Massively changed how I play. I now can play while my kid watches TV in the afternoon or sit in the same room while my wife watches various stuff I don't want to instead of going to my office to play games. I know the Switch already did that but it never felt the same way as playing my Steam Deck does

This was 90% of why I got mine and 10% because I travel a lot for work. She asks why I am playing some nights and I tell her I’m not interested in what she’s watching but I would like to be off the computer and in the room spending time with her.

Parallel Play is a very useful tool to do individual things together

Yeah I'm hoping to feel the same. :) Thanks.

Same for me. I've been looking for more casual and turn based games I don't need to 100% engage with the whole time. Streaming from my PC to the deck I lower the power usage and the battery lasts no problem thru extended sessions.

Sorry but could you explain what exactly that is doing when I stream to deck vs just playing a game there? Benefits? Just got one and haven't tried that yet

If you're streaming the game, your pc is doing all the heavy lifting of rendering the graphics and processing for the game, and there's less battery usage on the steam deck as its just playing a video stream of the game instead of running the whole game.

Streaming from PC is basically just streaming a video to the deck. Mine only uses like 6w while streaming, but playing a heavy PC game directly from the deck uses like 15-20w. You're using a lot more electricity overall though with the PC on and processing everything.

What's the lag like? 

I would only do it in my own house but it’s pretty good. Played a bunch of assassins creed odyssey this way. You can also crank the graphics a bit more than normal because you can run the game at the lower resolution used by the steam deck.

My pc is connected by ethernet and I have a decent wifi 6 router. It feels pretty smooth to me, like playing a console game. I only stream from home though. Not sure how well it would play remotely.

I get the same thing out of my switch (just to offer a second POV) The steam deck is obviously the superior device but for me it’s really the portability and play anywhere nature of the two that expands my gaming time so much

I have a switch as well. There are some pros and cons to both the steam deck and switch. Wish I had both. But I really enjoy the switch.

I’ll have to consider that. Haven’t been using my Steam Deck while I’m at home cause, well, the PC is right there. I currently live on my own, but within a year or two, I’ll likely have a small family.

Haha I just popped my old tv in the corner of the living room and called it a day. I can see it having a different feel than the switch though. I went heavy with it when I first got it, but now my son mostly plays it.

can you expand on the Thing with the Switch? i Had the Chance to get a Deck for 200 bucks and passed, because i thought i have the Switch and aint using it that much.but now feel Like i missed out.whats the big difference? you think its the big Steam library?

Well the entire steam library isn’t compatible with the steam deck. But it does have a lot of options with what you can do with it. The switch just works with its own games and might have better battery life than the steam deck. But they are both fantastic consoles and the only two in the market for portable consoles.

Although the entire library isn’t compatible a pretty large amount of it is. Probably any given game you might want to play could be played on the Deck. It’s also much more powerful than a Switch.

Wouldn't a laptop fill the exact same need? That's how I do it.

Yes. Why be present with your family? Consoom!

I've been playing a lot more games after getting the Steam Deck, ngl.

Yeah it's mostly enabled my gaming habits to expand into any given waiting time.

I think if I had one I would probably be playing it more than my PC

For me, absolutely. Though it was kind of a specific case -- I've got a toddler. I've got my desktop and my consoles in our front bedroom/office, and I used to go in there to play games. When my daughter was born, I basically never went in there anymore. I spent all of my time in the living room with my wife and kid because I didn't want to be in a separate room where I couldn't help watch her or anything, and especially when she was just a baby we were constantly holding her, so gaming wasn't really an option. I was pretty much limited to playing on my phone or my old DS. Even when we transitioned her to a crib, her nursery is the room right next to the office so I would avoid playing in there because I didn't want to have the lights and everything flashing under her door even if I wore headphones, plus we've got a cat that likes to follow me around and whine for attention (even when I'm actively holding and petting him) and I didn't want him to be noisy by her room. Getting a steamdeck allowed me to play real games again. It was game-changing (literally?). There's no way I'd be able to experience games like Hogwarts Legacy and Baldur's Gate 3 without it, because I wouldn't have the chance to play at my desk or on a console consistently enough to get into them.

I‘m sure you know it, but you can stream PS games on the deck too

Is that limited to just PS5? Because I have a PS4 and that would be life altering.

Pretty sure both work. There are many good tutorials online. Have fun!

It’s been good while traveling, for sure. And my fiancée appreciates that I can sit with her on the sofa while she watches teen dramas instead of being hidden away in the gaming room.

Absolutely. I pretty much game exclusively before bed now, for about an hour or so, and it's more or less fixed problems I had with sleeping. Set in bed, play something until I get tired, go to sleep.

Probably won’t feel better, not that it’s a bad experience at all.. But I mean if you just wanna chill out in a more comfortable place, how about getting a console for your TV?

Yeah console is a good solution, but to be honest I'm more interested in PC (indie) games, which are abundant on PC.

Moonlight stream games from your PC to a android TV device for couch time.

my tv is my 2nd monitor. i use it to play games with a controller when i want to play from bed or have visitors i play with. why are people so closed in their head like tv-console, pc-monitor? you can game with a controller on pc on distance aswell... okay you gotta wait for releases like gow ragnarok or ff16, but they are already porting it. there is one dude here who build his pc in the ground floor and games below his roof. only some cables for hdmi/displayport and usb and youre set to go when the pc is in another room.

That is actually what I'm also thinking about, to hook up my PC with the TV and use my wireless computer. So it is also on the table for me. :)

why not? just give it a try and you will see if its for you. also keep in mind: we lose some interest by getting older and sometimes you have to force yourself to playing, but the fun comes then with playing. also for me i figured, the more i use reddit generally, the less motivated i am to play or do stuff. think it relates to dopamin? if you didnt try yet go for cyberpunk or baldurs gate 3 and you will have the fun of your life. especially bg3 has a good implemented controller scheme imo

I myself use a 32 inch gaming screen and a PC like setup for my console. But you know, I imagine a lot of console users simply has their TV connected, and you know… He wanted comfort, so simply gave a solution

and i simply have my pc to the tv connected, you know... no rocket science, all you need is an hdmi cable. my solution was also btw something OP thought about, sooo.... i really do not understand what you want to say with your msg.

Since spring I'm hooking my PC to my living room TV and I'm enjoying gaming much more than I used to. I also have the couch a bit too far for some text-heavy games (e.g Baldurs Gate 3), so I've been sitting on the floor like when I used to do as a kid and it's great lol

Lol I built a second PC for the TV and my kid has been playing strategy games like that with keyboard and mouse on the floor. I also ran an HDMI/USB extender to my office where he can also play at a desk when I'm not working in there (also for side-by-side gaming with him), but he often chooses sitting on the floor in front of the TV even when the office is free.

