Yes. I gave my steam deck to my son as his first PC, and he's using it for school work, for gaming, web stuff, etc. He loves the gaming side of it, of course. Desktop mode on the steam deck is no joke, it does everything you need that doesnt require rendering 2 hour videos or building-side posters.
Genuine question: what do you do for security? With steam having access to bank accounts, and google chrome/email having access to sensitive data, what are your security measures against hackers?
One of the selling points of the Steam Deck for me was the possibility of bringing it with a Bluetooth mouse and portable keyboard to my parents house when I'm visiting, instead of my whole PC. I've done it multiple times and it works without any issues, I love it.
Linux user here (and proud SD Oled owner!). Great video, no criticism at all, well done! One of the things that really drew me into Linux initially was the customization. In Windows you can change the wallpaper and go between light and dark mode, but that's pretty much it (there is more you can do but it requires "hacking" into Windows, basically, not recommended for most users). In Linux you have built in settings to theme your desktop. The deck is running KDE Plasma (one of the standard Linux desktops). Within the settings, you can search for Global Theme. Within the global theme settings area there is a get new button at the top of the window that will allow you to browse thousands of themes created by other users. You can either search for something specific or just leave the criteria blank and scroll through. Find the one you want, click Install, then back out to your settings screen and select it to set the theme. Most of the themes will change your wallpaper, icons, colors, menus to look really nice - tons of dark and light themes. There are even themes folks have created to look like a Windows desktop.
I'm not trying to sell you on Windows or anything, but would you please explain how Linux is more customizable than Windows. I used Ubuntu for a while in the late 90s early 2000s ish? Nice OS 👍 but I've used windows since the mid 90s so, I'm just comfortable with it a software's. Fonts, wallpapers, sound schemes, colors. Customized windows such as thickness and color of edges. Rounded or square edges and corners. Adding a thick or thin trim with any color and thickness. I know I'm not explaining this well 😮 moving the bar at the bottom to other screen sides and making it hidden or not. Is there something Linux does better here? 🤔 Genuine question. I'm not trolling for an argument LOL or change your mind about Linux😊
@@janX9to long to explain, look at it this way: if 98% of internet and cloud infrastructure,together with 100% of the 500 world's most powerful super computers run on Linux there is probably a reason... Regarding the desktop experience though... Late 90's you say.... Believe me... You REALLY need to give Linux another run.......
Just be careful with widget and login screen themes. Choose ones that are widely used with lots of good reviews. The reason is that they contain code that can do anything, including wiping your home directory. It's rare, but it happened at least once.
Since I'm a Mac user, I actually made my Deck Desktop appear and function a bit more like MacOS so interfacing with it would be more familiar to me. It blows me away how customizable linux is. If I ever give up on MacOS, I know I'll be settling on Linux before bothering with windows.
My steamdeck has 100% replaced my laptop. It also helps to go on vacation and not have all my work stuff installed tempting me to work on vacation. After getting used to it, I'm very close to yeeting my Windows install and switching to fulltime SteamOS on my desktop next time I need to upgrade.
Fulltime SteamOS is a bit unwise, since Valve hasn't released a proper desktop version. There are projects like HoloISO, but eh. If you want a gaming-oriented Linux desktop, Nobara would likely be one of the better candidates. It's a Fedora-based distro that includes all kinds of gaming and hardware support related extras and ships with KDE as the desktop environment, like Steam Deck does.
Lol, I've got rid of Windows ever since the Steam Deck was announced, actually because of Microsoft's Windows garbage I never really cared about pc, thanks to Linux and now I use a pc literally everyday I only found out about Linux when the Steam Deck was announced as well by the way
After purchasing my Steam Deck I became comfortable with Linux and swapped my desktop OS to Linux, then both my 2015 Mac laptops, I haven’t regretted it one bit. Awesome vid
My 2015 mac laptop is hanging on by a thread!! Wanting to get into gaming, would you just get a steam deck and monitor if you were in my position, or do you think you need more power than just the steam deck?
@@unmarreddlite2264 check out Linux mint for your Mac, installed on mine with no issues. I’ve seen other UA-cam vids where they used their steam deck as a pc for a bit until they got another
Not only does it work as a PC but it's a pretty capable one. Last semester I developed a full application as an assignment for my Master degree entirely on the Deck.
when the steam deck came out my gaming pc died and I ended up using it as my work/ personal computer until I could afford a new one. I had a windows partition and steam os. I would use window partition during my work day while I had it docked to monitor and keyboard/ mouse then just boot into steam os after work and pick it up and head over to the sofa and game all night. It was honestly all I needed and I could see myself going back to this setup if I need to. Great device valve has made here.
I dual-booted mine, gave it to my girlfriend, and she's been using Windows on the SD as her workstation. Way more compact than having to bring a laptop to school for teaching work
Is it actually more compact than a small laptop though? On its own it barely takes up any space, but as soon as you need anything extra for the steam deck like a keyboard or a bigger screen it instantly becomes less convenient than just getting a small laptop which at worst needs a charger and maybe a mouse.
As someone watching your channel since you had like 2k subs, it's kinda amazing how fast this channel is growing. 100k by end of fall 24 may be possible, soon you won't be able to keep up with the comments. 😊
If I had to pick just one cool Linux thing worth learning, I'd have to say... the command line. It's incredibly powerful, fast, and pretty universal across almost every Linux-based device. Unlike GUIs which get reinvented every few years, the command line is timeless, so you only have to learn it once and then it works basically forever. And if you need a feature it doesn't have, it's really easy to just add stuff via a script or something.
I said it when the Steam Deck was announced; the Steam Deck is Valve's trojan horse to have people leave Windows and ease them into the slightly intimidating world of Linux. Valve has been clear that there's not a Steam Deck 2 in sight yet because they want to wait for a full generational upgrade, so I'm sure that any future model that would be released for the next 3 years or so would have the goal of reaching it to more people rather than improving specs.
Exactly, console must have upgrade when there is a big leap on the performance, like playstation and xbox, and soon nintendo switch. 1 year difference like rumored rog ally 2 isnt really necessary
As a casual Linux user I was so happy with the news. I knew this meant big leaps in proton compatability. It honestly gave me the option to ditch Windows. My still pretty fast desktop doesn´t support Windows 11 and an upgrade would cost hundreds or close to a thousand if I would make it worth it. So, I had the idea to buy a Mac mini. Some apps I use are Mac exclusive and up until now I had to run them in a VM. A Mac mini as a daily machine and a device to run a media server from sounded like a great idea. But what do I use for gaming then? Mac sucks and Linux isn´t there yet. Well, now it is! My PC runs Linux and Windows now and the moment Windows 10 support is dropped, I buy a Mac Mini and delete my Windows partition. Thank you Valve! And pay attention Microsoft. The personal desktop might not be as profitable to you, but the more anti-consumer you get, the more people will work on a better alternative. And when consumers and open-source supporters take the first step, enterprises will follow.
no thats what you were hoping, not what would happen. and as always, windows remains undefeated. there wont be a steam deck 2 because the little secret is steam deck sales are poor. even though it costs 1000 it gets beat on valve best seller revenue list by games that cost 29. thats why valve never mentions how many sold, except once in the beginning. theres no use putting money in a dead project. like all valves projects. remember steam controller? didnt they make a vr headset?
@@cryengine_x I'm not hoping for anything more than any consumer would hope: to be satisfied with their product. If Valve's goal to eat a slice of Windows's PC gaming cake works or not I don't care, as long as I find value on a Steam Deck; which, according to what Ive read, most people are.
@@Dairunt1 this is not true at all. valve does have hordes and hordes of corporate schills on the internet as you seem aware, how come you guys dont ever fight sony fanboys? what about nvidia fanboys HORDES? cowards. they would beat you...
Save up a bit more and just get the 1tb. Unless you just want the cheapest oled screen and upgrading to a 2tb SSD yourself. You'll need the storage after your first steam winter sale...
Imagine how cool it would be in the future when small SoC's gonna be so powerful and efficient that you could run any heavy task (video editing, 3D work and such) on just a small portable gaming-shaped console. What a dream, I can't wait!
I subscribed today. I thought I already had, but your constant badgering made me look again. I love your videos and I find you in particular entertaining.
