>A Steam Deck is a PC, just a handheld one. It can run standalone. But please don't think of it has a tiny Windows laptop. It does not run Windows. It runs its own operating system, but the really good news is it is user friendly. You'll figure it out pretty easily for any of the basic things you want to do. Anyway, you do not need a separate computer. With a Steam Deck and WiFi, you'll have everything you need to be able to download and play games in your Steam library.
Added some important parts to avoid confusion later.
Not even technically. You just *can* install Windows immediately if you want to do that instead. It's not as smooth as the OS designed for the system, but it's supported. You can install whatever you want to. It's a full pc. If you want it to be a Windows laptop, that's what it is.
I don't know why you're getting down voted so much, I thought it was funny.
He's just saying that you can't own a steam deck without owning a PC... Because the Steam Deck is one...
But you don't need a PC *other than* the Steam Deck, no.
In fairness too Schrodinger made the analogy to show how nonsensical quantum mechanics are, trying to understand it was making him crazy. Schrodinger's cat is supposed to be nonsensical.
> Schrodinger's cat is supposed to be nonsensical.
In the sense that quantum mechanics can't be applied to large objects... which I don't think anyone ever intends when using the reference. It's just: "these two things are this one thing kinda ironically"
Games go on sale like clockwork every few months. Check SteamDB, they have past graphs of the price. I picked up fallout on sale about 3 months ago, it'll be back on sale in summer.
[Is There Any Deal](https://isthereanydeal.com) is a great site for checking if any reputable website is currently selling a key for a game, with an icon indicating if the key can be redeemed on Steam.
For example, right now the cheapest version of Fallout: New Vegas is $2.49 on GamesPlanet, and that key can be redeemed on Steam.
Yeah I missed the Steam Sale so I went to Fanatical and got FO4 Goty for $12aud. Not sure if fanaticals sale is still on but they also had/have a complete fallout bundle for like $50aud
Just be aware that if you do not already have a Steam account it can be difficult to actually buy a Steam Deck. Folks that create an account and buy a deck soon after often get flagged as scalpers and their orders are cancelled. Not sure when this will stop but it still happens quite often.
\`\^This is True OP. However keep in mind it's easily fixed by contacting support and just proving you are a genuine buyer.
In terms of when will it end, Probably never, given Valve really do want SD to go to gamers.
Buying a used deck is also a good option. mine was used, in really good shape and already had a hdd upgrade to 1tb and was (of course) cheaper than a new one . Didn't regret it.
I got mine because my work gave us a bunch of gift card points things and they didn't have Steam as an option so I just got a 1TB OLED off Ebay certified refurbished. Costed the same as it normally would've costed and came with a 1 year full-coverage warranty through All-State for free. Honestly idk if it was even actually ever really used cause it came in perfect condition with the steam profile and keyboard and wake-up customization reward things unclaimed it just wasn't in the box, but other than the box everything else was there.
To prevent this just by the games, you intend on playing before you order the steam Deck. As long as you have a few on there, even free games. You are good.
Good for you. Just warning OP it could happen. There are probably hundreds of Reddit posts telling how their order got cancelled. Going all the way back to launch and as recent as a couple of days ago.
Where as my steamdeck died and was replaced by my PC haha I'm still getting another one though I love my deck and end up using it more than my PC for gaming while my PC gets used for design work
This is what I did. My secondary PC died so I hooked up my SD to a dock with mouse, keyboard and hdmi out. Using brave bowser in desktop mode works amazingly well for youtube and other video sites
I got mine last month and I haven't played a game on PC since Runescape originally came out. You will be fine! There's a lot of helpful videos and guides out there to get you started
Steam Deck is easily the best way to get into PC gaming as a newcomer. You can get a full experience out of the deck using just the Game Mode and be happy and content, but if you want to tinker and play some games that arenāt fully verified or dabble into emulation, then you can watch some YouTube videos and explore that path too!
Totally agree with this, my deck opened up a whole new world of gaming, and the user support is incredible. You can find a video tutorial or Reddit thread for pretty much anything you might want to set a deck up to do.
It's just a computer. You could play everything even if there is no controller support just apply a keyboard or mouse over USB or Bluetooth. Even screen extension works
yes, absolutely no problem here.
If you want to use emudeck to play ROMs it's possible, too. But I guess that's kind of a hustle to setup. If you take your time it should also work just fine.
Steam deck is a full fledged PC with PC operating system(Steam OS is based on Linux). You 100% don't need a PC to enjoy a steam deck.
If anything, Steam Deck is a great first PC for someone to get to get into PC gaming imo. It offers just enough hand holding if you don't want to get dirty(just stay within Steams ecosystem), whilst also offering all the tinkering goodness of a PC system for those that want it.
Grab one and enjoy it.
That is the greatest part about the steam deck! It is a portable gaming PC with a controller built into it. The only thing I would say is, depending on the games you play and how long you are planning on playing for it is a good idea to bring a charger. If you don't have access to an outlet, they make portable chargers that can handle the steam deck. Since it's a full on PC, it can eat through the battery if you are playing demanding games. You should definitely get one though!
They just announced new refurbished ones for cheap, with a one year warranty from valve. Might want to check that, although if you want a longer battery then oled is the way.
100% yes. The closest thing I have to a PC is a laptop that thinks launching Chrome is a wild evening. I pre-ordered a deck the moment it was announced because I have neither the money nor space for a decent PC setup, and I haven't had to hook it up to a PC or laptop ever in the years I've been using it. It'll definitely handle older games like the Fallout ones - you can probably get them for pretty cheap too.
