One thing that I want to do with my steam deck, is do Skyrim modding, I'm not talking about installing mods, I'm talking about creation of mods via using my steam deck. So I hope that the steam deck is capable of this.
Anyway, thank you for creating this video oh, most people are just focusing on the gaming aspect right now as this has come out, and I believe you're the only one so far that I have run into who was willing to cover the stuff outside of the gaming aspects what this device could do.
Is there a video that discuss about multi monitor setup using docking station and/or USB-HDMI display adapter? Currently I’m using 3 external display monitors setup on my Windows machine and was thinking to add a fourth monitor. Would like to replicate similar setup using the Steam Deck to potentially replace my old workstation. Is it possible to hookup the Steam Deck to 3-4 external display monitors?
Basically gone are the days of needing a $2k PC that can handle gaming in addition to the other tasks a PC is used for and you don't even need to buy a Windows license for it! The value and versatility of the Steam Deck just continues to exceed expectations!
This is really cool. Now all we need is a proper Linux phone that you can use like a Desktop when you plug it in to a screen. Wasn't Canonical doing something like this? I think they called it "Convergence" or something...?
I actually hope I can mod my Skyrim using the creation kit via steam deck. Instead of keyboard and mouse, I would love to create mods on the Fly while using something as comfortable as the steam deck. But I guess the only problem after that that I would run into is, the tools in creation cat would be too small to see and the kit itself would have to be formatted better for the steam deck screen or maybe they Implement some kind of zoom in feature they can be prompted by one of the controls on the Steam deck.
Considering I don't use my PC for more than gaming, media consumption, and basic workflow I think Steam Deck will be just fine for me. It's not like I'm going to daily drive it as my PC, I just want it to play games in desktop mode, be used to watch something, use the internet, and write a document once in a blue moon. Seems like it can do all of this and more if I REALLY want to so ey, I'm over buying a laptop, I'll just wait for my Steam Deck, buy a 15" screen for some travels when I want to use it as a PC/laptop and it'll be grand.
I’m in the exact same boat. I work remote using excel and spreadsheets and I’d love to cut down a desk setup. I use my iPad for all my work and that helps but the external monitor output isn’t ideal at all. Steam deck here solves pretty much all my issues because I can take it in a sling backpack and then I’m good. I’m like you with media consumption and basic workflow stuff. I’m a super casual gamer so I’m sure this will be more than sufficient :D
@@atiq8987 Right now it's pretty non-functional from what I saw, but in the future you should be able to do a dual boot so say you have SteamOS on your main drive and windows on a memory card. If they polish the windows experience you should be able to switch to windows for all your excel and other MS Office needs.
I couldn't agree more. It's one more VERY important " tool" to use to show the truth about what Linux CAN do ... Thus if any of those things Linux CAN do..is something a winturd user NEEDS....then that's one less reason the winturd user can say " Well it doesn't work there so I can't use it. I'll have to say with Windows ."
It's really cool when a company gives the user the right to decide how and for what purposes to use the device. I hope that in the future it will be possible to install several operating systems. I'm not interested in Steam Deck as a game console. But I would like to have a small (less than a laptop) portable Linux computer for work and sometimes for entertainment. Almost ideal devices for me (as they usually have a lot of different I / O ports) are netbooks, but they usually have shitty hardware. Tablets with an additional hardware keyboard are also a good option, but they usually run Android (or Windows). Looks like I want Nintendo Switch with Linux! and attachable keyboard! and Apple M1 CPU! Lol! )
what's really cool is how it's faster as a Steam Deck then as a windows pc just goes to show how much MicroSoft does not give a fuck about system speed and performance
@@raven4k998 Microshit is more busy trying to spy ur data and shoving all their mandatory pre-packaged softwares in ur face which ironically enough become bloatware slowing down the system even more.
The development info was really helpful! I didn't realise it had a read only file system... no one has mentioned that before in any videos I've watched.
Watching this on my steam deck with an LTE modem, while streaming music from my steam deck home server, as I get ready to go back home and play games on my steam deck with a monitor and controller.
This vid made my evening a bit happier. I just got a life-changing bad news which basically might mean I don't get to build my own PC yet for at least next 2 years even though I never owned my own desktop and I already bought case and PSU for that PC... Steam Deck is truly a godsend. So is your channel!
Valve should've engineered a docking station with a bigger cooler, allowing the Steam Deck to run with a higher TDP (35-45w) while docked. It's still very capable at 15w, but double or triple that would enable a much better 1080p gaming experience, or even 1440p.
@@coffee7180 Not so much, think about esports, older or simply less demanding games. Add to that the ability to use FSR (but to be fair, that's just a fancy way to lower the resolution).
I would like to see support for an "pro" dock station that has eGPU support; would require Thunderbolt. Something like a Razor Core X (Chroma one since it has usb hub / ethernet) would be amazing.
Ever since my W10 laptop died, I've been using the Steam Deck for daily tasks and it actually gets the job done! It's crazy how much power they crammed into such a small device.
@@mskiptr …No. But I'm sure some fan must be figuring something out. A Qt theme, Plasma theme, color scheme, wallpaper maybe (cuz Valve already made some), icon theme, and cursor theme will customize the desktop mode fully. Not that we don't have a bunch of themes already available.
Development could be much easier if Valve preinstalled distrobox, or toolbx like fedora silverblue. A video on that might be useful. Not sure if it works properly when installed to home root but disabling read-only and only reinstalling this instead of the whole environment you have everytime you get an update, would be much easier.
I want it because I travel for business. Gaming and potential productivity?! It’s a no brainer. I already rock a 4K monitor with my phone on the go. Sigh. Cheers for those on the waiting list.
I hope drivers will be available for other distributions eventually. It would be great to boot from an external SSD with a full normal desktop environment. That way you can still use Steam OS on the internal storage for your portable entertainment needs. Meanwhile isolating yourself from the fun and keep the desktop installation strictly productivity related.
@@daverhodus I mean, you can. But performance will be worse. I don't understand why people are so keen on Windows. It's like selling your soul to satan. 😂
@@cnr_0778 yeah, but from my understanding it's the absolute latest kernel. Requiring Arch or Manjaro (which is no problem for me personally, Manjaro is my distribution of choice) But it does complicate matter for people wanting to run other distributions so far.
