Originally posted by Dr.Evil-ish:

I know it's a bit early to be making a wishlist but last night I had an epiphany after seeing that Dispatch is playable on SteamDeck. I've been pretty limited in terms of what games I can play since my computer runs linux, and it isn't exactly built for gaming.

The Steam Deck is literally a Linux PC. It's just like your laptop except it's shaped like a handheld game system.

If you weren't happy with how your laptop plays games due to it running Linux, then chances are you won't be happy with the Steam Deck.

I say this as a huge fan of the Deck who would absolutely recommend it, but it's not necessarily for everyone.

Originally posted by Dr.Evil-ish:

So... that's why I'm considering a SteakDeck. It's actually made for gaming and won't randomly break every week like my laptop. In fact, I've been missing out on tf2 Halloween cosmetics because of my laptop breaking.

If your laptop is breaking due to a hardware problem, then getting any new system will be an improvement.

Originally posted by Dr.Evil-ish:

How can I tell when a game won't work on steamdeck before I buy it

The Deck runs most games on Steam fine. Any Linux PC will in fact. The biggest hurdle is games that have certain implementations of kernel-level anti-cheat, so if you're potential enjoyment hinges on being able to play Destiny 2, Valorant, Call of Duty, or Fortnite, you won't be happy with it no matter what.

Originally posted by Dr.Evil-ish:

Also if you have a switch 1 as well as a steamdeck I'm curious if a steamdeck will fit in a switch 1 case

The Steam Deck is a lot bigger than a Switch, so probably not.

Well the thing is that the deck can run more than just linux games, and I guarantee my laptop didn't just suck because of linux. I wouldn't be surprised if it's older than me.

Originally posted by Dr.Evil-ish:

Well the thing is that the deck can run more than just linux games, and I guarantee my laptop didn't just suck because of linux. I wouldn't be surprised if it's older than me.

Ah. That might explain some things. The magic that allows Windows games to run on Linux through Steam is called "Proton", and it requires Vulkan support to work, so really old hardware won't do it.

My advice still stands though. Do some real soul searching to see if the Deck is a device that meets your needs and fits your lifestyle. If you type (Name of Game) Steam Deck into Youtube, you can see footage of pretty much any game running on it. So pick the games you want to play on it and see how they do.

While the Deck can run new, AAA titles for the most part, it's still a 15 watt, battery powered device. It's not made of miracles. The biggest, most demanding titles will be a low-settings, 30 FPS kind of experience, which might be enough for you. It might not. Depends on your viewpoint. Of course, older games and lower-powered indies will run amazingly, and you'll get way better battery life too.

If you decide it's something that you want still, I strongly recommend you go for the OLED. It's much more than just a screen upgrade.

Thank you for your help. Sorry if I sounded frustrated in my previous reply, computer stuff like this is just hard for me to wrap my head around

Also I've never been able to get proton to work, I tried playing ultrakill (which is for windows) and it just wouldn't run so I had to refund it

Originally posted by Dr.Evil-ish:

Also I've never been able to get proton to work, I tried playing ultrakill (which is for windows) and it just wouldn't run so I had to refund it

Your old laptop is probably too old to support Proton.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JMclqIgmq4

That... honestly doesn't look that bad. Honestly in my entire time playing video games I have never once cared about graphics so maybe I just don't see 30fps the same as others

TAS CLARO

The only time I care about graphics is when I have to turn them down to make Minecraft run well. That's how little I care about graphics.

Originally posted by Dr.Evil-ish:

That... honestly doesn't look that bad. Honestly in my entire time playing video games I have never once cared about graphics so maybe I just don't see 30fps the same as others

Ultrakill isn't a demanding game. It will run like a dream at 60+ fps.

I know, I remember downloading it after a friend recommended it to me and seeing how tiny the filesize was compared to other games... I then of course couldn't play it but I think that's one of the few games that would have run well on my computer if I could get it to run at all