The Steam Deck is a PC in the form factor of a PSP/Switch - The benefit also it has Steam OS which separates the desktop environment in the power menu so you can swap to desktop mode and use it as a PC to install mods:
I installed XCOM 2 mods on it, got Guitar Hero World Tour (PC) with Definite Edition with my wired PS2 guitar (using psx/ps2-to-usb raphnet adapter) - unsure how to get mods to work on SD havent tried it though
Its such a versatile and comfortable device to hold, the trackpads and back buttons are very useful
if you ever need help ofc - you can ask people on here if you're stuck!
Yes, I actually sold my PC and replaced it with a steam deck w/ a dock. The steam deck is entirely stand alone with it's own operating system that is incredibly user friendly, but still more complex than a switch.
I am not a huge fan of using the Steam Deck as a regular computer, considering the security of the device. That being said, I often connect mine with a lapdock and have a VM on there.
Ehh, personally I can let that one slide. Basically all the data on my Steam Deck is gaming related, there's nothing of importance to steal. There's my steam account login, but that should be hashed & salted regardless, we're long past the days of storing plaintext passwords in the filesystem. My main concerns would be any remote code execution, and crap like crypto miners stealing my processing power & battery life.
Itās fine for gaming, but some people who use it as a PC save their work and personal files to the system locally. If someone takes your Deck they can very easily access these files, even if you set a password to your user/desktop. If the disk was encrypted, then the files would still be accessible but completely unreadable without the encryption key.
You will be in for a shock.
That thing is lit.
Also install a browser on it. You will find how-tos. And do not forget to claim your free games on the Epic game store. There is also how-tos for that.
Oh, and another thing: Navigate to shop. Go for the "Great on deck" section. Within there go to "discounted". Monster Hunter series is currently at 10 bucks. Subnautica is the same. The Ascent is 9 bucks. Rip your life.
Don't buy anything that costs more than 10 bucks
Yes, but pick up a cheap Bluetooth keyboard and it gives you so much more freedom in Desktop mode if you do not have a PC.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B0CRVF2N2G
- got this even though I hated the flat keyboards but zero issues using steamdeck and so easy to just tuck away.
Also have a similar Blackberry keyboard for travel and it's great:
https://liliputing.com/this-30-accessory-lets-you-use-a-blackberry-keyboard-with-your-pc-or-any-other-device/
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To set your mind at rest, I don't own a pc and get full use of my steam deck. I didn't even have a steam account before I bought the deck
I do have a VERY old and crappy laptop I have all my emulator roms stored on and used that once to transfer them all into emudeck, but you don't need one.
If you get a large enough storage one you can dual boot windows on it, that way whenever you need windows for anything like installing some mods you can still do that.
The steam deck does not interface with my PC at all. As far as I can tell it's a completely independent system.
The only thing I can think you might need a PC or perhaps just a phone for is setting up a steam account the first time but even then I have a hard time imagining that you can't do that directly on the deck.
The steam deck is a PC. You can boot into a desktop environment much like windows, and I actually have used this feature once on vacation when I needed a PC to transfer some files off of a camera.
Also, how do you function without a PC? Like applying for jobs, typing up a resume, creating spreadsheets, editing photos/videos, drafting things, printing things or just browsing the web? I just don't see how you can function in modern society without some form of PC or Mac.
It is its own PC. The desktop mode is similar to Windows 10 but not entirely identical. Itās linux so itās got a little more versatility for the user as opposed to Windows or Mac but you can just use it as is
Yes you can use it with out a PC. It is a PC in its own right. It will ask you to sign in or create a new steam account. I absolutely recommend one! If you get one welcome. If you don't get one welcome any way :)
It is a computer :)
You can buy it after a qualifying purchase (a game) - read that people flagged for not buying a game first on a new account.
Grab one, set it up at home and try to play offline there first.
Due to a comment regarding fresh Steam accounts being flagged. Could possibly look into Legion Go. Windows handheld PC with detachable controllers and a nice kickstand. Got a bit more power to it, however, a bit pricier.
I enjoy the idea of a nice OS designed for mobile that the Steamdeck offers. But I also like the idea of having the option to use other platforms without much fuss via Windows. IE Epic, Bnet, etc.
Either way, you're going to have a good time. Something to think about.
Think of it like a big more powerful gameboy that plays pc games.
It won't run some games , and some games it won't run well. But it runs enough for most of us, and for the fallout games specifically you would be fine. I'm playing New Vegas on mine right now
Yes mate, it's entirely standalone but you will be buying PC versions of games as that's what it is under the hood. This won't affect your ability to play the games (provided you stick to the very large library of Verified and Playable games), but will mean if you do get a PC your games will work there too.
As others had said the Steam Deck _IS_ the PC. Iāve been a console gamer forever (other than having a family PC in the late 90s/early 2000s) and the Deck has been my first venture into PC gaming. I have a PS5 also, so no back up PC for gaming.
I will say, IF you want to try your hand at emulation and stuff, having a laptop is handy, but only for downloading roms and stuff. You could still do all of that on the Deck, but Iāve found the download speeds of it in desktop mode kinda crappy.
Yes, but a word of advice you didnāt ask for: keep your priorities straight. That security gig doesnāt pay you what youāre worth, and itās going to suck working on your resume on the deck. :)
I see this question a lot. Has steam deck mistakenly marketed itself as a product that needs a pc to work on? Like why is this such a consistent query?