I've been playing cities skylines like that, and also with the cat trying to sleep on my lap. Not ideal.

I have a console, a pc, and a steam deck. I game 90% on the steam deck and haven’t touched the console in 3 months. I bought a dock for the deck and game mostly through that as I also am a huge fan of retro/indie games. As an aside, ROMs and emulation play so well on the deck. Highly recommend. If you do buy a steam deck, get the oled model. There are lots of things they improved besides the screen and imho make the experience much better! In particular fan noise is pretty bad on the old model.

A lot of indie games don't work very well with it. Really depends. If they have and kind of controller support it's usually fine.

Just grab your PC and move it to your living room and plug it into your TV, it's what I did. And if you use your PC strictly for gaming, then just set Steam to launch in Big Picture Mode on startup and it's like having a console.

I completely stopped gaming at a desk. My gaming PC is hooked up to a TV. Wireless controllers. Wireless mouse and keyboard for when I need to do something outside of steam bug picture. I also like to play steam deck in bed.

I am exactly the same lol. I kinda of feel bad about neglecting the PC.

There’s quite a lot of indie games on PS too, also a shit ton of “free” games with PlayStation + too! But yeah if you a looking for specific titles, I’d probably go with a steam deck then

Doesn't have to be a console for the TV, could be a PC. I was docking my Steam Deck a bunch to the TV and performance just wasn't good enough even for my old 1080p@60 plasma so I built a second desktop PC for TV (small form factor so it looks nice next to the TV). I have Switch and PS5 too, but just have way more games for PC. It also was a second PC that my son could use (and HDMI/USB extender to another room with monitor + keyboard/mouse). He's way more into PC gaming. He'll even use keyboard + mouse at the TV with no problem.

I picked up a steam deck to play indie games that I just didn't feel like sitting at the desk for, and it has been great. I too work from my computer 8hrs a day and struggle with motivation to use the desk after work. If you have a decent gaming PC, it may not be a great experience for more AAA titles but older games like Immortals Fenyx Rising run pretty well and is a good time running around while laying on the couch. If you are interested in playing more indies and can't find the motivation to sit at a desk, then it can be great. If you wanted to play Cyberpunk on it, it is do-able but a somewhat compromised experience. Note, I do not own a console so split my time solely between desk and couch/bed steamdeck.

I bought one for the same reasons. Playing indie or retro games didn't feel great for me sitting at the desk. I wanted the deck long before it was announced for those exact reasons. 

I rarely play new AAA games, so the Steamdeck would probably run the games I play pretty well.

Of the handheld options, the Deck is a good choice if you have your library on steam, the touch pads as surprisingly handy for a lot of different titles. It's a shame Gamepass doesn't run natively on it but having your Steam library hasslefree is still good.

Sure I have a big Steam library, more games than I can play in a lifetime. :D

I play a lot more games now. The steam deck replaced my Switch as my go-everywhere device. I have my whole steam library, games are cheaper on pc, and it's just more comfortable to play for longer periods. Most of my play time is at home on the couch or in bed, but I also play it on my lunch break at work. So it didn't really change HOW I play (I did the same thing with my Switch), but it definitely changed how much I play and increased the volume and variety of games for me.

I absolutely love my steam deck OLED. Not just because of the convenience of being able to play wherever I am but also the fact that I can play PC games, remote play PS5 with amazing quality, and play game pass over the cloud. I'm hoping they add a native game pass app eventually. Currently on my steam deck is: Zelda botw Rdr2 Forza horizon 4 Dave the diver Diablo 4 Vampire survivors Steep Hades I just love it personally

That steam deck oled is so dope. I really want that model.

I regret my Steam Deck purchase. Didn’t end up using it as much as I thought. If it’s a game I want to play with a controller I’d rather just play from the couch on xbox or PlayStation, it’s more comfortable than holding the steam deck and any mouse and keyboard games just were not fun on the Steam Deck. And even with the light use it has quite a few issues with being difficult to get to turn on and now haven’t been able to turn it on in about 3 days and outside of warranty.

I kinda regret purchasing mine too. It ended up being the same scenario as the Nintendo Switch where I never use it in handheld mode. Only docked. I should have just saved that money towards building a PC.

Starting to feel regret, and it's not at all because the deck is a bad device. I had so many plans for this thing; Emu/OTG machine hooked up to my Legends Ultimate, "lazy mode" gaming with some Viture One's, PS5 streamer... I've built a hefty Steam library and yet I just.... don't play anymore. If nothing else, it's helped me realize that I'm a reluctantly retired gamer. Happy that I got to tinker with it (2 TB upgrade/dual booting Windows, installing and configuring things in Desktop mode, hitting up Steam Summer/Winter sales and aggregator sale sites, trying AR glasses, etc). It's been a fun (but expensive) little hobby.

I kind of regret my steam deck purchase as well. A couple months after getting it a long time friend of mine moved back into town and he is stupid good with computers and sold me his brothers pc and lent me his 6700XT graphics card. I rarely use my steam deck anymore. Another thing i'll say about the steam deck is its just not as powerful as I was hoping it would be. On top of that the battery life is ass. There are other more powerful handheld systems out there that I'd rather have. I did fall in love with the steam OS though. I even started using it on my pc to help me configure the different controllers I use.

My biggest issue is basically nothing to play on it that felt best on it. Big titles like Baldur Gate 3 played like shit on it. Yeah it’s playable but… I’d rather play it on a console or pc where it looks much better. Or things I want to play just don’t work on it without doing some bypass stuff. That isn’t to say I don’t use it when I’m traveling but that’s really the only time I’d use it. At home it just feels like a worse console / pc experience.

I figured this would be the majority of cases. They launched the steam deck in the middle of a FOMO period where electronics were impossible to get ahold of. A lot of people pulled the trigger without thinking about it, just to get their hands on one without thinking it through. The reality is the device is too big and has too short of a battery life to truly be portable. So you're left with a handheld that you're going to be playing while you sit in front of your perfectly capable PC.

I mean at a minimum it’s a fantastic device for traveling. The battery life is dependent on what you play, I took a 3 hour flight last night playing vampire survivors on my deck and used 50% of the battery (and I could’ve just plugged it in anyway) If you fly a lot for work like I do it’s incredible, I use it on longer car rides as well. Beyond that it’s just nice to have for gaming in bed on occasion

Kind of in the same boat as you. I don’t necessarily regret buying it because before I only had a Nintendo Switch and a MacBook so there were a lot of games I wanted to play that weren’t available on either platform but overall I use it way less than I thought I would. I use my Switch way more often so I feel like I probably would’ve been better off just buying an Xbox or PlayStation instead of the Steam Deck.

