The Steam Deck is Incomplete

[jakkuh_t]

 

[Levent]

bUt itS UpGrAdEABlE!!

[deci]

I'd just like to say one thing before everyone goes after Valve for releasing the Deck with "unfinished software." Within a week, these issues will likely be noticed or addressed.
Proton will probably never be 100% perfect, but it's getting really close, and you can always install Windows when drivers come out. The amount of games that are native or do work on Proton so far is at least 50% of all Steam games. 
Valve is of course working to get BattlEye and EAC working on Linux as fast as possible, which will open even more games that before. I recently played Brawlhalla, a Windows-only game which uses EAC, on my Linux daily driver machine, using Proton and the "Proton EAC Runtime" (under the "Tools" section of the Steam Library as a separate application) and it worked flawlessly.
Steam Deck is going to succeed in my eyes. Valve isn't going to refuse to fix issues, and it should be really easy for them to pull an Arch package update to whatever repository SteamOS on Deck will use.

[BobVonBob]

Nowadays it's probably beating the average just by being functional pre-launch, boy I sure do love modern software development. Still disappointing that there are so many quirks and bugs left coming up to the software review embargo.

 

Regarding compatibility, I'm pretty sure everyone even vaguely in the know saw straight through their wildly optimistic claims for game compatibility when they announced it, which makes it a really strange departure from Valve's fairly open and honest communication about the Steam Deck since then.

[F60Outrunn]

the thing that suprised me was how laggy the steam store loading screen was, reminded me of the original ps3 psn store or the nintendo switch online store loading, still excited for it though as i know these issues will be resolved

[Error 52]

I do gotta wonder how much of a pain in the dick navigating the Linux guts will be on this thing if you don't have a keyboard handy. Could definitely get annoying if you need to start pissing about with other game launchers or installing mods & doing command line shit to get certain games running.

[mahyar]

it seems like that valve mostly focused on completing the hardware 

the good news is the don't seem to want to rush updates 

[astlouis4444]

@LinusTech@jakkuh_t @Linus Very interested when Linus mentioned testing out browser games on the Steam Deck. My team is bringing game engines like Unreal Engine to the browser using next generation web technologies like WebAssembly, WebGL, and WebXR. We've developed a platform and suite of tools for developers to deploy and distribute their games and real-time 3D apps in cross-platform manner, without the need for storefronts. With the upcoming WebGPU spec that's coming to Chrome (which is like Vulkan, but on the web) we're going to be able to achieve near native performance in the browser.

 

Linus, if you're reading this - we'd love to show you an early preview of our platform to try out ahead of the Steam Deck browser games video which we're very excited for. Link to our community Discord is here, or I can be reached at alexstlouis@theimmersiveweb.com or by DM on here.

 

https://theimmersiveweb.com/

 

https://discord.gg/zUSZ3T8

 

[chocolatekarma]

Even if it had no obvious shortcomings, you're still gaming on a 7" screen.  No thanks.

[GodAtum]

@LinusTech "i spent my whole life whishing someone would take the guard rails off my console"

 

Errrr that's called a PC 

[Quackers101]

yeah steam UI has been a problem for a long time. their older UI performed a little better but with their own issues.

then to the UI layout, which becomes so bad when going between inconsistent UI elements, from settings, library, steam OS or BIG PICTURE mode which is made for controllers.

 

But steam should have some setting options for performance and adjusting some parts of how the UI works or loads.

Steam store hasn't quite improved with the more recent UI. Do wish that steam could overhaul their whole system for a smoother experience like with big picture.

[CerealExperimentsLain]

2 minutes ago, GodAtum said:

@LinusTech "i spent my whole life whishing someone would take the guard rails off my console"

 

Errrr that's called a PC 

And the Steam Deck is, indeed, a PC. But it is of an extreme minority of PCs that offer hand held gaming with an IGP that's reasonably capable.  And unlike it's competitors It's not $1000.

[adarw]

1 hour ago, astlouis4444 said:

@LinusTech@jakkuh_t @Linus Very interested when Linus mentioned testing out browser games on the Steam Deck. My team is bringing game engines like Unreal Engine to the browser using next generation web technologies like WebAssembly, WebGL, and WebXR. We've developed a platform and suite of tools for developers to deploy and distribute their games and real-time 3D apps in cross-platform manner, without the need for storefronts. With the upcoming WebGPU spec that's coming to Chrome (which is like Vulkan, but on the web) we're going to be able to achieve near native performance in the browser.