Re-tweeting this one. As a very longterm Linux user, I've been waiting so very long for people to discover how easy it can be. I have my parents running on Linux Mint and they understand it easily, never break it, never get viruses, and don't have to wade through a constant bunch of updates and warning messages. If you're looking for something cool to try, I don't know about the Deck (we Aussies haven't been deemed worthy enough to buy them), but you might be interested in the different desktops available for Linux. This desktop is KDE (which I use) but there are desktops more like Windows, more like Mac OS, completely weird new niche desktops, and even desktops that emulate the feel of old stuff like the Amiga or NeXTSTEP. Manjaro Gaming Edition -- another SteamOS rival -- uses the XFCE desktop, which is more lightweight than KDE.
Added some *QoL* *improvements* for my Steam Deck 512 LCD over the weekend…. *Redream:* For some reason, this won’t launch from the EmuDeck/EmulationStation. I was stuck using Flycast and didn’t like how some games ran from it. I needed Redream to be a standalone emulator but still launch from the Steam library. My other big issue with Redream is it won’t remember the path if the Dreamcast ROMs were placed in the folder where EmuDeck reads them from. So I had to separate all my Dreamcast games from the big emulation folder. It’s now in the internal storage next to the Redream files and it can now remember the path. Also, changed redream to redream.exe from the actual file name because Steam can’t find it if it’s the former. Then edited the name again in the Steam gaming mode menu. Dreamcast games plays closer to flawless again. Dreamcast is my 2nd favorite console of all-time and it bothered me that I couldn’t use the emulator I wanted until figuring it out over the weekend. The only thing is the games won’t show up in EmulationStation anymore. I can live with it as long as I can play the games nicely. *Pluto* *TV:* Since getting the Pluto TV and Tubi apps about 5+ years ago, I rarely use Netflix anymore. Pluto TV is a Paramount service but three of my favorite sitcoms are on there. All I want from it is a channel that plays The Golden Girls all the time. Maybe toss in Martin, The Wonder Years, Doogie Howser MD, and another comfort soup show like Northern Exposure. Doogie Howser and The Wonder Years used to appear on ABC, so they’re more likely owned by Disney. I do love the Price is Right channel during the Bob Barker era. Watched a little of it the other night. It’s the game show I’d watch if I wasn’t in school or during summer vacation. I can live with the ads as long as it’s free and they have a great selection of content which they do. I personally don’t need any of them on any streaming service since all I do is use torrents and then save them on my Google Photos using an old Pixel 3 which has unlimited storage saver for life. The limit is 1080p. Everything from Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, Loki, WandaVision, Andor, The Mandalorian, The Boys, Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head, Stranger Things, Cobra Kai, Heels, Ted (2024), Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, they’re all there uploaded on my Google Photos. This June is going to be packed: House of the Dragon S2 vs. The Boys S4 vs. The Acolyte? I think HOT D wins out. The lore is more interesting. But I do love The Boys. *Tubi:* If you know movies like I do, Tubi has superior content over Netflix. I have an account and basically keep adding movies on my watchlist. Tons of foreign and softcore porn movies! Has many of the Showa Godzilla movies. Has my Gilligan’s Island too while Pluto TV covers I Love Lucy, Three’s Company, and Married…with Children. Pluto TV + Tubi are practically unbeatable since they’re free. Just need to live with the ads. Rewatched Get Out (2017) again on Tubi the other night. *Kodi:* So I couldn’t really create an app to add to Steam for Google Photos using Microsoft Edge. So what I’ll do instead is download some movies and TV shows from my Google Photos and save it onto my Deck. Then will have Kodi play it. I was going to use VLC but it doesn’t seem it can be added onto Steam. And Kodi seems to have a much nicer interface. I have over 1400 movies and tons of TV shows in one of my three Google Photos accounts. But the only one downloaded for the Steam Deck is video game related. It’s a documentary called Console Wars (2020) which can be found on Netflix. I read the Blake J. Harris book back in 2014. I may include 8-Bit Christmas (2021), both live action Sonic movies, and the recent Super Mario movie for it. I really want a complete set of the animated Shenmue series on my Steam Deck. I use magnetdl and I can’t find it complete. While I love the original Final Fantasy VII game, I didn’t care for Advent Children. That movie dragged. Most of my favorite TV shows and movies are on my multiple Android smartphones. The other ones added are UA-cam, Gmail, Reddit, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. That’s a total of 10 “non games” if you include the 4 other ones mentioned earlier and EmulationStation. I set every app / website launcher to the native resolution of 1280 x 800. Looked through Google images to crop thumbnails for each of them. What really boosted my experience was finally figuring out each controller template. Set most of them to web browser and it’s like browsing from a tablet. This thing can be used for a decade if you really wanted to. Just replace the battery every few years. When I got my Deck nearly two months ago, battery health (which can seen under desktop mode) read 97%. But I’ve been using it so much, it’s down to 92%. I honestly thought I would barely use it after the initial honeymoon phase wore off but it’s been the complete opposite for me and I carry it with me every day since I’m a gig driver. The Steam Deck is frickin’ amazing. My Vita and Switch are collecting dust. If I’m bored playing games, I’ll use the Steam Deck to do something else like watch porn or read Reddit posts. I only bring one smartphone now because the Steam Deck is so complementary to any smartphone whether it’s iPhone or Android since it’s essentially a PC as well. It’s the G.O.A.T. It made me less interested for the Switch 2. F Nintendo! Cheers to Valve! 🍻
Awesome vid! A work colleague visited a customer site with his steam deck because his work laptop died and IT was taking forever to replace it and he was able to do his work just fine with it. As far as Linux is concerned, it's a great OS. I daily drive Linux on my personal PC and only use Windows for work related purposes (apps that require windows DLLs and .NET framework to function). Other than windows games, there isn't anything I have found that I can't do on my kUbuntu distro. You can tweak it with the apps you want and need. I don't have any experience at all with Steam OS but I would expect the same thing to be true. Linux is free and open source. If you run into problems, there's usually a forum community that will provide all the answers you need to fix your issues if any come up.
I've had my SteamDeck for almost 2 years and while a few of my friends have sold theirs due to lack of use, I've never looked back. I use my Deck on an almost daily basis and I've taught myself a lot of Linux tricks from it as well. Is it for everyone? No, but it's definitely a piece of gold for dweebs like me out there.
6:10 I resemble that remark! However, you've been remarkably accurate 10/10. An obvious thing to show is to install Heroic, Itch, and Emudeck (though guessing you've covered these already given this channel does a lot of emulator stuff), you need desktop for that. For Non-gaming, the list of Linux programs are pretty extensive. Surprised you didn't mention Komikku given the... other content... in the video. You can use Decibel for audio notes on the go, Obsidian for todo list items etc. Would also be interested if one of them finger style pens would work well with Rnote on the deck. There's also Space Cadet Pinball, which you can no longer play on Windows. EDIT: Also if you play older games then getting Luxtorpeda working is also pretty cool.
❤️ I am so in love with my new SD. And yes I was a little bit scared bc of linux. But just take your time and explore your device, watch some YT videos and you'll be just fine. This thing can do so much like TD just showed you. I wish I could go back in time and show this device to myself as a kid. Telling: "Your life is gonna be pretty bad with a few nice moments inbetween BUT LOOK AT THIS! HA!" ...Luckily I can't go back I guess.
I wanted to program Pico-8 games and test them, but I couldn't get it to do it (gracefully). I figured I'd try it again later, but life got in the way of coding. That was a year and a half ago. I'll be revisiting this soon.
Yes, it has for me and I’m a long time Windows desktop and OSX user. Deck is basically my go to for couch and desktop gaming and UA-cam / streaming content for 80% of what I play and watch. It’s quieter, more power efficient and does everything very well. I don’t bother taking a laptop with me when I travel now, I just take my Deck.
