I also have a great gaming PC so I do most of my major AAA gaming on that. People will talk about how great games like Elden Ring, RE4, or even Cyberpunk run on the deck but the experience is so degraded on the mobile platform that I'd rather play other games on Deck.

Things like Emulation, JRPGS, Platformers, Indie games fucking excel on the deck. The experience playing them there is so much better when being able to take it and go places.

If you are only interested in playing major AAA games or shooters, probably not worth it

For me, it’s been useful to get in some gaming time while still being around my family/kids. I have a gaming PC too, but it’s in my office which is kind of cut off from the main living areas of our house. The SD allows me to play and still easily pause to do whatever for my kids or talk to my wife, etc. The sleep/wake is *chef’s kiss.

My other use case is emulation. It’s really good at it, and even passable at emulating the Switch. Though the sleep/wake doesn’t work with those, it’s a trade off.

Playing PS2, PS3, Dreamcast, and GameCube games that the Retroids can't handle. It's amazing how almost everything runs well. other things I've bought things would be hit or miss, but this is the most consistent device I've seen so far.

I've got a big library, and most of it works great on Deck. I can also stream via my desktop (also running Linux) and play without a second install. In fact, I recently discovered this works with my PS4 Pro as well, via RemotePlay.

EmuDeck is the best integrated emulation experience I've tried. It's mostly RetroArch, but with very easy setup.

Trackpads. I can play strategy games with no controller support very comfortably in bed.

The list goes on. It's a great device.

It's definitely best as a companion to a full gaming pc. You get to play games when you are travelling, staying over somewhere else, or just want to hang out on the couch whith your partner while they watch something on TV. The suspend-resume feature is also amazing.

It can do a lot, I love it for what it is but it also has limitations. Games are just better on a larger, higher refresh screen if you have the option (I'm particularly picky about tight fov settings). Also some games are just easier with keyboard and mouse. Slower, more casual games you can fully enjoy on the steam deck.

So the pc is not going away but the sd is a great accessory in a sense.

Thanks for all the inputs! That was very very helpful! Few things I've learned so far: 1 - It's great for times that you don't wanna stay in the office all day and spend more time with your loved ones. 2 - You can use Moonlight and Steam Link to local-wifi connect to your PC and play games on it without spending as much battery with a good wifi connection. 3 - It's AMAZING for commuting and times you are not at your gaming rig 4 - You can basically install anything on it, and it could potentially replace your PC if it's not as-capable.

I guess I won't be purchasing it at the time as I have figured I could remote-play on my iPad 12.9 inch, and atm I'm not commuting so much so I guess it's just a shiny gadget that I'd love to have sometime but don't really need to spend money on it right now.

I'll probably wait a few years for SteamDeck V2 to come out (rumors are saying it'll be here at 2026+ so we've got a lot of time!) and it'll replace my current laptop then.

Thanks everyone! That was very helpful and I learnt a lot from it! Saved a few bucks thanks to you guys and found a new cool way to enjoy my iPad :)

EDIT: Fuck it I'm getting one.

My elbows and wrists have been savaged by decades of mouse and keyboard use at work. The only way I can play video games now is with a controller. So Steam Deck has given me access back to most of library. It was expensive but so worth it to game again.

I use it as entertainment when I'm out at the cabin (mostly playing my hungover away), but on top of that I use it a lot to play at work.

My job entails certain tasks I have to do weekly/monthly. When I'm done with them and unless I get random gigs, I might have a lot of free time at work which mainly consists of having to be there, and keeping an eye out for all the automation. Before having the Deck it meant that when it was slower days, I had scoured Internet empty of all memes, cats and videos by the end of the day.

Streaming your games from your gaming pc to your Deck while at home also makes for better graphics and better battery. Massive difference to battery running Elden Ring natively compare to streaming it. Mostly using it for Diablo 4 myself.

Also some games just feel more right on a handheld. Turn based RPGs for example. Platformers like Celeste or Metroidvanias. Stardew Valley. Heck you can even play World of Warcraft without m+kb. There are add-ons to make binding somewhat like in FFXIV. Plus there is not sub just to play online like on other consoles. You bring all games with you. In my opinion everyone thats a PC gamer and can afford a Deck should have a one.

If you're on the same network as your gaming PC, and have a halfway decent router, you can use Steam's remote play to get the performance of your gaming PC on your Deck. Works great from my experience and would allow you to play titles that the deck struggles with.

For a less obvious use case, I did some light video editing with Kdenlive and an external monitor, mostly because the Steam Deck is more powerful than my laptop ;)

Also PS2 emulation, Burnout Revenge has not aged one bit and plays very conveniently on a handheld.

I’ve recently become a father, and you would not believe how valuable it is. There are many instances I wanna play but need to hold my child in my arms. Can’t do that at my pc on a desk in the office, but on a sofa with the steam deck? Perfect

Emulation is amazing. I’m playing all the games I couldn’t afford when I was a kid

I bought it to play in hotels while travelling for work, but what I most use it for is playing games while sitting on the sofa.

There had always been this separation between PC gaming and handheld/console gaming. With the Deck that separation goes away. The things I would normally go upstairs to play on a PC on my own are now things I can play anywhere.

It works well with almost any game, but it works particularly well with games with control systems designed for gamepads. A great use case are the former Playstation exclusives ported to PC - Spiderman, God of War etc.

It's great for gaming on the go or chilling on the couch, in a hammock, etc. I have a laptop I can game on, but it's still not as convenient as grabbing the Steam Deck.

Honestly there's no game it can't play. Like besides super specific games that can't be emulated yet (Xbox 360 & original Xbox don't work, RIP), I'm yet to encounter something that it can't run. Like even shit that you'd expect to be totally unplayable without a keyboard or just kinda... No problem on deck 🤷‍♂️ the controller bindings or so customizable even Factorio or Apex are as close to PC as a handheld can get. It's wild.

I use it as my primary computer. The handheld ergonomics and thumb track pads make it the most comfortable device I own. I am familiar with KDE / arch, so I am at home in desktop mode. I bought the cheapest one and added a 2TB SSD. I am considering dual booting or just removing SteamOS and installing a standard linux distro. It’s a great computer.

I have a friend who uses the same 4g chip that’s in a PinePhone via USB. This lets him use his Steam Deck as a phone. That’s way beyond my skill level.

I use it everyday, but only occasionally play games on it. I love it for Spelunky 2, Risk of Rain 2, Dwarf Fortress, Rocket League, and puzzle games. I don’t play too many 3d games on it. High performance games seem to run ok, but I don’t have the attention span or time for cyberpunk or similar games.

I can play while sitting with my wife on the couch.

I can play while supervising my kids playing outside.

I can play while visiting my in-laws. This is the big one, as we probably spend at least a month there, every year.

I have a pretty good computer and play on it lots. I also use it for tons of productivity things. I recently bought a steam deck for:
Playing a half hour in bed before going to sleep
Playing during my hour long work lunch
Playing on the couch while partner is using the TV
Playing on long car/plane rides
Playing while away from home on vacation

I've been wanting one mostly to play NSFW games without my wife or kids knowing..

Of course there'll be other games played too hehe

Modded skyrim! So far, I'm 15h in with about 2h of game play. Having a blast so far :)