game because you kept looking at the control layout. There are other quirks like viewing game info and backing out but not being able to select a game until switching game collections. Or you try to use the virtual keyboard and it doesn't type or you can't move the cursor (might be fixed in beta). Or you switch to Desktop Mode and input doesn't work for a several seconds. Hopefully, Valve irons out all the issues but it's something to think about if you're excited about using the Deck. It's really focused on a good experience within Gaming Mode.

Oh, my fan is also pretty quiet.
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Jul 14, 2014
3347 posts
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Anybody look at the Aya Neo ? The below comparison with the Deck from Digital Foundry is quite interesting. And it makes me wish Valve would launch an OLED version of the Deck with a CPU with more cores. Maybe the Deck 2...

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Feb 8, 2006
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I have an extra 64GB coming tomorrow if anyone wants to buy at cost. Pickup in Kennedy/Bur Oak area in Markham. I bought for a friend but he flaked.
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Sr. Member
Sep 28, 2003
899 posts
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Niklasky wrote: Anybody look at the Aya Neo ? The below comparison with the Deck from Digital Foundry is quite interesting. And it makes me wish Valve would launch an OLED version of the Deck with a CPU with more cores. Maybe the Deck 2...
My impression is that it's better value going with the Steam Deck, especially for those that get the 64GB and upgrade the storage. I've heard that the Aya runs pretty hot too but I think that's a given with these handheld PC's. I think some of the hype with Steam Deck is the partnership with iFixit. People are getting parts already to repair or even upgrade the thumbsticks. Some even hope that there will be an OLED screen upgrade but, if someone makes the part, I think it's not worth doing that upgrade because it ruins the Deck's great price.

An OLED screen would certainly look great but I think the screen is pretty good already. I think at the Deck's price that sacrificing contrast in dark scenes is a good trade-off. Maybe Valve does add it for the next hardware revision but that's probably going to be a while. It's pretty funny that we're all thinking of what upgrades would be in the next version and Valve is just catching up with orders.
Deal Fanatic
Oct 13, 2002
6877 posts
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Calgary
Niklasky wrote: Anybody look at the Aya Neo ? The below comparison with the Deck from Digital Foundry is quite interesting. And it makes me wish Valve would launch an OLED version of the Deck with a CPU with more cores. Maybe the Deck 2...

i was actually looking at buying a low end air model but the 64gb deck was only $150 more. i agree that an oled screen is something missing from the deck!
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Aug 20, 2009
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Blargh - "Our distributor has hit a processing backlog for orders to Canada. We are actively working through the issue and will ship your order as soon as we can. You will receive an email with tracking information once your order ships."

I didn't want it and they were ready to send it, now it's the opposite :(

I hate when all of your accessories arrive before a device does.
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Oct 13, 2002
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Redmask wrote: Blargh - "Our distributor has hit a processing backlog for orders to Canada. We are actively working through the issue and will ship your order as soon as we can. You will receive an email with tracking information once your order ships."

I didn't want it and they were ready to send it, now it's the opposite :(

I hate when all of your accessories arrive before a device does.
yep im at 100% and should have got my order email today but because of this canada only delay we will wait longer now...weird that its only for canadian orders and no other area where valve ships tbh...at least it does say 'very temp pause'...

Sr. Member
Sep 28, 2003
899 posts
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markj wrote: yep im at 100% and should have got my order email today but because of this canada only delay we will wait longer now...weird that its only for canadian orders and no other area where valve ships tbh...at least it does say 'very temp pause'...
That sucks but I think they didn't want to send out order emails and not be able to fulfill them immediately. I had to wait 10 days after payment before they shipped. It sounded like it increased so the only option is to pause orders. Whoever they got to prepare the Canadian packages needed to scale up to the amount of orders coming in. It's likely all the paperwork they have to do. Mine had paperwork attached to it for customs so I think they didn't realize doing that for every package is a bottleneck.

It could be worse though... I think EU is bottlenecked by shipments arriving to the distribution centre. Some order days, it seems like it moves very little and I don't think it's because of increased order volume since the other regions don't hit snags so badly like that.
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Oct 26, 2007
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I'm in the same boat. Initially, I was hoping to have my SD for my long haul flight later this year, but as production started to ramp up and supply chain issues cleared up, December quickly became September and I even started buying accessories for the SD - 1TB microSD card, Gulikit replacement joysticks, 1TB NVME drive and a dbrand Killswitch. With the exception of the Killswitch and the SD, I have everything in my possession ready to go, ready for to install. Now, more waiting because of the shipping delay. Oh well, first world problems. :)
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Aug 20, 2009
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Proof that the squeaky wheel gets the oil:
We're preparing your items to ship.
Tracking information has been created and is attached below. The tracking numbers may not be active until your packages have been transferred to the shipping carrier for delivery.
Grinning Face With Smiling Eyes

Super stoked!
Sr. Member
Sep 28, 2003
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Redmask wrote: I mean, I understand delays but they took my Paypal payment like 11 business days ago. Apparently it's just sitting in Tennessee waiting to be shipped :(

Ah well, first world problems!
I know what you mean. I got my order email a week before I'd go travelling for a week. It shipped midway through my travel and nobody was home to accept the package. Secretly, I wanted more of a delay. Smiling Face With Open Mouth And Cold Sweat It arrived the day after I got home though!

Once your deck starts moving, it'll be pretty fast! It's two-day shipping so you might get it by Friday. Although, I got my tracking on a Wednesday and it was picked up Thursday. Delivery was Monday. Worked for me but hoping your package arrives Friday so you have the weekend to play with configure it!
Sr. Member
Jan 17, 2009
564 posts
52 upvotes
Toronto
coriolis wrote: After 3 flights since getting the Deck, its pretty great to have along. I never had a Switch, so I have no experience with that, but I find my game preferences usually are on PC.

I can say, a good battery bank and a good wall charger (I have a 65w one with 2x USB and 2x USB-C) has been helpful. Also, the stock Deck case is fine, but I do wish there was a slimmer hard case, it does take up more space than I'd like but still very tolerable.
Yeah, agreed, the deck is great, just need a 65W wall charger and a longer USB-C cord. I hear you about the slimmer hard case. I got the Spigen hard case and regret it. It's MASSIVE.
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Apr 20, 2012
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Dbrand kill switch and travel cover combo just came in. It’s very grippy.
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Oct 26, 2007
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If you have purchased a Killswitch, check your email. dbrand just announced that they found an issue with the magnet on the kickstand. The magnet effects certain fans used in the SD and will change the kickstand from a magnetic mount to a mechanical mount.
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Apr 20, 2012
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Broli's Mom wrote: If you have purchased a Killswitch, check your email. dbrand just announced that they found an issue with the magnet on the kickstand. The magnet effects certain fans used in the SD and will change the kickstand from a magnetic mount to a mechanical mount.
That’s good to know. I will keep it and not use the kickstand since it’s easier to travel with for quick gaming sessions than using the official case.
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May 22, 2005
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I stopped using the Jsaux case, not because I dislike it but I like the feel on the Deck without a case.

A built in kickstand really would of been nice

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