I have my gaming pc upstairs. When I’m chilling in the living room on a saterday evening with the wifey I hook up the Steam deck to my 65 inch LG c9. I run moonlight on the deck and sunshine on my host pc. I can stream in big picture or desktop mode from my pc in 4k 60hz. It’s pretty much without latency tbh. I barely notice a difference compared to actually sitting directly at gaming pc. Very nice future imo. Ow and one other huge benefit is especially in the summer, the room stays a lot cooler ocfcourse. I also stream and play to the deck directly so that I can play all ultra and 90 fps. ( only at home ofcourse )
Great video, I will have to try this with my Xreal airs. Usually when I want travel light it's my key BT keyboard mouse, Xreal airs and using Samsung DEX on my phone as a desktop replacement.
I've been using it to learn how to program using Rust at home and on the go. My main issue surprisingly is that 16Gb isn't enough. I suggest that others give it a try. You get used to using the the on screen keyboard through the dual touchpads with a bit of practice. It's starting to feel a bit like touch typing but I still have to glance at the virtual keyboard often since the pads don't have the ridges like the steam controller.
Linux user here! I use Fedora linux on my laptop, and it works great. I have heard there's a steam os distro called bazzie the runs on top of fedora and not arch but still has the steam deck ui and stuff. I have heard that it works great on the steam deck, so that may be something to try if you want to see a different desktop environment (gnome in specific is used in bazzite) I also want to say great video covering how user-friendly linux is now. You did a great job showing how caught up and even better it is compared to Windows, like in the appstore section.
last year during their summer sale i finally got a steam deck. first thing i did was upgrade the ssd. you can then partition the drive and put multiple operating systems on there. you don't have to give up the functionality of windows because you can install it on there alongside steam os. you have more room to install multiple linux distros. mine has steam os, windows 10, kali, and a flavour of arch linux, and dragon os for sdr and a few experimental linux distros. the main thing is to make sure you have a large enough drive to do all of this, partition the drive, and install the oses you want, starting with steam and windows first because windows tries to take over the boot menu while steam os allows you key button combos to get into their firmware boot menu to change things up. doing this is a journey, but done successfully lets you do a whole bunch of computing capabilities in a portable form factor in addition to your games.
thank you so much for this video!! i’m not tech savvy.. at all and i really don’t need a demanding pc so when i heard of the steam deck i knew it was my way to owning a pretty good computer without spending $1000-$2000 on the pc alone. but again i’m not tech savvy so i still didn’t know how to make it work for me and this really helped
I prefer a Legion Go for this (Which I'm considering to do). Where you can connect an eGPU and transform that into a Docking station kinda solution. Also, I'm a windows user in terms of gaming.
I have been using Linux as my main OS since 2022 and I haven't regretted. Manjaro on an old 2012 MacBook Pro, PopOS! on a crappy Asus gaming laptop, and now SteamOS on my OLED Steam Deck. I use Windows at work but anywhere else Linux is just fine for me with gaming and day to day use. Admittedly, I don't use Desktop mode that often, but when I do, I have it connected to my TV and used a Rii keyboard/track pad combo (but seriously looking to get a Razor wireless mouse and that 8bitdo NES keyboard soon). I love how versatile Steam Deck is, and aside from my phone, it is my only computer and it just works!
I might have to try this out. I already have a WFH setup for my work laptop. it wouldn't be much of a hassle to just plug in deck for a different screen.
I used the steam deck as my daily driver with windows installed even running Unity. Ultimately I upgraded to the Win GPD 4 because of the keyboard and it made a large difference . The steam deck needs an attachable mini keyboard.
I have a drawing tablet that I use as a full size monitor. I also mostly use it with Krita to sketch. It got to the point where I was thinking of buying a steam deck motherboard from ifixit to make a dedicated drawing tablet running Linux. But it turns out they don’t sell them anymore :( the current setup works fine tho so it’s not important but it sounded like a fun project
Tips from a fellow Linux geek, you will likely have a blast playing around with different desktop environments on an old spare laptop. Its magical. Try KDE Plasma 6 or GNOME 46 or something completely left field such as Pop_OS!. It will blow your mind what is possible.
The only bad thing about using the steam deck as a computer is the hard drive is not encrypted. If you need to do confidential work you can dual boot windows, but even then it’s better to have a device with biometrics. I love my Oled deck though, and for the price there isn’t a better handheld pc gaming device when it comes to battery life.
Just got my desktop setup for my deck and it’s transformed the machine for me. It went from being a handheld to my PC. It’s great. Also mnk keyboarding is way easier than controller aiming, idc about aim assist it’s still easier.
@3:51 I like how you show onlyshow skyrim on screen when you say, "it can play old PC games, modern games, retro games" because Skyrim is sort of all of those categories
I docked my Deck with my big screen, Bluetooth keyboard and a wireless mouse and suddenly I was doing desktoppy things with it without thinking too much about it.
I actually really like the concept of using the main screen for productivity, while using the Steam Deck display as a second monitor for whatever else. That really is quite good. Especially if you can play some old, resource efficient games like World of Warcraft on it. Use the main display for the game, while using the Steam Deck display for maps and information etc. I actually really quite like that. eventually, I want 3 Steam Decks. I already have one, which I use for gaming. I want a second to convert into a true "Emulator Deck", with nothing but rom's and emulators on it. I want a third so that I can run it, almost permanently, in Desktop mode and use it as my main PC, connected to a Steam Deck Dock. If I can get away with it, I won't bother buying a custom PC again. From now on, I will just buy the Steam Deck. It is the perfect system to use as a multi media system.
Have been using Linux for 28 years now, but I'm not sure what cool stuff to recommend... because my setup has almost no overlap with what the Steamdeck runs. It's cool how diverse the Linux ecosystem is, but that also makes it difficult for different types of Linux users to relate to each other. I live in my happy little corner of the Linux world, and the Steamdeck is like a whole different continent, almost as foreign to me as Windows.
you can even run windows on it if you like pain it isn't designed to run windows though, and performance isn't too great but compared to an old dell optiplex it actually isn't bad
I ran into a blocker using the Deck as a dev machine because it has tighter security than a stock Linux machine (it mounts / as read-only) and it is almost impossible to install and use Docker. I don't even mind though, the Deck should be as secure as it can be! And it can run VSCode or IntelliJ no problem so it would work great with workflows that don't require Docker.
I don't have a PC. I currently get by between my Chromebook and the desktop HDMI out mode on my Motorola, but a big draw of the Ally or Legion Go is the Windows access for those few occasions every couple of months I have to borrow my mother-in-law's laptop. This is interesting, I'd love to see a longer term impression of this to see what roadblocks come up when it's your daily driver. I've used Ubuntu/Linux Mint a few times over the years with very few issues
Deck being a full on computer was one of my reasons to even consider it. I did want it to supplement the laptop I used to use at the time... But uh. Yeah. I don't need that laptop now, Deck does everything better. Especially the whole "actually doing stuff on battery" thing
I'm a Linux geek, but I tend to be on the lower end of fanaticism - but there is definitely some stuff I'd be curious about. There are custom Proton versions used around - Proton-GE (Glorious Eggroll) provides performance in some Windows games that otherwise give vanilla Proton a hard time (including a number of games that were very difficult to get running). This would have to be installed from the desktop mode, but I don't see where it wouldn't work. How far can the desktop be customized? Linux leads folks to tinkering... Emulation... Making the Steam Deck run games that aren't on Steam. Making the Steam Dock run DOS. Sideloading? Dungeons and Dragons campaign management? Ok, well, maybe that's just me... Cool video, fellow Dweeb.
The Steam Deck is very versatile. I have a NexDock that can wirelessly turn my Deck into a Linux laptop which is great for messing around with the heroic games launcher in desktop mode when at home, and convenient for keeping my traveling kit light.
If you want a migraine try compiling something in the desktop but first you have to figure out how to disable the read only mode on the os. I love my steam deck, but its a very neutered Linux pc. Thing is once you update the deck any changes made to the os including system packages get overwritten, just user data and flatpaks stay. So I wouldn't say its a "full" desktop experience compared to what a regular Linux user is use to but for the average user it's great.
for starters u can customize pretty much everything on ur desktop like u can move the panel, the buttons u can have 2 panels, a global menu thingy like macos :) u can also take a look at gnome or kde apps websites for a collection of pretty good apps (imo, gnome : pretty but a bit too simple apps, kde: feature rich but feel a bit too complex)
I actually put Bazzite on my Ally because I wanted a SteamOS style game console experience vs what Windows 11 was offering. Quite interesting running a Fedora based OS. I did actually use the desktop mode today impressed with it.
