Quoting: Loftyohh i have a pi400 but i find it slow and unreliable. it's not a good plaform imo, i cant even make it play 1080p60 video on youtube it's just not powerful enough, but i have a mini celeron PC for that which works fine even at 4k.

Emulation wise typically PS1 games, but PS2 also, i do know the steam deck is not a do it all device for emulation. On my PC i can easily emulate PS3 at 4k and that's where about id like to be for a TV emulation box. I also like to run decent quality shaders on games and from what i have seen 800p isn't enough pixels to properly get close to that CRT effect, hence why id like a higher resolution handheld eventually. Id imagine a steam deck 2 in a few years will handle everything PS3 and under at a decent resolution when docked to the TV, that is if it does not have a USB5 port for an e-gpu or a dock with a gpu built in as an option from valve.

My "retro" basically goes up to about the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 (where the Pi4 excels if you set up a RetroPie card), as most hardware after that never offered me much that I wanted, so I have zero experience with the PlayStation 2 and 3, either in real-hardware or emulation. Though I'm pretty sure the Deck can handle PlayStation 2 and its contemporaries, I have zero clue how the PlayStation 3 would fare. :unsure:

I'm also not inclined to use shaders either, so haven't had the need for a higher resolution, though I do know they're at their best that way. It's all stuff that I just don't know enough about to comment on.

Quoting: GroganHeheh, fair enough! :-)

You know it! :grin:

Quoting: TruckStopSantaClausHuh, I think this is the first time I've heard of RetroDeck. Is it better than Emudeck or something?

I haven't used EmuDeck so I can't comment on whether one is better than the other. I just personally like RetroDECK because it's self-contained and very easy to set up (you install a Flatpak, run it once, then put your files in the folder it creates in your home-directory), and is forked from 351ELEC/EmuELEC, which I already liked using on other hardware. :smile:

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: dpanterWell said. :smile:

Thanks very much! :smile:

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderOh man that brings back from old memories.......

You can see how long I've been into maze-chase games from this alone. :smile:

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderFirst image of the case and the first gameplay image both have Bomberman in them...... I think im going to need to start a Bomberman counter for you.......

Go, Spider, go! :tongue:

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderNot sure why..... But it looks like the Steam Deck has just given birth to the Switch.......

Well, I certainly didn't expect that. :huh:

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderHow are you finding the xbox controller???...... You have had that awhile now..... Holding up well???.....

It seems fine so far - I'm a big fan of the d-pad, too, it's really nice.

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderI really like how you edited that picture to shrink yourself down into the image to make the Steam Deck look much bigger than yourself.....

Heheheheh. :wink:

Honestly, I didn't originally plan to have the statue in that photo, but the original version wound up with a massive empty space on one side, so I re-took it with the statue to fill it. It came out much better!

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderOK..... All stupid jokes aside..... Thats a really nice and well thought out review......

Hehe, thankyou very much. :smile:

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderMentions of Bomberman - 5
Images with Bomberman - 8 (Yes I included your Steam avatar...... Its a image of Bomberman......)

I'm afraid that your numbers are a bit out, my friend! It is indeed 5 in the text, but in the pictures it's 18 - you missed some mugshots, lines of text, and my GOL avatar. :wink:

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderAlso apparently I was wrong about what I said on the Steam chat....... Nuns do indeed work Sundays......... [External Link]

I'm sure that Liam will be delighted to know that he's now a nun! :tongue:

Quoting: fabertaweExcellent review :happy: I really should use mine more!

You should! :grin:

Incidentally, I wanted to fit this into the review somewhere since it was almost finished by the time of the Steam Deck OLED announcement, but I couldn't fit it in and make it work: Most of what applies to the original release will also still apply to that model. That's the good thing about having a set target, even when it gets small revisions! :smile:

Quoting: denyasisTook the words out of my mouth! That was a great read!!

Many thanks! :smile: I had a really good time writing it - I hope to do this again sometime!

Quoting: GuestI just love your Sonic pencil case :woot:

Hahaha, thankyou! :grin: That goes pretty much everywhere my Steam Deck goes, too, since I'm old-fashioned and still do notes on paper as well as on computers. :tongue: It's by the UK company Pyramid International [External Link].

Quoting: BlackBloodRumIt's strange to see the Deck's case without the pull tab to lift the deck out with. :unsure:

Until you said that it was a thing, I honestly had no idea that the tab was present on the earlier version of the case! I guess it's not weird if you never had one...

Quoting: ElectricPrismIts just a matter of finding the right game.

Stardew Valley is a great play on Deck.

