Honestly, what would you get out of SteamOS on PC anyway? Just install Linux, set up the drivers you need, launch Steam at startup, and default it to Big Picture Mode.
The Switch certainly predates the Deck, and they definitely make their money back on software, but being forced solely into the Nintendo ecosystem is off-putting. Only Microsoft is a likely candidate to make a handheld that uses their Game Pass, and I would bet they aren’t really needing to push subscriptions at the moment.
Right, but the original statement was whether other companies have made a competing and profitable “Deck,” and the Switch is already such a device. Portable, plays games locally, has a thriving software ecosystem…
Whether those games within that ecosystem are “quality” or not is irrelevant. Both platforms have examples of good and bad games. My point was that if you buy a Switch, you are forced into their ecosystem. On the Deck, you do not have such a limitation (with a bit of effort, you can access anything a regular Linux machine can). Nobody is coerced in, sure, but that wasn’t the point I was making.
So where you see apples and oranges, I see a small, dry apple vs. a big, juicy apple. A better analogy might be Apple vs Windows.
If you jailbreak the Switch, you can do all of those things. But by your definition, because I can’t arbitrarily install Windows software on an Apple computer, it is not a PC.
Just because it’s not easy doesn’t mean the Switch isn’t a personal computer. It is a device you can personally own that takes bits and bytes and performs computations with them that results in things like saving a game (data storage), internet communication (network computing), and video rendering (video stream computation).
Words have meaning. I’m sorry you don’t like the definition of Personal Computer. Go write to the dictionary committees about it. You are emphatically wrong.
I can’t believe I have to rehash this again. A Switch is a computer. My point wasn’t that it’s somehow better, but Nintendo already did exactly what you said: made a handheld portable computer with built-in screen that can play games locally and is sold at a loss only to recoup those losses with software sales.
The Deck can do more than the Switch, but that doesn’t make the Switch less of a computer.
I just looked it up, and it looks like Nintendo likely makes $40-$80 per Switch (estimated based on part costs). A decent profit, considering software (a big money maker) is just gravy at that point.
He’s a right-wing shithead who platforms people like Alex Jones under the auspices of “just asking questions.” His schtick is pretending everybody deserves equal airtime, fascists and conspiracy theorists included.
All over Twitch, about half the streamers I usually watch playing turn-based strategy games are all suddenly playing the same new game. I watched a few streams, and it looked interesting. Normally, I never buy games when they just come out because I have such a backlog and can wait for a sale, but I figured if everyone...
I think the (re)advent of demos has been an amazing boon for the industry that it forgot. Whether simplified full games or up-to-a-point full releases, it’s great to give things a try before you buy. Demos were huge in the 90s, and then capitalism thought it knew better.
I, for one, have bought more games this year in part due to the demos, whereas I used to demure to frugality and concern over refund policies.
And that’s great for you, but I have a family, and sometimes I have to pause a game, and that means those two hours can go up quick. Demos are inclusive to people like me.
Tl;Dr The cars caused accidents by braking too hard and too quickly (because they sensed obstacles that weren’t there), which caused people behind them to rear-end them. This apparently happened at least seven times and prompted a California government investigation, hence the voluntary nationwide suspension.
I don’t care how cheap it is or how amazing it allegedly is. I clawed my identity back from Zuckerberg, and I don’t intend to go back to that abusive relationship.
We just continue to see these repeat problems," said Chap Ambrose, who lives next to The Boring Company. “Unfortunately, yeah, not a little effort to sort of make sure they don’t happen again.” Ambrose has been following the citations and complaints that have been piling up with the state and county since 2022. According...
The school calendar limits what teachers can do to reach out to their own lawmakers, but they’re still planning on having their voices heard. Zarifis says, “The governor so heartlessly calls a special session while teachers are teaching, will not stop us from showing up. We will be there, teachers will be there. We will be...
Not the person you replied to, but I have a Steam Controller and a streaming device for my main library on my desktop, so I’m honestly torn.
What do you think makes this better than such a setup? From my perspective, it seems like the main benefit is “Steam Controller with screen attached,” so it’s portable, and it has some limited* capabilities to install and play games locally.
I’m not trying to detract, but having used my own setup for over five years, I wonder what it is I might be missing. What do you think?
Edit: *Compared to a desktop with latest-gen or second-latest-gen hardware.
I should have qualified: *Limited compared to latest-gen desktop hardware.
Because let’s be honest, no amount of tweaking will get you to that same level. But it’s obviously enjoyable and more than “just playable,” else we’d hear about it from a lot more people. My question was more geared towards “what is it that I’m missing out on” compared to what I have, not to passive aggressively wrinkle my nose at the console.
Thanks for the explanation! That makes a lot of sense, and I’ll have to give it some thought.
Running the games locally has been a massive experience improvement for couch coop
Can you explain this one a bit more? Can you connect multiple together, like a WLAN party, or do you mean like playing the same online game together on a couch?
Mine is only 450-500 at most, and about half that cost (towards when GPUs began to come down). But I was just trying to ascertain how it compares to a gaming rig from current or a generation ago. If it can emulate and do 2D like a champ but struggles with 3D, that would factor into my decision. I don’t mind lowering settings, but I do if they always have to be “Low.” I did my time on a GTX 960M—not doing that again, insomuch as it’s up to me.
But from the other answers, it sounds like it is both capable and has some unique use cases that my SFF desktop couldn’t fill. With the community support and ever-growing list of tweaks and tools, I think it might be on my shortlist for the next sale.
