The Steam Deck wasn’t born ready, but it’s ready now

theverge.com:

The Steam Deck is my favorite gadget of 2022. I have no hesitation in recommending it anymore. The kind of person who would buy one should buy one. My only question: are you that kind of person?

In February of last year, I truthfully wrote that the Steam Deck wasn’t ready, and I stand by every word of that review. But it’s ready now. And while it’s still not finished, and may never be finished, Valve has spent nearly a year and over 100 updates showing that an early access game console can actually be worth money. Valve has finally succeeded in proving doubters wrong about Linux, creating a gadget that’s spent 35 weeks atop the Steam bestseller list and attracted support from Sony, Microsoft and more. In my eyes, this was a triumph: a dark horse that will shape the gaming landscape for years to come.

Practically, this handheld gaming PC will never be a Nintendo Switch or PlayStation Vita. You’ll never know for sure that a game will work and keep on working before you spend your cash. But if you’re the kind of person who was frustrated by the Vita’s missed potential, who wishes the Switch were more powerful, or who simply wants to burn through your backlog of PC games, the Deck delivers at an unbeatable price. It’s quite possibly the most powerful gaming PC ever sold for $400, with roughly the power of a PS4 under its 7-inch screen.

I should know. I’ve now spent 435 hours playing Steam games across three different Decks, averaging well over an hour per day since launch. I’ve torn through all 150 hours of Elden Ring and beat Stray, Cult of the Lamb, Signalis, The Forgotten City, Into the Breach,and Vampire Survivors* on the Deck alone. I’m in the middle of dozens more. Plus, those 435 hours don’t count all the time I’ve