The Steam Deck has ruined console gaming for me

When the Steam Deck first launched, I was a skeptic. I loved the idea of Valve’s handheld PC, but thought that its low battery life and frequent bugs would limit how much I used it. Since then, the device has only gotten better (especially thanks to a significantly improved OLED model) and it has eaten a bigger chunk of my gaming time since then.

But I didn’t realize just how much it was outright replacing my consoles. That revelation began last week when I powered on my PlayStation 5 to download The First Descendant. It’s a beefy looter shooter built with online play in mind, so it’s not the kind of thing I’d want to run on a portable machine. When I turned my PS5 on, I was momentarily confused. It said that the most recent game I had played was Stellar Blade. That couldn’t have been right. The last time I touched that was in the first week of May. Surely I must have played something on the console in the past two months?

I hadn’t, and I started to realize that the same was true of some of my other devices. I hadn’t actually used my Xbox Series X to play a game since Hauntii in May (I’d also played Still Wakes the Deep, but entirely via cloud streaming through my Samsung TV’s Game Pass app). Even my PC was taking a hit, I realized. Aside from playing a preview builds of Dustborn and Cygni: All Guns Blazing last month, I hadn’t played a game at my computer since Cryptmaster in early May.

According to my own personal record keeping, I’ve played around 100 games in 2024 (not including previews). Only around 23 of those have been played on PS5, Xbox Series X, or PC combined.

The only device that’s holding strong is my Nintendo Switch, which still gets consistent use thanks to the steady stream of exclusives that Sony and Microsoft lack. Even then, no single device is getting nearly the play time that my Steam Deck is. I’ve played 15 games on Nintendo Switch this year, my second most played platform. By comparison, I’ve played 52 on my Steam Deck OLED. Nothing even comes close.

So, why is the Steam Deck winning out even when my other pricey consoles could run the games on it better? There are two main factors. The first is portability, which has changed the way I game entirely. Before the Nintendo Switch released in 2017, I was big on the traditional console experience. I wanted to hunker down in one place and play everything from home. My habits have changed significantly since games have become more flexible. Now I’d rather have the option to take something I’m playing anywhere I go, whether that’s on a work trip or just a casual commute. Even if I plan to play something entirely at home, I usually end up starting it on Steam Deck just in case.

The Steam Deck isn’t the only device that has benefitted from that. I tend to spend a fair amount of time with other portable devices, from my Razer Edge for mobile games and even my PlayStation Portal occasionally. If there’s a way I can play something more flexibly, I’m taking that option more and more. And I could take that even further, too. I’ve yet to install Xbox Game Pass on my Steam Deck simply because I don’t like dealing with Linux, but games like Hauntii have tempted me more and more. I wouldn’t be surprised if I make that jump by this time next year.

That’s only half the equation. My move to Steam Deck more broadly shows just how much Valve’s handheld has improved since launch. I was incredibly frustrated with my Steam Deck in my first year with it. Its battery died in an instant, the screen was too washed out, not enough games were optimized for it, and the hardware had tons of bugs. Almost all of that has changed for the better. The OLED model totally fixes those first two problems, even if its still unpredictable when it comes to bugs.

More crucially, developers have completely embraced it. The fact that I could even play 52 new releases on it without a hitch speaks to how ingrained it is in the hardware scene now. Naturally, I’m still playing the bulk of my big-budget AAA games on other platforms, but that makes up a surprisingly small slice of the games I play, it turns out. For someone who plays a lot of small-scale games and indies, the Steam Deck has blossomed into a very reliable companion compared to where it was at launch.

That’s not to say that I’m ready to throw my consoles away. I still love using both my PS5 and Xbox Series X to play first-party exclusives. I expect both to get more play in the back half of the year thanks to Concord, Astro Bot, Avowed, and more. The reality is just that I’m less likely to play much between those tentpole games. The bulk of my playtime now belongs to the Steam Deck and I don’t think it’ll be unseated until Valve releases a new model.

The Steam Deck OLED has become my go-to gaming device

Best Steam Deck and ROG Ally Amazon Prime Day deals to upgrade your gaming handheld

I’ve spent hundreds of hours on both my ROG Ally and Steam Deck, playing my favorite PC games. Prime Day 2024 is here, and several of the best ROG Ally accessories and best Steam Deck accessories are discounted.

