Some protips regarding the trackpads: • You can remap them on a game to game basis. • There are control templates you can pick from, you don't need to stick to the default ones. If you're playing a shooter, consider picking a template for shooters, and the Deck will set its controls up in a more suitable way. • If you just fire up a game without using a template, the Deck won't know what you're playing and will make assumptions, which may work good, but may not, so you should probably choose a template. • In Doom Eternal, it looks like the right pad was mimicking a Joystick. This is a bad setting, but this was set because the Deck doesn't know if the game allows for using a mouse and a joystick at the same time. To play it safe, it made both act as a joystick, so you need to manually change this setting or choose a template. • Making the pads mimic a joystick means you have to deal with the same quirks as a joystick, like deadzones and maximum speeds. That's why it's bad. Make it mimic a mouse instead. • Use the gyro for aiming in a shooter (don't forget - as a mouse, not a joystick). The pads and sticks are more for turning your character, and shouldn't really be used for aiming. • Doom Eternal is a good test candidate, as it allows a mouse and a controller at the same time. Pick the gyro as mouse template, and it should work. • Editing a template has tons of settings to tinker with. You can also make the gyro enable or disable with a button, for example. • You can make the pads create radial menus to press different keyboard keys, useful for games that weren't designed with a controller in the first place. • Thanks for listening to my TED Talk
I found myself nodding and agreeing to your take on inputs. Great job on the quick impressions. Part of the charm of the Steam Deck is how much continually gets revealed as you use it. Steam Input takes a beat to fully appreciate.
@@RetroGameCorps like the tiniest itty bitty little micro scratch, yep 😄 they are an absolute game changer when you start getting comfortable with them and familiar with what you can do with Steam Input. This rabbit hole goes deep.
@ThePhawx Does the Valve SteamDeck feel like a spiritual successor to the GPD Win1 ? I say that because I remember when the GPD Win1 was first announced, and you were one of the first to showcase it. It was one of those __"Yes Finally"__ moments, because we got that Handheld we always wanted. The big caveat was that it had the slow Intel Atom x7-8750 SoC inside. The GPD Win2 fixed many of the downsides, and you again were the first to showcase it, but it did come with a substantial price hike. This sparks similar feelings, like a spiritual successor, except it improves so many other things without raising the price, perhaps, the caveat this time being that it is NOT pocketable, but neither were the GPD devices unless you had loose clothing, big pockets, and didn't mind the discomfort. I mention those handhelds, because they are (x86) fundamentally different to the ones we've previously been exposed to like the GPD XD, Nvidia Shield, PS Vita (jailbroken), PSP-3000 (jailbroken), or even the Sony-Ericson Xperia Play.
This is the style of overview video I've been waiting to see since early review systems went out. Makes sense I'd have to wait for a retro review channel to really go in depth about the "feel". No one else has given as many detailed measurements and comparisons to drive home something as essential but as hard to communicate, thank you.
Love hearing it from one of the big daddies in the Handheld Emulation Device scene. Also worth mentioning is that Gyro is a *major* game changer in games like Doom Eternal and other FPSes.
Coming from my girlfriend's years of experience with the Steam Controller, the trackpads and the versatility of Steam Input are the secret sauce that makes this handheld worth it. It takes a lot of setup and tuning, so you may not be able to cover it after only a week, but using the trackpads for mouse emulation is magical. It's also worth noting how much work Valve is putting into SteamOS. Theres so many creature comforts that make it probably the best bespoke gaming OS, and we are barely out of the gate. Global FPS limiters and FSR implementations, letting you tune the hardware to favor battery life or performance, just having a a toggle in the menu to enable a performance benchmark. And thats on top of the years of Proton work that went into making it work with so many games that may never see a dedicated Linux port. Theres still a few issues and bugs and kinks to work out, but I am itching for my Q2 reservation, because this is my hardware of the year, if not the generation.
Yeah, this is my hardware of the year too. The new performance from some CPUs are nice, but as an overall product, the Steam Deck brought a lot of eyes to the “portable PC” market and offered it at a far more affordable price.
Most honest detailed reviews. Ever since I stumbled upon your channel I don't need any other. Great job Ps I hope this lives up to the built up hype I would love to order one if it's worth it.
@Mattyd TheTruth My terrible spelling while sipping my coffee waking up is no concern to you. Yes it was wrong and I fixed it. But your comment is way more annoying than an mistype smh
@@Nick_Lamb while improper it is still acceptable to use an or a interchangeably. Especially on the Internet where proper Grammer even spelling often times does not match with proper rules of the language. Matter of fact the internet is spawning multiple new languages as we speak. It is an unfortunate evolution of language. In other words your grammar police BS actually is incorrect. Language evolves sorry if that hurts your OCD.
@@billweirdo9657 What is correct or incorrect is relative. Relative to you, by labeling the "evolution" (devolution) of language as "unfortunate" you admit that you see yourself as incorrect but are submitting to weakness because it is easier. SMH. If you were truly pro devolution of language you wouldnt have edited your initial comment! ☻️ also you spelled grammar wrong. Also I was obviously (imo) joking.
Bruh…..I’ve been waiting for your video on this for a minute. Every RUclips ninjas thus far are all saying positive things about it. That didn’t matter until I saw yours. And kudos to your friend for lending it to you. I’m currently in Q3 2022 and it can’t come fast enough.
I think those track pads are made more to mimick an mouse. I think it'd be most useful in games like ark or Diablo where you have big inventory systems.
Not really. They're there to be used for literally whatever you want - aiming, buttons, mouse cursor control. They work great for anything that you set it up for, but you *do* have to set it up. Using the defaults, just like defaults in any first person shooter, are going to only work for a small handful of people. Do yourself a favor and try to configure it for your hands, not just "this aims". Add gyro and you'll be crushing games left and right.
