built with controller-friendly UIs, so I set
up the Deck’s trackpad as a mouse and
its back grips as left/right click, then
configured the rest of the inputs to
mimic the original console controllers. I
could even bind keyboard shortcuts like
save states to the leftover grips.
That flexibility allows the Steam
Deck to stretch beyond what consoles
are typically capable of, but SteamOS
still delivers their biggest perks. I’m in
love with how seamlessly suspending
games works: even when I’m running
an emulator I can just tap the power
button to put the Deck to sleep and
pick up where I left off an hour later.
The same goes for hopping into
settings while a game is running and
then returning to the action. Alt-tabbing
often isn’t even this smooth.
THE RIGHT STUFF
Bouncing around my Steam library has
reassured me that most games will
work on the Deck even if Valve hasn’t
slapped a Verified badge on them. It’s
also helped me hone in on what, exactly,
I want to use this device for.
Breezy games like Monster Train
and Into the Breach run with gigahertz
to spare, but I’ve happily played both
on my six-year-old ultralight laptop,
too. While the Steam Deck is portable
enough that I’d pack it for a trip, it’s too
chunky for me to toss in a backpack
for a day out and about, which I would
do with a Switch. It’s impressive that
Resident Evil 2 Remake runs at a
stable 60fps, and Nightdive’s new
retro shooter remaster of Powerslave
runs like butter too. But I’d rather play
both on my gaming PC, where I can
max out Resident Evil to appreciate
that moody lighting and aim with a
mouse in Powerslave.
This will naturally differ for every PC
gamer. To me it’s a good fit for
moderately demanding indies like
Death’s Door and Hades that don’t run
at 60fps on the Switch. Emulation,
though, is why I’d buy it. I just can’t sit
at my desk to play 100-hour JRPGs,
but now that I can play them under a
blanket on the couch without hogging
the TV? Hoo boy, do I have a lot to
catch up on.FROM THE BEGINNING
VALVE HAS INSISTED THAT
THE STEAM DECK IS A PC
YOU CAN DO WHATEVER
YOU WANT WITH
History in your hands
The Steam Deck truly is an emulation dream machinePCSX2
Detected controller mapping out of the box, so I
jumped right into the infamously bizarre Mister
Mosquito before playing five hours of Persona 3
FES with a widescreen hack enabled. The Deck
never dipped from 60fps and projected six hours
of battery life.KEY SETTINGS: 2X INTERNAL RESOLUTION, MTVU MULTITHREADINGSetup
The Deck can swap over to a Linux desktop, which
includes a handy app store that can install loads of
up-to-date emulators with a click – no terminal
fuss! It makes the process of setting up emulators
remarkably simple. I used desktop Steam to add
them to my library for easier access and controller
mapping, then just copied the games I wanted over
on a USB-C flash drive.PPSSPP
Incredibly easy to use. You can navigate this PSP
emulator’s UI with the analog stick instead of
relying on Steam’s trackpad mouse mapping. I just
pointed it to my game folder and dove into the sole
game I have this emulator for (with perfect
performance): Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together.KEY SETTINGS: 3X RESOLUTION, NEAREST TEXTURE FILTERINGDolphin
I told myself I’d use the Deck to finally finish Paper
Mario: The Thousand Year Door, but the second I
loaded up Metroid Prime those plans melted away.
It runs at a beautiful 60fps (aside from a few frame
drops when opening doors) and still has
atmosphere off the charts, while getting a
projected five-and-a-half hours of battery life.KEY SETTINGS: 2X INTERNAL RESOLUTION, KEEP RENDER WINDOW ON TOP