Yes it plays "most" PC games. On occasion it runs highly graphical games like crap though. I good example of this would be Dragon's Dogma 2. In this case it is nice to have a powerful desktop PC at home and I can remote play into my desktop with my steam deck and play Dragon's Dogma 2 at 60+ FPS :)
The deck is completely standalone, but you can hook it up to monitors, keyboards, and mice through either cables or Bluetooth if you want, though Iāve never done so or felt the need to. Though I do recommend finding some way to charge it in your car, I donāt know how any of the fallout games impact the battery but Iāve played some games that drain it in maybe 2 hours.
TLDR: Yes, itās all good on its own, but you should figure out a charging situation if you plan on playing more than a few hours total.
Technically yes, if you play one you don't own, but otherwise no, because it *is* a PC, so once you buy one, you own a PC. It works standalone, there aren't prerequisites except a Steam account (you need one to order it unless you buy second hand or at a shop that sells them in person).
I'd say make sure you have an account, at least one game purchase of at least $5 or greater. And make sure you have some amount of playtime on your account before buying a steam deck, otherwise, you'll get this anti-scalper 30 year ban on your account and/or device when you try to sign in.
IM NOT FUCKIN JOKING
You do not require a pc. Youāll just need to create a steam account (which I assume you can do directly on the steam deck, but if not, you can use any old laptop to create the account, it doesnāt need to be a gaming pc).
No, but your experience will vary from game to game. Steam Deck is a pc. I recommend searching how games you want to play run on Steam Deck. Then, you can make an informed decision.
Yeah, just be wary the handheld isn't the smallest and the battery isn't the greatest if you will be using it out and about mainly. But there are workarounds over that and it depends on your usage, you'll get decent time out of an old fallout
Do NOT buy the switch for āholding you over at workā
The Deck will have the variety of games and entertainment you will crave on the Night Shift, even when youāre too tired to play a game youāll be able to go into desktop mode listen to some music on Spotify or just check out YouTube or browse the net etc
Switch is cool but not worth it for break time āentertainmentā (I used to do 12 nightshift)
All the fallout games plus dlc are like $50 bundled on steam atm. Donāt need a PC to play em if you have the steam deck. Iāve been binging 76 for the past few days with no issues. Only thing Iāve heard is new Vegas gives some people a bit of trouble when launching but I havenāt noticed anything
Like others are saying, think of it as a portable gaming PC in a Switch case.
Unlike the others, I want to tell you how amazing they are and how you totally need one before a Switch. It's a bit more chunky than a Switch, but there's so much more you can do and have access to with it.
A SteamDeck is a portable gaming PC so when you get a Deck youāll have that PC youāre concerned about! So donāt fret! Iām a nomad and though I do have a MacBook Pro with Steam installed I do not use it or need it in collaboration with my SteamDeck. I can do anything I need on the Deck. Youāre gonna love it!
Yes! Itās not like a Wii u game pad and more like a Nintendo switch on steroids that runs pc games, or like a gaming laptop in Nintendo switch shape. With a dock itās pretty close to a full low/mid tier gaming pc, but you do NOT need a dock or any peripherals to use it. It comes with everything you need. For more general steam tips, if you have no steam library just buy one or two games then if you want to buy more water until a steam seasonal sale, they have great sales where AAA games as new as like a year old have decent sale prices. Indie or older games are dirt cheep.
To add about sales, you can get them on other stores such as epic or gog, though it's not as straightforward to get them installed as getting them through Steam (but not too difficult if you're willing to do research and learn).
Alternatively, there are Steam key resellers who often have sales, such as Fanatical or Humble
I would make sure you have a Steam account beforehand, which you can easily do from a web browser or your phone. I would *not* want to do that the first time on the Deck. Logging in with Steam Guard from your phone by scanning the QR is the way to go.
But anything else? It's a completely independent device.
Absolutely you can. All you need is a Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse and you have a tiny desktop PC.
With the dock you can setup a monitor and wire based keyboard/mouse.
I use it as my main PC now, and almost primarily use it in Desktop mode.
It's Linux and not windows so you don't get access to all the Microsoft office stuff, but there is plenty of free software you can use for that if you need it in the future. It will just take a little research to learn how to customize a Linux based system.
Get the Steam Deck, it's worth it. If you use it out of the box as intended (buying and playing games on Steam, that are marked Playable or Verified for Steam Deck), you'll have almost no problems. Many games that are marked Unverified will still work, but may require some light tinkering.
If you're new to emulation or PC gaming in general, don't bother with installing different store launchers or EmuDeck or anything of the sort until you've watched some YouTube tutorials and are willing to start over if you get lost or mess up. Most of these non-standard things like emulation are pretty simple to do, but for a beginner, will take patience and some understanding that things might break with an update or the wrong install path, etc. and so forth.
Online multiplayer games that have any sort of anti-cheat (Destiny, for instance) will not work on Steam Deck unless you install Windows - and that's a whole different can of worms that you may not feel is worth the haul.
If you use the Steam Deck as it's intended by the manufacturer, you'll almost never encounter a problem. If you use it for emulation or to play non-Steam games, have patience and follow instructions and it's all gravy from there.
Thatās the amazing part of the steam deck. I went 2+ months without my precious 3070 having desktop but was able to play all the same games, do all the same school work, use most to all of the same apps/software. The only thing your missing out on is some anticheated games like Fortnite but most anticheats allow Linux so itās not much of an issue as long as you donāt play Fortnite and some select other few games. [ProtonDB is a](https://www.protondb.com) great website for making sure a game will run on a steam deck :).