@@Atomic-Purple-Guy Seems decent so far the only one I've noticed is when going to sleep when plugged in even if you've turned the brightness off on the RGB to 0 it'll renable them. I think that's in the firmware to completely disable it. OpenRGB can control the RGB etc but turning it off completely is not an option. TLDR you can control RGB but if it bothers you when the device if sleeping, you'll have to completely turn it off. Minor one is to get all the buttons, gyro etc Bazzite treats the built in controls as a PS controller which is fine but you'll see PS icons in the front end instead of the xbox buttons printed on the handheld. You might be able to play with that and fiddle but I figure the SteamOS QAM and Steam button are more valuable and Bazzite gives you those. Everything else seems to be working well. Haven't really used sleep much due to RGB annoyance as mine is mostly docked. The other day playing Rogue Trader on the couch it went to sleep and picked back up fine though.
I own both a Deck and a ROG Ally and between the two, I prefer using the Deck as a portable PC. I am no Linux expert, but I find it much easier to use as a personal PC than the Ally's Windows install. While traveling, I carry a foldable BT keyboard and a small multipurpose hub and I am ready to rock. Next up, I need to get a nice portable monitor. I wonder if a certain TechDweeb has some advice on that side?
4th! 😄 I mean, you're basically replacing a PC with a PC there. But I'm envious of your hawk eyes man. Browsing KDE on that screen would tire mine so fast
First of all, great video. Second, I am shocked how rare (based on my experience in watching some videos) it is for a video on youtube about using the steam deck (or other similar computers) as a desktop computer, they ALL use the built in monitor for video editing etc for the whole frelling video! I have three concerns with Linux which stopped me few times from migrating there. a) Software compatibility. I realize things are better now and Valve has definitely helped towards that, but not perfect. b) 30 years on it is still impossible to never have to deal with typing commands in Linux. And no I am not talking about someone who just logs in to check their emails., but uses it as they would a Windows PC. c) Linux users/fanboys. As annoying as Apple fanboys, only that they also have the weapon of the budget friendliness of Linux. Fanboys in general are annoying, but Linux fanboys have the air of superiority that I don't see anywhere else in computing, apart perhaps from fanboys of the Amiga. (not users, fanboys). Very positive video and fun to watch even though I have no steam deck. My pc is old though and I am sure for at least some things it is much slower than the steam deck so that was fun/depressing to watch. (i7 4710HQ, GTX860M)
i only have a surface pro 8 and it doesnt play much. i used to have a razer blade years ago and it shit itself but even then it was hot and fans were blaring so i couldnt bring it anywhere. once i found out the steam deck can be a pc and run games like a gaming rig i was hooked. saving up for it as im between jobs right now.
I seriously consider changing my gaming laptop for a Steam Deck. I would lose a lot in horsepower, but the battery on my laptop might be 2 hours doing nothing when it wants to, and like 10 minutes gaming lol. It's 17" too, so it's cumbersome, overkill for light gaming and still not sufficient for serious gaming on heavy titles (i7 8750H and GTX 1070 with 16Gb of RAM). My laptop is already running KDE on OpenSUSE Tumbleweed (rolling distro), and I've already tested immutable distributions (SteamOS is immutable) so I would feel right at home. I also already know I can do everything I want on Linux as I've been using various Linux distros since 2011 and I know my way around, so it's tempting. Plus the high end deck is the same price as an entry level gaming laptop. I won't be able to sell my laptop for that kind of money, but I'm considering it. Hard to tell the wife you can totally work on a consol though, plus she uses the laptop from time to time and I'm sure she would be lost on a Deck.
As a computer nerd, I love seeing more people use Linux. I appreciate the review of the Steam Deck. I am looking to minimize my life and have more purpose-build items. This being a dedicated gaming machine is a very nice feature
I like the idea of using the Deck as a computer replacement, but I don’t think I could manage my files on my iPhone and iPad with the Deck, so I’m set in getting a Mini PC before I get a Deck.
I have a SD and can confirm that it is definitely not a good desktop replacement as i had way too much trouble trying to get multiple display monitors working past three monitors. SD is great as a basic computer up to two monitors. You can find a docking station to support up to 3 monitor.
I did this for about 6 month. Along with Samsung dex from my Samsung s23. As far as productivity tasks, I was able to do everything. Gaming was fine too. I eventually got a laptop though
I have an old pc … which is 9 years old at this point. I have been annoyed with Windows and i decided instead of a new pc i buy the deck and use it as a desktop too. Getting into Linux more. I have been using it since Christmas and been enjoying it a lot.
I'm using Bazzite os on my main pc, but I can't wait for Steam to release Steam os for regular desktops, ever since I used it on the Steam Deck it's hard to go back to anything else for me, I like Steam os that much. And there's a lot of other amazing Linux distros like PopOS, Mint, Manjaro, actually Steam os is pretty much Manjaro anyway I can't believe I only found out about Linux when the Steam Deck was announced, so I'm now thankful to Valve for the Steam Deck, gave me an actual appreciation to computers, so I don't think I need to mention how I hate Microsoft's Windows garbage
Deal breaker for me was the Deck doesn't replace your car and washing machine. I wanted the full package all in one, couldn't justify the purchase.
That's fair
Just instal emulators silly.
Have you tried installing Decky plugins?
Yes. I gave my steam deck to my son as his first PC, and he's using it for school work, for gaming, web stuff, etc. He loves the gaming side of it, of course. Desktop mode on the steam deck is no joke, it does everything you need that doesnt require rendering 2 hour videos or building-side posters.
Plus he is getting familiar with Linux.
@@RenpySage always a plus! as windows aint rly doing anything for kids except those pesky ads
Genuine question: what do you do for security? With steam having access to bank accounts, and google chrome/email having access to sensitive data, what are your security measures against hackers?
@@talesthesalesman3106, really you don't have to do nothing
The Linux OS are pretty safe, so you can do it without many issues
One of the selling points of the Steam Deck for me was the possibility of bringing it with a Bluetooth mouse and portable keyboard to my parents house when I'm visiting, instead of my whole PC. I've done it multiple times and it works without any issues, I love it.
do your parents let you play Steam Deck in their basement?
@@sativagirl1885 I hide it under the covers so I can play it after they go to bed
I just bought a portable monitor and bluetooth keyboard so I can play with my little brother when I visit home, it's an awesome option to have.
Me laughing at this with my rtx 4060 laptop that cost me $200 more than my ally, but triples if not quadruples the performance
Yeah, I really don't want to carry a nuc around. I think the power supply size will make the decision for me
Linux user here (and proud SD Oled owner!). Great video, no criticism at all, well done! One of the things that really drew me into Linux initially was the customization. In Windows you can change the wallpaper and go between light and dark mode, but that's pretty much it (there is more you can do but it requires "hacking" into Windows, basically, not recommended for most users). In Linux you have built in settings to theme your desktop. The deck is running KDE Plasma (one of the standard Linux desktops). Within the settings, you can search for Global Theme. Within the global theme settings area there is a get new button at the top of the window that will allow you to browse thousands of themes created by other users. You can either search for something specific or just leave the criteria blank and scroll through. Find the one you want, click Install, then back out to your settings screen and select it to set the theme. Most of the themes will change your wallpaper, icons, colors, menus to look really nice - tons of dark and light themes. There are even themes folks have created to look like a Windows desktop.
Awesome tip! I'm trying this.
I'm not trying to sell you on Windows or anything, but would you please explain how Linux is more customizable than Windows.
I used Ubuntu for a while in the late 90s early 2000s ish? Nice OS 👍 but I've used windows since the mid 90s so, I'm just comfortable with it a software's.
Fonts, wallpapers, sound schemes, colors. Customized windows such as thickness and color of edges. Rounded or square edges and corners. Adding a thick or thin trim with any color and thickness. I know I'm not explaining this well 😮 moving the bar at the bottom to other screen sides and making it hidden or not.
Is there something Linux does better here? 🤔
Genuine question. I'm not trolling for an argument LOL or change your mind about Linux😊
@@janX9to long to explain, look at it this way: if 98% of internet and cloud infrastructure,together with 100% of the 500 world's most powerful super computers run on Linux there is probably a reason... Regarding the desktop experience though... Late 90's you say.... Believe me... You REALLY need to give Linux another run.......
