When I started hearing about the Steam Deck in November, I eventually decided to buy one as supplies improved. The idea of a handheld gaming PC seems like a novel idea. However, after I started using it, I increasingly discovered that while the device was cool, I found things I disliked. After discovering that other handhelds appeal more to what I want, I eventually sold the Steam Deck.
With that, why did I sell the Steam Deck, and should you buy one? Here are my reasons why I sold it.
The size and weight
The main thing I didn’t like about the Steam Deck is its size and weight. The Deck is the heaviest of all handhelds besides the OneXPlayer 2. Also, it’s big and heavy at 1.47 lbs, primarily due to its inclusion of the trackpads and the grips. I know that the Deck is bigger because it’s meant to be ergonomic for longer play sessions. In comparison, the ROG Ally and even the GPD Win 4 weigh 1.34 lb and are more comfortable to play with.
However, I can’t bring it on commutes since it doesn’t fit on my laptop bag due to how wide and big it is with the case. Also, I don’t find it comfortable, and my hands hurt after playing 10 minutes of it. I have small hands and can’t play with the device without my hands hurting. It’s just not good. Also, I find the trackpads contribute to the large size, and I never really use them. I know they are there for games that only work with a mouse. However, none of the games I play use them.
Moreover, the control layout is very awkward. I can never get used to it, especially after using the Ayaneo Air 2 and, eventually, the GPD Win 4. Those handhelds are much smaller than the Steam Deck, although they have smaller screens.
The Screen
The screen on the Steam Deck is terrible. Probably the worst ever I have seen in a device I used. The colors look washed out. It can only produce 63.7%, which is terrible. Compare that with the recently released Asus ROG Ally, which can produce 108.6% of the SRGB colorspace and has FreeSync since it can do 120 hz and is 1080p. The Steam Deck can only do 800p, which is unsurprising since the APU can only handle 800p/720p resolutions.
While a third-party screen, DeckHD, fixes this issue with a better display at 1200p with better colors, the APU in the Deck can’t handle that resolution, except for the less demanding games.
Not a Good Experience with Windows
SteamOS is cool, but it can’t play all the games that require anti-cheat or can only run on Windows. Some may want Windows. After all, it’s easier to set up third-party launchers and play games that need Windows.
However, it’s not a great experience. A fingerprint scanner is non-existant, meaning you must type out your password using a touch screen. Also, the Steam Controller makes it difficult to configure emulators on Windows as they might only support XInput. That means using additional software, which of course, is not a smooth experience. Also, you can’t install the latest APU drivers from AMD. You must wait until Valve releases them since it’s a custom solution. That means missing out on driver fixes for a specific game.
This is compared to other handheld PCs like the Ayaneos, GPD, OneXPlayer, and now the ROG Ally, in which the controller emulates an Xbox 360 controller. That means the controls work out of the box without fiddling with third-party applications to make it work. If you want Windows, you don’t want a Steam Deck. The Steam Deck works better with SteamOS, which I hope to see made available on other handheld PCs.
The Performance Is starting to feel a bit lacking in 2023
While the Steam Deck does good at lower wattage, which the AMD Z1 Extreme tries to come close, but can’t. However, when the TDP is set at 15W, the Ryzen 6800U, 7850U, and the Z1 Extreme beat the Steam Deck. This is especially the case with the Ryzen 7 7850U and the Z1 Extreme (almost basically the same thing), which have the Radeon 780M, close to an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or 1650.
The Z1 Extreme at 25W gets 3230 in 3DMark Time Spy compared to 1709 on the Steam Deck. This matters as games become more demanding, and there will be a point where the Deck can’t play AAA games even with its Deck-specific optimizations. Also, the Zen 2 cores on the Deck are getting a bit old compared to the Zen 4 cores on the Ryzen 7850U and Z1 Extreme. Also, to make things worse, Valve does not intend to upgrade the APU in the next Steam Deck, but stick with the same APU, but put a better screen and improve battery life. This is not reasonable, given PC games, in general, are unoptimized compared to their console counterparts.
The Community and Fanboys are very toxic.
The Steam Deck community, while extensive, is a double edge sword. This is primarily because of the Steam Deck Fanboys, who will defend the Deck no matter what, despite its terrible screen, huge size, and weight. Remember, it’s silly to defend corporations, they aren’t your friends.
These Steam Deck Fanboys are the ones that go on forums, comment sections, and social media, bashing a person’s decision to buy a different handheld. They will always say the Deck is better (although it’s not), harping on those trackpads and wanting Valve to monopolize the Handheld PC market. I think competition is what makes the Handheld PC market better. The fanboys and their behavior make me hate the Steam Deck in general, which is unfortunate. The Deck has a lot of flaws, but it was the gateway drug to Handheld PCs. The fanboys just ruined it for me.
For those reasons, I decided to sell it with a slight loss after 2 months of ownership. Instead, I got a GPD Win 4, which fits my needs more, given its smaller size, slide-out keyboard, and better controls. I eventually picked up a ROG Ally, better than all the Chinese Handheld PCs combined. I don’t regret selling my Steam Deck at all.
Sure, it had a rocky start with software bugs, but they are getting ironed out. In fact, this is the one I would recommend if one were considering the high-end Steam Deck or the midrange. The Z1 Extreme ROG Ally provides a lot of value, given that you are getting a copy of Windows and a better screen, Performance, and perhaps form factor for a reasonable price. It beats out the Steam Deck, even if the high-end one is on sale and backed by a mainstream PC manufacturer. Hopefully, if the ROG Ally does well, it will push Alienware and Razer to come out with their version around the same price.
While there is no SteamOS for the Ally yet, ChimeraOS recently came out with support for it. This is about as close as possible to the SteamOS experience until Valve releases it for all devices.
But yes, this is my long rambling about why I sold the Steam Deck after owning it for two months. Unless you are looking for a budget option, I suggest checking out the ROG Ally if you are considering the midrange or high-end Steam Deck and/or if you want Windows. Hopefully, when the bugs get ironed out, they can become a strong contender to the Deck.
I cannot recommend the Steam Deck if you have small hands like me. The ROG Ally is a better choice. If you are willing to take a chance, GPD Win 4 and maybe the Ayaneo Air line might also be good choices.
Leave a Reply