@@PixelShade Honestly that's the case for all brand new hardware. If you wan't to take advantage of bleeding edge hardware you need bleeding edge software.
This was very informational. Thank you. I already wondered why everyone was talking about Flathub instead of Pacmn and AUR for installing software. Read-only filesystem explains that.
That would be pretty perfect to get your kid they can game on it and then when they get home plug it in and do their homework at school they could bring a Bluetooth keyboard and take notes.
About developing on the deck, just install vs code and freedesktop sdks from flathub and enable them from flatseal using env variable "FLATPAK_ENABLE_SDK_EXT=node16,openjdk, etc" and also set the path variable using "PATH=/app/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/lib/sdk/dotnet6/bin: /usr/lib/sdk/openjdk/bin:etc...". This will make the required sdks available inside the vscode terminal. It works great with most of the stack I work with such as python, C/C++, node, java, rust and dotnet.
There are two kinds of home computing. The nothing stuff, emails, chat, shopping and streaming and a tiny amount of use of something like Libre Office. Until the deck comes out with connection to a big screen TV, can I do my Sunday online grocery shop in bed, do some email contacts and well accessing a bluray drive and hdisk drive, for streaming stored content, are the real questions. So the real question can I wander from the lounge room with it's connection to that dock and TV to the bedroom and switch to that dock and it's TV. I have a high end PC and the applications run, realistically, Firefox, Thunderbird, Libre Office, Handbrake, VLC, Notepad++, Irfanview and a bunch of annoying game launchers, so many users, use so few applications in reality and I am a retired computer geek, so few apps. For me it will replace things like Nvidia Shield TV and so much more advanced than a TV streamer, so it is all about getting the absolute most out of a big screen TV. How much do people spend on accessories to those, how much hardware does the Steam Deck and Dock replace and turns any big screen TV into a full featured PC, as you wander around those house linking to different decks and TVs. I would continue to play games on the toy operating system Windows but sometimes I might play in bed on the big screen and order some takeaway delivered via Firefox. Try demoing streaming Netflix et al. Steam Deck and Dock, not a hand held gaming console, they are the essential big screen TV accessory.
This video could be used to convince non Linux users that Linux has actually great software tools, such high amount of use cases and apps But I'm still wondering how the SteamDeck would dual boot another Linux distro 🤔
@Watcher there are ways to install windows on linux with dual boot - create empty partition before install and in windows install say “here is your place, dog” and done, in order to work with grub, just update config. It is that simple. To be honest for me now is simpler to install windows second, since deleted it many time after installing it “if needed” xd
I wonder how easy it would be to run another distro inside a container / vm for development purposes. Pull in whatever dependencies you need without affecting the stability of the host OS. Kind of similar to how Chrome OS and Windows support Linux-based development. edit-ah this is covered in the video at 9:10 and the answer seems to be, very easy.
I Really want it BUT unfortunately i'm in Libya and the LYD (Libyan Dinar) is useless in steam because its not accepted and (For now) Its not possible to apply for a Credit card in Libya. Also, There is no way for valve to ship it unless they sell the steam deck in Turkey or Tunisia . Also, I LOVE your videos man Keep up the good work. EDIT: Sorry for getting political, I didn't mean to. I'm just frustrated at not getting access to cool things in the world for the simple fact that i LIVE in Libya
@Kame There is a Local ISP called Libya Telecom and Technology. In my case, a 200 GB fiber subscription costs 100 LYD. Also, Thank you for your offer BUT i dont feel confident in sending you money because of Pirates occasionally raiding the harbor.
Steam Deck caught my eye as being a portable desktop system not only your classic portable game console. This video kinda proves what I was hoping Steam Deck to be. A Linux all around system that can play game as well as being a decent desktop user experience. Have you tried to measure how long does the battery last on desktop mode, you know, working there instead of playing games? I'm kinda curious to see how well could the system work in terms of production. It looks promising on that aspect too.
Since the beginning I'm waiting for my deck to not only play games but to use it as a portable PC (I already have a mini-pc setup). It totally worth it, the hardware is greater and it's cheaper than other worse mini pcs!
I'm just waiting for someone to create an external attachable keyboard addon for the steam deck, kinda like how windows tablets have a keyboard you can attach to it. (Like a keyboard with an inbuilt steam deck stand)
What I really hope for is being able to install my own distro on the deck and simply use the steam de as normal. I just don't like to be stuck on whatever the manufacturer ships, no matter the system.
I want that too. I'd probably run some other distro and use a display manager to log in with a password, use Plasma under Wayland instead of X, and log out then back in onto Big Picture mode. The password is a no-compromise thing for me. I'd even encrypt the root partition. I'd just use an USB stick to store the keyfile, like you'd use a regular key for your house or car. [That'd break sleep though. Perhaps not if I log in Big Picture mode, actually. I'd like to figure this out.]
Valve have said it'll be possible to boot from the sdcard and while that wouldn't be ideal for performance it ought to still be usable. I'm hoping they'll also support boring from an external ssd as I'm planning to hack together an LCD panel+driver with the guts from a USB c dock, pd power bank, portable keyboard and trackpad into a 3d printed clamshell and basically make a DIY nextdock/mirabook
I got my Deck in 2022 and it has completely replaced my gaming PC, haven't touched it since. It does everything I need except print (gotta figure out how to install cups again, I am not very well versed in the more technical things but google is my friend), and itkeeps my room from heating up in the hot summers. The heating aspect is the main thing for me. 2 years on I am still loving it.
Look I took the smart toaster used a micro adapter to add pci express put a 1080 Ti upgraded the ram dropped arch on the onboard flash put a 3000 Watt power supply so i can toast and hack at the same time
2 года назад+8
Can't you install rootless Docker? It's not the most compatible thing, but if I remember correctly it lives in the user home and runs with user privileges. It probably allows you to eg. run various database engines to develop with.
Absolutely, it's archlinux with a GUI and pre-installed drivers! You can do anything you want with it. I would still prefer using a Mac or Windows PC but if you are just taking Steam Deck to travel with you and need a backup PC. Steam Deck should work great!.
I'm absolutely loving desktop mode, was a bit of a learning curve but totally worth it, actually watching and commenting right now on my steam deck on desktop mode
@0:09 It is neither 100% PC nor 100% a console. It bridges the gap between consoles and PCs. You can play PC games on the go and have all the benefits of PC gaming, full mod support, free multiplayer, enhanced visuals or frame rate via settings. @3:01 Don't forget to mention that you can upgrade the storage.