Just be careful with widget and login screen themes. Choose ones that are widely used with lots of good reviews. The reason is that they contain code that can do anything, including wiping your home directory.
It's rare, but it happened at least once.
Since I'm a Mac user, I actually made my Deck Desktop appear and function a bit more like MacOS so interfacing with it would be more familiar to me. It blows me away how customizable linux is. If I ever give up on MacOS, I know I'll be settling on Linux before bothering with windows.
My steamdeck has 100% replaced my laptop. It also helps to go on vacation and not have all my work stuff installed tempting me to work on vacation. After getting used to it, I'm very close to yeeting my Windows install and switching to fulltime SteamOS on my desktop next time I need to upgrade.
Fulltime SteamOS is a bit unwise, since Valve hasn't released a proper desktop version. There are projects like HoloISO, but eh. If you want a gaming-oriented Linux desktop, Nobara would likely be one of the better candidates. It's a Fedora-based distro that includes all kinds of gaming and hardware support related extras and ships with KDE as the desktop environment, like Steam Deck does.
You can try any Linux distro, it's almost the same, and the base of steam os
Lol, I've got rid of Windows ever since the Steam Deck was announced, actually because of Microsoft's Windows garbage I never really cared about pc, thanks to Linux and now I use a pc literally everyday
I only found out about Linux when the Steam Deck was announced as well by the way
After purchasing my Steam Deck I became comfortable with Linux and swapped my desktop OS to Linux, then both my 2015 Mac laptops, I haven’t regretted it one bit. Awesome vid
My 2015 Macbook Pro battery bulged, do you think its worth repairing?
@@_paczki Can you afford to fix it? Can you afford to not fix it?
My 2015 mac laptop is hanging on by a thread!! Wanting to get into gaming, would you just get a steam deck and monitor if you were in my position, or do you think you need more power than just the steam deck?
@@unmarreddlite2264 check out Linux mint for your Mac, installed on mine with no issues. I’ve seen other UA-cam vids where they used their steam deck as a pc for a bit until they got another
@@unmarreddlite2264 Depends on the games you want to play.
Not only does it work as a PC but it's a pretty capable one. Last semester I developed a full application as an assignment for my Master degree entirely on the Deck.
Just curious, whats the Master degree on?
Have you finished NipAlert yet?
Ah yes, whip out your deck, explore and learn about yourself. In the dark. Hmmm...
💀
If you insist
when the steam deck came out my gaming pc died and I ended up using it as my work/ personal computer until I could afford a new one. I had a windows partition and steam os.
I would use window partition during my work day while I had it docked to monitor and keyboard/ mouse then just boot into steam os after work and pick it up and head over to the sofa and game all night.
It was honestly all I needed and I could see myself going back to this setup if I need to.
Great device valve has made here.
I dual-booted mine, gave it to my girlfriend, and she's been using Windows on the SD as her workstation. Way more compact than having to bring a laptop to school for teaching work
Is it actually more compact than a small laptop though? On its own it barely takes up any space, but as soon as you need anything extra for the steam deck like a keyboard or a bigger screen it instantly becomes less convenient than just getting a small laptop which at worst needs a charger and maybe a mouse.
For work always the laptop @@malogor2127
Tech Dweeb is experiencing springtime. Ignore the anime. It is natural.
"i don't know a fedori from a buntutu" LOL
I have been using the Steam Deck LCD version as my only desktop computer since April 2022, and then switched to the Steam Deck OLED LE unit today!
Congrats on your new OLED toy!
I love new TD videos. Feels like a video postcard from an old friend.
As someone watching your channel since you had like 2k subs, it's kinda amazing how fast this channel is growing. 100k by end of fall 24 may be possible, soon you won't be able to keep up with the comments. 😊
Haha I'm almost at the point where I can't keep up! I really appreciate you sticking with me :)
I love making my steam deck desktop look exactly how I want it to look
This is your first video I watched and I love your style 🤩 Well crafted video on a interesting topic 👏🏻
Dolphin isn’t a fish 😉
If I had to pick just one cool Linux thing worth learning, I'd have to say... the command line. It's incredibly powerful, fast, and pretty universal across almost every Linux-based device. Unlike GUIs which get reinvented every few years, the command line is timeless, so you only have to learn it once and then it works basically forever. And if you need a feature it doesn't have, it's really easy to just add stuff via a script or something.
I said it when the Steam Deck was announced; the Steam Deck is Valve's trojan horse to have people leave Windows and ease them into the slightly intimidating world of Linux.
Valve has been clear that there's not a Steam Deck 2 in sight yet because they want to wait for a full generational upgrade, so I'm sure that any future model that would be released for the next 3 years or so would have the goal of reaching it to more people rather than improving specs.
Exactly, console must have upgrade when there is a big leap on the performance, like playstation and xbox, and soon nintendo switch. 1 year difference like rumored rog ally 2 isnt really necessary
As a casual Linux user I was so happy with the news. I knew this meant big leaps in proton compatability. It honestly gave me the option to ditch Windows. My still pretty fast desktop doesn´t support Windows 11 and an upgrade would cost hundreds or close to a thousand if I would make it worth it. So, I had the idea to buy a Mac mini. Some apps I use are Mac exclusive and up until now I had to run them in a VM. A Mac mini as a daily machine and a device to run a media server from sounded like a great idea. But what do I use for gaming then? Mac sucks and Linux isn´t there yet. Well, now it is! My PC runs Linux and Windows now and the moment Windows 10 support is dropped, I buy a Mac Mini and delete my Windows partition. Thank you Valve! And pay attention Microsoft. The personal desktop might not be as profitable to you, but the more anti-consumer you get, the more people will work on a better alternative. And when consumers and open-source supporters take the first step, enterprises will follow.
no thats what you were hoping, not what would happen. and as always, windows remains undefeated.
there wont be a steam deck 2 because the little secret is steam deck sales are poor. even though it costs 1000 it gets beat on valve best seller revenue list by games that cost 29. thats why valve never mentions how many sold, except once in the beginning. theres no use putting money in a dead project. like all valves projects. remember steam controller? didnt they make a vr headset?
@@cryengine_x I'm not hoping for anything more than any consumer would hope: to be satisfied with their product.
If Valve's goal to eat a slice of Windows's PC gaming cake works or not I don't care, as long as I find value on a Steam Deck; which, according to what Ive read, most people are.
@@Dairunt1 this is not true at all.
valve does have hordes and hordes of corporate schills on the internet as you seem aware,
how come you guys dont ever fight sony fanboys? what about nvidia fanboys HORDES? cowards. they would beat you...
I can’t believe how versatile this thing is, I also can’t believe I don’t own one yet….
Tell me about it I'm trying to convince myself to get the 512g oled version right now 😅
Save up a bit more and just get the 1tb. Unless you just want the cheapest oled screen and upgrading to a 2tb SSD yourself. You'll need the storage after your first steam winter sale...
Imagine how cool it would be in the future when small SoC's gonna be so powerful and efficient that you could run any heavy task (video editing, 3D work and such) on just a small portable gaming-shaped console.
What a dream, I can't wait!
I subscribed today. I thought I already had, but your constant badgering made me look again. I love your videos and I find you in particular entertaining.
The badgering works!
Re-tweeting this one. As a very longterm Linux user, I've been waiting so very long for people to discover how easy it can be. I have my parents running on Linux Mint and they understand it easily, never break it, never get viruses, and don't have to wade through a constant bunch of updates and warning messages.
If you're looking for something cool to try, I don't know about the Deck (we Aussies haven't been deemed worthy enough to buy them), but you might be interested in the different desktops available for Linux. This desktop is KDE (which I use) but there are desktops more like Windows, more like Mac OS, completely weird new niche desktops, and even desktops that emulate the feel of old stuff like the Amiga or NeXTSTEP. Manjaro Gaming Edition -- another SteamOS rival -- uses the XFCE desktop, which is more lightweight than KDE.
Added some *QoL* *improvements* for my Steam Deck 512 LCD over the weekend….
