Handheld gaming at home, what device?

Relentless81 · 24 Oct 2023 at 12:21

Hi,

I have an Xbox Series X plugged into the main TV and GamePass, obviously when the Mrs is watching TV I am sat doom scrolling through Social Media and I've been thinking about a handheld to game on in these situations however there are so many options now its a bit of an indecisive persons nightmare!

So GamePass is paid for until October 2024, I could get a streaming device such as the Logitech G Cloud but at £350 its a bit much and I'm not sure I'll be keeping GamePass when it expires. I could use GamePass on an existing tablet or phone but I would like a dedicated device ideally.

Nintendo Switch is an option but games are expensive and I already have GamePass plus loads of games in my Steam account which leads me onto the SteamDeck, I have a tonne of games sat unused in Steam but I just don't know enough about the SteamDeck and whether its powerful enough to play FPS games which is mainly what I have in Steam, its also very expensive.

Then there are the cheap options, Amazon Luna I could play on one of the many Amazon tablets or firesticks in the house but its yet another subscription and I don't know if the library is good enough or if it'll get canned like Stadia but I would only need the controller for £38 so its tempting.

The main things I want are comfort so a dedicated device preferred, ability to connect ear buds via bluetooth, silence so no really loud fans that will be irritating to others. Maybe I should wait for the G Cloud to come down in price if it ever does?

I would appreciate any info if you've got similar devices etc, thanks

chrismscotland · 24 Oct 2023 at 14:15

To be honest for me this is the Switch, I get you on the price of games but its been out so long now that there's shed loads of stuff on almost constant "sale" pricing on the eShop and its pretty easy to find the popular stuff second hand for a good discount.

sgavan · 24 Oct 2023 at 14:53

Maybe a razer kishi for your phone, I have one and don't use it a lot but xbox cloud works fine and steam link had been fine as well if I remember correctly.

Relentless81 · 24 Oct 2023 at 14:56

chrismscotland said:
To be honest for me this is the Switch, I get you on the price of games but its been out so long now that there's shed loads of stuff on almost constant "sale" pricing on the eShop and its pretty easy to find the popular stuff second hand for a good discount.

I keep thinking the same but then I look at the games and I'm not sure I'll enjoy them or maybe it's the change I need from the games I'm stuck in a rut playing, I don't know

sgavan said:
Maybe a razer kishi for your phone, I have one and don't use it a lot but xbox cloud works fine and steam link had been fine as well if I remember correctly.

My phone screen is too small

Relentless81 · 24 Oct 2023 at 15:02

Sorry I'm in work so was rush posting, yeah I've looked into it and almost bought one but I like a smaller phone so I can't see gaming on it being very enjoyable

chrismscotland · 24 Oct 2023 at 15:15

Relentless81 said:
I keep thinking the same but then I look at the games and I'm not sure I'll enjoy them or maybe it's the change I need from the games I'm stuck in a rut playing, I don't know

I have to admit I felt the same when I bought the Switch, I had one back in 2017 on launch and sold it but re-bought in April as I really wanted the remaster of Advanced Wars!
However since then I've played the Switch more than anything else with my non-switch gaming pretty much restricted to Microsoft Flight Sim, Warzone 2 and a few other things I can't get on Switch.

jennidc · 24 Oct 2023 at 19:05

What about a cheap used laptop from cex to use remote play on. You can use existing controllers via USB or Bluetooth.

Relentless81 · 25 Oct 2023 at 08:23

chrismscotland said:
I have to admit I felt the same when I bought the Switch, I had one back in 2017 on launch and sold it but re-bought in April as I really wanted the remaster of Advanced Wars!
However since then I've played the Switch more than anything else with my non-switch gaming pretty much restricted to Microsoft Flight Sim, Warzone 2 and a few other things I can't get on Switch.

I've had a look through the most popular games but I'm still not sure, I think to keep costs down for now I'm going to stick with gamepass on current devices

jennidc said:
What about a cheap used laptop from cex to use remote play on. You can use existing controllers via USB or Bluetooth.

It's a good idea but I've already got tablets so I'm going to give the gamepass app a go today on my tablet and try pairing my controller and test it out

I think Microsoft are missing a trick not releasing an official PS Portal type device and relying on 3rd party solutions for remote play considering how invested they are in game streaming, the PS Portal looks perfect for me and another reason I wish I went with a PS5 this gen

jennidc · 27 Oct 2023 at 09:39

I'm lucky in that my xbox sx and ps5 are setup in the bedroom (along with a small 2 seater couch) so my wife can have full use of the lounge tv/bt box/Netflix etc whilst I game.