Audacity always crashed for me and I’d always have to load it back up. My interface had a faulty cable and if it disconnected, I have to restart audacity. I found a better audio program called ocenaudio. It automatically detects the microphone. You don’t have to highlight the entire audio to raise the gain. But it doesn’t have a pause button to put a recording session on hold.
I've known of people that have their ps5 and pc's collecting dust since they had their steam deck. I've installed windows 11 on my steam deck and it's amazing. Money well spent!
I'd say it would make even more sense to just dualboot something if someone is this into using it as a desktop, i am sure a distribution like Manjaro can just be installed alongside SteamOS in a nice dual boot configuration. Then you can have a desktop mode much better than desktop mode.
feels like this is the future of PC. Imagine having a Steam Deck and NReal glasses. You'll be able to use this as a super portal PC. Even more portable than a laptop.
What isn't mentioned, is the fact that Screen Sharing Audio DOES NOT WORK for Discord on Flatpak (I assume other electron clients too?), although it is possible to get it working, it is definitely not an easy task.
I think it could work for portable productivity purposes (e.g. lecture note taking like you mentioned), but you would likely need a usb-c monitor and a bluetooth mouse / keyboard. At that point it might be more practical to just get a cheap chromebook or tablet instead, though, would probably cost about the same.
@@tarsem3258 Not really. I'm not suggesting buying a tablet instead of a Steam Deck though, I'm suggesting buying one instead of all the gubbins you'd need to make a Deck usable for work / study on the go
There is also portable monitors like small s ones and you can carry that plus a Bluetooth rechargeable keyboard and mouse, and is done plus usb c, and ready to go to use in your work, or what ever you go just remember to pack the charger.
really great and interesting video! I feel as though the gaming part was somewhat sped through though. No mention of resolution, performance, or other challenges compared to just using it handheld... I'd assume the biggest issue is the default res on Deck is 1280x800 which is great, but the big issue with connecting it to a screen is you'd normally want to use the native res of said screen.. ie - 1080P. With that in mind i'd assume the performance would drop quite a bit or you'd have to make more sacrifices. Besides that lack of coverage though, I think you really hit all the nails on the head here. What an impressive system! I'm glad Valve has decided to go this way and I'm hoping it has a long and healthy life.
With the bit of footage of the gaming from the video you can already see it a bit chugging. I can Imagine that it would be playable if you would turn the res down.
@@feschber Most of the Deck videos I've seen just focus on the handheld aspect of it and gloss over the computer part. With this being such an indepth video I just hoped for more from the gaming perspective. Still did great with the rest of the information though.
I think with fsr upscaling you can get satisfactory results from it. On my 6 year old not-so-high-spec laptop I play witcher 3 with 1366x768 in-game resolution with fsr upscaling to 1080p and get constant 60 fps with hardly noticeable quality difference. On 1080p in-game res it doesn't go higher then 45 fps even on low settings. Of course my laptop is an 15.6 inch model and on a larger desktop monitor difference would be more noticeable
Off topic comment but nonetheless. I felt it when you talked about the meetings. Having recently started work after University, I have two meetings each day, one explaining to my team what I did, and another to a person on the client side. 😂 It's meh at best. Oh my god, setting up the dev environment is soooooo relatable 😂😂😂 Second edit, lol. Yes, I also code AND have meetings inside a VM, coding is still okay, having meetings inside a vm running on a server in another country is a mess on a good day.
Maybe if there are enough demand podman can be installable as a flatpak runtime. Most people don't realize it but flatpak can also be used for distributing libraries, background daemons and cli applications as "flatpak runtimes".
Ok, why didn't I ever heard about your channel before??? Do you have anything on Raspberry Pis? I'm getting some extra cables soon to try and use the raspberry on my streams, either as a source of content, or as a second pc taking care of the streaming. I've moved from windows for at least two years now. I know not all things are as easy, but the performance and freedom it all brings are on another level.
You can use sudo steamos-readonly disable sudo pacman-key --init sudo pacman-key --populate archlinux holo To be able to write to keyring and get rid of most of the key errors as well as get a full use out of pacman. Hope this helps some devs and power users out there. PS you can use family settings in steam to set a pin for changing settings and accessing desktop mode
When I have to reinstall Windows, I make a list of all the programs, games and applications I use and pre-download them. I intend to do such a list for my Deck, If not same software native, or through Wine/Proton at least an equivalent substitute. Oh and backup any file on the Desktop. People always forget about the Desktop.
5:16 I had this problem with FF14 through Lutris, you can create a .desktop file through lutris and add it to steam as a "non-steam game" and it'll handle the controller perfectly
You can unlock the OS and do it, then put install scripts, SyncThing or TimeShift to restore everything if needing to update and recovering everything after an update
Nick... Can you plug more than one external display? If i can use two 1080p displays, I'd be ready to replace my work/daily computer and I'd happily do so with this amazing console
It works a treat as a substitute for my laptop. I'm easily doing stuff that MacOS has scuppered. A couple of utilities weren't available as flatpaks, so I considered unlocking the OS image so I can use pacman, but the pre-compiled executables I got off the gh pages work a treat. Couple aliases in .bashrc and we're good to go. The .bashrc file lives in your home directory, so it survives OS updates. This is now my preferred way of getting non-flatpak packages for the deck. Another option is setting up an install script to run after every update. I'd have it automatically unlock and then lock the OS image too though, it's one of the few means of keeping your system secure.
@@averdadeeumaso4003 I like to keep it as simple as possible (hence shell scripts), so then it has the fewest possible dependencies. If you depend on some other software that for whatever reason becomes unavailable, you're SOL as soon as that happens. Same reason I avoid hardware-level encryption of archives. If the hardware lets the smoke out, you could well lose the key, depending on how it's stored.
For 'As a laptop', have you looked into nexdock? It's a laptop monitor used with android, effectively a laptop shell. It'd be interesting if it works with the Steam Deck.