 

Linus, if you're reading this - we'd love to show you an early preview of our platform to try out ahead of the Steam Deck browser games video which we're very excited for. Link to our community Discord is here, or I can be reached at alexstlouis@theimmersiveweb.com or by DM on here.

 

https://theimmersiveweb.com/

 

https://discord.gg/zUSZ3T8

 

you dont comment here expecting a response or an email back, you have to email him lool

 

 

[Zodiark1593]

2 hours ago, chocolatekarma said:

Even if it had no obvious shortcomings, you're still gaming on a 7" screen.  No thanks.

For a handheld, 7” is quite good. Unless you just don’t like handheld gaming in general. 

[J_C___]

1 hour ago, GodAtum said:

@LinusTech "i spent my whole life whishing someone would take the guard rails off my console"

 

Errrr that's called a PC 

While you're not wrong I would say this is closer to a laptop rather than a desktop. For the price Valve is certainly breaking some barriers in the console industry and as someone who loves Nintendo but hates some of their lazier console design choices, I will be closely watching the community to see what emulating is like.

[Guest]

I'm curious... If the Steam Deck already has Linux running on it, can you install a desktop environment on it and use the Steam Deck like a PC?

 

Imagine never needing a Windows PC (or laptop) ever again because the Steam Deck "is just that good!"

[Error 52]

1 minute ago, Shawn Hopscotch said:

I'm curious... If the Steam Deck already has Linux running on it, can you install a desktop environment on it and use the Steam Deck like a PC?

You can indeed boot into KDE. I've heard it's a bit clunky to do so, but it's very much a major feature of the Deck. Or you can just say fuck it and install Windows.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Error 52 said:

You can indeed boot into KDE. I've heard it's a bit clunky to do so, but it's very much a major feature of the Deck. Or you can just say fuck it and install Windows.

Sweet!

[chocolatekarma]

31 minutes ago, Zodiark1593 said:

For a handheld, 7” is quite good. Unless you just don’t like handheld gaming in general. 

Unless you count using a mouse and keyboard on a 24" desktop display "handheld". 

[Needfuldoer]

From the sound of it, the hardware is ready and the software is hopefully ready enough. It's good with the potential to be amazing, but it's also not bad just because it's not amazing on launch.

 

I think focusing on hardware up front was the right strategy for Valve. They can easily patch software on every Internet connected Steam Deck, but issuing a hardware recall would be egg on their face.

 

(Full disclosure: I preordered one and have been planning to run Windows on it almost right out the gate.)

[Ubersonic]

Any word yet if they've made it possible to disable the touchpads when not using them? Don't really wanna pre-order if that's not an option yet.

[Quackers101]

1 hour ago, Ubersonic said:

Any word yet if they've made it possible to disable the touchpads when not using them? Don't really wanna pre-order if that's not an option yet.

You can unplug them manually in a teardown?
You might be able to adjust them to not function, not sure if you can fully disable it in software though.

[Olgyd]

I know it's not the same, but I do find it amusing how Linus is planning to jump right back into Linux gaming after having had a below average experience barely a few months ago. 

[M2704]

18 hours ago, chocolatekarma said:

Even if it had no obvious shortcomings, you're still gaming on a 7" screen.  No thanks.

Said everyone gaming on an even smaller Switch-screen, right?

 

if you don’t want to use this handheld on a couch or whatever, than it’s obviously not for you. That’s fine, but don’t fabricate downsides that aren’t really downsides. 
 

a 7 inch screen is a great size for handheld gaming. 

[Imglidinhere]

23 hours ago, Commander Neon said:

I'd just like to say one thing before everyone goes after Valve for releasing the Deck with "unfinished software." Within a week, these issues will likely be noticed or addressed.
Proton will probably never be 100% perfect, but it's getting really close, and you can always install Windows when drivers come out. The amount of games that are native or do work on Proton so far is at least 50% of all Steam games. 
Valve is of course working to get BattlEye and EAC working on Linux as fast as possible, which will open even more games that before. I recently played Brawlhalla, a Windows-only game which uses EAC, on my Linux daily driver machine, using Proton and the "Proton EAC Runtime" (under the "Tools" section of the Steam Library as a separate application) and it worked flawlessly.
Steam Deck is going to succeed in my eyes. Valve isn't going to refuse to fix issues, and it should be really easy for them to pull an Arch package update to whatever repository SteamOS on Deck will use.

It's also worth noting they're trying to suddenly pour money into making literally thousands of windows games run flawlessly on Linux, which was already an insurmountable task to begin with, and to manage such a feat in what... two years? Yeah that was never going to happen.