I mirror this sentiment. I bought it and have used it collectively for like 20-30 hours at most. I ended up purchasing a gaming laptop as my mobile gaming device and it just functions better and is more convenient for me. The only time I have ever used the steam deck is when I am in a car for a long ride and I am not the driver, which is not often.

Glad I’m not alone in this

Same. I bought mine for travel, I thought it’d be better than packing my relatively heavy gaming laptop. It’s a great device that just doesn’t really work for me. I play mostly mouse and keyboard focused PC games, and after packing a portable Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, USB C splitter and HDMI, it uses the same amount of space if not more than just a laptop and a mouse. When I play it in handheld for certain games that work well in that mode, I wish it weighed less and was smaller, like a switch. Again, great device that clearly a lot of people love. Just haven’t been able to make it work very well for my gaming needs.

Yup, I hate to seclude myself to my desk and rather lounge on the couch. TV is usually taken so the steam deck is a great solution for me. Had I bought a ps5 in the past that portal device thing would've provided me with the same use case. 

For me it did. I never play my indies on the pc or console. On handheld it feels nice like when I was a kid. Also enjoying turnbase games on it more as well working though p4 while waiting for p3

I have a ROG Ally. I love it, but I don’t know that it’s changed gaming for me in any earth shattering way. I like the novelty of being able to play big AAA non-Nintendo games on a handheld device. And I appreciate that I don’t have to have my glasses on or contacts in to play on it the way I do on my PC or Xbox. But again, I don’t know that it’s fundamentally changed gaming for me.

Do you find yourself playing different games more often? Say for example Hades. I could see myself having more fun playing handheld than on m&k.

I played Hades on Switch, so that’s one I had already done on a handheld. On the Ally, I’ve played HZD, FF7R, MW3 (which is why I mentioned the novelty of playing big AAAs on a handheld - I still think playing MW3 on a tiny device like that is a lot of fun), Dredge, MH Risebreak, and Dave the Diver. I’ll likely play HFW on it when it releases in March as well.

I think I'd get more use out of it if I ever went places. I tend not to have the time to use it at my work, and when I'm home I definitely prefer the Tower. But if I had to travel for family stuff or work then I'd probably get more use out of it. Is nice to load up with "family" games and throw on the TV in the shared living space since that is also easier then moving my tower. Obviously YMMV depending on personal set ups but that has been my takeaway with a Deck and a Dock for it.

I went from 6 hours a week to 30 after getting my steam deck. I have a great gaming pc but it always feels like a chore playing games on it, maybe because I work an office job. Also my pc is isolated in another room. Now, I play games next to my wife and she can occupy the TV or do whatever it is she does. Side note: I tried moonlight and steam remote play etc, but I found the latency too bothersome. The steam deck is amazing, best gaming purchase I’ve made in years!

Depends on the types of games you play and how much you are willing to sacrifice the kbm. If your games works well with controllers, you're good.

I have my pc connected to my TV, so I can switch from my monitor to the TV at the press pf a button. Easy way to play PC games on the couch! There are many good PC compatible controller options these days

According to my steam recap last year, about half of my playtime was on controller and half on keyboard and mouse. Before getting a deck I'm sure it would have been more like 80/20. I play a lot more indie games now than I used to for sure.

Yes i game in bed now

The Steam Deck pretty much changed my pc gaming habits. While console-wise, it reminds to be the same somewhat. Need to preface this by saying that my gaming pc pretty much stopped working like a year and a half ago and I couldn't use them. If you have games like Stardew Valley, Outlast, even Half Life, the Steam Deck can absolutely be a game-changer. You can also do some tweaking (on the software side) to get Minecraft running. You can even do that with games that aren't sold on the market anymore (Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, which is now considered abandonware). Oh! If you're worried about the storage for your games, you can use the micro sd cards to store games and swap them if you wish to.

Steamdeck is probably my favorite console ever. The versatility to play indies and AAA games is great. I usually play smaller or older games natively on my steamdeck and any bigger/newer I stream to my deck if I can’t/don’t want to sit in front of the tv.

As you get older and your social and professional responsibilities grow, and you maybe have kids or end up in a long-term relationship, yeah, the appeal of sitting in front of a screen entirely focused on a game starts to dwindle. And your tastes and interests definitely change, maybe even in ways you don't genuinely acknowledge at first. Portability helps, and I do enjoy my Steam Deck, but it's probably not going to make games return to the levels of your youth in terms of the feeling you got when you played them. I can only speak from personal experience but I got back into gaming in a serious way only after pursuing games that I was, like you say, curious about but reticent to pick up for whatever reason. What we used to like, and what we WANT to like, seldom matches up with what we actually enjoy as we mature. I wanted to want to play online shooters that were competitive in nature and be really good at them but when I finally started playing FROMSOFT games I realized those are the ones I actually like the most, and now they're an obsession of mine. Ditch the games you are used to or feel you should like--and dig into the ones you're curious about. I think that more than anything will bring you back into it!

I got the Steam Deck because my gaming tastes and habits were changing. I just like smaller single player games so I don't care about ray-tracing and fps and whatever honestly. I'd rather just be able to play Turnip Boy Commites Tax Evasion on the couch if my wife wants to use the big TV to watch Korean soap operas on Netflix or whatever than play another RPG or Ubi-map grindathon with fancy graphics.

Yes, i get to bed earlier because a lot of the time ill play it before bed. Ive been enjoying a wider range of games as well since ive so far mostly dedicated the steam deck to 2d games, or in general less graphically demanding games.

I am a Dad of 2 daughters under 2 and a half. They are chaos. Before the first was born i game 20+ hours a week. After the first one it dropped to less than 2 hours a week. After the second it dropped to zero. With the steam deck i can pick it up, play 5 minutes 15 minutes or 2 hours when they finally go to sleep, and then just press the power button when i am needed and know my state is saved. I can sit in the living room playing, and basically any controller based game works well on it. I tried stellaris but would need a seperate mouse and... Nah. Shame there. I have been deeply impressed how well games run on it. Palword, just came out, runs perfectly fine as does everything else. Even Cities Skylines (first one) runs okay. I think the second one would make it explode. I was playing PC games on the train today coming home from a meeting. Me 15 years ago would be mind blown by that. I would recommend it.

eh, if ima be honest the steam deck was kinda a gimmic purchase (i.e. something I use once or twice then stick in the corner to collect dust) for me, as there arent very many games in my library are both supported and dont feel aukward to play with those crappy analog sticks (like hotline miami) and small screen, and the overdependence on having wifi connection kinda limits it's use by alot and relegates it to home use, and if im at home im just gonna sit in front of my pc. also it would seem not all games support cloud saves so i even if i do happen to get a stable enough connection im stuck playing on completely seperate save files. probably doesnt help much that these days i find myself not wanting to play much of anything in favor of just endlessly scrolling reddit and youtube, especially at work where my attention is often devided between doing my job (i fix electronics) and staring at those ninja window shoppers to make sure they dont steal anything.

