Valve isn’t the only option if you’re looking to take your PC library on the road.
The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered just dropped, and it's Steam Deck Verified! Well, the users aren't satisfied with its performance.
People need to understand that the reason it's verified is cause it runs on proton. If anyone actually bought this thinking that an U5 game was going to run smoothly on hardware too weak for it then idk what to tell ya… well I do know what to tell ya but it isn't something nice.
It wouldn't put it on a consumer to know that Verified means 'it boots up'. Perhaps they should be more upffront on the product page to better mangage expectations.
Maybe, but I've played games on my Deck that say it's verified but run like shite. If I can come to the conclusion that hardware limitations is something that will effect a games performance then so can everyone else. People don't need to be spoon fed, they need to use some common sense.
That's why the real argument here is a broader one that the criteria for "verified" should be changed to better factor in performance. The steam deck site uses this general explanation for verified games: "The game works great on Steam Deck, right out of the box." Given this description, the criteria to meet "Verified" status should factor in performance. So no, it isn't that people should expect U5 games to run well on Steam Deck. It's that U5 games shouldn't meet the criteria for "Verified."
It's not like Valve produces a more powerful unit themselves that can run this game in an acceptable way (if reports are as bad as the headline suggests).
Deck Verified should mean and imply that it will not just open but run in that acceptable way on the one hardware they make where that label is of any relevance. And for future hardware that is more powerful, or new OEMs, that label will mean that the game not only runs, but will run better than the baseline.
How is it the consumers fault for not looking deeper into this sort of technicality. This is still misleading the consumer.
There seems to be a misconception about what the deck is capably of.
Not sure what people expect its a portable PC did people expect it to run every new PC game for the next decade. It's not a bespoke console where Devs will target that SKU and optimise for it specifically the thing about pc gaming is that eventually you'll be forced to upgrade or be left behind.
The steam deck hardware was fantastic for running last gen games but modern games are now starting to push into a new level of requirements (finally!!!).
I think the verification system for the deck does need an overhaul though as it's not the first game to be approved which clearly shouldn't
Playing Minecraft splitscreen on the Steam Deck is possible now, thanks to this script that automates everything for you.
Steam Deck users can now claim an amazing AAA game completely for free, but must do so right now as the offer is ending very soon.
I claimed it yesterday from Steam but I find it odd that I still cannot claim it through my XB. It's supposed to be free to keep there as well.
It's a 2014 game so it should work well on this device, I would grab asap if I had a Steam Deck.
"Metro 2033 Redux is currently available to claim for free on Steam Deck and PC. But, to get the game for free, you must claim it before 8AM PT/11AM ET/4PM BST on April 16th."
Or, do yourself a favor and get a Steam Deck 😁
A significant portion of those "alternatives" are Android/Arm-based. So I wouldn't call them alternatives to a Handheld PC like the Steam Deck at all.
The rest are valid. GPD is known for being one of the first in this market and they produce some cool shit, but they are expensive, have a history of not honouring warranties and are known for cutting corners. So the buyer has to keep that in mind. Ayn is in a similar place and for the whole Loki series of devices, they took pre-orders with a promise of a Q4/22 release and even now most of those devices are either cancelled or without a release date. Aya is another one that has some skeletons in their closet, support from them is reported not easy to get and they did a huge bait and switch with one of their most recent releases by literally doubling their prices out of the blue. And finally, Onexplayer is pretty expensive and probably has the same issues with support and warranty, but to be honest there are very few reports of that brand as a whole.
And that leaves us with the Ally, which is an amazing device but has its own set of QC issues like the terrible SD card reader. But different from the rest, it also has the big advantage of being officially available in markets that not even the Steam Deck is. So depending on where you live, that might be the alternative for you.