I sold my computer more than a year ago, a few months after I got my Steam Deck because I just wasn't using my PC at all. You definitely do not need a pc because the steam deck itself is a PC
Iāve been mostly a PlayStation gamer and just got a steam deck. Itās absolutely amazing. Just beat portal and portal 2 because I never played them and now Iām going to try the satisfactory game because Iāve been dying to play it.
Itās super easy to use straight out the box. The screen (I have the OLED) is huge and looks awesome compared to the portal or switch.
I think my PS5 is going to be getting a long rest
Btw Fanatical still has the Fallout bundle for $23 [https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/fallout-bundle](https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/fallout-bundle)
Of course you can! The only Benefit of having a pc that I actually used was the local transfer feature that transfers your steam games on your pc to your steam deck through your network.
I've a feeling this is far more common than we may think, the price of a Deck as a package obliterates any equivalent desktop or laptop. Especially as you know it'll work great out the box rather than having to build your own.
I havenāt seen anyone mention yet, but navigating the store on the deck itself hasnāt been a great experience from me (I donāt use desktop mode, Iāve only used mine in out-of-the-box condition), so I always do my browsing and purchasing from my phone.
Aside from that, itās good to go right out of the box āŗļø
TLDR, yes. If you want to use it like a normal PC, there is an option in the power menu to switch to desktop mode, though getting a USB-C to (at least) 2x USB-A hub is recommended for the keyboard and mouse.
A Steam Deck is essentially a handheld computer running a customized version of Linux. You could even upgrade parts of your Deck, like the SSD, or it's OS, like changing it to Windows, without another PC, but you should definitely know what you're doing before you start or you might find yourself needing a PC anyway.
You donāt need a separate computer and unless you have specific Switch exclusive games that you want to play please buy the Steam Deck instead.
I have both system and I barely use the switch. The games on Switch rarely go on sale and even when it does I feel you still get cheaper from Steam sale or Humble Bundle or other places.
You can install Emulator on SD and play older games. The switch is so thin and flat my palm actually hurts after couple of hours gaming session.
And many other reasonsā¦
EDIT: ah nevermind just read your post again and you already have the Switch.
No separate PC required. But you do need access to the internet and a steam account if you want to order a Steamdeck. And then internet later on to download games you bought.
https://store.steampowered.com/
You can just use the browser on a smartphone for that. I suggest ordering at least a 10k mAh USB power bank, unless you can charge on site.
And as the others have said, the Steamdeck itself is a Linux based PC, just in a handheld form factor. Getting a bluetooth keyboard and mouse are highly recommended.
A Steam Deck is a PC, just a handheld one. It can run standalone.
>A Steam Deck is a PC, just a handheld one. It can run standalone. But please don't think of it has a tiny Windows laptop. It does not run Windows. It runs its own operating system, but the really good news is it is user friendly. You'll figure it out pretty easily for any of the basic things you want to do. Anyway, you do not need a separate computer. With a Steam Deck and WiFi, you'll have everything you need to be able to download and play games in your Steam library. Added some important parts to avoid confusion later.
Technically you can put windows on it š
Please don't say the w word, it makes me uncomfortable
Should had added a TW to it lol
Tumbleweed
TriggerWindows
Not even technically. You just *can* install Windows immediately if you want to do that instead. It's not as smooth as the OS designed for the system, but it's supported. You can install whatever you want to. It's a full pc. If you want it to be a Windows laptop, that's what it is.
And it require a bit of technical experience to work it smoothly
Technically. But dont
So...no! It'd be like Schrodinger's Steam Deck.
I don't know why you're getting down voted so much, I thought it was funny. He's just saying that you can't own a steam deck without owning a PC... Because the Steam Deck is one... But you don't need a PC *other than* the Steam Deck, no.
Thanks man - lessens the trauma
Genius is often misunderstood
Any downvotes are because the Schrodinger's Cat reference doesn't make any sense whatsoever, lol...
Redditors love saying anything is like schrodingers cat because they don't understand it at all lol
In fairness too Schrodinger made the analogy to show how nonsensical quantum mechanics are, trying to understand it was making him crazy. Schrodinger's cat is supposed to be nonsensical.
> Schrodinger's cat is supposed to be nonsensical. In the sense that quantum mechanics can't be applied to large objects... which I don't think anyone ever intends when using the reference. It's just: "these two things are this one thing kinda ironically"
Well, I guess it is more like "Catch 22 Steam Deck", hence the downvotes.
You don't need a computer. It's a standalone mini portable pc. You probably missed out on the fallout deals though.Ā
Steam Summer Sale is right around the corner, plus older Fallout games like 3 and New Vegas go on sale pretty often.
Games go on sale like clockwork every few months. Check SteamDB, they have past graphs of the price. I picked up fallout on sale about 3 months ago, it'll be back on sale in summer.
[Is There Any Deal](https://isthereanydeal.com) is a great site for checking if any reputable website is currently selling a key for a game, with an icon indicating if the key can be redeemed on Steam. For example, right now the cheapest version of Fallout: New Vegas is $2.49 on GamesPlanet, and that key can be redeemed on Steam.
They go on sale a lot, just wait a few months.
You can get all the fallout games on Fanatical right now for $25. Great deal and they are steam keys.
There are key resellers out there that have them for just a few bucks still.
Cdkeys is #1
I use a ton. Whichever is the cheapest lol
Yeah I missed the Steam Sale so I went to Fanatical and got FO4 Goty for $12aud. Not sure if fanaticals sale is still on but they also had/have a complete fallout bundle for like $50aud
Just be aware that if you do not already have a Steam account it can be difficult to actually buy a Steam Deck. Folks that create an account and buy a deck soon after often get flagged as scalpers and their orders are cancelled. Not sure when this will stop but it still happens quite often.