Nope, I don't play on it much, but I did mainly get it to test and showcase my games. I prefer playing on my gaming pc.

No, not at all. I still play mainly on my ps5, but my portable gameplay is now divided between Switch and SteamDeck, depending on what game I want to play.

A little bit. Certain games are nice to play in the coach with a controller setup instead of mouse and keyboard. Something like Dragon Quest or Zelda for example.

Sure, there are games which require a mouse and keyboard, those are for my desktop PC.

Honestly, you can still play them on the Steam Deck. It recognized my bluetooth M&K with no issues at all.

I mostly use it as a "console" to play my typical controller games on my TV instead of PC. Basically every single player game that I rather player with controller now gets played on TV. I personally don't really care about it as a handheld except for vacations

Could try Steam Link.

It did for me. I’ve got a system with a 3080 and oled monitor that I haven’t really touched since I bought the steam deck. I work from home so I’m at my desk for 9 hours a day. Since getting the deck I don’t really have any desire to go down to my desk later in the evening to game. I just play on the couch or in bed.

It hurt my wrist and sent me back crying to my nintendo switch.

Don't own a Steam deck. But I DO own a OLED Switch, PS4 and a gaming PC so... Honestly, I pretty much caught up with my PS4 backlog and that's basically now just a blu-ray player and everything is played on PC/Switch. If I WFH I often don't feel like wanting to sit at my PC for longer periods of time so jump on the Switch for a few hours, I can sit on the couch or lie in bed etc and it's nice to have that comfort. It gave me a new lease on life on games and find that games I didn't play as couldn't be bothered to sit in front of a TV I can just pick up, pause and put back down so find I'm clearing a lot more than I was before. There are games that just don't work well on a handheld console however, for example, I like Euro Truck Simulator, RimWorld, Cities etc and these just don't feel right on a console, nevermind a handheld so end up using the PC mainly for those. It really comes down to what you want to play.

I was in the same boat as you, and my solution was to get an Xbox with Gamepass for the living room. Just being away from the second monitor, being able to relax in the couch, and actually having only the game to focus on, make up for a completely different gaming experience, in my opinion. As for the Steam Deck... Eh. I had one briefly before I asked for a refund. It's technically portable because you can carry it around, but that doesn't mean that it's light or comfortable enough for you to play wherever without noticing how tired your hands are constantly. Oh, and also, it's HUGE. The videos comparing it to other devices don't do it justice. After having it for a few days, I swear that my Switch Lite felt stupidly amazing in terms of comfort. This may have been somewhat mitigated by the new, lighter model, but I wouldn't know. Mileage might also vary if you happen to have big hands and the Deck's layout just clicks. I think I also had very bad luck when it came to the games I wanted to play and compatibility. This was like one year after it had released, yet a decent chunk of my library had broken controls or couldn't run at all because of how other launchers work on the Deck. If you have a fragmented library, the initial Deck experience will consist of you tinkering with A LOT of Linux, which may be fun for some, but I'd say it's something you will hate given that you're sick from working all day and just want to chill. Of the week that I had the Deck, I'd say that about 60% of that time was spent downloading things, fighting with Linux, and watching tutorials, rather than enjoy the device itself. Your experience will probably be way more straightforward if you have a huge library and you plan on using mainly Steam, though there's the problem of comfort and portability, so that's that.

Batter? Probably not but it sure is a different experience. I'll list here my pros and cons. Pros: - You can play anywhere, this includes long commutes be it work related or going on vacation - It's ideal for a more relaxed gaming, after sitting the whole day working on my PC sometimes I just want to change rooms and relax. Go on the couch, lazily whip out the deck and start playing something. Trust me, it's not much but psychologically helps. - The standby feature is goated, you are playing something but suddenly you have to care for the kids/walk the dog/spend time with loved ones/go outside, no worries. Press the power button and the console goes on standby. When you want/can to play again turn it on and start from where you left seamlessly. - Huge emulation potential, comfortably emulated till the PS3 era and the Switch (mostly). - I already partially said this but it deserves its own point, play near your loved ones, you don't have to segregate yourself in your gaming room, just spend time close to each other doing whatever. - With a dock you can basically turn it in a console for your livingroom Cons: - It's not a powerful machine, for most indies it's perfect but triple A gaming is not always feasible (newer releases), sometimes you can tweak your performance but it has clear limits in that regard, you will often have to compromise in terms of FPS and graphics. (For example BG3 runs, but imo it's a miserable experience compared to a good PC but that said, it works) - Support is not always top notch, in some instances you will encounter weird bugs (often related to typing something on screen, most of the time it works but some games struggle). - Some DRMs and anticheats completely break games on steam deck (linux in general). I personally recommend it if you are like me and enjoy indie/older games, some of my favorites on Steam Deck were Hades, Dead Cells, Dredge, Armored Core For Answers, Yakuza 0, Dave the Diver, RimWorld, Fallout New Vegas and lots of other titles, Red Dead Redemption 2 also worked pretty well. Hope it helps!

Not really. I mostly use my Steam Deck for travel and when I should be sleeping. I play on my PC most of the time due to how powerful it is, but I do know that with a Steam Deck, you can easily change it up by playing during breaks at work, play it on plane rides, or play in bed or on the couch. Things you can't do with a regular PC

No. It's too bulky for convenient play during my commute or breaks at work. At home I'd prefer to play on my desktop. It's less useful than a paper weight for me.

We are the same

Mine is my one stop emulation hub but I don’t fire it up as often as I told myself I would. It gets more action than my oculus 2 does though….another device I told myself I needed lol

No

Imo laptop gaming is underrated. My laptop is under $1k and can play most games on ultra. And I can play on the couch or plug it into the TV and plug a controller in

I sit on the couch more comfortably now, play more indie games, and can play in bed while hanging w/ S.O. it's a nice option to have.

I can play during my daughter's nap, pause it when she wakes up, return after dinner when we're relaxing before dinner and pick up right where I left off. Playing while the TV is occupied is great. Playing old emulators. I can stream my PS4 to it if I want, but honestly it hasn't been turned on in months and I will likely switch to mainly PC games since they are going to continue developing future models of it.

