* The Official Steam Deck Thread *

manic111 · 22 Dec 2022 at 15:55

CGrieves said:
1. Not so you'd notice- 64Gb is eMMC, 256+ are NVMe. Very little practical difference.
2. Absolutely yes.
3. I've used a wired (Xbox) and Bluetooth (8bitDo) controllers with no issues. If Linux supports it, it should work.
4. No idea, happy with SteamOS, but some here are having a decent experience with Windows.
5. Looks like some here dual boot, might need a bit of faffery to keep working after updates. That's half the fun though!

Thanks! Very tempted. Really shouldn't get myself any more toys to tinker with, but it does sound like fun...

GlitterBalls · 22 Dec 2022 at 16:17

It's HUGE fun. DO IT!

martos123 · 22 Dec 2022 at 16:56

Huxton said:
It's HUGE fun. DO IT!

This!

martos123 · 22 Dec 2022 at 16:59

Orcvader said:
Looks like SteamOS 3.4 is out on the stable channel. For anyone who dual boots with Windows, if you used rEFInd running the script again will fix it. I didn't bother with rEFInd so if it does break dual boot for me hoping this will fix it.

This seems to update ok if dual booting. There were issues with the Preview version, but updating to stable version didnt upset dual boot. Valve have released a couple of hotfixes for 3.4 today, so if you updated earlier, it may be worth checking again. One of the fixes was for non-Steam games not running from SD following the update (i.e. Heroic, Uplay etc.).

Latest version should report as 3.4.2

Orcvader · 22 Dec 2022 at 17:25

martos123 said:
This seems to update ok if dual booting. There were issues with the Preview version, but updating to stable version didnt upset dual boot. Valve have released a couple of hotfixes for 3.4 today, so if you updated earlier, it may be worth checking again. One of the fixes was for non-Steam games not running from SD following the update (i.e. Heroic, Uplay etc.).

Latest version should report as 3.4.2

Ah haven't updated yet due to work but will see how it goes tonight. Saw a few people on r/windowsondeck on Reddit bumping into the problem.

Orcvader · 22 Dec 2022 at 21:16

Update, did the 3.3 to 3.4 update, it did indeed remove SteamOS from the boot manager. Booted to SteamOS via file (vol up + power, boot from file, esp/efi/steamos/steamcl.efi), opened konsole then did the command below:

Code:

sudo efibootmgr -c -L "SteamOS" -l "\EFI\steamos\steamcl.efi" -d /dev/nvme0n1p1

Now I can boot normally back to SteamOS. The Windows entry was untouched so didn't have to do anything with that.

Edit: Looks like it may have updated the display firmware, I lost my custom refresh rates in Windows so I had to load them up again with CRU. Also noticed the windows 11 touch keyboard is now the correct size.

hyperseven · 23 Dec 2022 at 07:55

512GB Evo Selects back on the cheap, be quick

ralv585 · 23 Dec 2022 at 12:03

Got RDR2 on the steam sale, and i'm blown away by how it performs on the deck, still in the first chapter and haven't adjusted any settings yet, but by all accounts, runs and looks great so far!

ncncore · 23 Dec 2022 at 16:57

Still really tempted with a steam deck

Ravenger · 23 Dec 2022 at 17:12

nipnosis said:
Still really tempted with a steam deck

As someone who is a keyboard and mouse fanatic with a 5900x/3090FE Gaming rig, I've hardly touched it since I got a Steam Deck. It's so worth it and makes my Steam Library so much more accessible.

My main PC is really only used for PC VR now. I Must be saving loads of electricity gaming on Steamdeck rather than my PC too.

bigmike20vt · 23 Dec 2022 at 17:16

lol some man maths going on there.... you are saving money by having a steam deck (I really like mine too btw it's great for convenient gaming and am playing games I would normally not touch)

ncncore · 23 Dec 2022 at 17:20

Ravenger said:
As someone who is a keyboard and mouse fanatic with a 5900x/3090FE Gaming rig, I've hardly touched it since I got a Steam Deck. It's so worth it and makes my Steam Library so much more accessible.

My main PC is really only used for PC VR now. I Must be saving loads of electricity gaming on Steamdeck rather than my PC too.

I am about to start travelling a lot for work too, roughly 130 days away a year on business. Might make it even more worthwhile I reckon. Maybe Santa will sort me out

Ravenger · 23 Dec 2022 at 18:25

bigmike20vt said:
lol some man maths going on there.... you are saving money by having a steam deck (I really like mine too btw it's great for convenient gaming and am playing games I would normally not touch)

I wanted a Steamdeck regardless, but I'm surprised by how much it has supplanted my gaming PC so the reduction in electricity costs is a nice bonus. Normally I would even consider it but power costs are bonkers these days.

bigmike20vt · 23 Dec 2022 at 21:57

Ravenger said:
I wanted a Steamdeck regardless, but I'm surprised by how much it has supplanted my gaming PC so the reduction in electricity costs is a nice bonus. Normally I would even consider it but power costs are bonkers these days.

indeed. I was just pulling your leg. I have used mine more than I thought I would. I have just put the heroic launcher on it now and installing a load of my free epic store games. (I started playing the original oddworld on it. bought back memories as I bought it on my PS1 back in the midish 1990s ...... then I realised I have the remastered version on epic)

Rob_B · 23 Dec 2022 at 22:22

hyperseven said:
512GB Evo Selects back on the cheap, be quick

£58 now

I'd have gone for one for £38, still gutted I opted for a 256 card when I got the deck :/

jrwagh333 · 24 Dec 2022 at 07:20

Rob_B said:
£58 now

I'd have gone for one for £38, still gutted I opted for a 256 card when I got the deck :/

I'm gutted a didn't fit for the 64GB model, now that some Sabrent SSDs are on their way!

edgedemon · 24 Dec 2022 at 11:49

ralv585 said:
Got RDR2 on the steam sale, and i'm blown away by how it performs on the deck, still in the first chapter and haven't adjusted any settings yet, but by all accounts, runs and looks great so far!

That's good to know, so I have just done the same.
Also have my eye on both Spiderman games and Sekiro. Thinking about Against the Rain as well but trying to find out how playable that is on the deck as it is not verified

jonneymendoza · 24 Dec 2022 at 12:22

Ravenger said:
I wanted a Steamdeck regardless, but I'm surprised by how much it has supplanted my gaming PC so the reduction in electricity costs is a nice bonus. Normally I would even consider it but power costs are bonkers these days.

And I got laughed at in the 4000 series thread for stating cost of electricity

Rob_B · 24 Dec 2022 at 12:26

Has anyone worked out the PC vs Deck cost to run per hour? Lots of variables but I'm imagining pence per hr difference..?

40Wh battery can be drained in 90mins, vs say a 400W sustained load on a PC (?) let me get my calculator out..

27W for 4hrs per day is 39.4Kwh per year
400W for 4hrs per day is 584Kwh per year

My elec is 33.76p/kwh

So £13.30 vs £197.. Is that even remotely right?

Ice Rich · 24 Dec 2022 at 12:58

I'm also really tempted by this now too and still learning and reading up but it does seem there is a saving to be made with upgrading the SSD etc.
Although I do quite like the sound of the anti-glare screen on the 512gb version - is it worth it?

Also just to confirm how the Deck is equipped, am I right:

1 x internal SDD - For use with the OS (games do not install on this?)
1 x swappable SD card - for use with games

*** The Official Steam Deck Thread ***

* The Official Steam Deck Thread *