*Redream:* For some reason, this won’t launch from the EmuDeck/EmulationStation. I was stuck using Flycast and didn’t like how some games ran from it. I needed Redream to be a standalone emulator but still launch from the Steam library.
My other big issue with Redream is it won’t remember the path if the Dreamcast ROMs were placed in the folder where EmuDeck reads them from. So I had to separate all my Dreamcast games from the big emulation folder. It’s now in the internal storage next to the Redream files and it can now remember the path. Also, changed redream to redream.exe from the actual file name because Steam can’t find it if it’s the former. Then edited the name again in the Steam gaming mode menu.
Dreamcast games plays closer to flawless again. Dreamcast is my 2nd favorite console of all-time and it bothered me that I couldn’t use the emulator I wanted until figuring it out over the weekend. The only thing is the games won’t show up in EmulationStation anymore. I can live with it as long as I can play the games nicely.
*Pluto* *TV:* Since getting the Pluto TV and Tubi apps about 5+ years ago, I rarely use Netflix anymore. Pluto TV is a Paramount service but three of my favorite sitcoms are on there. All I want from it is a channel that plays The Golden Girls all the time. Maybe toss in Martin, The Wonder Years, Doogie Howser MD, and another comfort soup show like Northern Exposure.
Doogie Howser and The Wonder Years used to appear on ABC, so they’re more likely owned by Disney. I do love the Price is Right channel during the Bob Barker era. Watched a little of it the other night. It’s the game show I’d watch if I wasn’t in school or during summer vacation. I can live with the ads as long as it’s free and they have a great selection of content which they do.
I personally don’t need any of them on any streaming service since all I do is use torrents and then save them on my Google Photos using an old Pixel 3 which has unlimited storage saver for life. The limit is 1080p. Everything from Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, Loki, WandaVision, Andor, The Mandalorian, The Boys, Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head, Stranger Things, Cobra Kai, Heels, Ted (2024), Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, they’re all there uploaded on my Google Photos.
This June is going to be packed: House of the Dragon S2 vs. The Boys S4 vs. The Acolyte? I think HOT D wins out. The lore is more interesting. But I do love The Boys.
*Tubi:* If you know movies like I do, Tubi has superior content over Netflix. I have an account and basically keep adding movies on my watchlist. Tons of foreign and softcore porn movies! Has many of the Showa Godzilla movies. Has my Gilligan’s Island too while Pluto TV covers I Love Lucy, Three’s Company, and Married…with Children. Pluto TV + Tubi are practically unbeatable since they’re free. Just need to live with the ads. Rewatched Get Out (2017) again on Tubi the other night.
*Kodi:* So I couldn’t really create an app to add to Steam for Google Photos using Microsoft Edge. So what I’ll do instead is download some movies and TV shows from my Google Photos and save it onto my Deck. Then will have Kodi play it. I was going to use VLC but it doesn’t seem it can be added onto Steam. And Kodi seems to have a much nicer interface.
I have over 1400 movies and tons of TV shows in one of my three Google Photos accounts. But the only one downloaded for the Steam Deck is video game related. It’s a documentary called Console Wars (2020) which can be found on Netflix. I read the Blake J. Harris book back in 2014. I may include 8-Bit Christmas (2021), both live action Sonic movies, and the recent Super Mario movie for it.
I really want a complete set of the animated Shenmue series on my Steam Deck. I use magnetdl and I can’t find it complete. While I love the original Final Fantasy VII game, I didn’t care for Advent Children. That movie dragged. Most of my favorite TV shows and movies are on my multiple Android smartphones.
The other ones added are UA-cam, Gmail, Reddit, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. That’s a total of 10 “non games” if you include the 4 other ones mentioned earlier and EmulationStation. I set every app / website launcher to the native resolution of 1280 x 800. Looked through Google images to crop thumbnails for each of them. What really boosted my experience was finally figuring out each controller template. Set most of them to web browser and it’s like browsing from a tablet.
This thing can be used for a decade if you really wanted to. Just replace the battery every few years. When I got my Deck nearly two months ago, battery health (which can seen under desktop mode) read 97%. But I’ve been using it so much, it’s down to 92%. I honestly thought I would barely use it after the initial honeymoon phase wore off but it’s been the complete opposite for me and I carry it with me every day since I’m a gig driver.
The Steam Deck is frickin’ amazing. My Vita and Switch are collecting dust. If I’m bored playing games, I’ll use the Steam Deck to do something else like watch porn or read Reddit posts. I only bring one smartphone now because the Steam Deck is so complementary to any smartphone whether it’s iPhone or Android since it’s essentially a PC as well. It’s the G.O.A.T. It made me less interested for the Switch 2. F Nintendo! Cheers to Valve! 🍻
Solid suggestions! I'm sure this will help lots of dweebs out. Thanks buddy 👍
0:29 "You can just whip out your Deck, turn it on-" Should never be said by Austrailians.
Awesome vid! A work colleague visited a customer site with his steam deck because his work laptop died and IT was taking forever to replace it and he was able to do his work just fine with it. As far as Linux is concerned, it's a great OS. I daily drive Linux on my personal PC and only use Windows for work related purposes (apps that require windows DLLs and .NET framework to function). Other than windows games, there isn't anything I have found that I can't do on my kUbuntu distro. You can tweak it with the apps you want and need. I don't have any experience at all with Steam OS but I would expect the same thing to be true. Linux is free and open source. If you run into problems, there's usually a forum community that will provide all the answers you need to fix your issues if any come up.
I've had my SteamDeck for almost 2 years and while a few of my friends have sold theirs due to lack of use, I've never looked back. I use my Deck on an almost daily basis and I've taught myself a lot of Linux tricks from it as well. Is it for everyone? No, but it's definitely a piece of gold for dweebs like me out there.
6:10 I resemble that remark! However, you've been remarkably accurate 10/10.
An obvious thing to show is to install Heroic, Itch, and Emudeck (though guessing you've covered these already given this channel does a lot of emulator stuff), you need desktop for that. For Non-gaming, the list of Linux programs are pretty extensive. Surprised you didn't mention Komikku given the... other content... in the video. You can use Decibel for audio notes on the go, Obsidian for todo list items etc. Would also be interested if one of them finger style pens would work well with Rnote on the deck.
There's also Space Cadet Pinball, which you can no longer play on Windows.
EDIT: Also if you play older games then getting Luxtorpeda working is also pretty cool.
Solid suggestions, thanks buddy!
I request changing the name of the Steam Deck to the Swiss Army Steam Deck
Nah Steam Machine cause of Daft Punk.
Loved when he said that because its so true😅👌🏼
❤️ I am so in love with my new SD. And yes I was a little bit scared bc of linux. But just take your time and explore your device, watch some YT videos and you'll be just fine. This thing can do so much like TD just showed you.
I wish I could go back in time and show this device to myself as a kid. Telling: "Your life is gonna be pretty bad with a few nice moments inbetween BUT LOOK AT THIS! HA!"
...Luckily I can't go back I guess.
Well said buddy. Hope the nice moments are more and more frequent for you.
I wanted to program Pico-8 games and test them, but I couldn't get it to do it (gracefully). I figured I'd try it again later, but life got in the way of coding. That was a year and a half ago. I'll be revisiting this soon.
Yes, it has for me and I’m a long time Windows desktop and OSX user. Deck is basically my go to for couch and desktop gaming and UA-cam / streaming content for 80% of what I play and watch. It’s quieter, more power efficient and does everything very well. I don’t bother taking a laptop with me when I travel now, I just take my Deck.
All we need is an Occulink port for an external GPU dock and it would be perfection.
I have my gaming pc upstairs. When I’m chilling in the living room on a saterday evening with the wifey I hook up the Steam deck to my 65 inch LG c9. I run moonlight on the deck and sunshine on my host pc. I can stream in big picture or desktop mode from my pc in 4k 60hz. It’s pretty much without latency tbh. I barely notice a difference compared to actually sitting directly at gaming pc. Very nice future imo.
Ow and one other huge benefit is especially in the summer, the room stays a lot cooler ocfcourse. I also stream and play to the deck directly so that I can play all ultra and 90 fps. ( only at home ofcourse )
Great video, I will have to try this with my Xreal airs. Usually when I want travel light it's my key BT keyboard mouse, Xreal airs and using Samsung DEX on my phone as a desktop replacement.
