Hey all, sorry in advance if this kind of post isn’t welcome in this community. I wasn’t really sure where to post this question and I didn’t see anything in the rules against text posts or questions. If there’s a more appropriate place to post I’ll take this down and repost somewhere else.

With the recent price hikes of game pass, Microsoft’s general inability to publish good games, and a deep loathing for AAA studios obsession with milking me for every dollar I have while delivering uninspired, broken slop, I’ve cancelled my game pass subscription and started considering PC gaming. I’m still on the Xbox one and haven’t bothered to get the one X due to these issues. I’m due for am upgrade and don’t feel particularly thrilled at the idea of spending that much money on a console that has little to offer.

I don’t have a lot of money, but I do have enough to afford a modest build (600-700 USD.). But with all the praise and broad support that the steam deck has been getting, I’m wondering if my money may not be better spent on getting one and using the extra for a dock, some peripherals, and a start to building my library. The steam deck would be living most of its life docked and plugged into a monitor. The fact that it’s a capable portable gaming machine is, for the most part, a bonus to me.

I’m curious to hear everyone’s thoughts on this. Is a steam deck a viable alternative to a budget gaming PC?

  • taiyang@lemmy.world
    2·
    22 days ago

    Interesting, I was just discussing this for my teenage cousin - we ultimately went with Deck but only because he needs to travel back to Germany.

    I think your use case is different. Yes, the deck can play docked but much it is magic happens because the resolution is so tiny. Not saying you’ll be able to manage a great GPU, but you’ll likely get a little more out of a budget card at a standard 1080p. Also, with a budget PC, you can always upgrade parts if you’re strategic on parts like PSU.

    As for building a library, you can always sail the high seas-- although there are so many budget friendly entertainment in the PC realm. Just refer to IsThereAnyDeal to ensure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.