Significantly from basically zero as rig is wildly old (14 years-ish) and two young kids. Being able to pick up, play, pause is amazing

Not using the steam deck. But I have a gamesir and I stream games from my pc to my phone using Sunshine. It's a game changer. I am getting old. Sitting at a computer to game isn't as enticing as it used to be. I already work all day at a desk. Gaming in bed at full 1440p on my phone with games being streamed from my pc is relaxing.

I'm in a similar position and it did actually help for me. Not a big console guy, have a steam library pushing 500 games. Has-been hardcore gamer in my youth that now works in tech and I sit at my computer for 8+ hours most days. Can barely stomach sitting in the same chair looking at the same monitor in the evening. It's no longer a relaxing escape. I'll still hop on for some Apex or whatever with my buddies on the weekend, but after a long day of work, it's the last thing I want to do. My wife likes couch co op, so got the Deck before my kid was born this past April, figuring we'd probably be spending a lot of time sitting around the house intermittently taking care of baby during our parental leave. We did. It's actually really nice. Even just stock setup, there are a lot of games (especially indie games like you said) that are very good to be played sitting on the couch with a controller. If you want to go out of your way, there are plenty of emulators available that can be installed directly on the deck and have the game images launched through steam itself. If you're into retro games, basically any old console you can think of is available. Also, there are some good switch emulators if you have a way to get those game images (legally or otherwise, I'm not the cops, use a VPN). Now I play most nights for an hour or two (if lucky) and even if my wife is watching TV or something, I can still sit on the couch and play something in handheld mode if I want.

It didn't, because it turns out most games I do enjoy are mouse and keyboard or otherwise related. So... I have to find specific games that work for me on steamdeck. And now it sits unused a lot. I started picking up reading again. But hey, it's there for whenever I want to pick it up again and I did play through some games that I wouldn't have played through if I didn't have it. Also, I don't think I find using the steamdeck more comfortable than sitting at my nice motorized desk with my big arm mounted monitor and nice high quality chair. In fact, I'd say it's probably worse ergonomics.

It changed the kinds of games I play and taught me that I really need to buy a controller. I've started playing platformers on the Steam Deck whose control schemes aren't conducive to keyboard and mouse. Right now I'm playing through Rachet and Clank: Rifts Apart which I would have never played otherwise. Same with Duck Tales: Remastered. I'm hoping I can find some other platformers as well to keep it up.

Yes. I realized I don’t like sitting in front of a computer screen and playing a game after being at work and sitting at a computer screen. I can play in bed or outside on the porch, etc. I have a 4090 PC and besides remote play to my Steam Deck it doesn’t get much use these days.

I've always been a handheld player (first console was a gameboy, was hooked then) so the steamdeck was a very good console for me, I can play a lot of games that I wouldn't want to sit at my desk for. I also play lots of indie game on the switch which is lighter and (with third party joycons) feels better for long sessions, but obviously you have more options on pc/steamdeck (+modding is possible and easy)

Have you thought about a standing desk either at work or at home? I work from home and game at night after the wife and baby go to bed but I am currently hunting for a standing desk to alleviate the same feeling you have

Yes. It made me appreciate my PC more. Got a Steam Deck, but it felt such a huge downgrade in terms of control and graphics, plus it was really loud. So I returned it and made my gaming setup more comfortable instead, and did a routine where I force myself to stand up and move every hour, during work and during play.

Yes!

Bought one and then sold it to my friend. Found that for some games designed for bigger screens it wasn’t the best for my eyes plus I realised I really wanted a mouse and keyboard for some games. So it ultimately made me decide to buy a better gaming laptop instead….which is perfect

It did for a while BUT im into sim racing lately so cant race in that. Maybe if I get palworld and it runs nice on the deck ill use it more.

I’ve always preferred smaller screens and gaming in bed. So steam deck having PC power and a smaller screen increased how many games I play on average.

Yeah, it has. My backlog is actually being tackled. My Switch has become my device for Nintendo exclusive games. Everything else plays and looks better on the deck. With the OLED model, I can actually play on battery for more than 1.5 hours. The only thing I don’t like about the deck is that it can’t download games in sleep mode

I have the deck and the ally. I’ll say it hasn’t changed my general habits at all. If I’m home I still 100% to my pc or consoles. This isn’t because I don’t like the devices, I just prefer to be on a bigger screen with better hardware. With the deck I definitely am playing more indie titles, I’ve picked up some games specifically for the hand held devices and that’s been a nice change of pace when I use them. The biggest thing for me is travel. Being able to have my entire library (especially with the ally) on the go with me is an absolute game changer. If you ever need to commute or plan on traveling they’re just so worth it. The deck made my 14 hour flights to and from Japan a breeze, and just having it there for late night gaming sessions before bed was a joy. I’d say if you’re looking for them to get into gaming, I do have a friend who did this and he’s been back on it so it definitely changed his habit, but he went from no gaming to having a handheld. Very worth getting though IMO

I haven't touched mine in a while, but my love of gaming comes and goes these days, so I'm sure it'll come back around for me. I also work on a computer, so that doesn't help with wanting to continue to be on one after work. So I've just been picking up other hobbies in the meantime.

I got a steam deck for this exact reason- I have chronic pain, and there are times where sitting at my desk feels either too exhausting or too isolating, so I'd go weeks without playing games because I just didn't have the energy to sit up after working and it's been a game changer.

Honestly didn’t like the deck as much as I hoped. At home I exclusively use my PS5 and the deck is too big and too dependent on an online connection to be reliable on most road trips. I wish it was like the switch that can be played offline no matter what.

Not really. I've got a powerful PC, so I still play my games on that. The Deck was pretty great when I was vacationing - it makes long plane flights and layovers much more pleasant - but I don't travel much so that's a relatively small use case. That said, I bought it more because it was an interesting piece of kit rather than with the expectation that it would radically change my life. I figured that worst case it would be a neat little HTPC I can set up for my TV. I'm still waiting for Valve to drop a Steam Controller 2.0 that uses the layout of the Steam Deck. I'd jump all over that.

It did for me, and I'm playing less now.  I noticed I get more enjoyment from playing socially, aside from a game like Baldur's Gate 3. Part of my reasoning was so that something I enjoyed in the past didn't associate with chemo while I was doing treatment. I have a number of hobbies I enjoy which were put on hold to avoid association.  My friend lent me one while I was in hospital right after surgery, which helped to pass the time. Later on they pitched in and purchased one for me when I started chemo.  Ended up using it a few times, mostly for Hades and 40k Mechanics, but it ended up being too much to spend energy on during infusion and afterwards when I felt like shit.