@@LycoLoco Don't have play experience with them. I'm just going off what steam was talking about with pads when then were designing them. Like part of the reason they are there is for mimicking a mouse. I'm actually very interested in playing around with them in control schemes.
@@billweirdo9657 Very cool - please play around with them! You'll find they've got a lot more use than just mimicking a mouse cursor and it can do so, so much.
They are but they actually more closely mimic a trackball it has accelerated travel if you flick your finger across it, aswell as the haptic response which makes i feel like it's rolling, thats why he had problems playing doom eternal, he was trying to do full movement by staying on the trackpad instead of quickly swiping in a direction then using finer control.
@@lemonscampi No. I have experience with the Steam Controller trackpads and he definitely had it in joystick mode. Also, trackball mode is an option. You can make it like a regular mouse with no acceleration and no momentum. They are the most customizable part of the entire system.
Your friend is a champion! Hope you buy him a beer for helping you (and us!) out by being so generous with the Steam Deck. Can't wait to hear more from you about this device, but hardware wise sounds like we're off to a great start!
Make sure to thank your friend in the mame of all subscribers for this. That's the best video so far about the Steam Deck. I was eager to have one, unfortunately Valve didn't sell for Brazil.
After watching what feels like millions of unboxings and steam deck reviews I must admit your review feels like I am seeing it again for the first time. I look forward to your take on performance on both OSs. Good job!
I've watched other content creators cover this device, but they left out a lot of things that I had questions about. This is the most informative video I've come across on the device itself. Thank you very much for this. I appreciate it.
I love my deck so much, it's so much fun to tinker with Linux and the games run great. Battery life is the only issue I have, but I use it at home primarily so not really a problem. Best handheld I've ever owned.
Based on my Steam Controller experience, getting a good trackpad shooter experience absolutely requires tuning it to your preference, I recommend trying trackball emulation with higher sensitivity setting.
I think most people kinda forgot that something like a game boy was something very pocketable and quick to pick up games. You could be sitting in a bench waiting for you parents to pick you up from school or you could sneak a game during break. These use cases I agree with you about the abernic and others have a different use case vs a steam deck. The steam deck is awesome but you have to really be intentional to use it. You can’t quickly snap it out of your pocket and play while you wait in grocery line to pay.
As much as I love and enjoy my Miyoo Mini, I think the reason the more portable devices are becoming niche products is because smartphones have taken that role. In those situations where you're waiting for a ride or a doctor's appointment, 99% of the population is satisfied with the casual games their smartphone runs. Very few people want to bring another device just for that purpose. But what smartphones can't do is run a AAA like Elden Ring with a full set of controls. That's where devices like the Deck find their use case.
Same could be said for ever new handheld that has come out this year though. Like, my favorite is the RG350v, because of the gameboy style form factor. I could have it in my pocket and play SNES and gameboy in those little moments you described. But then Anbernic decided they wanted to make their own version of the switch. I already have a Steam Deck preordered. Anbernic and the others should stick to making little $100-$150 handhelds with 3-4 inch screens that fit in the pocket really wellz
I've watched tons of reviews/impressions and your vid hit on several aspects of the controls and feel that i had lingering questions on, so thanks for the indepth look!
I'd love to see how emulation is through retroarch on steam, and possibly a direct comparison of the emulation on the Odin. Currently torn between the two!
ODIN sucks, the steam deck can even do ps3! Save your money and get a phone or the Deck any day. PS. Odin, if you factor taxes and shipping costs almost like the Deck.
RetroArch cores are out of date so he wouldn't be showcasing the Deck at it's best. The standalone versions are easy enough to get through the app center.
Hey Russ ! Just to tell u that it's been a while that I haven't seen your videos and I was amazed by the amount of followers and also on the new visual. Very nice !! And congrats on your future full time job here. Can't wait
Exactly, too heavy to hold in all the positions that I love to be in to play games. Kind of have to sit with it in your lap and look down at it - or lay down with it in front of you. Thanks for getting a unit for review and showing us what you think! For me, this is a No thanks! I guess I prefer a laptop + dualshock if I can't get into the comfortable handheld positions.
-display tests like motion blur, line res, overclocking potential -gyro impressions -hook it upto a big but portable battery bank and see if u can make it last on a trip Enjoyed ur vid dude even if u dont do these things ive subbed
I think the audio is so good partially because of the placement of the speakers. I’m sure it has some good speakers in there but putting them low down next to the screen and not anywhere near your hands gives them room to breathe and gives them a huge advantage. So many handhelds suffer from your fingers or hands partially covering the speaker. It may be huge but there are a lot of advantages to that. They squeezed almost full-size joysticks into it, trackpads, a nice big screen, and speakers that are right in your face and blast the audio right at you. And it has those big comfortable grips. This thing looks great
In theory PrimeHack should compile natively, since it’s a fork of Dolphin and Dolphin runs natively on Linux. I’m hoping someone sets it up as a flatpack soon to make it as easy as possible for anyone that wants to use it.
Great Review. I think I got a better feel for this device watching you describe each button in detail better than all other material I have seen so far. I am Q3 I'm trying to find some nerd I can snatch it from still....
I'm really glad you're covering the Steam Deck. I've heard the opinions of PC and console enthusiasts, but you bring a unique perspective as a handheld authority. If I'm gonna make a request, it's gotta be PICO-8. I mean, we know it's gonna run, but I don't expect anybody else is going to show it off. And maybe that nice 800p screen will throw us a curve ball.
Nicely done! I love how in-depth you get with the controls. D-pad, buttons, sticks and anything else on an input device are so important to me when deciding on a purchase. No matter how good CPU and graphics performace is, nothing ruins a gaming experience more for me than a set of crappy d-pad and buttons.