It should work, but I don't think it would be very practical. The NexDock comes with an 18 PD Charger, and they don't make clear exactly how much is passed through to the device.
for a moment I thought it was LTT's thumbnail, lol but also, I like the dual-mode devices, like how you can use some phones are sorta-desktop-ish thing, too (limited mostly by their OS)
Using steam Deck will be a lot more efficient with power than using my desktop that draws over 200 watts in idle and is a pain to see how much watts it takes when gaming.
they should have just put a sim card slot in this and made "smartphones" obsolete, at least the ones that cost as much as a this like the "top tier" samsung and apple scams.
If you want to install packages using Pacman you can use Ansible to automate the process (it doesn't require installation as far as I know). Ansible will allow you to "fix" your SteamDeck automatically after every update. Not sure if Toolbox from Fedora Silverblue is working with the Deck but if yes it could be a very powerful resource for development !
Being a windows user for the past and present, one thing is assuring when it comes to switching to linux based systems: you can still use most of your office applications because they're in the cloud now accessible through a navigator. I don't need to install office word
Fudge that’s why I couldn’t access that library, now that I know what the fix is to add it and I can look into it, of course I forgot what I was actually trying to install
Systemd containers are an option. They're like chroot, but allow a lot more. You can pass gpu acceleration and audio, there are guides on reddit about it.
I think over time more and more people will use the desktop mode. For many people this is the first "cool" Linux. Continue to make videos about the Deck as a PC! Is it already possible to use Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop on Steam OS? Maybe over that Wine or something like that?
I has been tested on a NwxDock, and it works with just the single USB-C cord. The latest NexDock doesn't supply enough power to charge the Dock while in use, but it should prolong the time you have before it dies.
in case anybody reads this, if you don't want to mess with your internal storage nvme and/or micro sd card to use windows buy a good external enclosure with asmedia chipset and at least usb 3.0. 256GBs are dirt cheap and you can find 512GB sata ssds are relatively cheap also and some 1TB options for ~$100. if you have a good 3.0 enclosure you will have a very usable experience if you put a windows to go install on your favorite ssd or maybe you have one lying around like I did. I can use my 2 extra ssds as badass flash drive. I have all my backup on an 8TB toshiba x300. good luck.
I currently use a linux workstation. I bough the steam deck to upgrade my workstation and be my mobile gaming machine. Should receive it today can't wait !
The only real hardware limitation for steam deck should be the I/O. I mean it should have firepower to handle anything that does not require a current high performance work station or specialized hardware.
Very interesting. It is really great, that the gaming console is not FORCED to be only for gaming, but for other productivities as well. Thanks for the video!
Download Safing's Portmaster, or subscribe to the SPN, and take control of your network traffic: safing.io/portmaster
One thing that I want to do with my steam deck, is do Skyrim modding, I'm not talking about installing mods, I'm talking about creation of mods via using my steam deck.
So I hope that the steam deck is capable of this.
I also hope that the steam deck is capable of running programs such as mod organizer 2 using the steam deck to mod your Skyrim or Fallout games.
Anyway, thank you for creating this video oh, most people are just focusing on the gaming aspect right now as this has come out, and I believe you're the only one so far that I have run into who was willing to cover the stuff outside of the gaming aspects what this device could do.
Is there a video that discuss about multi monitor setup using docking station and/or USB-HDMI display adapter? Currently I’m using 3 external display monitors setup on my Windows machine and was thinking to add a fourth monitor. Would like to replicate similar setup using the Steam Deck to potentially replace my old workstation. Is it possible to hookup the Steam Deck to 3-4 external display monitors?
portmaster is pretty awesome, and their spn is really cool
Basically gone are the days of needing a $2k PC that can handle gaming in addition to the other tasks a PC is used for and you don't even need to buy a Windows license for it! The value and versatility of the Steam Deck just continues to exceed expectations!
This is really cool. Now all we need is a proper Linux phone that you can use like a Desktop when you plug it in to a screen. Wasn't Canonical doing something like this? I think they called it "Convergence" or something...?
There's the pinephone pro for that!
@@TheLinuxEXP This is why I should watch videos all the way to the end before commenting... 😅
@@TheLinuxEXP Also the Librem 5 although it's quite expensive
@@jafd7806 The Librem 5 is a joke and a scam
Plug in a GSM to the steam deck lol
VSCode running in server mode and accessing it trough a web browser is a pretty good option for coding.
Yeah, that works
I actually hope I can mod my Skyrim using the creation kit via steam deck.
Instead of keyboard and mouse, I would love to create mods on the Fly while using something as comfortable as the steam deck.
But I guess the only problem after that that I would run into is, the tools in creation cat would be too small to see and the kit itself would have to be formatted better for the steam deck screen or maybe they Implement some kind of zoom in feature they can be prompted by one of the controls on the Steam deck.
Can it run natively？That would be great
or an actual editor
Even Jetbrains Gateway, I use it daily to edit files on my raspberry pi.
Considering I don't use my PC for more than gaming, media consumption, and basic workflow I think Steam Deck will be just fine for me. It's not like I'm going to daily drive it as my PC, I just want it to play games in desktop mode, be used to watch something, use the internet, and write a document once in a blue moon. Seems like it can do all of this and more if I REALLY want to so ey, I'm over buying a laptop, I'll just wait for my Steam Deck, buy a 15" screen for some travels when I want to use it as a PC/laptop and it'll be grand.
I’m in the exact same boat. I work remote using excel and spreadsheets and I’d love to cut down a desk setup. I use my iPad for all my work and that helps but the external monitor output isn’t ideal at all. Steam deck here solves pretty much all my issues because I can take it in a sling backpack and then I’m good. I’m like you with media consumption and basic workflow stuff. I’m a super casual gamer so I’m sure this will be more than sufficient :D
Can I use Microsoft word/excel?
Don't forget a mouse/keyboard as well. Something with a trackpad like a Logitech K400 would be ideal, I imagine...
@@atiq8987 As far as I'm aware, MS Office runs poorly on Linux, even under Wine. So it's either Linux + LibreOffice, or Windows + MS Office.
@@atiq8987 Right now it's pretty non-functional from what I saw, but in the future you should be able to do a dual boot so say you have SteamOS on your main drive and windows on a memory card. If they polish the windows experience you should be able to switch to windows for all your excel and other MS Office needs.
It's very important to show to non Linux users a lot of features of a Linux OS can do.. great!!
I couldn't agree more. It's one more VERY important " tool" to use to show the truth about what Linux CAN do ...