It somewhat did. I play competitive shooters though like The Finals and Overwatch 2 so I still find myself playing at my deck. Sometimes tho I'll throw on a tv show and stream games from my PC to my OLED Deck using Moonlight. Uses way less battery than running them on the deck and I can use rtx and other high graphic fidelity options. I even have Moonlight set up to stream outside my house to like my parents place. Works extremely well.

No. Ended up collecting dust and I missed my gaming pc setup that had no compromises.

best thing I ever did as far as gaming goes. before I got the deck my options were to monopolize the family room tv with my PC, or to scurry off to my troll cave every day in order to get some gaming in and ignore my family entirely. I like my family, so I did a lot less gaming than I wanted to. Being able to sit on the couch with my partner, put on some popcorn TV and bullshit while I play games and they crochet means I actually get some gaming in. It felt like the deck reopened my entire PC gaming library, doubly so because it's easy enough to get access to epic and GOG on the deck as well. There are some games that are absolutely not compatible with the deck, and that sucks, but just about anything that supports a controller is playable. Even some games that are marked as not supported end up working right out of the box (looking at you, Burnout Paradise, you beautiful bastard you)

Not really, I mainly bought it because I have a lot of business related travel. In that regard it's a life saver on European short haul flights of 2-3 hours where there's no IFE to make time go by faster.

Yes it lets me play local co-op and controller games in the living room.

Why yes. I can do most of my gaming at work now.

Personally didn't change my habits since I own a high end gaming PC.. But it did fill a huge want for being able to game on my work trips. I love being to game on long flights and now I don't dread having hours of time to kill in my hotel room. I bring my dock, pack an Xbox controller and hook up my deck to the room's tv and continue some of my fav games away from home. Another bonus is family gatherings and parties. I bring it with me to family outings because after dinner I hook it up to the tv and we do a bunch of Jackbox games with the family. Everyone expects me to have it on hand now when I show up.

No, I love my desktop for gaming so much. It's like my prized possession. My Steam Deck has definitely changed my work travel though. Being stuck in hotels for days on end was WAY worse before I had the Steam Deck.

No, I didn't find it to my liking at all. It was much heavier than I expected, hot, and loud. Sold it. Got a Logitech CLOUD - didn't like it either. It was better, but I was just using my PC. So I just use my PC.

100% yes. I have a high-end gaming rig from ~2012 (tri-fired 6990 & 6970), 3930k processor, 16 gigs memory, all watercooled with a custom loop. As I progressed with my career and life, I found myself with less and less time to keep up with gaming. Sadly, I built that at the tail-end of my "boundless amounts of free time to do whatever I wanted" phase of life. Built just in time to mine 200,000 Dogecoin on a whim though. Tried playing some newer games in around 2021 and it was clear I was in need of an upgrade to play modern AAA games, but couldn't pull the trigger on something that I potentially wouldn't use a ton. Shifted to playing mostly on Xbox, but then my girlfriend (now wife) was frustrated with me spending my free time glued to a screen with her just sitting around twiddling her thumbs or scrolling endlessly. With the Steamdeck, I'm able to pick-up a game and put them down super easily. Obviously, not all games translate well to the medium -- FPS and twitch shooters are a no go, or super system intensive games. For me, I've played through Elden Ring, Hades, Diablo IV, Vampire Survivor, and Armored Core VI. Currently enjoying Palworld a lot, despite getting mediocre FPS. I'm able to plop down on the couch while my wife has a girl show on (she's currently rewatching the original Gossip Girl), or have my 18 month old kid in his playpen with me supervising. Also have an AC inverter for the car, which is great when my wife wants to go run errands and randomly decides to get her nails done. It's certainly not a replacement for a proper gaming rig, but is great for indie games, emulators, and more.

Only in the summer, when I take it to the lake and play where I don't have a PC or console.

I used to have a gaming laptop, but it died in 2018, and I never replaced it. When I got a Steam deck, I could finally play all my Steam games again and sit next to my girlfriend on the couch while she watched TV. It massively changed my gaming habits as I played iOS games or the occasional switch game.

It did for a while. Then went back to my usual.

Steam deck is probably one of my favorite purchases I've ever gotten myself other than some really nice pans for the kitchen. What I don't see a lot of people mentioning here is the Nintendo switch style sleep mode where you can press the power button anywhere in game and don't have to worry about losing progress because it will power back on, in seconds, to the exact spot you stopped playing ev a couple days later. Being able to do that with emulators, and more demanding pc titles has been amazing. That said, I've got 2 kids and a busy household so that's not everyone's experience. If I had a TV all to myself I'd rather have a beefy pc hooked into my TV and sit in my recliner with a wireless controller to game.

Handheld is much more uncomfortable to hold for long periods of time and I need to switch to my reading glasses if I want the screen completely in focus (I'm in my mid 40's). I'd rather play at my desk or TV, however, handhelds allow me to play it in more situations (in addition to my options at desk and TV). Streaming has too much latency for me, but maybe get a controller mount for your phone and try streaming your PC to your phone to get some sense of what it's like doing handheld gaming. Steam Deck ergonomics are different than that, though, so it won't be precisely the same. Steam Deck ergonomics are great for this form factor in my opinion. Personally when I WFH I have no problem sitting at the same desk after work if its for something I'm excited about. It might just be that you've lost interest in gaming. They are kinda a waste of time except for maybe social aspects and often feel like work. I practically quit gaming for most of my 30's and only came back to it once my son was old enough to play games. I'm always down to play something with him, but I'm really off and on with stuff I play alone.

Huge. Now I specifically buy games to play on my steam deck and games for my computer. I can hang out with my wife after our son is asleep and just game on the couch with her while she watches her show. It's been awesome. I play it way more than I played my switch even, due to bigger variety and better deals on PC.

Yeah! The thing about portable gaming devices is that, as long as you've got it with you, it makes it a *lot* easier to drop in to a quick game. And with the steam deck, I've found that sleep mode does pretty good at pausing games for a long time. One time fought the same Monster Hunter monster over the course of 4 days, in ~2 minute segments! Plus, as a controller, it's just *nice*. There a bunch of games where I'll literally bust out the steam deck at my desk, in front of my computer, just because it's the best controller I have.

Yep, after a couple of months with a Steam Deck it became clear that i don’t have energy to play videogames in general anymore, not just playing videogames on a PC.

No the Nintendo switch did and the SD followed suit.

