You install it from the in-built discover app then log into GoG/Epic from the respective options when you open it up. No faffing or messing about required.
If you want any other launchers THEN things get a little more complicated I believe (I've not tried it)
You can then open heroic (from desktop or Steam OS mode) and open/download any of your games from there, or you can add the games as non Steam games and open directly.
Saracen999 (23-11-2022)
Well now the Steam sale has started (Crysis remastered trilogy for £22, yes please) I now own SO many games, I've not spent as much time or money on games ever!
I have far too many games now, for me to play them all with the respect they deserve is sadly impossible.
I do need a cull on my Steam account! I have so many JRPGs from bundles, before those fell off the radar, I'm never going to play a single one.
I should have been more proactive & given more away at the time.
But the Crysis remastered Trilogy does sound tempting
I've been looking into a steam deck this Christmas. Got to be honest very tempted. I have a newish PC (Ryzen 3600) but my GPU is just an rx480 and I just can't justify a replacement given the current pricing. Only thing putting me off is lack of time. I got a 3d printer 2 years ago and Quest 2 VR headset last year and both just gather dust. I'm really desperate to use them both but rarely find the time once kids are in bed to do anything (And its been this way for 8 years!).
One thing I have considered was installing a copy of the Stream deck OS on my Ryzen laptop - Its got a 5500 in it which technically should be more powerful than a steam deck APU... But again the time issue - this things rarely just work!
Time is the one thing this gives me, I've never played so many games for a long time.
I didnt have a use for anything other than a laptop for Internet usage so this form factor made sense, no taking over the TV or uncomfortably trying to get a KB/M working on the couch or finding a space in the house to ge from, I just sit on the couch and I'm sorted!
Now I'm tempted to get one, mainly as it's currently on sale with 10% off until the 23rd of March.
Do it, they're so great
Iota (20-03-2023)
Just to point out at time of posting this - discount has ended (about 5 hours ago).Originally Posted by Iota
However, I was tempted too, and been contemplating the yes/no of it since last (I think) Friday.
Yes arguments :-
- want one
- availability fine (delivery quoted at 1 to 2 weeks)
- first discount I've seen, at any time point since launch.
And therefore, as I've been tempted for months, this looks like at least as good a time as any, so I need to, ummm, 'poop or get off the potty'.
On the other hand :-
- rumours are quite common of an incipient, forthcoming version 2.
- if such is true (I rather think it is) :-
.... - when?
.... - at what price?
.... - and of what spec?
While rumours of version 2 are common, i can find nothing concrete on quite when, and certainly not of price, and little between contradictory wish-lists of what fans want, not what we'll actually see in a v2.
Which means .... a discounted price might, as stated, just be a "1 Yr old" thing, or it might be a stock-reducing measure prior to an imminent announcement of v2. Valve are pretty good at keeping info under wraps, and strong NDAs, until they want it out there.
Anyway, I caved.
Ordered mine.
Which no doubt means v2 is to be announced imminently, probably with significant improvements and a better price, or at least, not a mch worse price. It's how my luck runs.
More seriously, my bet for v2 is,
- I've no idea when,
- and either much improved spec but at significantly imcreased price, or fairly nominal evolutionary changes (but not revolutionary) at the same or modestly increased price. And I think any drastic price increases would significantly reduce the segment of the market interested, For instance, a great OLED screen would be nice, but what would it do to the price?
Anyway, having finally made up my mind, after months of dithering ..... want it yesterday.
Oh, couple of games too. A "complete" Edition of Halflife (old, I know, but I enjoyed it first time rond and at about £2.xx for, what, 8 different variants and versions, I decided to really push the boat out.
Oh, and Stray. Looks cute.
A lesson learned from PeterB about dignity in adversity, so Peter, In Memorium, "Onwards and Upwards".
I'll certainly be interested in hearing what you think about it.
It definitely won't affect my decision not to get one though, because while all of the technology is certainly interesting, I've actually got no interest in any handheld devices (a mobile phone is the closest I'm willing to get to that, and I don't play games on it and wouldn't want to) as I prefer using a full-fat PC and monitor(s).
It's not for me. I did toy with the idea but I think I would get far too annoyed with it. I have a Nintendo Switch and it feels unwieldy. However would definitely like to know what you think of it.
I play mainly RTS (Company of Heroes) etc and not sure how that would be like to play when I am trying to do quick mouse selections etc
Jon
I get it's not for everybody. But for some changes in circumstances, it wouldn't be for me either. I have a decently powerful "gaming" laptop (5900X, 32GB, mobile 3080, etc.) that's about a year old, or a bit less. And, while "mobile" CPU, GPU etc aren't the full-blooded desktop variants, that laptop is a pretty credible gaming machine for most situations. Moreover, I have spent years avoiding using Steam at all (several reasons, won't bother explaining again), never mind Steam Deck.
But .... circumstances, innit? I can see, depending perhaps on type of game, a air few situations coming up where the Deck is viable but even a laptop .... well, is far from ideal. Usable, but awkward. Whereas a Deck, and set of IEMs or headphones? Usable. I hope.
