Considering the Switch 2 (with those pretty joystick well covers to protect from drift, omg) and the Ryzen Z2 Go announcements, the low cost and availability of Steam Deck & parity level APU machines for purchase now, and the giant 1080p gaming install base represented by current gen consoles, it sure seems like low spec & 1080p gaming is going to have a pretty sunny future. I am hoping this gives small and medium sized development teams a chance to show up what is left of AAA gaming.
What are your favorite low spec gaming setups right now? I'm enjoying a 5700g APU system the most these days. Mainstream wise, I've been playing Elden Ring and Injustice 2 and Vampire Survivors. The last Indie I played is this beat-em-up / horde survival game An American Werewolf in LA which was pretty cool.
I have ps1 emulator in my phone and been playing it the past week or so, did not realise that's the thing i need in my life. I love my N3ds but it's so bulky and the button placement is so weird it hurt even my small hand. Might get a steam deck as a gaming device next instead of a new pc.
I should warn you, the Steam Deck is incredibly bulky and heavy compared to the tiny 3DS - and even in my large hands, it never feels particularly comfortable, despite the good shape of the grips and with a thin rubber case I added to it. Definitely not the right system for you if you have weak wrists, simply due to its substantial mass. Using it for longer periods of time without resting it my your lap is not very pleasant, but resting it in your lap means I have to look down, which can result in neck strain. Lying down meanwhile, it's a bit too heavy for the weight to rest on the elbows as well. Placing it on a pillow or bag (while making sure that none of the vents are obstructed) helps though, to the point that you can get fully immersed in playing, not thinking about the device at all, even on a busy train.
For an hour to an hour and a half, none of this is problematic, of course. There are also workarounds: Connecting it to an external display that has the right height can circumvent the issue, including those USB C display glasses that create a large virtual screen in front of you (haven't tried those, but heard good things in combination with this device).
There are also much smaller, thinner and lighter alternatives to the Deck, but none of them have the advantage of being a fully integrated design like the Deck, where every aspect of the hard- and software was developed together and tuned to compliment each other and none of them have the complete backing of the largest game distribution network behind it. Most of them are running Windows, which, while having superior games compatibility, is not suited for a portable gaming device at all, lacking for example the ability to reliably suspend and resume games. With the Lenovo Legion Go S as the first, expect there to be more and more devices running Steam OS, but those are unlikely to have the same level of compatibility as the device this version of the OS was created for.
If emulation is what you're looking for, the Deck is a powerhouse (up to and including Nintendo Switch is no problem), but not the only game in town. Older console games in particular run well even on very basic devices. Maybe all you need is a controller cradle for your phone, if you don't already have one, or a cheap and cheerful emulation console like one those tiny things Anbernic is having a great deal of success with lately.
Dude high five. I have big hands, but even the regular switch feels uncomfortable after an hour or so. I have no idea how people are managing with the steam deck.
I was sad to see the new switch is larger lol. I'll never use it handheld. It really makes me wish they just made a lighter NEW 3dsXL with better hand grips. They could call it the NEW NEW 3DSXL.
The Steam Deck is larger and FAR more ergonomic than the Switch. It's really not bad.
I bought a cheap silicone grip case for my 3DS XL. Night and day difference. Not so cheap was the Satisfye Switch grip, but they both make playing handheld so much more pleasant. Both *systems sacrificed ergonomics for portability. Adding grips reduces portability in exchange for ergonomics. I'm okay with that.
Is it possible that some of the discomfort comes from trying to use controls that are too small?
I also have big hands, and I find the Switch controllers uncomfortable because they feel like they were meant for baby hands, and they're flat so it's an effort to keep hold of them. I find the Deck very easy to hold because its grips are built like a proper controller and all the buttons are within comfortable reach. The ergonomics make a big difference.
Valve put a lot of design effort into the form of the Deck: