Hey all, sorry in advance if this kind of post isn't welcome in this community. I wasn't really sure where to post this question and I didn't see anything in the rules against text posts or questions. If there's a more appropriate place to post I'll take this down and repost somewhere else.
With the recent price hikes of game pass, Microsoft's general inability to publish good games, and a deep loathing for AAA studios obsession with milking me for every dollar I have while delivering uninspired, broken slop, I've cancelled my game pass subscription and started considering PC gaming. I'm still on the Xbox one and haven't bothered to get the one X due to these issues. I'm due for am upgrade and don't feel particularly thrilled at the idea of spending that much money on a console that has little to offer.
I don't have a lot of money, but I do have enough to afford a modest build (600-700 USD.). But with all the praise and broad support that the steam deck has been getting, I'm wondering if my money may not be better spent on getting one and using the extra for a dock, some peripherals, and a start to building my library. The steam deck would be living most of its life docked and plugged into a monitor. The fact that it's a capable portable gaming machine is, for the most part, a bonus to me.
I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on this. Is a steam deck a viable alternative to a budget gaming PC?
A steam deck is my recommendation. I have a £2000+ gaming PC that is now practically collecting dust because of my steam deck. Being able to just game anywhere in my house, from my bed, from my couch, from a chair in a sunny spot in my garden, has been a game changer in a way I didn't expect. I've owned handheld consoles before but none of them have hooked me in the same way.
The fact that I have my entire backlog of PC games available to me and don't have to buy into a new ecosystem (like the switch or previous handhelds) is a huge bonus, but the absolute winner here is the variety of input options and the degree of customizability, as well as the fact that its a PC, so I can fuck with the refresh rate and the clock speeds and all that - extending the battery life!
The portability also has me being a bit more social with the other occupants in my home. I can play some low-focus game on the couch while they watch TV, for example, and we can chat and so on, as opposed to being isolated to the room where my PC is.
If you think there's any chance you'll get a kick out of being able to just grab your deck and go loaf somewhere comfortable to game, its a no-brainer to me.