Bluecube · 27 Oct 2023 at 10:28

A SteamDeck is one of the best devices you‘ll ever buy even more so if you’ve got a Steam account. Games are cheap and plentiful, emulation is easy to set up and use for access to more games, it’s got good battery life and a great screen. I bought myself one last Xmas and I’ve used it almost every single day since.

elh_2009 · 27 Oct 2023 at 12:41

Bluecube said:
A SteamDeck is one of the best devices you‘ll ever buy even more so if you’ve got a Steam account. Games are cheap and plentiful, emulation is easy to set up and use for access to more games, it’s got good battery life and a great screen. I bought myself one last Xmas and I’ve used it almost every single day since.

another vote for SteamDeck here, i dont use it as much as i would like but i love the thing and dont regret getting one a single bit

Relentless81 · 27 Oct 2023 at 14:12

Only problem with the steam deck is Xbox gamepass which I am invested in. From what I've seen on YouTube gamepass on the steam deck is just a browser hack which puts me off a bit, they are also expensive. I'll have another look, I was going to cheap out and just get a Kishi for my phone but the geek in me wants access to my steam library back and something to tinker with despite the lack of time nowadays

monkeyspank · 27 Oct 2023 at 19:31

You can put windows on the steam deck, although it isn’t perfect. Dual boot isn’t too tricky. I’ve got windows on a sd card I can pop in and out. Not ideal but workable.

Yrkoon · 27 Oct 2023 at 23:28

my steam deck just arrived yesterday and it is a incredible piece of kit, i am in awe of it, i also have a switch as well but the steam deck is leagues ahead.

the switch is very old tech now and there might be a switch 2 next year, my vote goes to the deck, also mine took 6 days to arrive

kkelly · 27 Oct 2023 at 23:57

Steam deck with xcloud works fine I use it daily nearly

I am debating buy my son a Switch, but at the price of the oled and I am leaning towards a second steam deck currently.

Yrkoon · 28 Oct 2023 at 00:25

kkelly said:
Steam deck with xcloud works fine I use it daily nearly

I am debating buy my son a Switch, but at the price of the oled and I am leaning towards a second steam deck currently.

apparently the switch 2 will be out by the end of next year.

Everything we know about ‘Switch 2,’ Nintendo’s next-gen console

Nintendo has said (almost) nothing on the record about the successor to Switch, but thanks to leaks, a picture has begun to emerge

www.polygon.com

ooStevo · 28 Oct 2023 at 00:42

monkeyspank said:
I’ve got windows on a sd card I can pop in and out. Not ideal but workable.

Please enlighten me sir. Sounds very interesting. Even just to increase random knowledge stat.

Yrkoon · 28 Oct 2023 at 04:28

ooStevo said:
Please enlighten me sir. Sounds very interesting. Even just to increase random knowledge stat.

windows on a sd card might end up knackering the sd card, from what i have looked up its much better to do dual boot on the internal nvme drive thats designed for the rapid reads and writes that windows does.

possibly something like this https://wagnerstechtalk.com/sd-windows/

peresonally im still messing with my steam deck and got epic games running on it sweet and about to dabble into emulation with it, im sure theres a setting in windows you need to disable to prolong the life of the sd card.

Relentless81 · 28 Oct 2023 at 07:23

kkelly said:
Steam deck with xcloud works fine I use it daily nearly

I am debating buy my son a Switch, but at the price of the oled and I am leaning towards a second steam deck currently.

Is it the browser hack that I've seen on YouTube or is there a better method that supports the app now and the video I watched was old?

monkeyspank · 28 Oct 2023 at 09:28

ooStevo said:
Please enlighten me sir. Sounds very interesting. Even just to increase random knowledge stat.

Install "Windows to Go" on a SD card using Rufus.
get the windows drivers from steam https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/6121-ECCD-D643-BAA8
Use something like glossi (or alternative) so you can navigate with the controller. https://glossi.flatspot.pictures/#usage
I use Windows PowerToys to create macros on the back buttons to help navigate windows, but if you're just using it for gamepass then you don't need to dig too deeply.

I know Windows on an SD card is apparently bad for the SD card, but mine is still going strong and a replacement is about £30 for a Samsung A2 512gb. (A2 card recommended). I've got an image of mine so if it does die then it's a quick replacement (leave 100MB unpartitioned just in case the new card is slightly smaller)

Set the deck boot priority in BIOS to SD card first, then SSD. Boot with card in = windows. Card out (or a different card) = steamOS

I'm still waiting for an official dual boot solution. Then I'll probably buy a 1TB or 2TB SSD.