I’m a casual gamer mostly playing titles like Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2. I’m feeling a bit disappointed with the Switch, especially in terms of performance. I can handle frame rates under 60 FPS, but I’d like something in the 30 to 50 range. I’ve never used Steam OS before and I’m unsure if I’ll need to repurchase all my games, although I’ve heard that sales are pretty good. I’m curious if making the switch to a Steam Deck would provide the same enjoyment, especially regarding its versatility for titles both old and new. Also, what model of the Steam Deck should I consider?
5 Answers
I was in your shoes just last week and took the plunge with my own Steam Deck. Honestly, I’m really happy with my decision! I travel a lot, and it fits perfectly into my lifestyle. I bought a second-hand OLED model with 512GB, and the previous owner had upgraded it to 2TB. Now, I’m diving into indie games and other titles that were on sale—stuff I wouldn’t have normally tried. I don’t think I’ll go back to consoles anytime soon, and I plan to subscribe to GeForce Now to enjoy some AAA games too!
Do you still have your PS5? I had just a Steam Deck for a while before I got a PS5 so I could stream games from it to my Deck. The experience has been incredible, blending both worlds seamlessly!
You know, you can actually stream your PS5 games to the Deck. Most of the titles you mentioned will run much better on the PS5, so that might be a good option for you if you already have it!
If you’re not super tech-savvy, I’d recommend going for the 512GB or 1TB model to avoid the hassle of swapping SSDs. The Steam OS offers a simple interface, and while you’ll have to adjust graphical settings for some games, there are tons of guides available online. You’ll have a great time playing older games and emulators that you might have missed on the PS5 and Switch! Just remember, the Steam Deck is bigger and heavier than the Switch, but a lot more comfortable with a nice screen size!
Definitely check out ProtonDB for game compatibility. You might need to tweak some settings to get things running smoothly. The Steam Deck has its quirks—new AAA games might struggle with performance, but older games, indies, and 2D titles usually shine. It’s a bummer you don’t have a Steam library yet, but if you dig exploring new games, you’ll likely find a lot to love there!