Cool device and I know a lot of people are excited for it but.. its huge! The RP2+ is the perfect device for gaming on the go, my max being the DS/PSP series of devices. Even the Switch seems awkward to play when you're on the go. Cool to see and glad the community has options, but I'll always love the small SBC.
Superb review. I’m getting mine at the end of the week. I will echo though what people have said on here. Those trackpads are one of the most powerful features of the device. So much utility there. As a lover of the Steam Controller the customization is almost endless. I’m very happy Valve totally abandon the idea of the Steam Controller. It lives on!
I Uber after work and this thing is going to make it a lot better when work is slow so I can’t charge it while driving and keep myself motivated to stay out longer even in the dull moments. Hope after a little bit they start producing more and more so I get mine faster.
Firstly: Q2 Gang. Secondly: Steam Controller Gang. I'm excited to see how it feels compared to the steam controller, I always thought that had the best ergonomics of any of controller I'd used, but the whole, trackpad instead of d-pad thing, trackpad instead of one of the analogs thing was... not great. Thirdly: I really appreciate these videos that go over the UX and feel of the device in hand. Outside of the switch, you generally cant get your hands on any of these handhelds before you buy them- it's fantastic that you're doing this and I think it's also pushed some of the other folks making videos in this space to talk more about UX as well. Lastly: And this isn't a steam deck thing at all... I recently switched from many years of iPhone to a Pixel 6 and that kind of put our handhelds in perspective- I'm less likely to pick up my RP2+ because it's only an *okay* emulation experience compared to the flagship power of my Pixel 6 and the UX isn't as good as my RG351P... And I'm pretty sure that the ultimate handheld, at least for me, would be if someone managed to stuff a Snapdragon into a RG351P shell. Keep the 3:2 screen. Double the res to 960x480. And somehow make an android front end experience that really feels like emulation station.
I love how the "impediment" of the battery's life only beign 2-4 hours (dependeing on the game) was making me so happy because my Switch Lite has a battery's life very similar (or even shorter) than the Steam Deck and considendly that It can play triple A games flawlessly is kind of impressive that you can play 2-4 hours in a row, at least to me. Can't wait to have it :)
Great video Russ, I laughed when you mentioned it wouldn't be good for running chores (which I agree with) as I'm currently travelling the world and waiting for my Q2 order. I'm sure I'm going to have to exile some things from my backpack to even accommodate the steamdeck! I'm hoping I can squeeze more hours out of my device for emulation, that said it'll be interesting either way.
About the trackpad: you have an interesting perspective on what it could be used for, but I think you should load up some adventure games/puzzle games/strategy games on your Steam Deck to test if it can replace a mouse for those games traditionally built around a mouse
Oh, let me share some puzzle game suggestions, which you and your kids might like beyond testing on the Steam Deck: Chime Sharp Hexcells Regency Solitaire
For slower games, it’d be just fine. I have a Steam Controller and the touchpad input is good. Adventure games or turn-based strategy is easy-peasy. Anything needing a higher APM like micro managing units in an RTS is not fun, though. Still, would be cool to hear Russ’ thoughts on that.
Thank you Russ. I ordered the transparent purple Odin Pro and am excited for it. It is going to be quite a wait for it. Looking forward to seeing emulation. May consider canceling the Odin and ordering one of these if this is better at PS2 emulation. Either way it will be a wait for both devices.
By far the best feature of the Steam Controller, and even moreso with this since it has both sticks and capacitive pads on them, is the not-always-on gyro. Just aim roughly, keep the thumb on the pad/stick, and fine tune the aim with the gyro - if I recall I preferred the trackpad to be set to trackball-high and smoothness all the way off, and of course mouse-aim on gyro. Too bad the screen is only 60% SRGB, otherwise a perfect product to me. Also Valve is amazing when it comes to user replaceable parts, except for the battery, looks like a pain to remove. Seems like these were built for adult, western hands ;)
The screen really is the only downside I would want changed, imo, having only seen the reviews. It’s definitely good enough, but if I wanted a “Pro” model, a better screen is my first suggestion. OLED is a stretch unless it becomes a very expensive product, but a quality IPS screen would be good, especially since we don’t need higher than 60hz.
Cheers Russ and Mr Anonymous, muy apreciado. Too big is subjective of course but ... well ... it certainly isn't too small, it feels like overkill for my use case. I hope it's hugely successful though and opens the market up for a Steam Deck Lite at some point.
Really looking forward to your coverage of Emulation on the Steam Deck in SteamOS! ETA Prime has wet my whistle on this topic but he did it on Windows 10.
As a steam controller expert; For fps': right trackpad in mouse mode. Choose a "x degrees per full horizontal wipe" you think you'll like, adjust sensitivity to hit that mark (I play at a full 360 on my steam controller). Then enable gyro. Trackpad is for quickly turning around, gyro is for actually aiming. For 2d platformers; the left touchpad as a dpad actually works very well, though it does have a bit of a learning curve. I actually speed run with it. Dunno if you allow links, but its the showcased video on my channel. I turn click required to off in the settings, so it is just sliding.
I’m sold on the Steam Deck! I’m Q3 but quite glad as it’s around the time I normally make my yearly iPhone purchase so I can get this one past the wife as it’ll be half the price of an iPhone 14 Pro and I haven’t bought an Odin…I still might though 😁
damn, that shit is massive. it could possibly break a nose if it slips while laid down and playing. when you see someone with a bandage on his face you can tell he has a steamdeck.
I got my steam deck last week. I waited till the last minute to complete my purchase because I wasn’t sure I wanted it anymore after a year of writing. Since receiving it I am absolutely delighted with it. I don’t know how Valve could possibly be making any profit on these and I am convinced they must be loss leaders in order order to make more money on the sale of games. I love it and I have used it everyday since I got it.
