TechGamingShould I buy a Steam Deck?I pre-ordered Steam Deck on day one, but my excitement is dying and I’m still months away from getting hands onWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
TechGamingShould I buy a Steam Deck?I pre-ordered Steam Deck on day one, but my excitement is dying and I’m still months away from getting hands onWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
I pre-ordered Steam Deck on day one, but my excitement is dying and I’m still months away from getting hands on
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Valve)
(Image credit: Valve)
Problem was, as I wasn’t one of the lucky gamers who managed to get their order through checkout within the first 10 minutes or so, I did not make the first tranche of Steam Deck pre-orders. This means that right now, despite more than 6 months elapsing since I placed my order, I am still facingmonthsof waiting before Imightget my Steam Deck.
After all, a year is a hell of a long time in the tech industry and times have very much changed. Here I weigh up the pros and cons of me buying a Steam Deck.
Why I should buy a Steam Deck
When my Steam Deck is eventually made available to me, it will likely still be the most powerful handheld gaming device on the planet. It will also come out of the box with my entire Steam library of games to play, which will translate as the best launch line-up of any handheld system ever.
Lastly, despite the tech powering the console getting one year older from when I pre-ordered it, it is still very capable and to someone like me who doesn’t mind tinkering, the console will offer plenty of potential for customisation and modding.
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Why I shouldn’t buy a Steam Deck
I also have a pretty well specced desktop gaming PC at home equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, so it’s not as if I can’t play new PC games or my back catalogue of Steam titles.
In terms of handheld play, I’ll also be a year closer to the unconfirmed butinevitableNintendo Switch Pro console, which will almost certainly deliver an upgraded Switch experience most likely with better frame rates, resolutions and graphics features like real time ray tracing and DLSS. I have a Nintendo Switch and plenty of Switch games already, so this will mean Switch Pro will allow me to enjoy these games with a new level of quality, and I won’t have to pay for them either.
Naturally, I’ll still be able to play my Switch on the go, and my still awesome (and heavily modded)PlayStation Vita.
I’ll also be likely playing next-gen console titles like God of War: Ragnarok on myPS5and also be saving money to buyPlayStation VR 2.
Conclusion
I’ve got to be honest, it really makes me miserable to see just how touch and go this is – I genuinely am thinking I will cancel the pre-order.
My mind isn’t 100 per cent set yet, but with the cost of living going through the roof and an overwhelming sense developing that I’ve missed the boat on Steam Deck, it sure looks like it could be a possibility for me.
And especially because I’ve already eyed other gaming tech products like PSVR 2 to buy this year. If Valve had asked for my money in February this year I’m certain they would have got it, but if they ask for it in, say, August or September or beyond, I increasingly don’t think it is going to happen.
Here’s hoping then that I get to see more reasons why I should still buy Steam Deck, as it would be a shame for it to end like this.
If I do buy a Steam Deck I’d absolutely play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on it, and if you’re interested in watching shows like the recent TV adaptation of The Witcher, then aNetflixshow that schools it hasjust had its new season start streaming.
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