Thus if any of those things Linux CAN do..is something a winturd user NEEDS....then that's one less reason the winturd user can say " Well it doesn't work there so I can't use it. I'll have to say with Windows ."
i like windows and i know linux isn't bad. but i stay on windows on my main pc.
@@dylandetaeye is it because you're fearful of messing up your windows install or any data on that windows drive?
@@motoryzen I can do everything on GNU/Linux, except for CAD.
AutoCAD isn't working on GNU/Linux. Also all the FOSS CAD Softwares are just awful.
@@NuryPPanaligan I've never tried CAD software period..so I have no room to talk my there
It's really cool when a company gives the user the right to decide how and for what purposes to use the device. I hope that in the future it will be possible to install several operating systems.
I'm not interested in Steam Deck as a game console. But I would like to have a small (less than a laptop) portable Linux computer for work and sometimes for entertainment. Almost ideal devices for me (as they usually have a lot of different I / O ports) are netbooks, but they usually have shitty hardware. Tablets with an additional hardware keyboard are also a good option, but they usually run Android (or Windows).
Looks like I want Nintendo Switch with Linux! and attachable keyboard! and Apple M1 CPU! Lol! )
what's really cool is how it's faster as a Steam Deck then as a windows pc just goes to show how much MicroSoft does not give a fuck about system speed and performance
@@raven4k998 Microshit is more busy trying to spy ur data and shoving all their mandatory pre-packaged softwares in ur face which ironically enough become bloatware slowing down the system even more.
The development info was really helpful! I didn't realise it had a read only file system... no one has mentioned that before in any videos I've watched.
You should have watched GamersNexus software review.
It was a big thing between Linux nerds when it was first announced, but the general consensus was that it's for the best.
And I agree.
@pancake that's not the problem, the problem is when it updates, all of that goes out the window
I'm glad that you, someone who actually knows how to use Linux for a daily driver, made this video. Great points
now do it for yourself baby girl🤣
Watching this on my steam deck with an LTE modem, while streaming music from my steam deck home server, as I get ready to go back home and play games on my steam deck with a monitor and controller.
This vid made my evening a bit happier. I just got a life-changing bad news which basically might mean I don't get to build my own PC yet for at least next 2 years even though I never owned my own desktop and I already bought case and PSU for that PC... Steam Deck is truly a godsend. So is your channel!
This is truly an amazing channel!
Thanks :)
Valve should've engineered a docking station with a bigger cooler, allowing the Steam Deck to run with a higher TDP (35-45w) while docked. It's still very capable at 15w, but double or triple that would enable a much better 1080p gaming experience, or even 1440p.
1440p is too much lol
@@coffee7180 Not so much, think about esports, older or simply less demanding games. Add to that the ability to use FSR (but to be fair, that's just a fancy way to lower the resolution).
@@coffee7180 i agree a pc with a zen 2 chip wont run at 1440p
I would like to see support for an "pro" dock station that has eGPU support; would require Thunderbolt. Something like a Razor Core X (Chroma one since it has usb hub / ethernet) would be amazing.
@@sovo1212 1440p yeah no
Ever since my W10 laptop died, I've been using the Steam Deck for daily tasks and it actually gets the job done! It's crazy how much power they crammed into such a small device.
Awesome stuff, wonder if someone could make a kde theme and icons for the steam deck
Probably, yeah!
I would guess someone is already doing this
Yeah I think the Steam deck should have its unique theming :)
Doesn't Valve do it already? 😉
@@mskiptr …No.
But I'm sure some fan must be figuring something out. A Qt theme, Plasma theme, color scheme, wallpaper maybe (cuz Valve already made some), icon theme, and cursor theme will customize the desktop mode fully.
Not that we don't have a bunch of themes already available.
Development could be much easier if Valve preinstalled distrobox, or toolbx like fedora silverblue. A video on that might be useful.
Not sure if it works properly when installed to home root but disabling read-only and only reinstalling this instead of the whole environment you have everytime you get an update, would be much easier.
I want it because I travel for business. Gaming and potential productivity?! It’s a no brainer. I already rock a 4K monitor with my phone on the go. Sigh. Cheers for those on the waiting list.
What phone do you use?
I hope drivers will be available for other distributions eventually. It would be great to boot from an external SSD with a full normal desktop environment. That way you can still use Steam OS on the internal storage for your portable entertainment needs. Meanwhile isolating yourself from the fun and keep the desktop installation strictly productivity related.
They are already available as far as i know. They're all in the Kernel.
Can you boot Windows from an external SSD? That would be amazing.
@@daverhodus I mean, you can. But performance will be worse. I don't understand why people are so keen on Windows. It's like selling your soul to satan. 😂
@@cnr_0778 yeah, but from my understanding it's the absolute latest kernel. Requiring Arch or Manjaro (which is no problem for me personally, Manjaro is my distribution of choice) But it does complicate matter for people wanting to run other distributions so far.
@@PixelShade Honestly that's the case for all brand new hardware. If you wan't to take advantage of bleeding edge hardware you need bleeding edge software.
This was very informational. Thank you. I already wondered why everyone was talking about Flathub instead of Pacmn and AUR for installing software. Read-only filesystem explains that.
They probably thought like "Let's not scare the newbies with all that AUR and s#!t lol" 😄
@@UlvicanKahya More like "if Linus, of all people, managed to uninstall the GUI and display server completely, maybe we shouldn't allow it."
@@nodezsh To be fair, during my own first forays into Linux I uninstalled the graphics drivers.
I got better, but breaking it is part of the "fun."
That would be pretty perfect to get your kid they can game on it and then when they get home plug it in and do their homework at school they could bring a Bluetooth keyboard and take notes.
If the steam deck was out back in the day when I was in college, I would be using the Steam deck instead of the Nexus 7 for taking notes.
About developing on the deck, just install vs code and freedesktop sdks from flathub and enable them from flatseal using env variable "FLATPAK_ENABLE_SDK_EXT=node16,openjdk, etc" and also set the path variable using "PATH=/app/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/lib/sdk/dotnet6/bin: /usr/lib/sdk/openjdk/bin:etc...". This will make the required sdks available inside the vscode terminal. It works great with most of the stack I work with such as python, C/C++, node, java, rust and dotnet.