Really liked the size comparison. I have the Steam Deck and it's even wider than the Onexplayer 1S that I sold to get the Steam Deck. It is a lot more comfortable to hold, though, and feels a lot lighter. It's also a MUCH better gaming device, even if the Onexplayer 1S is a better allround computer. And that 8.4" high res display absolutely shames the 7" display in the Steam Deck. Even so, I haven't been as blown away by a handheld since Sony managed to bring Chains of Olympus to the PSP over a decade ago. While running a trimmed down adaptation of a (by that time) five year old game was already impressive. Running the actual full PC God of War in a handheld is exponentially more impressive. Still really enjoy the Switch OLED for the Nintendo exclusives. But every game that's playable on both is superior on the Steam Deck.
13:40 When I first got my Steam Controller, it took a while for me to understand, but I'm pretty convinced the Steam Controller was designed to be held with the index fingers on the bumpers and the middle fingers on the triggers. It makes it much more comfortable to hold and puts your thumbs in a much better position for using the trackpads. I wonder if it's the same kind of situation on the Steam Deck. Also for 3D, try using the left trackpad as an analog stick. In my experience with the Steam Controller is works really well, and for example in Souls games, using the left trackpad click as the dodge button is a complete game changer.
The track pad is essential. I have been using the steam controller since 2015 and have like 200 hours on destiny 2 with track pad alone. The key with the track pad is to use it along with gyro. Track pad+ gyro = mouse and keyboard
@ch282 kinda but really you use both. You use the track pad for general large camera turning and gyro for fine aiming. There's many videos of this. Search steam controller fps gyro
For me when playing games the trackpad feels like a micro-adjustment tool whereas the sticks are more for wide and fast range of motion. It's essentially like having two different sensitivities for you to work with. I'm loving the steam deck so far and can't wait for more and more support to come in.
This thing will be a indie/retro emulation beast. I have seen this thing run newer titles at really good frame rates so the more the devs get comfortable with what the deck has to offer. This thing will be a must buy for most gamers. Can't wait for mine this Thursday first thing, I'll will be doing is installing YUZU to replace my oled switch.
The ergonomics on the Steam Deck are amazing. What your son said regarding the buttons being too far apart, I agreed with the first couple of days. But once I got used to it, the design made a lot of sense. Another thing that I really enjoy is the fact that I play a lot of GOG games. And I have yet to find one that doesn't run well. Because when it comes to my Steam library, there are a few games that simply will not work yet due to anti cheat software for whatever arbitrary reason.
02:08 Another size comparison. I held my Joycons to my screen and scaled the video to match my joycons, then held the Wii U gamepad over the Steam Deck and realisticly it should be half an inch wider than a Wii U Gamepad but the exact same size pretty much, if you had a Wii U you'll know what to expect.
Where the trackpads would really shine is in things like older CRPGs which was one of the main reasons why Valve wanted to make sure they included trackpads of some kind. I've talked with people that own devices like the GPD Win line and Aya devices and every one I've ever talked to says it sucks controlling a mouse in mouse driven games with a joystick. Considering how many CRPGs have all ready been verified by Valve I think they made the right move having some kind of trackpad on the Deck as I know myself and many others will be using the Deck for them as it's an entire class of games that there hasn't really been a good solution for playing on the go until the Deck.
Your friend has done the community a great service!
is like just got married but you can try first. 🤣
We all need a friend like his!
exactly!!!
He's the real hero.
@@tinnakornsai4404 lmao
Some protips regarding the trackpads:
• You can remap them on a game to game basis.
• There are control templates you can pick from, you don't need to stick to the default ones. If you're playing a shooter, consider picking a template for shooters, and the Deck will set its controls up in a more suitable way.
• If you just fire up a game without using a template, the Deck won't know what you're playing and will make assumptions, which may work good, but may not, so you should probably choose a template.
• In Doom Eternal, it looks like the right pad was mimicking a Joystick. This is a bad setting, but this was set because the Deck doesn't know if the game allows for using a mouse and a joystick at the same time. To play it safe, it made both act as a joystick, so you need to manually change this setting or choose a template.
• Making the pads mimic a joystick means you have to deal with the same quirks as a joystick, like deadzones and maximum speeds. That's why it's bad. Make it mimic a mouse instead.
• Use the gyro for aiming in a shooter (don't forget - as a mouse, not a joystick). The pads and sticks are more for turning your character, and shouldn't really be used for aiming.
• Doom Eternal is a good test candidate, as it allows a mouse and a controller at the same time. Pick the gyro as mouse template, and it should work.
• Editing a template has tons of settings to tinker with. You can also make the gyro enable or disable with a button, for example.
• You can make the pads create radial menus to press different keyboard keys, useful for games that weren't designed with a controller in the first place.
• Thanks for listening to my TED Talk
The legend itself!👍
Love your videos, and Envy your skills (too dumb to do it right same as rocket jump even after trying all the tutorials and maps)
Good to see you here,
I can't wait to see nuts demoknight gameplay on SD
These tips are great 👍
Gyroooo aimmm pleaseee!
Yeah but none of these should be done, should be pick up and play, not pick up, configure and play.
I found myself nodding and agreeing to your take on inputs. Great job on the quick impressions. Part of the charm of the Steam Deck is how much continually gets revealed as you use it. Steam Input takes a beat to fully appreciate.
For sure, I feel like I only scratched the surface of what those trackpads can do!
@@RetroGameCorps like the tiniest itty bitty little micro scratch, yep 😄 they are an absolute game changer when you start getting comfortable with them and familiar with what you can do with Steam Input. This rabbit hole goes deep.
Two reviewers
@ThePhawx
Does the Valve SteamDeck feel like a spiritual successor to the GPD Win1 ?