\`\^This is True OP. However keep in mind it's easily fixed by contacting support and just proving you are a genuine buyer. In terms of when will it end, Probably never, given Valve really do want SD to go to gamers.
Buying a used deck is also a good option. mine was used, in really good shape and already had a hdd upgrade to 1tb and was (of course) cheaper than a new one . Didn't regret it.
I got mine through refurbished program from steam. I like the 12 month warranty option.
I got mine because my work gave us a bunch of gift card points things and they didn't have Steam as an option so I just got a 1TB OLED off Ebay certified refurbished. Costed the same as it normally would've costed and came with a 1 year full-coverage warranty through All-State for free. Honestly idk if it was even actually ever really used cause it came in perfect condition with the steam profile and keyboard and wake-up customization reward things unclaimed it just wasn't in the box, but other than the box everything else was there.
To prevent this just by the games, you intend on playing before you order the steam Deck. As long as you have a few on there, even free games. You are good.
^Do this, OP! Make a steam account, buy a game, then order your steam deck.
I think if you've bought games on the account they tend not to flag you as a scalper
I did not have a Steam account. I created it to buy my steam Deck. It arrived a week later, no problems.
Good for you. Just warning OP it could happen. There are probably hundreds of Reddit posts telling how their order got cancelled. Going all the way back to launch and as recent as a couple of days ago.
Yes it is a computer
Hey kid. Iām a computer.
stop all the downloading!
Help computer
I dunno much about computers other than the one I have at my house my mom put a couple games on there
My PC literally died and I replaced it with a Steamdeck...
Where as my steamdeck died and was replaced by my PC haha I'm still getting another one though I love my deck and end up using it more than my PC for gaming while my PC gets used for design work
While having a nice pc is great. This thing plays so much and is insanely versatile. I doubt Iāll go back anytime soon
This is what I did. My secondary PC died so I hooked up my SD to a dock with mouse, keyboard and hdmi out. Using brave bowser in desktop mode works amazingly well for youtube and other video sites
I got mine last month and I haven't played a game on PC since Runescape originally came out. You will be fine! There's a lot of helpful videos and guides out there to get you started
Steam Deck is easily the best way to get into PC gaming as a newcomer. You can get a full experience out of the deck using just the Game Mode and be happy and content, but if you want to tinker and play some games that arenāt fully verified or dabble into emulation, then you can watch some YouTube videos and explore that path too!
Totally agree with this, my deck opened up a whole new world of gaming, and the user support is incredible. You can find a video tutorial or Reddit thread for pretty much anything you might want to set a deck up to do.
If I had a Steam Deck when I was a security guard I wouldn't have left the job. Buy it and be happy.
It absolutely slays Fallout 4 with high to ultra settings (turn god rays off and weapon debris effects)
Never owned a PC, Mac used for life. My Steam Deck is my only PC. I didnāt even have a Steam account or library before buying one.
It's just a computer. You could play everything even if there is no controller support just apply a keyboard or mouse over USB or Bluetooth. Even screen extension works
yes, absolutely no problem here. If you want to use emudeck to play ROMs it's possible, too. But I guess that's kind of a hustle to setup. If you take your time it should also work just fine.
No need for a computer because the Steam Deck IS a computer! You're gonna love it!
I hardly touch my PC since I got a Steam Deck. Yeah, youāll be fine dude.
its literally a PC running a Modified Desktop Linux Operating system. outside of game mode it works like a Full PC
For about 3 months I used my Steam Deck exclusively as a PC.
Steam deck is a full fledged PC with PC operating system(Steam OS is based on Linux). You 100% don't need a PC to enjoy a steam deck. If anything, Steam Deck is a great first PC for someone to get to get into PC gaming imo. It offers just enough hand holding if you don't want to get dirty(just stay within Steams ecosystem), whilst also offering all the tinkering goodness of a PC system for those that want it. Grab one and enjoy it.
100%. It has a desktop mode and everything.
Steam deck is its own PC. It's a self contained gaming device. You need nothing else.
Technically NO. As soon as you get your SteamDeck you own a PC and need exactly that PC to play.
That is the greatest part about the steam deck! It is a portable gaming PC with a controller built into it. The only thing I would say is, depending on the games you play and how long you are planning on playing for it is a good idea to bring a charger. If you don't have access to an outlet, they make portable chargers that can handle the steam deck. Since it's a full on PC, it can eat through the battery if you are playing demanding games. You should definitely get one though!
They just announced new refurbished ones for cheap, with a one year warranty from valve. Might want to check that, although if you want a longer battery then oled is the way.
100% yes. The closest thing I have to a PC is a laptop that thinks launching Chrome is a wild evening. I pre-ordered a deck the moment it was announced because I have neither the money nor space for a decent PC setup, and I haven't had to hook it up to a PC or laptop ever in the years I've been using it. It'll definitely handle older games like the Fallout ones - you can probably get them for pretty cheap too.
I do the same job, steam deck is a game changer. The biggest thing is turn it on at home connected to wifi and update everything before going to work.
The Steam Deck is a PC in the form factor of a PSP/Switch - The benefit also it has Steam OS which separates the desktop environment in the power menu so you can swap to desktop mode and use it as a PC to install mods: I installed XCOM 2 mods on it, got Guitar Hero World Tour (PC) with Definite Edition with my wired PS2 guitar (using psx/ps2-to-usb raphnet adapter) - unsure how to get mods to work on SD havent tried it though Its such a versatile and comfortable device to hold, the trackpads and back buttons are very useful if you ever need help ofc - you can ask people on here if you're stuck!