There are two kinds of home computing. The nothing stuff, emails, chat, shopping and streaming and a tiny amount of use of something like Libre Office. Until the deck comes out with connection to a big screen TV, can I do my Sunday online grocery shop in bed, do some email contacts and well accessing a bluray drive and hdisk drive, for streaming stored content, are the real questions.
So the real question can I wander from the lounge room with it's connection to that dock and TV to the bedroom and switch to that dock and it's TV.
I have a high end PC and the applications run, realistically, Firefox, Thunderbird, Libre Office, Handbrake, VLC, Notepad++, Irfanview and a bunch of annoying game launchers, so many users, use so few applications in reality and I am a retired computer geek, so few apps.
For me it will replace things like Nvidia Shield TV and so much more advanced than a TV streamer, so it is all about getting the absolute most out of a big screen TV. How much do people spend on accessories to those, how much hardware does the Steam Deck and Dock replace and turns any big screen TV into a full featured PC, as you wander around those house linking to different decks and TVs. I would continue to play games on the toy operating system Windows but sometimes I might play in bed on the big screen and order some takeaway delivered via Firefox.
Try demoing streaming Netflix et al.
Steam Deck and Dock, not a hand held gaming console, they are the essential big screen TV accessory.
This video could be used to convince non Linux users that Linux has actually great software tools, such high amount of use cases and apps
But I'm still wondering how the SteamDeck would dual boot another Linux distro 🤔
Dual booting is not supported now since steamOS requires you to reformat the entire drive
@Watcher Maybe SteamOS will complain about corrupted disk space
@Watcher there are ways to install windows on linux with dual boot - create empty partition before install and in windows install say “here is your place, dog” and done, in order to work with grub, just update config. It is that simple. To be honest for me now is simpler to install windows second, since deleted it many time after installing it “if needed” xd
I wonder how easy it would be to run another distro inside a container / vm for development purposes. Pull in whatever dependencies you need without affecting the stability of the host OS. Kind of similar to how Chrome OS and Windows support Linux-based development.
edit-ah this is covered in the video at 9:10 and the answer seems to be, very easy.
@@liamness now dual boot on steam deck does not work at all, I just mentioned how it works in linux and most likely will work on steam deck
I Really want it BUT unfortunately i'm in Libya and the LYD (Libyan Dinar) is useless in steam because its not accepted and (For now) Its not possible to apply for a Credit card in Libya. Also, There is no way for valve to ship it unless they sell the steam deck in Turkey or Tunisia . Also, I LOVE your videos man Keep up the good work.
EDIT: Sorry for getting political, I didn't mean to. I'm just frustrated at not getting access to cool things in the world for the simple fact that i LIVE in Libya
@Kame There is a Local ISP called Libya Telecom and Technology. In my case, a 200 GB fiber subscription costs 100 LYD. Also, Thank you for your offer BUT i dont feel confident in sending you money because of Pirates occasionally raiding the harbor.
@Kame Thank you SO much for your help. Hopefully, ONE day.
2:59 "Expected order availability: After Q3 2022" - Wow
Watching in Firefox, and seeing him click a Firefox menu and I was like "wtf, what is this wizardy, quit clicking my buttons!"
Steam Deck caught my eye as being a portable desktop system not only your classic portable game console. This video kinda proves what I was hoping Steam Deck to be. A Linux all around system that can play game as well as being a decent desktop user experience. Have you tried to measure how long does the battery last on desktop mode, you know, working there instead of playing games? I'm kinda curious to see how well could the system work in terms of production. It looks promising on that aspect too.
Since the beginning I'm waiting for my deck to not only play games but to use it as a portable PC (I already have a mini-pc setup). It totally worth it, the hardware is greater and it's cheaper than other worse mini pcs!
what's your mini PC setup?
I'm just waiting for someone to create an external attachable keyboard addon for the steam deck, kinda like how windows tablets have a keyboard you can attach to it.
(Like a keyboard with an inbuilt steam deck stand)
I second this
What I really hope for is being able to install my own distro on the deck and simply use the steam de as normal.
I just don't like to be stuck on whatever the manufacturer ships, no matter the system.
From memory Valve are working on this?
Even if it was a ps4 or xbox
I want that too. I'd probably run some other distro and use a display manager to log in with a password, use Plasma under Wayland instead of X, and log out then back in onto Big Picture mode.
The password is a no-compromise thing for me. I'd even encrypt the root partition. I'd just use an USB stick to store the keyfile, like you'd use a regular key for your house or car.
[That'd break sleep though. Perhaps not if I log in Big Picture mode, actually. I'd like to figure this out.]
Valve have said it'll be possible to boot from the sdcard and while that wouldn't be ideal for performance it ought to still be usable. I'm hoping they'll also support boring from an external ssd as I'm planning to hack together an LCD panel+driver with the guts from a USB c dock, pd power bank, portable keyboard and trackpad into a 3d printed clamshell and basically make a DIY nextdock/mirabook
*booting from.
Also an SSD, derp.
Hope I'll buy one ---> 2 to 3 year later though 😂
Hahah all in due time
I got my Deck in 2022 and it has completely replaced my gaming PC, haven't touched it since. It does everything I need except print (gotta figure out how to install cups again, I am not very well versed in the more technical things but google is my friend), and itkeeps my room from heating up in the hot summers. The heating aspect is the main thing for me. 2 years on I am still loving it.
Why is the kde menus icon not the same size as all of the other icons
And why are the system indicators such a mess
It triggers me so badly
Theres some scaling going on, I think
I knew this video would come .... Next can you use your smart toaster as your daily driver ?
Look I took the smart toaster used a micro adapter to add pci express put a 1080 Ti upgraded the ram dropped arch on the onboard flash put a 3000 Watt power supply so i can toast and hack at the same time
Can't you install rootless Docker? It's not the most compatible thing, but if I remember correctly it lives in the user home and runs with user privileges. It probably allows you to eg. run various database engines to develop with.
Podman is an option too.
Absolutely, it's archlinux with a GUI and pre-installed drivers! You can do anything you want with it. I would still prefer using a Mac or Windows PC but if you are just taking Steam Deck to travel with you and need a backup PC. Steam Deck should work great!.