I say that because I remember when the GPD Win1 was first announced, and you were one of the first to showcase it. It was one of those __"Yes Finally"__ moments, because we got that Handheld we always wanted. The big caveat was that it had the slow Intel Atom x7-8750 SoC inside. The GPD Win2 fixed many of the downsides, and you again were the first to showcase it, but it did come with a substantial price hike. This sparks similar feelings, like a spiritual successor, except it improves so many other things without raising the price, perhaps, the caveat this time being that it is NOT pocketable, but neither were the GPD devices unless you had loose clothing, big pockets, and didn't mind the discomfort.
I mention those handhelds, because they are (x86) fundamentally different to the ones we've previously been exposed to like the GPD XD, Nvidia Shield, PS Vita (jailbroken), PSP-3000 (jailbroken), or even the Sony-Ericson Xperia Play.
I don't have a SD yet but use the Steam controller all the time and LOVE IT. The trackpads make mouse/keyboard games possible on the couch.
This is the style of overview video I've been waiting to see since early review systems went out. Makes sense I'd have to wait for a retro review channel to really go in depth about the "feel". No one else has given as many detailed measurements and comparisons to drive home something as essential but as hard to communicate, thank you.
Love hearing it from one of the big daddies in the Handheld Emulation Device scene.
Also worth mentioning is that Gyro is a *major* game changer in games like Doom Eternal and other FPSes.
*As long as you configure gyro and pad look properly, but yes!
*happy Splatoon fan noises*
People are finally getting it. Hopefully we get a game like splatoon that fully takes advantage of gyro aiming.
Coming from my girlfriend's years of experience with the Steam Controller, the trackpads and the versatility of Steam Input are the secret sauce that makes this handheld worth it. It takes a lot of setup and tuning, so you may not be able to cover it after only a week, but using the trackpads for mouse emulation is magical.
It's also worth noting how much work Valve is putting into SteamOS. Theres so many creature comforts that make it probably the best bespoke gaming OS, and we are barely out of the gate. Global FPS limiters and FSR implementations, letting you tune the hardware to favor battery life or performance, just having a a toggle in the menu to enable a performance benchmark. And thats on top of the years of Proton work that went into making it work with so many games that may never see a dedicated Linux port.
Theres still a few issues and bugs and kinks to work out, but I am itching for my Q2 reservation, because this is my hardware of the year, if not the generation.
Yeah, this is my hardware of the year too. The new performance from some CPUs are nice, but as an overall product, the Steam Deck brought a lot of eyes to the “portable PC” market and offered it at a far more affordable price.
Can't wait for your emulation testing vids on this!! the whole reason I even want one.
The reviewer I've been patiently waiting for.
Most honest detailed reviews. Ever since I stumbled upon your channel I don't need any other. Great job
Ps I hope this lives up to the built up hype I would love to order one if it's worth it.
@Mattyd TheTruth My terrible spelling while sipping my coffee waking up is no concern to you. Yes it was wrong and I fixed it. But your comment is way more annoying than an mistype smh
@Mattyd TheTruth Why you hatin' up on my man?
@@billweirdo9657 A mistype* smh
@@Nick_Lamb while improper it is still acceptable to use an or a interchangeably. Especially on the Internet where proper Grammer even spelling often times does not match with proper rules of the language. Matter of fact the internet is spawning multiple new languages as we speak. It is an unfortunate evolution of language. In other words your grammar police BS actually is incorrect. Language evolves sorry if that hurts your OCD.
@@billweirdo9657 What is correct or incorrect is relative. Relative to you, by labeling the "evolution" (devolution) of language as "unfortunate" you admit that you see yourself as incorrect but are submitting to weakness because it is easier. SMH. If you were truly pro devolution of language you wouldnt have edited your initial comment! ☻️
also you spelled grammar wrong.
Also I was obviously (imo) joking.
Bruh…..I’ve been waiting for your video on this for a minute. Every RUclips ninjas thus far are all saying positive things about it. That didn’t matter until I saw yours. And kudos to your friend for lending it to you. I’m currently in Q3 2022 and it can’t come fast enough.
I think those track pads are made more to mimick an mouse. I think it'd be most useful in games like ark or Diablo where you have big inventory systems.
Not really. They're there to be used for literally whatever you want - aiming, buttons, mouse cursor control. They work great for anything that you set it up for, but you *do* have to set it up. Using the defaults, just like defaults in any first person shooter, are going to only work for a small handful of people. Do yourself a favor and try to configure it for your hands, not just "this aims". Add gyro and you'll be crushing games left and right.
@@LycoLoco Don't have play experience with them. I'm just going off what steam was talking about with pads when then were designing them. Like part of the reason they are there is for mimicking a mouse. I'm actually very interested in playing around with them in control schemes.
@@billweirdo9657 Very cool - please play around with them! You'll find they've got a lot more use than just mimicking a mouse cursor and it can do so, so much.
They are but they actually more closely mimic a trackball it has accelerated travel if you flick your finger across it, aswell as the haptic response which makes i feel like it's rolling, thats why he had problems playing doom eternal, he was trying to do full movement by staying on the trackpad instead of quickly swiping in a direction then using finer control.
@@lemonscampi No. I have experience with the Steam Controller trackpads and he definitely had it in joystick mode. Also, trackball mode is an option. You can make it like a regular mouse with no acceleration and no momentum. They are the most customizable part of the entire system.
Wow, your friend is a true brother man! Shoutouts to him, if he's watching this vid!
Your friend is a champion! Hope you buy him a beer for helping you (and us!) out by being so generous with the Steam Deck. Can't wait to hear more from you about this device, but hardware wise sounds like we're off to a great start!
Make sure to thank your friend in the mame of all subscribers for this. That's the best video so far about the Steam Deck. I was eager to have one, unfortunately Valve didn't sell for Brazil.
After watching what feels like millions of unboxings and steam deck reviews I must admit your review feels like I am seeing it again for the first time. I look forward to your take on performance on both OSs. Good job!
Waiting for more from this from you, cant wait to see your emulation advise, love the content!