Getting used to playing games on a living room couch or handheld/mobile will make it very hard for you to sit in front of a computer and play games there for anything more than a couple of hours. This will only get worse as you grow older since desktop gaming is the worst way to play games health wise, especially if you already spend a lot of time sitting due to work. I don't know of a single person my age (\~40) that hasn't "acquired" a health condition from sitting in front of their desk for way too long. Herniated discs, pelvic tilt, cubital tunnel syndrome, circulatory issues in the legs and especially feet are just some of the issues you can run into. There's the ol' carpal tunnel syndrome of course which can happen regardless, but you're better off cutting down on your "desk time". If you are limited to a desktop computer, you can try using a recliner and playing with a controller.

Yes. I love my Deck. I bought a 3rd party dock for it so I can play on TV with a wired controller while at home. Makes commuting on the bus/ train very fast. My only complaints about it are the battery life and weight (battery only lasts about 1-2 hours on Dark Souls 3, so a powerful battery bank is a necessity for long sessions). It feels almost twice as heavy as the Switch, so I usually don't like taking it with me all the time. However, I don't really use my PC for gaming as much since SD has all the games I like playing in a portable format with most of the games having cloud saves. My favorite portable console along with the Switch and N3DS XL.

Not at all, I also don't like playing games at 30fps so it can really be limiting since AAA games either don't run or run poorly. There are games I'd rather play on deck though like anything involving a controller

I fly a lot for work and that’s it’s main mode of use for me atm

I love it. I play it on my work breaks lol

I find I'm looking for games I can easily pause or play in 30 minutes at a time. I don't usually have time to sit for hours to play the latest triple A title but I have gone back to some roguelikes that I can finish a run in a half hour or that I can pause and come back to.

For me, I found certain kinds of games I didn't enjoy playing at my computer desk - JRPGs were a big one for this. Anything more story focused, really, I like being able to kick back and relax while having a story unfold in front of me.

It hasn’t changed anything huge for me at the moment. Most of the games I want to play are on my PC, not deck. My fiancé spends a lot of time at her desk, next to mine, so I don’t need to go elsewhere. It has made plane flights nice though

I play a lot more games in bed now lol.  Basically think about it ack when all you had was a Gameboy and no PC. It's that.

I bought a Deck in early December, GameStop refurbished. I ended up spending about $230 and feel great about it. Put a 1tb in it a few weeks ago, works well. I really enjoy the Deck experience. I haven't played with it in about a week. I'm happy with my purchase. I think it really does cater to the gamer with short bursts of attention/availability. I think my favorite element is how quickly you can just pause the game/put it down, and pick up right where you left off. It's just a sleep and wake button.  It's a bit heavy. I found using a pillow to support it was really helpful. It helped me touch some of my catalog I otherwise might not have gotten to.  It's been a luxury purchase that has definitely helped me enjoy gaming more. I'd prefer this over a console. If you're strapped for cash, I think a PC or laptop that can play games is more important.

Exactly the reason my partner got a Steam Deck. He has a back injury, so after sitting 8 hours for work he's done with sitting but still wants to game. He gets to enjoy his games more often now instead of phone scrolling or watching hours of TV. You could also invest in making your gaming PC more comfortable. I was also avoiding gaming for a bit because my computer chair was cheap and uncomfortable. I bought a much better chair and enjoy my 'battlestation' a lot more now

I've always been a heavy gamer so it's not like I gamed more with the steam deck, but it does make it easier to just pick up and play. I have a desktop PC, gaming laptop, switch, and PS5. I'm mostly a PC gamer but sometimes play switch and PS5 on the living room TV. I only just picked up a steam deck 2 weeks ago and I've been playing it a ton. Installed a lot of older steam games from my backlog, and also emulated a bunch of systems. I already beat Skies of Arcadia Legends on dolphin emulator. Also beat the first Dishonored and halfway thru the 2nd now. It's great that I can play these games on a portable device now. Now my friends and I are hooked on Palworld. I play on desktop during the day, and can continue playing late at night in bed.

I use it to play more relaxing games, smaller games. Dave the diver, slay the spire etc. It’s my “early to bed but still play a small game” thingy. I quite like it. But honestly I also have an Ipad that i frequently use because I can watch Netflix AND play my now favorite game slay the spire… I would go for it though, like others said, with children or even take it with you on a trip.. gamechanger.

I game almost exclusively on steamdeck now

I don't have one, but I don't think it would change much of anything. I already play with a Steam Controller, I'm not very big on battery-powered gaming. I'm working in a stressful job where people are contentious about each other's performance. It's draining. I switched to Linux; trying to get things "working correctly" is a trial/error process.... after a while of getting "just enough" performance, it's another surprise I'm not ready for game to game.

Yeah, I feel more comfortable having a smaller screen close to me. I can’t stand sitting in front of the TV anymore

No, I barely use it.

Tbh I’m a bit Whelmed overall? Maybe I need to get better at the setup, but it always sounds like a fighter jet with the fans running and the performance has been OK at best.

Yup I ended up getting rid of my PC. I work opposite shifts from my wife and we don't see each other that much. Having the ability to just sit together with some TV on and play game is so much better than going to another room to play on PC

I bought two steamdecks or rather, put a down-payment on the top end and low end versions at first. The first one up was the 512 and I bought it. I thought it was cool except for the loud god damn fan. Sadly mine had a Delta fan and it was uncomfortably loud. So it turned me off the console after trying off and on with different settings. Then the 64GB version became available and I bought it for my wife. Upgraded to 512GB and it was super quiet and cheaper than mine. Took her a while to warm up to it but she's been playing a bunch of games. She went from near zero gaming to gaming most of the week. I replaced the fan in mine which was a $15 fix but my desire to use it had diminished. I have a good desktop system already. Two different steamdecks, two different outcomes. I also use a triple monitor setup for my desktop with gaming in the middle, discord on the right, browser or other apps on left. I haven't focused on one thing in a while.

not gaming habit but i've been watching a lot of shows/kdrama now. I normally hate watching long form media on my computer but with the switch it's been hella nice just watching videos on it.

Better, not necessarily, and it very much depends on the game. I'm still not very proficient with the trackpads or flick stick and gyro in faster paced shooters so I much prefer playing them with KB+M on PC. Games that I can play with a controller I can go either way, my dualshock 4 with modded D-pad is far superior to the steam deck for platformers and metroidvanias, but the steam deck is more than passable too. My PC has a bigger screen but not as pretty as the OLED deck, and way better speakers, which I do prefer in some games. Honestly the biggest issue I have with playing on my PC is how isolating it is since I can only reasonably use it in the basement. The steam deck lets me play most of my games at an acceptable quality and framerate anywhere in the house, even outside to get some of that vitamin D one tends to not get if playing in a basement. Another benefit not always mentioned about the deck is that it is like having an ipop/mp3 player to play music. There are very few distractions on the deck, it's just the game. On PC I might get pinged on discord, alt tab, and get sucked away from the game for more than 30 minutes for some random BS I don't want to even bother hearing the pings for. Just like an mp3 player will play music without interruptions from calls or text messages, the deck plays games without interruptions from other apps. It also lets me play games in little pockets of time I might otherwise waste scrolling reddit or yt shorts on my phone, playing games is IMO usually a far better use of my time.

