I’ll be honest with you: a few months ago, I realized I badly needed a new PC. However, the prices currently being what they are, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to afford one (or at least one that can handle my favorite games). I heavily considered just scrapping the whole idea and using my Steam Deck for gaming (because my PC at the time was wheezing at Crimson Desert, so).
Personally, I went for the PC, but this only because the games I want to play (ahem, GTA VI) are not really viable for Steam Deck. However, this decision was specific to me, because I could afford it at the time. But what if you can’t? What if you like to play games but your PC can’t handle them and getting a new one is a pipe dream? And is getting a Steam Deck even worth it if you already have a decent PC?
Well, this is what I want to talk about here, as someone who owns all, and with different perspectives as well, because while I enjoy big, demanding games, my wife doesn’t, so her opinion is entirely different, and yours may be too.
What is Steam Deck and who is it for
First of all, let’s explain what a Steam Deck is, in case you haven’t heard of it yet (I wouldn’t blame you, I only discovered it when I started this blog as well). A Steam Deck is a portable gaming device that runs on SteamOS and lets you play any game from your Steam library. If you have Steam on your computer, it’s basically just that software and you can download games and see the store.
Steam Deck is a great device for anyone who travels or commutes a lot, anyone who prefers laying down or sitting somewhere comfy to play (I’m over 30 too, I know the struggle), and basically any gamer who wants access to their Steam library on the go.
It’s not a great device if you mainly play League of Legends or similar games that require a separate launcher, expect AAA games to look exactly like what they look like on PC, or don’t enjoy smaller screens.
If you already have a PC — do you need a Steam Deck?
Honest answer quickly — no, you don’t need it. But you might want it.
Personally, I got it for my wife because she struggles to play PlayStation or PC games for too long without getting motion sickness, and she likes to cozy up rather than sit at the computer. Most of the games she plays are also quite playable on the deck. So my initial idea wasn’t to use it myself, because I had my PC and I thought I wouldn’t want to use it.
However, my thoughts have changed — I actually really enjoy playing on it. It’s good to have the option to have a lazy day and just couch rot. PC is where I work as well, so having that separation with the Steam Deck is great for me.
I also found I enjoyed playing some games more on the deck than on PC. For example, games like Hades, Hollow Knight, Celeste, Gris, cozy games — all work wonderfully on the Steam Deck and much better (in my opinion) than on PC. Hades in particular was really satisfying to play.
My wife even played BG3 on Steam Deck and loved it (you can see her full review here). She didn’t experience any issues with it, except that the graphics were perhaps not as crisp as on the PC. But if you don’t care about that, I’d wager most AAA games can work on Steam Deck without issues.
So, to wrap it up — if you have a PC already then no, you don’t expressly need a Steam Deck. It’s more of a nice-to-have, especially if you like to chill and play and step away from your computer, or you travel a lot and want your games on the go. Plus, if you suffer from gaming motion sickness, Steam Deck is a good solution.
What Steam Deck doesn’t do well
To be clear, the experience is not the same on Steam Deck as it is on PC. With games like Hades, Stardew Valley, Celeste, even V Rising, you won’t notice a difference at all. However, if you want to play more AAA games or any games where crisp and realistic visuals are key (or you just want to admire great graphics) will suffer from a quality decrease on the Deck.
The controls are also hit and miss. Some games are perfectly adjusted from the get-go (see in the “Great on Deck” section in the store), but some require some fiddling and downloading different controller setups in order to play them well. For example, Frostpunk was a dire experience on Steam Deck and I couldn’t get it to work properly no matter how many controllers I got, while it worked perfectly well on PC.
Also, if you plan on playing any huge games like GTA VI, I wouldn’t recommend getting a Steam Deck for it. The thing is, it’ll probably work, but at what cost? It might be entirely buggy and the graphics won’t be that great, and this game costs $80, you might as well enjoy all the great graphics and elements it has to offer.
Is Steam Deck a viable PC replacement if you can’t afford a new PC?
This is a trickier question and something to consider. For me, personally, the answer was no because, as mentioned, I want to play games with great graphics and really enjoy them. I really wanted to enjoy GTA VI, and Crimson Dessert, and others, so the Steam Deck wasn’t an option. I also play League a lot, and shooters too, so you can see how it wasn’t a great choice.
My old PC couldn’t handle Crimson Dessert, for example. I mean, in a way it could, but the graphics were so bad, and the thing was wheezing. I even had some performance issues. But it played League without issues, any “smaller” game, anything cozy like Stardew or Terraria, even Baldur’s Gate 3. It couldn’t handle Borderlands 4 though, so you can kind of get the picture. I had a Steam Deck and it couldn’t replace a better PC, or even handle something like Borderlands or CD.
However, if you’re someone who plays indie games, cozy games, mid-tier RPGs, rougelikes, platformers, metroidvanias, farming games, or just don’t care about graphics all that much, Steam Deck is a perfect choice.
So, in a way, it won’t be a replacement but a compromise — you lose out on some features in some games, but then again you get to play a ton of games as well.
The price is worth considering here. A new PC (that can handle AAA games better than a Steam Deck) can cost upwards of $2000 these days (my own PC was almost $4000), while a Steam Deck costs around $800, and you can find it much cheaper used.
My own device was $650 a few years ago when I got it. Of course, if you want to splurge just a little, you don’t have to get a Steam Deck, you can also do Asus ROG Xbox Ally X which is around $1000, Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS), which is also around $800.
Performance and battery life — the honest truth
The performance on the Steam Deck varies from one game to another. Obviously, anything more demanding will make your Deck shoot out hot air like an AC, but smaller games are fine. I didn’t experience any shutdowns or anything like that in the 2 years I’ve had it, and I’ve played plenty of games on it.
That said, the battery does drain quickly, depending on what kind of game you play. Even smaller ones can cause a big drain. I’d say you have around 5 hours on something smaller like Stardew Valley, and around 1 to 2 hours on something like BG3, from fully charged, which is a lot for what are essentially PC games. You can tinker with the settings to get out more as well. If you don’t need it on the go and just want to couch rot, this is not an issue though.
Verdict — should you get one?
So, here’s a summary:
- If you don’t have a PC or a gaming laptop, and you can’t afford one, a Steam Deck can be a good, cheaper choice.
- If you already have a mid-to-low tier PC, or a gaming PC, and you can’t afford an upgrade, don’t waste money on the Steam Deck (or any handheld) because the experience is comparable. It’s better to save up a bit more.
- If you already have a great PC and can afford a Steam Deck, then just get it, it’s worth it for the chill vibes and on-the-go gaming.