Today’s best deals

• SanDisk Extreme 1TB microSD card: $97.40 at Amazon
• WD_BLACK SN770M 1TB SSD: $109.99 at Best Buy
• JSAUX Docking Station: $35.99 at Amazon
• JSAUX 90 Degree USB-C Adapter: $8.99 at Amazon
• Anker Power Bank 25600mAh: $119.99 at Amazon
• dBrand Killswitch for ROG Ally: $59.95 at dBrand
• dBrand Killswitch for Steam Deck: $59.95 at dBrand

Storage and memory deals

• SanDisk Extreme 1TB microSD card: was $118.40 now $97.40 at Amazon
• WD_BLACK SN770M 1TB SSD for ROG Ally and Steam Deck: was $239.99 now $219.99 at Best Buy

Docking station deals

• JSAUX Docking Station for Steam Deck/ROG Ally/Legion Go: was $39.99 now $35.99 at Amazon (with coupon)

Cables and accessory deals

• JSAUX 90 Degree USB-C Male to Female Adapter: was $9.99 now $8.99 at Amazon

Power bank deals

• Anker Power Bank 25600mAh: was $143.99 now $119.99 at Amazon ($24 off coupon)

Case and skins deals

• dBrand Killswitch for ROG Ally: was $64.99 now $59.95 at dBrand
• dBrand Killswitch for Steam Deck: was $64.99 now $59.95 at dBrand

How to choose the best gaming handheld upgrades

I frequently use my ROG Ally while in a docking station to play on a gaming monitor or my TV.

Top ROG Ally recommendations

• Best power banks for ROG Ally
• Best microSD cards for ROG Ally
• Best ROG Ally accessories
• Best ROG Ally carrying cases
• Best ROG Ally games
• Best gaming handhelds

Top Steam Deck recommendations

• Best Steam Deck power banks
• Best Steam Deck microSD cards
• Best Steam Deck accessories
• Best Steam Deck screen protectors
• Best gaming handhelds

Prime Day 2024 dates and frequently asked questions

Amazon confirmed Prime Day 2024 for July 16 and 17.

Is Amazon Prime Day worth it?

Sometimes, Amazon deals are great, and others are beaten elsewhere. You should always compare prices against their history before buying anything.

Checking if Prime Day deals are fake

Use camelcamelcamel to track price history and ensure you’re getting a good deal.

Do competitors offer better alternatives?

Yes, competitors like Best Buy and Walmart often offer similar deals, so always check their prices as well.

Ninja Scroller is an action-runner game that offers a 2-D world filled with ninjas, guardians, and wolves, which you have to defeat to progress further

Ninja Scroller Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion Go, & Asus Rog Ally Support Details

If you have played the Contra series back in the late 90’s or early 20’s, it is obvious that you’d find Ninja Scroller fascinating and engaging. Similar to contra games, it is an action-runner game that offers a 2-D world filled with ninjas, guardians, and wolves, which you have to defeat to progress further. But, unlike the contra games, you won’t have access to guns in Ninja Scroller. As obvious as it may sound, your only weapon in the game is your sword, which will help you cut through enemies. In addition to this, during your in-game journey, you will have to collect 100 Shadow Scrolls. However, after its release on Steam back in March 2023, the game didn’t do well. Lacking enough players wanting to try it out, the game didn’t perform as the developers would have hoped. But since you are reading this, you must be willing to enjoy it on your handheld. So, continue reading to find out whether Ninja Scroller is compatible with the Steam Deck, Asus Rog Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go.

Since the release of the most popular handheld, the Steam Deck, back in 2022, the handheld gaming scene has only seen a steady rise in popularity. Before the inception of the Deck, handheld gaming was only limited to a few consoles, including the Switch, but with the Steam Deck entering the handheld scene, many more such devices were released to cater to the fans. Along with the Deck, the Rog Ally and Legion Go are also popular, which is why players often get curious about the compatibility details of certain games on these systems. Similarly, Ninja Scroller is one such game that seems to be a very worthy addition to the list of games that are suitable for handheld gameplay. But does it support these systems?

Steam Deck

Although the game is not listed as Playable or Verified for the Steam Deck on Steam, we see no reason for it to be incompatible with the handheld. Neither the game uses an anticheat, nor is it a very graphics-intensive title. Both of these factors are in favor of the Steam Deck, which implies that you can indeed run the game on the handheld without any issues. And since the game offers full controller support, it is likely you won’t face any controller-related issues as well.

Asus Rog Ally and Lenovo Legion Go

Similar to the Steam Deck, there is no official information available that shares the compatibility details of Ninja Scroller with the Rog Ally and Legion Go. But it is most likely that you should be able to run Ninja Scroller on these handhelds. Both of these handhelds are capable devices and can run most AAA titles at acceptable framerates. Based on this, Ninja Scroller will be a breeze for them to run.