The Steam Deck is my new favorite console

polygon.com:

The Steam Deck promises to play the bulk of video game history whenever you want, wherever you want, with all the comforts of console gaming and all the freedom of a gaming PC.

As with the Nintendo Switch, you can connect the Steam Deck to a TV, throwing the game onto a large high-def screen, or you can play on the go with the device’s built-in 7-inch 1280x800 screen. And with pricing starting at $399, the Deck is dramatically cheaper than most brand-name gaming laptops, and competitive with modern consoles. You can snag one for $50 more than Nintendo’s OLED Switch or $100 less than the PlayStation 5.

On paper, it’s perfect.

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Nonetheless, a healthy skepticism of Valve’s surprise entry into portable gaming has been justified ahead of its debut. Even if the company can procure enough chips during an unprecedented shortage amid a pandemic, it will have to enter and survive one of the most competitive corners of the video game industry — one with many losers (Sony, Sega, Nokia, Atari) and only one consistent winner: Nintendo.

So a couple of weeks ago, when the Steam Deck appeared on my doorstep, one question loomed above all others: Could a company that has never before released a game console or computer compete against the most established hardware maker in games and, arguably, its best device? Does the Steam Deck have a legitimate chance in the Age of Switch? Could it