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The Steam Deck is pretty cool, isn’t it? You may be wondering where I’ve been all this time, if I’m only just finding out about the brilliance of Valve’s handheld gaming PC. The truth is that I was waiting to see what the Nintendo Switch 2 had to offer before deciding if I’d get aboard the hype train. Now, after seeing exactly what’s coming on June 5, I think I’m happy to skip Nintendo’s upcoming console.
Very briefly, a word on prices. Because while I feel the backlash is entirely valid (especially when it comes to the cost of Switch 2 games), it’s been said more than enough times already. And it’s not the main reason my interest in the new console has plummeted.
It’s more the fact that the Steam Deck is just too damn good. It also helped that I paid £249 (about $370) for it through the Certified Refurbished Steam Deck program.
There’s always a concern with buying secondhand that you’ll end up with an inferior product. But, as I found with my experience of the eBay Certified Refurbished program, steps have been taken to make these products as close to as good as new as possible for buyers.
My refurbished Steam Deck arrived in a plain but functional box and included a surprisingly sturdy carry case. The handheld itself looked in top condition, free of any marks, scratches, nicks, or dents that might indicate it had been used or returned. Performance has been excellent, too, well in line with what you’d expect from a new system.
So, if you have any doubts about the quality of a Valve Certified Refurbished Steam Deck, then take my word for it – I was very impressed by the quality and condition of the handheld. I would have guessed it was a completely brand-new Steam Deck if I hadn’t known otherwise.
Decked out
Now, onto what it’s actually like to use. I’m sure fellow Deck owners will agree that it’s glorious, right? SteamOS is beautifully presented and easy to navigate, and a considerable number of games are verified and well-optimised to work on the system. Sure, you may have to make to graphical concessions here or there, but with the games I’m playing, that’s rarely an issue.
Given I now do most of my gaming on the PS5 – and my PC is still rocking an ancient GTX 1060 – I’ve been out of the loop with PC gaming for a good five years. I did miss the variety and inventiveness of many smaller games or indie darlings that never make their way to the major consoles, or don’t do so for many years down the line.
That was a huge draw of getting the Steam Deck: to play these unique, interesting and often fascinating games in reasonably good quality without needing to sit at the same desk I’d just worked at for the last eight hours.
It’s been a blast uncovering all the surprise gems of UFO 50, enjoying the explosive chaos of Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, and reminding myself of the mystifying nature of the original Tomb Raider trilogy.
Adding my GOG and Epic Game Store library (mostly freebies I’ve claimed over the years just because I can) has also been a breeze, but an even bigger win has been setting up PS5 Remote Play so I can stream from the console to the Deck, much like the PS Portal. That’s been a huge bonus to chip away at monumental 100+ hour RPGs that Metaphor: Refanzaio without hogging the TV from my partner every evening.
While that would’ve been possible with the PS Portal, instead of spending £200 on that dedicated piece of hardware, I can also access my entire PC games library for just £50 more.
I’ve experienced all of that in the few dozen hours I’ve had with the Steam Deck so far. I know there’s even more to look forward to when I dig even further into my back catalog to finally play some of those Steam sale impulse buys from years ago, or rediscover a classic I thought I wouldn’t return to without a gaming PC.
Switched off
I weighed all of that up with what was shown in the Nintendo Switch 2 showcase.
There’s a new version of Mario Kart that looks perfectly fine, an unexpected but welcome outing for DK in Donkey Kong Bananza, a surprising From Software exclusive in The Duskbloods, and the long-awaited release of Metroid Prime 4.
Alongside that is a lot of excitement about an online chat feature (that also works best with an extra camera accessory), a paid-for tech demo in the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, and various upgrade fees to play last-gen games at a better performance level.
Will I miss not playing the latest Mario, Metroid, or Zelda? For sure. But it seems many of these games will still be playable on the old console too, even if I have to fight with my OG Switch’s pathetic battery life. And, ultimately, there’s already so much awaiting on the Steam Deck that I don’t think I’ll be missing out on too much.