I'm absolutely loving desktop mode, was a bit of a learning curve but totally worth it, actually watching and commenting right now on my steam deck on desktop mode
do u still use it im thinkning bout getting it
@0:09 It is neither 100% PC nor 100% a console. It bridges the gap between consoles and PCs. You can play PC games on the go and have all the benefits of PC gaming, full mod support, free multiplayer, enhanced visuals or frame rate via settings.
@3:01 Don't forget to mention that you can upgrade the storage.
It uses a PC operating system so no, it is a PC.
Audacity always crashed for me and I’d always have to load it back up. My interface had a faulty cable and if it disconnected, I have to restart audacity. I found a better audio program called ocenaudio. It automatically detects the microphone. You don’t have to highlight the entire audio to raise the gain. But it doesn’t have a pause button to put a recording session on hold.
I had no idea the -r option was even a thing
Just got a Steam Deck today and Ghana and your videos got me so much clarity. thanks man.
I've known of people that have their ps5 and pc's collecting dust since they had their steam deck. I've installed windows 11 on my steam deck and it's amazing. Money well spent!
Can't wait until I get my Steam deck "After Q3".
Hopefully that's before the heat death of the universe
I'd say it would make even more sense to just dualboot something if someone is this into using it as a desktop, i am sure a distribution like Manjaro can just be installed alongside SteamOS in a nice dual boot configuration. Then you can have a desktop mode much better than desktop mode.
feels like this is the future of PC. Imagine having a Steam Deck and NReal glasses. You'll be able to use this as a super portal PC. Even more portable than a laptop.
Someone just needs to make a laptop dock for this and the Samsung Dex will have a worthy competitor!
now with distrobox support, even the immutable filesystem is not a problem anymore, Steam Deck is a great machine, super happy to have bought one!
What isn't mentioned, is the fact that Screen Sharing Audio DOES NOT WORK for Discord on Flatpak (I assume other electron clients too?), although it is possible to get it working, it is definitely not an easy task.
Hopefully the Deck will serve as a catalyst for the issues flatpak apps still have
it works on discord native or snap though :(
You can prob use flatseal to change the perms and allow discord to have microphone access.
I think it could work for portable productivity purposes (e.g. lecture note taking like you mentioned), but you would likely need a usb-c monitor and a bluetooth mouse / keyboard. At that point it might be more practical to just get a cheap chromebook or tablet instead, though, would probably cost about the same.
can u game on it though?
@@tarsem3258 Not really. I'm not suggesting buying a tablet instead of a Steam Deck though, I'm suggesting buying one instead of all the gubbins you'd need to make a Deck usable for work / study on the go
Thinking it’s time to start dabbling in Linux
Imagine taking notes in school with a steam deck lol
It would be funny af thou XD
There is also portable monitors like small s ones and you can carry that plus a Bluetooth rechargeable keyboard and mouse, and is done plus usb c, and ready to go to use in your work, or what ever you go just remember to pack the charger.
Can you link the kind of screen your saying? Thanx
really great and interesting video! I feel as though the gaming part was somewhat sped through though. No mention of resolution, performance, or other challenges compared to just using it handheld...
I'd assume the biggest issue is the default res on Deck is 1280x800 which is great, but the big issue with connecting it to a screen is you'd normally want to use the native res of said screen.. ie - 1080P. With that in mind i'd assume the performance would drop quite a bit or you'd have to make more sacrifices.
Besides that lack of coverage though, I think you really hit all the nails on the head here. What an impressive system! I'm glad Valve has decided to go this way and I'm hoping it has a long and healthy life.
I mean gaming was not the point of the video really and most people probably already know what works and what doesn't
With the bit of footage of the gaming from the video you can already see it a bit chugging. I can Imagine that it would be playable if you would turn the res down.
@@feschber Most of the Deck videos I've seen just focus on the handheld aspect of it and gloss over the computer part. With this being such an indepth video I just hoped for more from the gaming perspective. Still did great with the rest of the information though.
I think with fsr upscaling you can get satisfactory results from it. On my 6 year old not-so-high-spec laptop I play witcher 3 with 1366x768 in-game resolution with fsr upscaling to 1080p and get constant 60 fps with hardly noticeable quality difference. On 1080p in-game res it doesn't go higher then 45 fps even on low settings. Of course my laptop is an 15.6 inch model and on a larger desktop monitor difference would be more noticeable
Can't imagine the no of kid's showing this video to their parents to convince them that they need steam deck for school work
Rather than laptop, Steam Deck is more like portable PC or makeshift laptop if you have keyboard trackpad combo.
audiotube is a quite nice yt music client made with QT
Off topic comment but nonetheless. I felt it when you talked about the meetings. Having recently started work after University, I have two meetings each day, one explaining to my team what I did, and another to a person on the client side. 😂 It's meh at best.
Oh my god, setting up the dev environment is soooooo relatable 😂😂😂
Second edit, lol. Yes, I also code AND have meetings inside a VM, coding is still okay, having meetings inside a vm running on a server in another country is a mess on a good day.
although i highly doubt it. If steam deck comes with podman you can easily use distrobox to set up a dev environment
Maybe if there are enough demand podman can be installable as a flatpak runtime. Most people don't realize it but flatpak can also be used for distributing libraries, background daemons and cli applications as "flatpak runtimes".
As long as user namespaces are enabled in the kernel it should be possible to simply download the podman binary and run it in rootless mode.
Ok, why didn't I ever heard about your channel before??? Do you have anything on Raspberry Pis? I'm getting some extra cables soon to try and use the raspberry on my streams, either as a source of content, or as a second pc taking care of the streaming. I've moved from windows for at least two years now. I know not all things are as easy, but the performance and freedom it all brings are on another level.
You can use
sudo steamos-readonly disable
sudo pacman-key --init
sudo pacman-key --populate archlinux holo
To be able to write to keyring and get rid of most of the key errors as well as get a full use out of pacman. Hope this helps some devs and power users out there.
PS you can use family settings in steam to set a pin for changing settings and accessing desktop mode
When I have to reinstall Windows, I make a list of all the programs, games and applications I use and pre-download them.
I intend to do such a list for my Deck, If not same software native, or through Wine/Proton at least an equivalent substitute. Oh and backup any file on the Desktop. People always forget about the Desktop.
You can just write a sh file and run it to install alll the programs you need for you
@@talkysassis I like the sound of that!