That is so, so awesome you got connections to try out the Steam Deck reasonably early. Happy gaming!
I've watched other content creators cover this device, but they left out a lot of things that I had questions about. This is the most informative video I've come across on the device itself. Thank you very much for this. I appreciate it.
Tell your friend we said, "Thank you!".
I love my deck so much, it's so much fun to tinker with Linux and the games run great. Battery life is the only issue I have, but I use it at home primarily so not really a problem. Best handheld I've ever owned.
Based on my Steam Controller experience, getting a good trackpad shooter experience absolutely requires tuning it to your preference, I recommend trying trackball emulation with higher sensitivity setting.
100% this
It requires A LOT of practice, but it's 100% worth it.
I will add AimLabs is the best to test the results
Hands down THE BEST Stem Deck review. Your friend did a good thing loaning it to you! I was on the 15minute mark too so...waiting for mine :)
I'm digging the new intro!!
I think most people kinda forgot that something like a game boy was something very pocketable and quick to pick up games. You could be sitting in a bench waiting for you parents to pick you up from school or you could sneak a game during break. These use cases I agree with you about the abernic and others have a different use case vs a steam deck. The steam deck is awesome but you have to really be intentional to use it. You can’t quickly snap it out of your pocket and play while you wait in grocery line to pay.
As much as I love and enjoy my Miyoo Mini, I think the reason the more portable devices are becoming niche products is because smartphones have taken that role. In those situations where you're waiting for a ride or a doctor's appointment, 99% of the population is satisfied with the casual games their smartphone runs. Very few people want to bring another device just for that purpose.
But what smartphones can't do is run a AAA like Elden Ring with a full set of controls. That's where devices like the Deck find their use case.
Same could be said for ever new handheld that has come out this year though.
Like, my favorite is the RG350v, because of the gameboy style form factor. I could have it in my pocket and play SNES and gameboy in those little moments you described.
But then Anbernic decided they wanted to make their own version of the switch. I already have a Steam Deck preordered. Anbernic and the others should stick to making little $100-$150 handhelds with 3-4 inch screens that fit in the pocket really wellz
I've watched tons of reviews/impressions and your vid hit on several aspects of the controls and feel that i had lingering questions on, so thanks for the indepth look!
I'd love to see how emulation is through retroarch on steam, and possibly a direct comparison of the emulation on the Odin. Currently torn between the two!
ODIN sucks, the steam deck can even do ps3!
Save your money and get a phone or the Deck any day.
PS. Odin, if you factor taxes and shipping costs almost like the Deck.
Deck 100%, it’s much more modernized and emulates further for not that much more
RetroArch cores are out of date so he wouldn't be showcasing the Deck at it's best. The standalone versions are easy enough to get through the app center.
@@aftonstjarna_enoch *its (possessive)
it's = contraction of "it is/has"
Your new intro music is so much better than what you were using previously
Been lookin forward to this deep dive! :D
Hey Russ ! Just to tell u that it's been a while that I haven't seen your videos and I was amazed by the amount of followers and also on the new visual. Very nice !! And congrats on your future full time job here. Can't wait
You have a really good friend. Also, awesome review!
Your channel always does the best job talking about these handhelds. Thank you
Can we please give it up for your friend? Absolute legend. Thanks Mr. Anonymous!
Russ: “Okay, time for the Steamdeck teardown!”
Russ’ friend: “Nuuuuuuuuu!”
XD
Awesome video! Thank you, I'd been so interested in finding stuff like this!
One of the best steam deck videos I've seen so far.
Exactly, too heavy to hold in all the positions that I love to be in to play games. Kind of have to sit with it in your lap and look down at it - or lay down with it in front of you.
Thanks for getting a unit for review and showing us what you think!
For me, this is a No thanks! I guess I prefer a laptop + dualshock if I can't get into the comfortable handheld positions.
What position do you like to sit/lay in usually?
Chilling out while playing is one of my top priorities so I'm curious if ours are similar.
-display tests like motion blur, line res, overclocking potential
-gyro impressions
-hook it upto a big but portable battery bank and see if u can make it last on a trip
Enjoyed ur vid dude even if u dont do these things ive subbed
Great job Russ!!!!
finally a review that goes in-depth on ergonomics!
I think the audio is so good partially because of the placement of the speakers. I’m sure it has some good speakers in there but putting them low down next to the screen and not anywhere near your hands gives them room to breathe and gives them a huge advantage. So many handhelds suffer from your fingers or hands partially covering the speaker. It may be huge but there are a lot of advantages to that. They squeezed almost full-size joysticks into it, trackpads, a nice big screen, and speakers that are right in your face and blast the audio right at you. And it has those big comfortable grips. This thing looks great
Would love to see you try gyro controls on Primehack over Proton. Also: you must feel really blessed with a friend like this!
In theory PrimeHack should compile natively, since it’s a fork of Dolphin and Dolphin runs natively on Linux. I’m hoping someone sets it up as a flatpack soon to make it as easy as possible for anyone that wants to use it.
Great Review. I think I got a better feel for this device watching you describe each button in detail better than all other material I have seen so far. I am Q3 I'm trying to find some nerd I can snatch it from still....
Your friend is a legend!
RE: Trackpads in First Person Shooters - enable gyro on RPad touch to get that fine control you're looking for. It really is a game changer.
I know you know your stuff because you gave that dpad review some respect
Great video. I didn’t want it to end. All pretty positive stuff. Thank you for what you do.
Channeling Foghorn Leghorn with “this here video” 😁
Keep up the great work 👍
I'm really glad you're covering the Steam Deck. I've heard the opinions of PC and console enthusiasts, but you bring a unique perspective as a handheld authority. If I'm gonna make a request, it's gotta be PICO-8. I mean, we know it's gonna run, but I don't expect anybody else is going to show it off. And maybe that nice 800p screen will throw us a curve ball.