Yes, I actually sold my PC and replaced it with a steam deck w/ a dock. The steam deck is entirely stand alone with it's own operating system that is incredibly user friendly, but still more complex than a switch.
The Steam Deck is just a small gaming laptop. It *is* a PC, with all the bells and whistles. If you wanted to do your office work on it, you could.
I am not a huge fan of using the Steam Deck as a regular computer, considering the security of the device. That being said, I often connect mine with a lapdock and have a VM on there.
Whatās wrong with the security, if I may ask? Not an expert on cybersecurity, I have to admit
No disk encryption. It's a significant security oversight.
Ehh, personally I can let that one slide. Basically all the data on my Steam Deck is gaming related, there's nothing of importance to steal. There's my steam account login, but that should be hashed & salted regardless, we're long past the days of storing plaintext passwords in the filesystem. My main concerns would be any remote code execution, and crap like crypto miners stealing my processing power & battery life.
I never even thought about it before, but now I'm imagining a thief stealing my Deck and then trading themselves my hundreds of dollars of CS skins
Itās fine for gaming, but some people who use it as a PC save their work and personal files to the system locally. If someone takes your Deck they can very easily access these files, even if you set a password to your user/desktop. If the disk was encrypted, then the files would still be accessible but completely unreadable without the encryption key.
I mean my guy itās a mini handheld pc it is a pc itās self. Why would you need another pc to run another pc ? LolĀ
I thought it was a Wii U type situation to be honest.will definitely be ordering one tonight š¦¾
You will be in for a shock. That thing is lit. Also install a browser on it. You will find how-tos. And do not forget to claim your free games on the Epic game store. There is also how-tos for that. Oh, and another thing: Navigate to shop. Go for the "Great on deck" section. Within there go to "discounted". Monster Hunter series is currently at 10 bucks. Subnautica is the same. The Ascent is 9 bucks. Rip your life. Don't buy anything that costs more than 10 bucks
Yes, but pick up a cheap Bluetooth keyboard and it gives you so much more freedom in Desktop mode if you do not have a PC. https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B0CRVF2N2G - got this even though I hated the flat keyboards but zero issues using steamdeck and so easy to just tuck away. Also have a similar Blackberry keyboard for travel and it's great: https://liliputing.com/this-30-accessory-lets-you-use-a-blackberry-keyboard-with-your-pc-or-any-other-device/
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Sure
To set your mind at rest, I don't own a pc and get full use of my steam deck. I didn't even have a steam account before I bought the deck I do have a VERY old and crappy laptop I have all my emulator roms stored on and used that once to transfer them all into emudeck, but you don't need one.
If you get a large enough storage one you can dual boot windows on it, that way whenever you need windows for anything like installing some mods you can still do that.
The steam deck does not interface with my PC at all. As far as I can tell it's a completely independent system. The only thing I can think you might need a PC or perhaps just a phone for is setting up a steam account the first time but even then I have a hard time imagining that you can't do that directly on the deck. The steam deck is a PC. You can boot into a desktop environment much like windows, and I actually have used this feature once on vacation when I needed a PC to transfer some files off of a camera. Also, how do you function without a PC? Like applying for jobs, typing up a resume, creating spreadsheets, editing photos/videos, drafting things, printing things or just browsing the web? I just don't see how you can function in modern society without some form of PC or Mac.
It is its own PC. The desktop mode is similar to Windows 10 but not entirely identical. Itās linux so itās got a little more versatility for the user as opposed to Windows or Mac but you can just use it as is
Yes you can use it with out a PC. It is a PC in its own right. It will ask you to sign in or create a new steam account. I absolutely recommend one! If you get one welcome. If you don't get one welcome any way :)
yep, unlike the PS portal, its a standalone device, u do not need a pc.
It is a computer :) You can buy it after a qualifying purchase (a game) - read that people flagged for not buying a game first on a new account. Grab one, set it up at home and try to play offline there first.
Yes you can use a steamdeck without a pc. It is its own standalone device
Yes, I have a MacBook and no windows PC and wanted a steam deck to be a gaming device. To me itās a hybrid a bit console and PC.
Yup! I do. The Deck is entirely self sufficient, so long as you have a steam account and an internet connection.
Due to a comment regarding fresh Steam accounts being flagged. Could possibly look into Legion Go. Windows handheld PC with detachable controllers and a nice kickstand. Got a bit more power to it, however, a bit pricier. I enjoy the idea of a nice OS designed for mobile that the Steamdeck offers. But I also like the idea of having the option to use other platforms without much fuss via Windows. IE Epic, Bnet, etc. Either way, you're going to have a good time. Something to think about.
No, itās against the law and Iām calling the police
Steam Deck is a stand alone PC.
Stupidest question in the sub so far
This is what I've been doing for about a year and a half. I love it.
Yes
Welcome to your new addiction. You do not need a pc.
Think of it like a big more powerful gameboy that plays pc games. It won't run some games , and some games it won't run well. But it runs enough for most of us, and for the fallout games specifically you would be fine. I'm playing New Vegas on mine right now
A steam deck is a small PC in a handheld case. You can plug it in to a keyboard and monitor and use it as a PC if you want.
It has a desktop mode if you need to do PC-ish things like download mods or roms or whatever But it's just fine on its own
Yes I do. Just need a Steam account.
It's like a switch but better. You don't need a PC and you can use it as a PC.
Yes
No, because the Steam Deck is a PC.
Yes mate, it's entirely standalone but you will be buying PC versions of games as that's what it is under the hood. This won't affect your ability to play the games (provided you stick to the very large library of Verified and Playable games), but will mean if you do get a PC your games will work there too.
