Like many others here I echo the sentiment that I hope Intel finds success and we have a legit third competitor to even the playing field but, like other posters, it's unlikely that I will be the guinea pig and buy an Arc card and tolerate the iffy drive support I've heard issues about. Let alone Linux driver support, I have no clue how good that is. So what we want to see is good reviews, fantastic value, and then optimistic community comments showing the driver support is great and that issues are nil. Then I will strongly consider buying.

TechPowerUp ran a DLSS/FSR/XESS comparison in Stalker 2 and found that XESS outperforms FSR3 visually, so they're already ahead of the game in that one title anyway.

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Quoting: FeistOnly game I have bought this far is "Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord" a remake of the classic rpg from 1981.

However, I have my eyes on "Robocop", "Stray", "Drova" and the remake of "Resident Evil 4" as well. Though I feel a bit unsure about the 3 first games and I would like to wait for Denuvo to be removed before buying RE4.:unsure:

I played through Stray on my LCD Deck, it was playable at 30fps up to 40 in some sections. It's also easy to mod and NexusMods has lots of free custom cat models to download (I liked Espeon)

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Quoting: CatKiller

Quoting: PyrateI wonder if I should get it now, or maybe it'll get an even deeper sale later on. Won't be playing it anytime soon anyways, just want to grab it before the price increase when it leaves early access.

Personally, I won't buy any game in Early Access. I'm happy to buy this when it gets officially released, and at full price since it's got Linux support.

I broke my own No Early Access rule for Black Mesa and it was sooooo worth it -- to have already played it back then!

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Quoting: denyasisI do think the Deck Controls are better than the Controller. If only there was a way to disable the touch pad while using the sticks, kinda like the way laptops could disable the touchpad while typing to prevent accidental touches. That would be really cool.

You can do this in software now:
-Create a new action later and set the trackpads to empty bindings
-Add a command to Joystick Touch which holds your action layer
Now when you are using the sticks, the trackpads will do nothing.

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Quoting: kuhpunkt

Quoting: chickenb00I pass: the trackpads do not have prime real estate where your thumbs will naturally rest on the controller.

Why do you rest your fingers anywhere? I have mine on the sticks or the buttons the whole time.

Our thumb's natural rotation is like 70° which normally is where the joysticks are placed. This proves maximum rotation for our thumb down to 0° and up to 90°.
For trackpads to be used optimally, they need to reside in the optimal spot on the controller. Steam Controller 1 does this: trackpads are in the place of prominence for max comfort. Steam Deck pads require we rotate our thumbs and flex them, which is fatiguing and not ideal for accuracy.

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I pass: the trackpads do not have prime real estate where your thumbs will naturally rest on the controller. Since this isn't a trackpad-centric controller, I'll just stick to my original Steam Controllers. They're my favorite controllers and the best choice for PC gaming with the exception of fighting games and twin stick shooters.

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Just to add some of my favorites, all played from GOG on Steam Deck:
Colt Canyon [External Link] - $3.49 - it's like a Westernized Risk of Rain? Quick fun "runs" with snappy combat and various heros to unlock. I like the rifles and the long pistols best.

FAR: Lone Sails [External Link] - $2.69 - linear adventure game of about 2.5 hours in length with some fun new ideas. Power your little sand boat and manage some of its systems while navigating a wasteland. There's a sequel too, but it's on Steam only (?)

Loop Hero [External Link] - $4.39 - Another roguelike looping game where you place card tiles to influence what sorts of monster spawns and rewards you get as your knight autobattles around in a circle. Lots of depth and amazing chiptunes.

Technobabylon [External Link] - $8.49 - An adventure game set in the future where a digital bohemian and a grizzled cop have a murder to solve. Smartly written with very good characterizations, and a strong sense of place and time (maybe even reminiscent of Beneath a Steel Sky, that 1994 gem)

Hob [External Link] - $4.39 - Doesn't play great on Deck, but it's serviceable. Runic's final game after Torchlight 2, it's a language-free action adventure sort of like Zelda, with more puzzles and more abilities. Fantastic art and visuals. It's a gem and sadly overlooked.

Other faves not on sale: Star Renegades [External Link] (turn based action combat, like a blend of FTL meets XCom meets FF Tactics, much better than the 3.7 rating on GOG); Sable [External Link] (combat-free exploration adventure game with BotW climbing? It had a touching story and captures that sense of invincibility and "the world is HUGE!" that we all had as teens); Perfect Tides (another teen drama set in year 2000, I really enjoyed it, it's better than it looks)

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Sorry friends, line must go up

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Ugh more consolidation... Kill it with fire

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Quoting: Craggles086Yeah, gotta work out if I get this one or wait for Steam Deck 2 now, meanwhile New Zealand must be fuming as no mention of it in the release notes..

I was playing FF7 Remake with HDR on my OLED Deck the other night at 60fps. If you wait, you might be able to play it at 90fps with the same settings and 800p.. two or more years from now.

Get one now, they're great devices, and they support Linux!

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