The Steam Deck is a solution searching for a problem when the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 can give most gamers a better experience.
The promise of handheld PC gaming has always been something of a siren’s call for manufacturers. From the defunct Nvidia Shield Portable to Dell’s prototype Alienware Concept UFO, and the profusion of Kickstarted vaporware products, many have tried over the years, and many have failed. Valve is a more prominent name in the game in some ways, with Steam as the single biggest PC gaming platform in the world despite Epic’s aspirations. It’s only logical that the company would try to launch the Steam Deck, a Switch-like portable console that should be in the hands of gamers by December. But Valve hardly has the best track record with hardware, as anyone that purchased one of its Steam Machines, Steam Box, or Steam Controller can attest to. But there is reason to be optimistic. These came out before the Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite took the gaming world by storm and spawned an infinite number of copycats. Given the furor over the Switch OLED model not living up to gamer’s hardware expectations, if there’s any time when a powerful PC gaming handheld to succeed, it’s right now. Or is it? With cloud gaming subscriptions steadily getting better in their selection and smoothness, and improved compatibility with Android and iOS devices, it raises the question of whether there really is a value to be found in handheld PC gaming consoles compared to cloud gaming on your phone or tablet.