Then of course Ship of Harkinian (Ocarina of Time)

And I am sure there are many more,

Tony Hawk HD or equiv

Halo MCC

BioShock 1 Remastered

Imo are all good picks

Needs more Bomberman. :wink: Really, though, these are great picks! :grin:

My own favourites since getting mine, leaving out emulated stuff since you can do that pretty much anywhere, have been;

Ape Out [External Link]
Bail or Jail (Obakeidoro!) [External Link]
Capcom Arcade Stadium [External Link]
Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy [External Link]
Devolver Bootleg [External Link]
Doom II [External Link]
FUR Squadron [External Link]
Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County [External Link]
Gang Beasts [External Link]
Hotshot Racing [External Link]
Layers of Fear (2016) [External Link] (Native Linux, but you're better off using Proton to avoid some occasionally game-breaking rendering bugs that the native version has)
Looking for Aliens [External Link]
Mia and the Dragon Princess [External Link]
Namco Museum Archives Vol. 1 [External Link]
Nippon Marathon [External Link]
Placid Plastic Duck Simulator [External Link]
Sega Mega Drive & Genesis Classics [External Link]
Super Bomberman R 2 [External Link]
Vampire Survivors [External Link]
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap [External Link]
YUMENIKKI -DREAM DIARY- [External Link]

Quoting: GroganVery good article Pengling, great effort, resulting in great work. I understand a little more about the Steam Deck now.

Many thanks! :smile: I'm glad I was able to provide some insight.

Quoting: GroganThat's not the device for me (I would have a hard time with that small screen) but I can see where it would be great for certain games and it's easy to take with you everywhere.

Yeah, portables aren't going to be for everyone, but the Deck is definitely an excellent example of one - it really has everything that it needs, and nothing that it doesn't.

Quoting: GroganI shake my head when I see lists of most popular games on the Steam Deck though. "GTA V... really?" lol

I do too - they need more Bomberman! :tongue:

Quoting: StoneColdSpiderI know what you mean......

GTA Vice City is a much better game!!!.........

Still needs more Bomberman. :tongue:

Quoting: LoftyThanks for the great write up :smile:

Thankyou. :smile: Thanks for reading it!

Quoting: LoftyIm interested in a steam deck (more so 8" handhelds with better 1200p / 1600p screens).

I'm not too sure if higher resolutions than the now-standardised 720p/800p are a great fit for this power-envelope - there'd definitely be a sacrifice in terms of battery-life, unfortunately...

Quoting: Loftybut i also can't help but wonder if just buying a 14" laptop with an integrated GPU (even if it's no more than just 20- 30% more powerful than the deck') wouldn't be a better idea and just installing HoloOS / Chimera etc, and adding a bluetooth controller. i mean i get portability, but i don't play games outside of the house, or on the toilet lol. In bed or couch i could use a small cheap laptop tray (that could also house my drink) to place it on. Everything else other than holding it myself would be in theory better hardware wise (perhaps not the speakers).

Quoting: Loftyi guess though price is a factor too.a similar powered laptop is a few hundred more at least.

Price is definitely an issue with laptops - the Steam Deck packs in a hell of a lot for what it costs*, and I haven't yet seen a laptop of roughly-equivalent ability that can compete on price (and I'm a big fan of laptops, so I'd love that). Valve really did a fantastic job of designing to cost, here! :shock:

*I could easily see the Steam Deck becoming a good option for families wanting to do gaming and proper computing for a relatively low cost, much like the home-micros of Ye Olde Times.

Quoting: Loftyi think id buy the reduced price LCD model if it was available in store so i could return if i did not like it.

And this is a great example of the current lack of widespread distribution presenting problems. :sad:

Quoting: LoftyI suppose there is the GPD Win, but the pricing isn't there yet. perhaps the next alteration with a 8" screen with better analogues might be what i would need, but again other than holding it myself a 14" laptop would probably be similar. i still have my gaming pc but im not sure the idea of carrying something from room to room justifies the expense.

GPD makes nice stuff (I have a GPD Win Max 2021, as mentioned in the review, and also a GPD MicroPC, which is a nice little palmtop - they're both well-built and have been nothing but reliable), but I don't think that I've ever seen their prices come down much. If their gear suits you, it might be worth keeping an eye on their Western distributors to see when they've got offers on (I got both of mine from a UK company called DroiX, and got the Win Max 2021 when a discount was available).

Quoting: Loftyid probably dock the deck to the TV and just play retro games anyway.

Depending on how far your own definition of "retro" goes (I know that this varies, even amongst retro fans!), this sort of thing is probably better served by a Raspberry Pi, really. :smile:

Quoting: Purple Library GuyEhhh, the kids these days watch movies on their freakin' phones.