I've been using it to learn how to program using Rust at home and on the go. My main issue surprisingly is that 16Gb isn't enough. I suggest that others give it a try. You get used to using the the on screen keyboard through the dual touchpads with a bit of practice. It's starting to feel a bit like touch typing but I still have to glance at the virtual keyboard often since the pads don't have the ridges like the steam controller.
Yeah I like the touchpad typing. Once you get used to it you can be really quick!
Linux user here! I use Fedora linux on my laptop, and it works great. I have heard there's a steam os distro called bazzie the runs on top of fedora and not arch but still has the steam deck ui and stuff. I have heard that it works great on the steam deck, so that may be something to try if you want to see a different desktop environment (gnome in specific is used in bazzite)
I also want to say great video covering how user-friendly linux is now. You did a great job showing how caught up and even better it is compared to Windows, like in the appstore section.
Traveling with my Steam Deck literally has me only bringing it and leaving my laptop at home. I fly often so it's great to have on the go.
last year during their summer sale i finally got a steam deck. first thing i did was upgrade the ssd. you can then partition the drive and put multiple operating systems on there.
you don't have to give up the functionality of windows because you can install it on there alongside steam os.
you have more room to install multiple linux distros.
mine has steam os, windows 10, kali, and a flavour of arch linux, and dragon os for sdr and a few experimental linux distros.
the main thing is to make sure you have a large enough drive to do all of this, partition the drive, and install the oses you want, starting with steam and windows first because windows tries to take over the boot menu while steam os allows you key button combos to get into their firmware boot menu to change things up.
doing this is a journey, but done successfully lets you do a whole bunch of computing capabilities in a portable form factor in addition to your games.
00:30 “Whip out your deck”
Valve was super smart choosing KDE Plasma for the DE, making coming from windows easy!
Even the onscreen keyboard is nice using both touchpads. I find some letters difficult but I haven't really fiddled with the settings yet.
thank you so much for this video!! i’m not tech savvy.. at all and i really don’t need a demanding pc so when i heard of the steam deck i knew it was my way to owning a pretty good computer without spending $1000-$2000 on the pc alone. but again i’m not tech savvy so i still didn’t know how to make it work for me and this really helped
I prefer a Legion Go for this (Which I'm considering to do).
Where you can connect an eGPU and transform that into a Docking station kinda solution. Also, I'm a windows user in terms of gaming.
I have been using Linux as my main OS since 2022 and I haven't regretted. Manjaro on an old 2012 MacBook Pro, PopOS! on a crappy Asus gaming laptop, and now SteamOS on my OLED Steam Deck.
I use Windows at work but anywhere else Linux is just fine for me with gaming and day to day use. Admittedly, I don't use Desktop mode that often, but when I do, I have it connected to my TV and used a Rii keyboard/track pad combo (but seriously looking to get a Razor wireless mouse and that 8bitdo NES keyboard soon).
I love how versatile Steam Deck is, and aside from my phone, it is my only computer and it just works!
I might have to try this out. I already have a WFH setup for my work laptop. it wouldn't be much of a hassle to just plug in deck for a different screen.
I used the steam deck as my daily driver with windows installed even running Unity. Ultimately I upgraded to the Win GPD 4 because of the keyboard and it made a large difference . The steam deck needs an attachable mini keyboard.
I have a drawing tablet that I use as a full size monitor. I also mostly use it with Krita to sketch. It got to the point where I was thinking of buying a steam deck motherboard from ifixit to make a dedicated drawing tablet running Linux. But it turns out they don’t sell them anymore :( the current setup works fine tho so it’s not important but it sounded like a fun project
Tips from a fellow Linux geek, you will likely have a blast playing around with different desktop environments on an old spare laptop. Its magical. Try KDE Plasma 6 or GNOME 46 or something completely left field such as Pop_OS!. It will blow your mind what is possible.
The only bad thing about using the steam deck as a computer is the hard drive is not encrypted. If you need to do confidential work you can dual boot windows, but even then it’s better to have a device with biometrics. I love my Oled deck though, and for the price there isn’t a better handheld pc gaming device when it comes to battery life.
That's a good point
Just got my desktop setup for my deck and it’s transformed the machine for me. It went from being a handheld to my PC. It’s great. Also mnk keyboarding is way easier than controller aiming, idc about aim assist it’s still easier.
@3:51 I like how you show onlyshow skyrim on screen when you say, "it can play old PC games, modern games, retro games" because Skyrim is sort of all of those categories
I docked my Deck with my big screen, Bluetooth keyboard and a wireless mouse and suddenly I was doing desktoppy things with it without thinking too much about it.
I grabbed a minicomp for video and comms, and run the Steamdeck for anything else. It works great for me, on my budget. :D
I actually really like the concept of using the main screen for productivity, while using the Steam Deck display as a second monitor for whatever else. That really is quite good. Especially if you can play some old, resource efficient games like World of Warcraft on it. Use the main display for the game, while using the Steam Deck display for maps and information etc. I actually really quite like that. eventually, I want 3 Steam Decks. I already have one, which I use for gaming. I want a second to convert into a true "Emulator Deck", with nothing but rom's and emulators on it. I want a third so that I can run it, almost permanently, in Desktop mode and use it as my main PC, connected to a Steam Deck Dock. If I can get away with it, I won't bother buying a custom PC again. From now on, I will just buy the Steam Deck. It is the perfect system to use as a multi media system.
amazing video, the anime culture addition add the chill vibe.
So jealous of your steam deck, when I grow up I wanna be like you.
Have been using Linux for 28 years now, but I'm not sure what cool stuff to recommend... because my setup has almost no overlap with what the Steamdeck runs. It's cool how diverse the Linux ecosystem is, but that also makes it difficult for different types of Linux users to relate to each other. I live in my happy little corner of the Linux world, and the Steamdeck is like a whole different continent, almost as foreign to me as Windows.
I was always wondering how it is for music production! Do you think you could try that out some time?
debating if I should get one as an in house remote streamer.
you can even run windows on it if you like pain
it isn't designed to run windows though, and performance isn't too great but compared to an old dell optiplex it actually isn't bad
I ran into a blocker using the Deck as a dev machine because it has tighter security than a stock Linux machine (it mounts / as read-only) and it is almost impossible to install and use Docker. I don't even mind though, the Deck should be as secure as it can be! And it can run VSCode or IntelliJ no problem so it would work great with workflows that don't require Docker.
I ran into an issue programming an ESP8266, for same reason, tighter security
my steam deck oled is currently my primary pc. i dock it with a mouse and keyboard and do literally everything on it including work
I don't have a PC. I currently get by between my Chromebook and the desktop HDMI out mode on my Motorola, but a big draw of the Ally or Legion Go is the Windows access for those few occasions every couple of months I have to borrow my mother-in-law's laptop. This is interesting, I'd love to see a longer term impression of this to see what roadblocks come up when it's your daily driver. I've used Ubuntu/Linux Mint a few times over the years with very few issues
Deck being a full on computer was one of my reasons to even consider it. I did want it to supplement the laptop I used to use at the time... But uh. Yeah. I don't need that laptop now, Deck does everything better. Especially the whole "actually doing stuff on battery" thing
so helpful! i love this kind of content. im so glad i found your channel ❤❤
I'm a Linux geek, but I tend to be on the lower end of fanaticism - but there is definitely some stuff I'd be curious about.
There are custom Proton versions used around - Proton-GE (Glorious Eggroll) provides performance in some Windows games that otherwise give vanilla Proton a hard time (including a number of games that were very difficult to get running). This would have to be installed from the desktop mode, but I don't see where it wouldn't work.
How far can the desktop be customized? Linux leads folks to tinkering...
Emulation... Making the Steam Deck run games that aren't on Steam. Making the Steam Dock run DOS. Sideloading?
Dungeons and Dragons campaign management? Ok, well, maybe that's just me...
Cool video, fellow Dweeb.
The Steam Deck is very versatile. I have a NexDock that can wirelessly turn my Deck into a Linux laptop which is great for messing around with the heroic games launcher in desktop mode when at home, and convenient for keeping my traveling kit light.