For anyone unaware, you can get a Slate kit for the GBA SP for about $100 less (provided you have an SP lying around), and it can play GBA, GBC, and original Gameboy carts. If all you’re looking for is the form factor and general retro gaming, there’s other options out there.
Furthermore, there’s no shortage of people who sometimes decide to support indie devs over giant AAA studios. Maybe I’m a bit snobbish, but I wrinkle my nose a bit whenever the next “super mega ultra open world souls-like Metroidvania rogue-lite dungeon crawler battle royale” from Faceless MicroTx Corp comes out, even if it winds up being decent.
As long as people can discover these indie games, people will buy them.
The way Breathedge got around it initially is the starting area is a ship crash, so you collect broken bits of the ship(s) (which includes water and food).
But space is vast. Why couldn’t there be space fauna? Or a way to travel to nearby system planets? Its fiction, after all. We don’t need to be constrained by reality.
NMS is survival in space, insomuch as planets are in space and you can fly around in a ship, but you start on a planet. I was thinking more like having to survive in space by building the ship in space, building a station in space, etc. Space would be your primary sandbox, rather than planets (at least initially).
The normal NMS experience isn’t quite what I’m envisioning. Maybe if you started on one of those abandoned freighters, though…
I’m basing my opinion on the fact that the development cycle is completely beyond what even indie studios have. As others have said, at some point, you need a finished product. You can continue to develop after that, but the project lead doesn’t seem to know how to do that and continue to build upon that foundation. Scope creep, indeed.
This might not technically be a scam, but half a billion dollars for a decade of snail’s-paced development and only alpha-ware to show for it at least begins to smell like one.
Plus, technology is developing faster than the dev is able to create. As it progresses, will the dev revise the scope to match the new tech? Based on the track record, I’m betting “yes,” and this will never be finished in his lifetime.
Well, if you’re a backer, and you’re happy, I don’t see any reason to try to take that from you (which I doubt I could anyway). You enjoy!
Personally, I’m unimpressed with what it is. The idea is cool, and I would consider buying the finished product if they do achieve everything in their stated goals, but its state and pace of development don’t thrill me or make me want to invest right now.
[News] SteamOS will be coming to other handhelds before you can install it on your PC 'because right now, it's very, very tuned for Steam Deck' (www.pcgamer.com)
[Prime/Epic] Centipede Recharged
Remastered arcade classic for Windows, free for Amazon Prime subscribers on Epic Games until December 13th
[News] Steam Deck OLED review: Includes specs on new screen and other improvements (www.polygon.com)
This is the best coverage of the new Deck that I’ve seen yet....
Teacher pension amendment passes (www.kvue.com)
The Steam Deck's budget price tag is the reason I still rate it nearly two years on (www.pcgamer.com)
The Escapist staff resign following termination of editor-in-chief Nick Calandra (www.gamesindustry.biz)
Calandra shared more information on Discord, revealing that the “entire video team” has resigned in response....
Is there anyway to watch Joe Rogen Podcast without having to create a spotify account?
Blizzard announces World of Warcraft's next 3 expansions: 'We ain't screwin' around,' declares Chris Metzen (www.pcgamer.com)
cross-posted from: kbin.social/m/PCGaming/t/596090...
They are giving out free stickers all over town (lemmy.world)
Go get yours, only took a couple minutes. They said we are at 3% turnout so far.
[GOG] The Whisperer (www.gog.com)
Spooky point-and-click adventure for Windows and Mac, free (again!) on GOG until 1st November
[Humble Bundle] WB 100: Play the Legends (www.humblebundle.com)
Celebrating 100 years of Warner Bros heroes & legends...
Backpack Battles: business model i haven't seen since Minecraft, and it seems to be working?
All over Twitch, about half the streamers I usually watch playing turn-based strategy games are all suddenly playing the same new game. I watched a few streams, and it looked interesting. Normally, I never buy games when they just come out because I have such a backlog and can wait for a sale, but I figured if everyone...
Cruise self driving cars suspend operations (www.reuters.com)
Banned in CA, suspended everywhere it appears.
[Steam] CRYPTARK (100% off / FREE) (get it before 21 Oct) (store.steampowered.com)
store.steampowered.com/app/344740/CRYPTARK/
Meta Quest 3 review impressions - one of VR gaming's best options (www.eurogamer.net)
The Boring Company could face consequences after more environmental violations (www.kvue.com)
We just continue to see these repeat problems," said Chap Ambrose, who lives next to The Boring Company. “Unfortunately, yeah, not a little effort to sort of make sure they don’t happen again.” Ambrose has been following the citations and complaints that have been piling up with the state and county since 2022. According...
Mod Idea Collaboration: Embedded Loss Prevention
Hello folks,...
Texas teachers to rally against school vouchers, demand increased public school funding at Capitol (cbsaustin.com)
The school calendar limits what teachers can do to reach out to their own lawmakers, but they’re still planning on having their voices heard. Zarifis says, “The governor so heartlessly calls a special session while teachers are teaching, will not stop us from showing up. We will be there, teachers will be there. We will be...
How Valve Made $600,000,000 in a Year | Steam Deck Success Story (www.youtube.com)
Analogue's limited edition Pockets are delightful and frustrating (www.engadget.com)
The company's dedication to retro authenticity goes far beyond creating desirable gaming hardware....
Is there an indie games bubble? (roadmapmag.com)
What type of game you want to see that doesn't fully exist yet?
$600 Million And A Decade Later, Where Is Star Citizen? (exputer.com)