Sony has announced yet another price hike for the PlayStation 5, despite already selling millions of systems over the past few years. Whether it was affected by the tariff situation or not, it’s clear that some of these current-gen platforms are being too costly. Unfortunately, it’s not just Sony, as Nintendo’s original Switch and Microsoft’s Xbox Series systems have also had increased prices.
One system that hasn’t gone through a major price hike yet is Valve’s miracle machine, the Steam Deck. This could always change in a year or two, but it looks like Valve is still trying to maintain that consumer-friendly attitude fans adore them for. Because of that, it makes picking up one of these massive handhelds a no-brainer, as they’re worth the price and home to thousands of great games.
We’re sure fans are tired of all the Steam Deck glazing, especially during the Switch 2’s pre-release period. Even with all of that, this handheld just has so much to offer, and we think it might be the endgame system for many.
Your First Step to PC Gaming
PC gamers often look like the snobbiest bunch on the internet, no-selling new consoles because they know a fancy new graphics card will come out soon and outdo them. Even though console fans don’t want to be like these players, the Steam Deck makes a semi-convincing case that the PC master race isn’t all bad.
When you get your hands on one of these, some games might have the “unsupported” label. This will lead you to a rabbit hole of trying to make these titles work, introducing you to custom protons and system tinkering. It’s a step towards that annoying PC master race, and it’s really not that bad.
Generations of Games
Valve has been fairly good at keeping games relevant, so seeing generations of games through the Steam store can be impressive. You will see games from the original PS2 and Xbox 360 era, usually with controller support waiting for your thumbs to mess with them. There’s also a ton of modern games you can get your hands on, some of which are on PS5 and Xbox Series, which you can play after some tinkering.
Having these games readily available in the store is admirable, especially since consoles tend to ignore past generations unless they have backward compatibility. PS5 might support PS4 games, but not PS3 games. The same goes for newer Nintendo and Xbox systems. Just having the opportunity to play 360-era titles like Final Fantasy XIII and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a treat.
Also, Steam Deck is home to the best version of Persona 5 Royal. You can play the best game ever at 60 FPS. What are you waiting for?
That Legal Grey Area of Gaming
Anbernic and Powkiddy are cool, but if you want a system that can play almost every old game in the world, the Steam Deck is where it’s at. We can’t delve too much into emulators and ROM extraction here, but needless to say, you can play a ton of these games well on Valve’s Steam Deck.
It’s an amazing home for PS2, GameCube, and Wii U games. Xbox 360 and PS3 are also decent here, though there are still issues with certain games. There’s even a certain hybrid console that can be emulated here, with things only getting better in recent years.
Just get a Steam Deck, you guys. It’s not going to replace your PS5 or Switch 2, but we guarantee that you’ll keep it a bit longer than those consoles.
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