Nicely done! I love how in-depth you get with the controls. D-pad, buttons, sticks and anything else on an input device are so important to me when deciding on a purchase. No matter how good CPU and graphics performace is, nothing ruins a gaming experience more for me than a set of crappy d-pad and buttons.
Well done video.. Love your little details and explanations of the steam deck. Hope to get one soon. 💯👍
Cool device and I know a lot of people are excited for it but.. its huge! The RP2+ is the perfect device for gaming on the go, my max being the DS/PSP series of devices. Even the Switch seems awkward to play when you're on the go. Cool to see and glad the community has options, but I'll always love the small SBC.
Way too short of a video. 😩 I look forward to more in the future. Thank you, Russ.
The friend who lend it to you. Thanks Man !!!
I’ve been waiting for this video!
Congrats on landing a Steam deck and more importantly thanks for sharing an initial impression as your opinions are greatly respected... Happy Gaming!
Great video and breakdown. Subscribed.
Thanks for this, I'd been waiting to hear more about the ergonomics. I feel like it needs a $10 clip on kickstand though.
It's a shame it doesn't come with one out of the box but I saw that the D-Brand case has a kickstand built in
Superb review. I’m getting mine at the end of the week. I will echo though what people have said on here. Those trackpads are one of the most powerful features of the device. So much utility there. As a lover of the Steam Controller the customization is almost endless. I’m very happy Valve totally abandon the idea of the Steam Controller. It lives on!
I Uber after work and this thing is going to make it a lot better when work is slow so I can’t charge it while driving and keep myself motivated to stay out longer even in the dull moments. Hope after a little bit they start producing more and more so I get mine faster.
Firstly: Q2 Gang.
Secondly: Steam Controller Gang. I'm excited to see how it feels compared to the steam controller, I always thought that had the best ergonomics of any of controller I'd used, but the whole, trackpad instead of d-pad thing, trackpad instead of one of the analogs thing was... not great.
Thirdly: I really appreciate these videos that go over the UX and feel of the device in hand. Outside of the switch, you generally cant get your hands on any of these handhelds before you buy them- it's fantastic that you're doing this and I think it's also pushed some of the other folks making videos in this space to talk more about UX as well.
Lastly: And this isn't a steam deck thing at all... I recently switched from many years of iPhone to a Pixel 6 and that kind of put our handhelds in perspective- I'm less likely to pick up my RP2+ because it's only an *okay* emulation experience compared to the flagship power of my Pixel 6 and the UX isn't as good as my RG351P... And I'm pretty sure that the ultimate handheld, at least for me, would be if someone managed to stuff a Snapdragon into a RG351P shell. Keep the 3:2 screen. Double the res to 960x480. And somehow make an android front end experience that really feels like emulation station.
I love how the "impediment" of the battery's life only beign 2-4 hours (dependeing on the game) was making me so happy because my Switch Lite has a battery's life very similar (or even shorter) than the Steam Deck and considendly that It can play triple A games flawlessly is kind of impressive that you can play 2-4 hours in a row, at least to me. Can't wait to have it :)
The definitive stream deck controls review! Thank you sir
with these new foldable phones and rolling screens so many possibilities for a more compact version down the road...
im glad u hav one😄
Great video Russ, I laughed when you mentioned it wouldn't be good for running chores (which I agree with) as I'm currently travelling the world and waiting for my Q2 order.
I'm sure I'm going to have to exile some things from my backpack to even accommodate the steamdeck!
I'm hoping I can squeeze more hours out of my device for emulation, that said it'll be interesting either way.
Awesome video as always. Would love to see it next to the Sega Game Gear - that was beast too!
About the trackpad: you have an interesting perspective on what it could be used for, but I think you should load up some adventure games/puzzle games/strategy games on your Steam Deck to test if it can replace a mouse for those games traditionally built around a mouse
Oh, let me share some puzzle game suggestions, which you and your kids might like beyond testing on the Steam Deck:
Chime Sharp
Hexcells
Regency Solitaire
For slower games, it’d be just fine. I have a Steam Controller and the touchpad input is good. Adventure games or turn-based strategy is easy-peasy. Anything needing a higher APM like micro managing units in an RTS is not fun, though.
Still, would be cool to hear Russ’ thoughts on that.
Gracias x el buen contenido mi compadre
Thank you Russ. I ordered the transparent purple Odin Pro and am excited for it. It is going to be quite a wait for it. Looking forward to seeing emulation. May consider canceling the Odin and ordering one of these if this is better at PS2 emulation. Either way it will be a wait for both devices.
Your friend is something else. I couldn't be without my steamdeck. I love the dam thing way too much.
By far the best feature of the Steam Controller, and even moreso with this since it has both sticks and capacitive pads on them, is the not-always-on gyro. Just aim roughly, keep the thumb on the pad/stick, and fine tune the aim with the gyro - if I recall I preferred the trackpad to be set to trackball-high and smoothness all the way off, and of course mouse-aim on gyro. Too bad the screen is only 60% SRGB, otherwise a perfect product to me. Also Valve is amazing when it comes to user replaceable parts, except for the battery, looks like a pain to remove. Seems like these were built for adult, western hands ;)
The screen really is the only downside I would want changed, imo, having only seen the reviews. It’s definitely good enough, but if I wanted a “Pro” model, a better screen is my first suggestion. OLED is a stretch unless it becomes a very expensive product, but a quality IPS screen would be good, especially since we don’t need higher than 60hz.
I remember how ppl were complaining about how big the Sega GAMEGEAR was back in the day. This reminds me of that
That thing was massive but absolutely loved it. It was an amazing hand held for its time. Playing full on Sega console games on the go.
I'd like to see how this compares to the Sega Nomad.
Cheers Russ and Mr Anonymous, muy apreciado. Too big is subjective of course but ... well ... it certainly isn't too small, it feels like overkill for my use case. I hope it's hugely successful though and opens the market up for a Steam Deck Lite at some point.