The laidback beach guy voice!!!
Nice!
If you want a migraine try compiling something in the desktop but first you have to figure out how to disable the read only mode on the os. I love my steam deck, but its a very neutered Linux pc. Thing is once you update the deck any changes made to the os including system packages get overwritten, just user data and flatpaks stay. So I wouldn't say its a "full" desktop experience compared to what a regular Linux user is use to but for the average user it's great.
Absolute love the Steam Deck.
I use Geforce Now for my AAA graphics fix too
for starters u can customize pretty much everything on ur desktop like u can move the panel, the buttons u can have 2 panels, a global menu thingy like macos :)
u can also take a look at gnome or kde apps websites for a collection of pretty good apps
(imo, gnome : pretty but a bit too simple apps, kde: feature rich but feel a bit too complex)
I'm a Linux user myself but I'm not experienced with Arch based systems. So the deck has given me knowledge on that. I'm more of a Debian guy.
I actually put Bazzite on my Ally because I wanted a SteamOS style game console experience vs what Windows 11 was offering. Quite interesting running a Fedora based OS. I did actually use the desktop mode today impressed with it.
@@eagle_rb_mmoomin_418 if I ever get an ally that was my idea to do bazzite. How's the support for the ally? Any bad bugs.
@@Atomic-Purple-Guy Seems decent so far the only one I've noticed is when going to sleep when plugged in even if you've turned the brightness off on the RGB to 0 it'll renable them. I think that's in the firmware to completely disable it. OpenRGB can control the RGB etc but turning it off completely is not an option. TLDR you can control RGB but if it bothers you when the device if sleeping, you'll have to completely turn it off.
Minor one is to get all the buttons, gyro etc Bazzite treats the built in controls as a PS controller which is fine but you'll see PS icons in the front end instead of the xbox buttons printed on the handheld. You might be able to play with that and fiddle but I figure the SteamOS QAM and Steam button are more valuable and Bazzite gives you those. Everything else seems to be working well. Haven't really used sleep much due to RGB annoyance as mine is mostly docked. The other day playing Rogue Trader on the couch it went to sleep and picked back up fine though.
I own both a Deck and a ROG Ally and between the two, I prefer using the Deck as a portable PC. I am no Linux expert, but I find it much easier to use as a personal PC than the Ally's Windows install. While traveling, I carry a foldable BT keyboard and a small multipurpose hub and I am ready to rock. Next up, I need to get a nice portable monitor. I wonder if a certain TechDweeb has some advice on that side?
Nice Summary of Steam Deck as a Personal Computer. ;)
I made a small window partiton(150gb) out of 1 tb ssd. Additional 512gb sd card as ntfs so its shared. With clover dual boot it works like a charm
I saw the thumbnail, looked over at my Samsung G9 Odyssey and had a little giggle tbh.
4th! 😄
I mean, you're basically replacing a PC with a PC there. But I'm envious of your hawk eyes man. Browsing KDE on that screen would tire mine so fast
Haha I'm the opposite. I have really good close-up vision, but I'm blind after about 2 feet.
Hallo TechDweeb! wanna ask what game was that you were recording? (Warcraft looking type game)
First of all, great video.
Second, I am shocked how rare (based on my experience in watching some videos) it is for a video on youtube about using the steam deck (or other similar computers) as a desktop computer, they ALL use the built in monitor for video editing etc for the whole frelling video!
I have three concerns with Linux which stopped me few times from migrating there.
a) Software compatibility. I realize things are better now and Valve has definitely helped towards that, but not perfect.
b) 30 years on it is still impossible to never have to deal with typing commands in Linux. And no I am not talking about someone who just logs in to check their emails., but uses it as they would a Windows PC.
c) Linux users/fanboys. As annoying as Apple fanboys, only that they also have the weapon of the budget friendliness of Linux. Fanboys in general are annoying, but Linux fanboys have the air of superiority that I don't see anywhere else in computing, apart perhaps from fanboys of the Amiga. (not users, fanboys).
Very positive video and fun to watch even though I have no steam deck.
My pc is old though and I am sure for at least some things it is much slower than the steam deck so that was fun/depressing to watch.
(i7 4710HQ, GTX860M)
Ayyy the steam controller! I just bought one last night. I played Grimm's Hollow with it 🤓
i only have a surface pro 8 and it doesnt play much. i used to have a razer blade years ago and it shit itself but even then it was hot and fans were blaring so i couldnt bring it anywhere.
once i found out the steam deck can be a pc and run games like a gaming rig i was hooked. saving up for it as im between jobs right now.
But TechDweeb - we say - Dolphins are mammals, not fish.
Great video as always, keep it up 🤘🏻
I seriously consider changing my gaming laptop for a Steam Deck. I would lose a lot in horsepower, but the battery on my laptop might be 2 hours doing nothing when it wants to, and like 10 minutes gaming lol. It's 17" too, so it's cumbersome, overkill for light gaming and still not sufficient for serious gaming on heavy titles (i7 8750H and GTX 1070 with 16Gb of RAM).
My laptop is already running KDE on OpenSUSE Tumbleweed (rolling distro), and I've already tested immutable distributions (SteamOS is immutable) so I would feel right at home. I also already know I can do everything I want on Linux as I've been using various Linux distros since 2011 and I know my way around, so it's tempting. Plus the high end deck is the same price as an entry level gaming laptop. I won't be able to sell my laptop for that kind of money, but I'm considering it.
Hard to tell the wife you can totally work on a consol though, plus she uses the laptop from time to time and I'm sure she would be lost on a Deck.
As a computer nerd, I love seeing more people use Linux. I appreciate the review of the Steam Deck. I am looking to minimize my life and have more purpose-build items. This being a dedicated gaming machine is a very nice feature
I like the idea of using the Deck as a computer replacement, but I don’t think I could manage my files on my iPhone and iPad with the Deck, so I’m set in getting a Mini PC before I get a Deck.
Wow your keyboard looks pretty nice. Haven't heard of Arteck but will check them out.
What keyboard are you using in this video ? Looks cool AF. Thanks
It looks like the 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard
I have a SD and can confirm that it is definitely not a good desktop replacement as i had way too much trouble trying to get multiple display monitors working past three monitors. SD is great as a basic computer up to two monitors. You can find a docking station to support up to 3 monitor.
I did this for about 6 month. Along with Samsung dex from my Samsung s23. As far as productivity tasks, I was able to do everything. Gaming was fine too. I eventually got a laptop though
What game is he playing on 12:05?
8-Bit Hordes
@@TechDweeb Thx!
I have an old pc … which is 9 years old at this point. I have been annoyed with Windows and i decided instead of a new pc i buy the deck and use it as a desktop too. Getting into Linux more. I have been using it since Christmas and been enjoying it a lot.
Might be a bit of a stupid question, but would you be able to use your iPad as the monitor via steam link?
What was that movie you were watching? It looked fun.
Haha I don't know! I googled "Japanese tentacle anime" for the joke and that's what it came up with 🤷
@@TechDweeb fsck! That's not fair! You can tease me like this!
"Oot and aboot"?! Okay, now you're just doing it on purpose.
I'm using Bazzite os on my main pc, but I can't wait for Steam to release Steam os for regular desktops, ever since I used it on the Steam Deck it's hard to go back to anything else for me, I like Steam os that much.
And there's a lot of other amazing Linux distros like PopOS, Mint, Manjaro, actually Steam os is pretty much Manjaro anyway
I can't believe I only found out about Linux when the Steam Deck was announced, so I'm now thankful to Valve for the Steam Deck, gave me an actual appreciation to computers, so I don't think I need to mention how I hate Microsoft's Windows garbage
We should come up with a codeword for the Steam Deck - Perhaps Superdoop?
What do you think of using the Genki Shadowcast to cast the Steam Deck on your laptop when you’re traveling or study abroad ?
tried to use it as a computer but found out that i hate linux. so i only use it for games only
Why is your Application Style set to MS Windows 9x? I assume that was not the default setting? :P but fair enough if you like it :D
Haha yeah that's not the default, I changed it and then I couldn't remember what the default was so I just stuck with the one that I like
@@TechDweeb oh :P Default is Breeze :D