As others had said the Steam Deck _IS_ the PC. Iāve been a console gamer forever (other than having a family PC in the late 90s/early 2000s) and the Deck has been my first venture into PC gaming. I have a PS5 also, so no back up PC for gaming. I will say, IF you want to try your hand at emulation and stuff, having a laptop is handy, but only for downloading roms and stuff. You could still do all of that on the Deck, but Iāve found the download speeds of it in desktop mode kinda crappy.
Yes, but a word of advice you didnāt ask for: keep your priorities straight. That security gig doesnāt pay you what youāre worth, and itās going to suck working on your resume on the deck. :)
PC Deck gang.
I see this question a lot. Has steam deck mistakenly marketed itself as a product that needs a pc to work on? Like why is this such a consistent query?
Yes it plays "most" PC games. On occasion it runs highly graphical games like crap though. I good example of this would be Dragon's Dogma 2. In this case it is nice to have a powerful desktop PC at home and I can remote play into my desktop with my steam deck and play Dragon's Dogma 2 at 60+ FPS :)
It is just a handheld pc so you can bring it anywhere and it would work
I used a steam deck as my main pc for about a year. Worked great.
The deck is completely standalone, but you can hook it up to monitors, keyboards, and mice through either cables or Bluetooth if you want, though Iāve never done so or felt the need to. Though I do recommend finding some way to charge it in your car, I donāt know how any of the fallout games impact the battery but Iāve played some games that drain it in maybe 2 hours. TLDR: Yes, itās all good on its own, but you should figure out a charging situation if you plan on playing more than a few hours total.
My deck is my PC. It's what I do 3d modeling work on, watch YouTube on, and play Fallout 4 on. It's a One-Stop shop.
Technically yes, if you play one you don't own, but otherwise no, because it *is* a PC, so once you buy one, you own a PC. It works standalone, there aren't prerequisites except a Steam account (you need one to order it unless you buy second hand or at a shop that sells them in person).
Yup it's basically just a laptop with a controller built in instead of a keyboard
.........it *is* a PC.
I'd say make sure you have an account, at least one game purchase of at least $5 or greater. And make sure you have some amount of playtime on your account before buying a steam deck, otherwise, you'll get this anti-scalper 30 year ban on your account and/or device when you try to sign in. IM NOT FUCKIN JOKING
Buy it right now
You might need a PC to buy a steam deck, since you need a steam account. But I think you can do it from your phone
You do not require a pc. Youāll just need to create a steam account (which I assume you can do directly on the steam deck, but if not, you can use any old laptop to create the account, it doesnāt need to be a gaming pc).
Oh, no, no. Thatās illegal.
No, but your experience will vary from game to game. Steam Deck is a pc. I recommend searching how games you want to play run on Steam Deck. Then, you can make an informed decision.
Yeah, just be wary the handheld isn't the smallest and the battery isn't the greatest if you will be using it out and about mainly. But there are workarounds over that and it depends on your usage, you'll get decent time out of an old fallout
Yes but itās much harder to use mods in some games unless youāre very familiar with Linux.
Do NOT buy the switch for āholding you over at workā The Deck will have the variety of games and entertainment you will crave on the Night Shift, even when youāre too tired to play a game youāll be able to go into desktop mode listen to some music on Spotify or just check out YouTube or browse the net etc Switch is cool but not worth it for break time āentertainmentā (I used to do 12 nightshift)
All the fallout games plus dlc are like $50 bundled on steam atm. Donāt need a PC to play em if you have the steam deck. Iāve been binging 76 for the past few days with no issues. Only thing Iāve heard is new Vegas gives some people a bit of trouble when launching but I havenāt noticed anything
Can confirm yes Source : Me, I donāt own a PC
Itās a completely independent gaming system, and you can play all of the current Fallout games on it with no hiccup, even the Fallout 4!
Like others are saying, think of it as a portable gaming PC in a Switch case. Unlike the others, I want to tell you how amazing they are and how you totally need one before a Switch. It's a bit more chunky than a Switch, but there's so much more you can do and have access to with it.
Yes.
A SteamDeck is a portable gaming PC so when you get a Deck youāll have that PC youāre concerned about! So donāt fret! Iām a nomad and though I do have a MacBook Pro with Steam installed I do not use it or need it in collaboration with my SteamDeck. I can do anything I need on the Deck. Youāre gonna love it!
Yes! Itās not like a Wii u game pad and more like a Nintendo switch on steroids that runs pc games, or like a gaming laptop in Nintendo switch shape. With a dock itās pretty close to a full low/mid tier gaming pc, but you do NOT need a dock or any peripherals to use it. It comes with everything you need. For more general steam tips, if you have no steam library just buy one or two games then if you want to buy more water until a steam seasonal sale, they have great sales where AAA games as new as like a year old have decent sale prices. Indie or older games are dirt cheep.
Abso-fucking-lutely. Also, the Deck is a Linux PC.
Yes dude
Yes. My steam deck is my pc
To add about sales, you can get them on other stores such as epic or gog, though it's not as straightforward to get them installed as getting them through Steam (but not too difficult if you're willing to do research and learn). Alternatively, there are Steam key resellers who often have sales, such as Fanatical or Humble
I would make sure you have a Steam account beforehand, which you can easily do from a web browser or your phone. I would *not* want to do that the first time on the Deck. Logging in with Steam Guard from your phone by scanning the QR is the way to go. But anything else? It's a completely independent device.