Really looking forward to your coverage of Emulation on the Steam Deck in SteamOS! ETA Prime has wet my whistle on this topic but he did it on Windows 10.
Not sure about the rest of the community, but 3:47 made me desist of buying this.
Yeah I'm pretty sure I won't be getting one now, which really sucks, but it just seems way too ridiculous and impractical for me.
As a steam controller expert;
For fps': right trackpad in mouse mode. Choose a "x degrees per full horizontal wipe" you think you'll like, adjust sensitivity to hit that mark (I play at a full 360 on my steam controller). Then enable gyro. Trackpad is for quickly turning around, gyro is for actually aiming.
For 2d platformers; the left touchpad as a dpad actually works very well, though it does have a bit of a learning curve. I actually speed run with it. Dunno if you allow links, but its the showcased video on my channel. I turn click required to off in the settings, so it is just sliding.
Your friend is the real MVP. Hahaha
I’m sold on the Steam Deck!
I’m Q3 but quite glad as it’s around the time I normally make my yearly iPhone purchase so I can get this one past the wife as it’ll be half the price of an iPhone 14 Pro and I haven’t bought an Odin…I still might though 😁
So used to seeing normal sized handhelds on Retro Game Corps the Steam Deck looks especially massive.
damn, that shit is massive. it could possibly break a nose if it slips while laid down and playing. when you see someone with a bandage on his face you can tell he has a steamdeck.
I got my steam deck last week. I waited till the last minute to complete my purchase because I wasn’t sure I wanted it anymore after a year of writing. Since receiving it I am absolutely delighted with it. I don’t know how Valve could possibly be making any profit on these and I am convinced they must be loss leaders in order order to make more money on the sale of games. I love it and I have used it everyday since I got it.
2 years later. I finally got a steam deck. Excited to rewatch this now as a steam deck owner!
I agree with the other commentators. We owe your friend a drink! And I fall on the Q3 list 😅
Really liked the size comparison. I have the Steam Deck and it's even wider than the Onexplayer 1S that I sold to get the Steam Deck. It is a lot more comfortable to hold, though, and feels a lot lighter. It's also a MUCH better gaming device, even if the Onexplayer 1S is a better allround computer. And that 8.4" high res display absolutely shames the 7" display in the Steam Deck.
Even so, I haven't been as blown away by a handheld since Sony managed to bring Chains of Olympus to the PSP over a decade ago. While running a trimmed down adaptation of a (by that time) five year old game was already impressive. Running the actual full PC God of War in a handheld is exponentially more impressive.
Still really enjoy the Switch OLED for the Nintendo exclusives. But every game that's playable on both is superior on the Steam Deck.
Castle crasher what a throwback
13:40 When I first got my Steam Controller, it took a while for me to understand, but I'm pretty convinced the Steam Controller was designed to be held with the index fingers on the bumpers and the middle fingers on the triggers. It makes it much more comfortable to hold and puts your thumbs in a much better position for using the trackpads.
I wonder if it's the same kind of situation on the Steam Deck.
Also for 3D, try using the left trackpad as an analog stick. In my experience with the Steam Controller is works really well, and for example in Souls games, using the left trackpad click as the dodge button is a complete game changer.
The way you can grip this thing with both hands kind of reminds me of the Wii U gamepad.
Thank you for your point of view. I am very interested on your approach about retro games on the Steamdeck.
A good Sega style design.
Thank God someone has some good sense.
Great Review RGC On to the next cool video. Peace.
day 1 of missing your old intro so damn much
The track pad is essential. I have been using the steam controller since 2015 and have like 200 hours on destiny 2 with track pad alone. The key with the track pad is to use it along with gyro.
Track pad+ gyro = mouse and keyboard
@ch282 kinda but really you use both. You use the track pad for general large camera turning and gyro for fine aiming. There's many videos of this. Search steam controller fps gyro
For me when playing games the trackpad feels like a micro-adjustment tool whereas the sticks are more for wide and fast range of motion.
It's essentially like having two different sensitivities for you to work with.
I'm loving the steam deck so far and can't wait for more and more support to come in.
This thing will be a indie/retro emulation beast. I have seen this thing run newer titles at really good frame rates so the more the devs get comfortable with what the deck has to offer. This thing will be a must buy for most gamers. Can't wait for mine this Thursday first thing, I'll will be doing is installing YUZU to replace my oled switch.
so hyped to get one of these in 2025
The ergonomics on the Steam Deck are amazing. What your son said regarding the buttons being too far apart, I agreed with the first couple of days. But once I got used to it, the design made a lot of sense. Another thing that I really enjoy is the fact that I play a lot of GOG games. And I have yet to find one that doesn't run well. Because when it comes to my Steam library, there are a few games that simply will not work yet due to anti cheat software for whatever arbitrary reason.
02:08 Another size comparison. I held my Joycons to my screen and scaled the video to match my joycons, then held the Wii U gamepad over the Steam Deck and realisticly it should be half an inch wider than a Wii U Gamepad but the exact same size pretty much, if you had a Wii U you'll know what to expect.
Thanks for the impressions :) I'd love to see how the trackpads handle for more mouse focused games, like strategy games
Your friend is a true friend. 🎉
Where the trackpads would really shine is in things like older CRPGs which was one of the main reasons why Valve wanted to make sure they included trackpads of some kind. I've talked with people that own devices like the GPD Win line and Aya devices and every one I've ever talked to says it sucks controlling a mouse in mouse driven games with a joystick. Considering how many CRPGs have all ready been verified by Valve I think they made the right move having some kind of trackpad on the Deck as I know myself and many others will be using the Deck for them as it's an entire class of games that there hasn't really been a good solution for playing on the go until the Deck.
thank for details! ❤