I've never been able to get my head around that! It wasn't a good user-experience for me when I tried it (which I had to last Halloween when Disney broke Disney+'s Linux support), and even less so now that I need reading-glasses. :dizzy:

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: hardpenguinAlso, I prefer to have a LCD option as long as its cheaper. I went for the cheapest option with my current Steam Deck since SD storage is all I need.

I must admit, I've yet to see an LCD option that isn't cheaper. Which is good, of course. :grin:

Quoting: constPersonally, I think this is good for all of us, as this update should help keep our Decks relevant. These updates will keep the Deck competetive against ROG, Legion, etc. and the stable baseline and resolution should ensure every SteamDeck out in the wild will still be a viable target for developers.

Totally agreed. :smile:

A year or two before minor revisions like this is about the norm in the handheld space, and folks often worry about it, but they're generally a sign of a system that's doing well enough for particular parts to have been superseded by similar-but-slightly-better drop-in replacements; See, for example, the Nintendo DSi, New Nintendo 3DS, etc., versus the original models - nobody ever really targets the revised models, and they just publicise the revisions for folks who feel that bigger numbers are better. It usually means that the device is here to stay for a while yet. :smile:

Quoting: constI understand some people buying a Deck recently feel bad about this, as they would have waited had they known, yet if Valve hadn't improved on the platform, we would all have been of a lot worse.

I must be one of the only ones who's glad I already got one, so that I got a display I can actually look at! :tongue:

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: F.UltraWhere does the pain come from? I understand that OLED usually have higher brightness, but since that is a setting I guess that we are talking about something else?

Eyestrain and migraines. I'm told that OLEDs flicker like CRTs did (I had the same problem with those - LCDs were a godsend! :tongue:), which would both explain it and suggest that it can't be avoided.

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: F.UltraNow this is hard for us consumers to reliably test without simply waiting and see but LG announced already back in 2016 that their panels had a life expectancy of 100k hours (which is more than double that of LED and LCD) so it sounds like nothing to worry about anymore.

And the ongoing Rtings test shows that burn-in worries is mostly overblown (yes they experience burn-in but they do run their tv:s on for 24x7 with static images), with LED:s actually performing worse when it comes to uniformity.

https://www.rtings.com/tv/tests/longevity-burn-in-test-updates-and-results [External Link]

If it's true that they've fixed these things, I'm glad to hear it. :smile:

However, it doesn't change that fact that, for me personally, I simply can't look at these displays without pain! I really hope that LCD remains an option with the eventual Deck 2.

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Quoting: slaapliedjeIsn't everything guaranteed to die?

To a degree, but not like this - being organic is a major downside of Organic-LEDs. :wink:

Though they're not quite as short-lived today, the first ones to market were dying off within months to a year, and often not fully, with huge chunks or lines suddenly going missing.

Anyone remember the original PS Vita? The OLED was such a problem that the "Lite" revision replaced it with a standard LCD.

Quoting: slaapliedjeHa, after buying a 77" OLED TV, I definitely get annoyed by light bleed. Never bothered me before...

But for sure, OLED screens can be obnoxiously bright, especially for someone who has gotten lasik surgery.

I haven't had any eye-surgery, but I just can't look at those bloody things. They're completely unusable for me. :sad:

View this comment - View article - View full comments

I hope that they keep LCD as an option when the Steam Deck 2 eventually comes along. :shock: OLEDs hurt my eyes no matter how much you can change the brightness, and I also don't want to waste money on hardware that's guaranteed to die due to the organic components, so they're always a dealbreaker for me, unfortunately!

View this comment - View article - View full comments

Final Fantasy X

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! [External Link] :tongue:

View this comment - View article - View full comments

What have you been playing lately?

Shocking nobody, a whole lot of Super Bomberman R 2 [External Link].

Also Arcade Game Series: Pac-Man [External Link], Bail or Jail (Obakeidoro!) [External Link], Looking for Aliens [External Link], Mega Man ZX Advent via Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection [External Link], MineClone2 [External Link] for the Minetest [External Link] engine, and Placid Plastic Duck Simulator [External Link]. :smile:

View this comment - View article - View full comments

For us, this was the clear path to take for the well-being of the team, which is frankly more important than games.

Whilst it's a shame for a game that people were anticipating to have been cancelled, it's very refreshing to see this sort of attitude in an industry where a number of the big players are better-known for squeezing their employees for all they're worth, health and work/life balance be damned.

I'm glad that they made the right decision for everyone involved - major props for that. :smile:

View this comment - View article - View full comments