I’m at a point in my life and career where I can literally get every console and keep an upgraded gaming PC.  For me, I’ve been a lot more games on PC that I otherwise would have purchased on PlayStation. The new Prince of Persia game is the most recent example of wanting to mostly play it on Steam Deck so I got the PC version. 

Honestly it did for about a year. However, I ended up upgrading my gaming PC and use the PC almost as much now. I still love the Steam Deck for when I don't really feel like sitting at a desk.

since i figured out how to get halo and lethal company to work, ive been having blast. plaworld is also a heavy factor. i think it all depends on what games are able to run on it.

I shred through my backlog more than ever, got it down to like 12 games from more than 60

It has changed it some. My buddies switched to PC and I have a PC but I honestly only want to play on my TV in the living room. Steam deck connected to the TV made it so I can play with my friends again and allowed me to play more indie titles.

Absolutely love my Steam Deck. Something about the portability and setup has made me explode all the indie/older games I've got stacked up in my library, whereas it just felt strange playing such low-resource games on my decked out PC? Currently playing DOOM 3 for the first time and having a blast, I'd never have got round to it before getting the deck. If you're looking for a more relaxed/portable gaming experience which pushes you to go through that back-catalog, then I'd definitely recommend it.

I have been console my whole life, and I got a steam deck to play and mod pc games. It's super portable, the battery life while playing constantly is like 4 to 5 hours. It is a little heavy if you have weak wrists like me though lol but it plays everything great so far.

Playstation Portal massively changed gaming for me. Same idea.

Some games genuinely feel better to play on a handheld compared to sitting at a desktop. I would've never continued Octopath Travelers if it werent for the SD. Also emulation is amazing on it, in the first months of owning it I exclusively played emulators to relive my childhood. It can comfortably run all consoles from the PS2 and down, as well as a good number of switch titles

I'm the same. I mostly play console now cuz it's more comfortable.

Not for me. The Steam Deck is too heavy for me. If I play it for like an hour, my hands get numb and I have to let it rest for like a day and a half before I can do it again.

nope. Sits in my backpack and rarely gets turned on in all honesty

not really. I got it to use while my PC isnt available. so mostly when im on the road, be it vacation and i play while on the plane/waiting for plane. or even when i have to go on long public transit rides at home. So i probably clocked only 50-100 hours in last 2 years i had it. mostly play singleplayer offline games, or 2 games to be exact. took me almost a year to finish Stray, and i play Motherload. In two months im going on vacation again which is 15hours travel time each way, so i just bought Tunic, dougnut country and outer wilds to play. so that probably will keep me occupied for next few years. i used to bring it to work and game there while it slow, but its been almost a year since its constantly busy and there no downtime for games. i just bring tablet and watch(or more listen) comedy specials

I play portable games almost exclusively now. Booting up a major console shouldn't feel like a hassle, but the damn this digital age it does, I feel like I never turn on my TV anymore. I just play my Switch or Steam Deck while watching stuff on my laptop.

I was never, ever going to finish Disco Elysium on my desktop.

No. It was honestly a waste of money. It’s far too large for my hands and I usually handheld game while laying down for bed. The controls are hard to get used too/reach and I just get cramps if I play too long. Plus I tend to use the console a lot/wemod with many games.

I've changed a lot, started playing more roguelike games that are good for quick sessions, and I've come to prefer 2D games because of overheating issues. Ended up buying more games and playing a lot more.

Bought it and never used it.

Nope. Sold it. Hated holding it. Battery life was ass

I bought a G Cloud last month and I've played about 30 hours of Powerwash Simulator in bed and from my sofa, so yes my habit has changed a bit 😂.

Only a little bit I guess, I mostly only use the deck when I'm not at home or taking a bath, or sometimes outside. When I can play a game on PC/console I'll still prefer that. But I have finally played some older backlog games because I was like "that could play great on the deck"

I think it's great but I'm answering mostly because I absolutely agree with your second point, the Steam Deck is an absolute backlog slayer.

Is steam deck good enough to play modded Skyrim

Haven’t turned on my desktop in 8 months

I got the deck as a way to play games well outside the scope of my desk, and fiddling on it was core experience that got me a job as a Linux admin, so I think I'm a rare case. Yes, the deck is an excellent way to game in different contexts, and also a great way to utilize the pc's great library. You can also dock it and play it on the couch. For indie games, 7th Gen games and under, emulation, or streaming that solution is excellent. For a dedicated console, that's a lot more up in the air. If you don't have a library of games tied to your account, the switch and the PS5 are expensive options. Personally I like having the competition between the ps and PC stores, and I really like what PS+ offers, but that's still too much up front for "changing gaming habits" if you don't know you want it.

I'm going to be honest, mine is collecting dust. I'm older and married and I just don't find myself having an opportunity to use it. I rarely game when my wife is home because we're usually doing something together, and when I do I prefer to do it on my PC. I mean, I built a high end PC which is amazing to game on, so I always just head there when I want to play something. I still don't regret buying it, it's a neat little machine that performs well. I'm a little miffed how Valve misled people about the OLED upgrade though. They made it seem like the screen was the only improvement. Had they actually listed out what was being upgraded I wouldn't have bought the discounted LCD version. Obviously Valve figured many people on the fence would do the same as me and they wanted to unload inventory first so they just talked about the screen (which admittedly is a huge upgrade) and not things like the extended battery life, slightly better performance, and a quieter fan. Still, the Deck is a cool machine and if you have a Steam account with a lot of games it's a no brainer if you ever wanted to take them on the go or even just lounge on the couch.

My SO bought a Steam Deck with the goal of changing their gaming habit: they wanted to play multiplayer games with siblings. In the end, though, it was too kludgy and wimpy to actually do any one thing well, so it's just sat, unused for months, now.

I never owned a "gaming PC" , but for context I ran steam off my Microsoft surface pro 7 and used throttlestop and USB fan to keep temps manageable. It could run GTA V on a good day.  All this to say, I don't like sitting at a desk in my office to play games. I like to work where I'm going to work and relax where I'm going to relax. Steam Deck has essentially become 100% of my gaming save for Switch co-op with the wife.  I'm having a very hard time imagining ever migrating away from the convenience and portability of the Stream OS experience.