5:16 I had this problem with FF14 through Lutris, you can create a .desktop file through lutris and add it to steam as a "non-steam game" and it'll handle the controller perfectly
Nick, can you do a video on the usage of other linuxes on deck? I'm really interested in trying something like Fedora on it if I ever get a deck.
It would be sweet to get a mini pc with the same hardware. Or better yet an actual laptop.
I am not really a gamer and unlikely to get a Steam Deck, but I was waiting for someone to make this video.
Needed this video man thank you so much!!
This is why I'm getting a Steam Deck: As a PC away from home when I am on vacation.
Thanks for covering the development part. I was really hoping we'd be able to have full access to install dev tools & docker. :/
You can unlock the OS and do it, then put install scripts, SyncThing or TimeShift to restore everything if needing to update and recovering everything after an update
Well I just got my email saying I'm ready for my steam deck and I'm super excited to play with linux with it.
I think this is one of the few videos out there that actually good and made by someone who understand and use linux
"It is not big enough, at least not for me" -- Nick
Console / PC / drawing tablet. Only downside is that I cannot use the Steam Deck as a toaster or coffee machine.
Nick... Can you plug more than one external display? If i can use two 1080p displays, I'd be ready to replace my work/daily computer and I'd happily do so with this amazing console
Yes, find a USB c to hdmi that has 2 hdmi ports
It works a treat as a substitute for my laptop. I'm easily doing stuff that MacOS has scuppered. A couple of utilities weren't available as flatpaks, so I considered unlocking the OS image so I can use pacman, but the pre-compiled executables I got off the gh pages work a treat. Couple aliases in .bashrc and we're good to go. The .bashrc file lives in your home directory, so it survives OS updates.
This is now my preferred way of getting non-flatpak packages for the deck.
Another option is setting up an install script to run after every update. I'd have it automatically unlock and then lock the OS image too though, it's one of the few means of keeping your system secure.
Yep I was thinking on install scripts, or something like Timeshift or SyncThing to get everything back after an update
@@averdadeeumaso4003 I like to keep it as simple as possible (hence shell scripts), so then it has the fewest possible dependencies. If you depend on some other software that for whatever reason becomes unavailable, you're SOL as soon as that happens. Same reason I avoid hardware-level encryption of archives. If the hardware lets the smoke out, you could well lose the key, depending on how it's stored.
You seem to be forgetting that Proton is a fantastic wine build. You can run windows apps that aren’t games using it too.
For 'As a laptop', have you looked into nexdock? It's a laptop monitor used with android, effectively a laptop shell. It'd be interesting if it works with the Steam Deck.
It should work, but I don't think it would be very practical. The NexDock comes with an 18 PD Charger, and they don't make clear exactly how much is passed through to the device.
for a moment I thought it was LTT's thumbnail, lol
but also, I like the dual-mode devices, like how you can use some phones are sorta-desktop-ish thing, too (limited mostly by their OS)
Using steam Deck will be a lot more efficient with power than using my desktop that draws over 200 watts in idle and is a pain to see how much watts it takes when gaming.
"Can you use a Steam deck as a real PC"
Me: "I unno, yes? Fuck it."
Thank you for this very informative video. I did have to flip around to find the answers I needed but you answered every single one.
they should have just put a sim card slot in this and made "smartphones" obsolete, at least the ones that cost as much as a this like the "top tier" samsung and apple scams.
I don't have a PC so when I got my Deck, it was on. I have a bluetooth M&K and I love it. I was going to get a laptop but I'm very satisfied with this
If you want to install packages using Pacman you can use Ansible to automate the process (it doesn't require installation as far as I know). Ansible will allow you to "fix" your SteamDeck automatically after every update.
Not sure if Toolbox from Fedora Silverblue is working with the Deck but if yes it could be a very powerful resource for development !
Me small brain windows monkey man. Use smaller words please
Being a windows user for the past and present, one thing is assuring when it comes to switching to linux based systems: you can still use most of your office applications because they're in the cloud now accessible through a navigator. I don't need to install office word
Fudge that’s why I couldn’t access that library, now that I know what the fix is to add it and I can look into it, of course I forgot what I was actually trying to install
I swear at 6:09 he says "play around with the bitch rates" lol
Yep - "t" is a little bit... ;-)
my nexdock will be happy to meet my steam deck on Q2
Systemd containers are an option. They're like chroot, but allow a lot more. You can pass gpu acceleration and audio, there are guides on reddit about it.
They should add a third more touch friendly desktop environment to use when it’s not docked. Maybe something like what the jingpad uses
GNOME is a bit better than KDE in that regard. It would be better for the Deck, still don't know the reason for going KDE on a 7 inch screen though
@@softwarelivre2389 My guess, it was chosen for familiarity for Windows users
the steam deck is going to replace my pc, i already use arch for everything so i imagine itll be a smooth transition
I think over time more and more people will use the desktop mode. For many people this is the first "cool" Linux. Continue to make videos about the Deck as a PC! Is it already possible to use Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop on Steam OS? Maybe over that Wine or something like that?
This needs to be tested with a Nexdock device. The laptop issue can quickly be remedied with something like that.
I has been tested on a NwxDock, and it works with just the single USB-C cord. The latest NexDock doesn't supply enough power to charge the Dock while in use, but it should prolong the time you have before it dies.
in case anybody reads this, if you don't want to mess with your internal storage nvme and/or micro sd card to use windows buy a good external enclosure with asmedia chipset and at least usb 3.0. 256GBs are dirt cheap and you can find 512GB sata ssds are relatively cheap also and some 1TB options for ~$100. if you have a good 3.0 enclosure you will have a very usable experience if you put a windows to go install on your favorite ssd or maybe you have one lying around like I did. I can use my 2 extra ssds as badass flash drive. I have all my backup on an 8TB toshiba x300. good luck.
I currently use a linux workstation. I bough the steam deck to upgrade my workstation and be my mobile gaming machine. Should receive it today can't wait !
The only real hardware limitation for steam deck should be the I/O. I mean it should have firepower to handle anything that does not require a current high performance work station or specialized hardware.
Dock the deck on the desk 🤣
Very interesting. It is really great, that the gaming console is not FORCED to be only for gaming, but for other productivities as well.
Thanks for the video!
Re options for pacman, say hi to "junest" the arch namespace thingie that can be setup in your home directory
Also see gentoo prefixes :p
Should have said using the steam deck as a desktop since it's still a pc