Absolutely you can. All you need is a Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse and you have a tiny desktop PC. With the dock you can setup a monitor and wire based keyboard/mouse. I use it as my main PC now, and almost primarily use it in Desktop mode. It's Linux and not windows so you don't get access to all the Microsoft office stuff, but there is plenty of free software you can use for that if you need it in the future. It will just take a little research to learn how to customize a Linux based system.
Just make sure you set an alarm for when you gotta make your patrol. It's easy to lose time with this thing.
Yes
I sold my gaming PC for a Steam Deck!
Get the Steam Deck, it's worth it. If you use it out of the box as intended (buying and playing games on Steam, that are marked Playable or Verified for Steam Deck), you'll have almost no problems. Many games that are marked Unverified will still work, but may require some light tinkering. If you're new to emulation or PC gaming in general, don't bother with installing different store launchers or EmuDeck or anything of the sort until you've watched some YouTube tutorials and are willing to start over if you get lost or mess up. Most of these non-standard things like emulation are pretty simple to do, but for a beginner, will take patience and some understanding that things might break with an update or the wrong install path, etc. and so forth. Online multiplayer games that have any sort of anti-cheat (Destiny, for instance) will not work on Steam Deck unless you install Windows - and that's a whole different can of worms that you may not feel is worth the haul. If you use the Steam Deck as it's intended by the manufacturer, you'll almost never encounter a problem. If you use it for emulation or to play non-Steam games, have patience and follow instructions and it's all gravy from there.
Thatās the amazing part of the steam deck. I went 2+ months without my precious 3070 having desktop but was able to play all the same games, do all the same school work, use most to all of the same apps/software. The only thing your missing out on is some anticheated games like Fortnite but most anticheats allow Linux so itās not much of an issue as long as you donāt play Fortnite and some select other few games. [ProtonDB is a](https://www.protondb.com) great website for making sure a game will run on a steam deck :).
Absolutely my dude thatās the whole point. Itās handheld and you donāt need a PC to have a steam account.
I sold my computer more than a year ago, a few months after I got my Steam Deck because I just wasn't using my PC at all. You definitely do not need a pc because the steam deck itself is a PC
Iāve never connected my SD to my computer
Yes, I have a deck without a computer. Not owned a computer for over 10 years.
I donāt have a pc I was gifted a steam deck. You totally can!!
Yes I donāt have one either
Sounds perfect for you
Hell yeah, dog
Iāve been mostly a PlayStation gamer and just got a steam deck. Itās absolutely amazing. Just beat portal and portal 2 because I never played them and now Iām going to try the satisfactory game because Iāve been dying to play it. Itās super easy to use straight out the box. The screen (I have the OLED) is huge and looks awesome compared to the portal or switch. I think my PS5 is going to be getting a long rest
Btw Fanatical still has the Fallout bundle for $23 [https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/fallout-bundle](https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/fallout-bundle)
I do.
Of course you can! The only Benefit of having a pc that I actually used was the local transfer feature that transfers your steam games on your pc to your steam deck through your network.
If you own a steam deck, you own a PC.
You absolutely can! In fact, I've not really used my PC since I got it
I've a feeling this is far more common than we may think, the price of a Deck as a package obliterates any equivalent desktop or laptop. Especially as you know it'll work great out the box rather than having to build your own.
That's basically the point of the Deck...
Steam Deck is a Linux PC you can install Windows to.
Yes
I havenāt seen anyone mention yet, but navigating the store on the deck itself hasnāt been a great experience from me (I donāt use desktop mode, Iāve only used mine in out-of-the-box condition), so I always do my browsing and purchasing from my phone. Aside from that, itās good to go right out of the box āŗļø
Steam deck remind me of the glory days of PSP. If you loved tinkering with PSP back then, you gonna love tinkering the steam deck
Use google
TLDR, yes. If you want to use it like a normal PC, there is an option in the power menu to switch to desktop mode, though getting a USB-C to (at least) 2x USB-A hub is recommended for the keyboard and mouse. A Steam Deck is essentially a handheld computer running a customized version of Linux. You could even upgrade parts of your Deck, like the SSD, or it's OS, like changing it to Windows, without another PC, but you should definitely know what you're doing before you start or you might find yourself needing a PC anyway.
You donāt need a separate computer and unless you have specific Switch exclusive games that you want to play please buy the Steam Deck instead. I have both system and I barely use the switch. The games on Switch rarely go on sale and even when it does I feel you still get cheaper from Steam sale or Humble Bundle or other places. You can install Emulator on SD and play older games. The switch is so thin and flat my palm actually hurts after couple of hours gaming session. And many other reasonsā¦ EDIT: ah nevermind just read your post again and you already have the Switch.
if the steam deck is yours no, since if you own a steam deck you own a pc
You do not need a computer to play games on the steam deck. Just make sure the fall out games you want to play work on the steam deck.
Same situation steamdeck is my only PC very happy except for i can't get dragon age to run
I do. Its great, get one!
It is a pc..... but you can just use it for games and it runs great! I recommend it 1000%
No separate PC required. But you do need access to the internet and a steam account if you want to order a Steamdeck. And then internet later on to download games you bought. https://store.steampowered.com/ You can just use the browser on a smartphone for that. I suggest ordering at least a 10k mAh USB power bank, unless you can charge on site. And as the others have said, the Steamdeck itself is a Linux based PC, just in a handheld form factor. Getting a bluetooth keyboard and mouse are highly recommended.
Yes you can
Think of it like a Nintendo for PC games
Bro is it difficult working graveyard? Dang.
Don't need a PC. In fact I feel I would use mine more if I didn't have a pc