Will gladly report back on what I thiink. I am, at heart, a PC gamer. I MUCH refer KB and mose control to mini joysticks, button pads, etc. So I have reservations about the S-Deck, and how I'll get on with it. And that, leaving aside self-mockery about dithering, is why it's taken a while to get around the getting one - convincing myself to take a £500 punt and hope I like it? Not easy.
It will be interesting, to me at least, whether the Deck is good enough to convince someone that isn't a natural buyer for a device like this. If it isn't, expensive mistake.
A lesson learned from PeterB about dignity in adversity, so Peter, In Memorium, "Onwards and Upwards".
Output (24-03-2023)
I don't think AMD make the right chip for a steam deck V2 right now. I have seen the upcoming Phoenix 2 chip mentioned as being ideal, being a low power low cost version of the main laptop chip, but that chip is still just rumours atm. I don't think you'll be getting the buyer's remorse any time soon
Agreed. I don't think I'm getting B-R in part because I think I thought that option through and decided my best option was to buy now, either way. It's probably borderline if it's even worth the cost to me right now, given lack of experience with the handheld format (in any manufacturer flavour) and if a v2 is a significant improvement, I don't see it being any cheaper. Not in the realistically near-term, anyway. Of course it might be a collection of minor tweaks, i.e. what I referred to as "evolutionary". So, maybe joystick upgrade, relocate a control or two, tweak cooling or whatever. I mean, this one is basically first-gen and the second release of almost any brand new model sees those lessons learned from mass adoption addressed. Maybe that's more of a v1.1 (or 1,x where x>1) model, though. It ewould, admit, be a bit irritating if that comes out next month. Given a choice of a model revision like that at the current fixed price, or the existing one with the 10% discount, I'd go for the tweaked one.I don't think AMD make the right chip for a steam deck V2 right now. I have seen the upcoming Phoenix 2 chip mentioned as being ideal, being a low power low cost version of the main laptop chip, but that chip is still just rumours atm. I don't think you'll be getting the buyer's remorse any time soon
It's just that that 10% was just enough to push me over the edge of "should I bother at all" into "Oh, WTF, why not?"
Well, we'll see how I feel in a few weeks. Next, I wish Prusa would get on with their new model announcement.
A lesson learned from PeterB about dignity in adversity, so Peter, In Memorium, "Onwards and Upwards".
Part of me is glad I held off, I've saved a bunch of cash by sitting on my hands. Part of me in annoyed I missed out on the offer, but I'm sure there will be others. I've also got a Switch that sits gathering dust - handheld wasn't great (maybe like the Vita it needs a better grip?) and when docked, well we've got a PS5.
The biggest issue is the price of games on the Switch, Skyrim is still around £50, for a 5 year old port of a 12 year old game - no thanks! The Steam deck solves this problem - I've got a back catalogue that would keep me busy on the couch for a couple of years and I'm happy not playing the latest and greatest ('complete edition' at £30 is usually where I bite for new games I'm interested in, which can be many years later!) so waiting for the Steam sales is fine. So I'll just stick to watching something on my phone when I want to be in the same room as the other half but she's gaming away on the TV.
Re: Steamdeck V2
Broadly no spec change, probably updates to screen/battery but hardware specs will likely be exactly the same.
https://www.theverge.com/23499215/va...view-late-2022
Hadn't seen that article, so thanks for that. I had seen most of the "speculation", and that may well be the source (usually unattributed) for much of it, but it's VERY interesting to see it in the insider's own words.
I do note many of those insider hints are .... carefully phrased. I've spent enough time over the years writing very carefully phrased comments myself to recognise the technique instantly when I see it. So, while they may be 100% truthful in both technical interpretation and even probable inference by readers, there's also an element of wriggle room, a bit like the infamous politician-grade "We have no plans to <insert objective>". Well, if I were a politician and fully intended to do XYZ that I knew was going to be controversial or unpopular, I might well know for sure it was going to happen, but as I haven't developed the actual plan yet, I can quite truthfully swear in court, or to the House of Commons, that I have no "plans". I might be able to develop fully-fledged plans in a few days but, haven't .... yet.
Cynical? M'oi?
Anyways, assuming those comments genuinely reflect a likely slow evolution and minor tweaks, that makes actually jumping on the discount deal better.
Will there be future discounts? Well, probably. I mean, it's the first I've seen on the Deck but given the hardware shortage until the last, what, 6 months or so, it's not a huge surprise they didn't previously discount. Why would they f they can sell & ship about as fast as they can make them. But, going forward, the pent-up demand has been fulfilled and now we are (IMHO) in regular tickover mode. Hence, "probably". When, though? No idea. My guess would be not for a few months, but who knows. I certainly didn't want to wait further hoping for a better deal. Watching comments from the likes of Linus (LTT) hardware margins on the Deck probably aren't huge, and if not, discounts aren't going to be either, especially if there is no "Pro" or drastic hardware upgrade coming any time soon. So currently, at least, me=happy.
A lesson learned from PeterB about dignity in adversity, so Peter, In Memorium, "Onwards and Upwards".
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