Back in February we hit the three year mark of Valve's Steam Deck with SteamOS Linux, and as we approach the release of the public SteamOS 3 Beta for more devices, here's an updated look at the sales charts.
No surprise there. It’s backed by a reputable company, built well, supported well, and continues to receive updates that affect not only the handheld itself, but the rest of the linux gaming scene all together. Plus it’s an absolute steal for the money.
Other brands had it all written out for them, but they all opted in for a quick buck, with generic bullshit with no understanding of what made the Deck so appealing
I haven’t bought it because previous hardware has been quick to get discontinued or support has stopped (steam machine, steam controller, steam link) and I didn’t like that.
Told myself I’d buy a Steam Deck 2 because that would show long term support, though.
Dude, my Steam Link and Steam Controllers are still in active use and get updates to this day. I even have 2 backup Steam Links - at the end they were selling them at 5€ per piece, and since i use it to stream pretty much everything to my TV, i got some in reserve.
I’m still on the first one, and one of the Controllers is now working with my Steam Deck out of the box.
I agree (a bit) on the Steam machines, those were pretty much a flop when seen as isolated device - but they laid the groundwork for the Deck.
I can’t really agree with that assesment of Valves past hardware.
Steam Machines were DOA, and anyone that actually bought one from one of the manufacturers likely got one that came with windows installed, because valve delayed the controller and software for so long the manufacturers pivoted to putting windows on them to be able to start selling the inventory. That meant very few that actually run SteamOS made it into the wild, most of them getting sold as just console-sized windows PCs.
And if you still have one, it’s just a PC. You can slap Bazzite or Windows on it and it’ll work just fine even today.
Both steam controller and link continue to get software support, and also function to this day. Valve stopped manufacturing and selling them, but support has not stopped.
No matter how you look at it, buying valve hardware has meant that even as it ages, they make sure it doesn’t turn into a brick, or even have its usefulness compromised.
Same goes for the Deck, Valve couldn’t brick the thing if they tried. When you buy one, you will still have what came in the box ten years from now.
Yup. My Steam Link was a semi-cheap purchase when they were on sale, and over time their continued support of it only pushed me to use Steam more and more. I still use it today, and it was a big part of why I adopted the Deck right away.
Was the soldered CMOS different than the removable one? I fought the battery (removable) in mine for a year or two and eventually just shelved it.
Would love to get it running as a low energy emulation station if it’s salvageable
It was removable, but used Dells weird connection. I just had to solder the connections of the new battery on instead of paying Dell $20 for a watch battery haha.
Fair enough. But that only further confuses me on how you came to the conclusion you did.
Surely it’s enough for a given product to either be worth the price one pays at the time of purchase, or not be. Judge a product for what it is, not what it will be. And in Valves case they’ve shown they won’t arbitrarily take that away at some later date. Your only complaint then seems to be that they don’t always add value with time.
We almost certainly are getting a second controller, but that will in no way take away, nor improve, the value that people who bought and still use the first one got and get out of it.
Surely it’s enough for a given product to either be worth the price one pays at the time of purchase, or not be. Judge a product for what it is, not what it will be.
Yeah, that makes sense. I guess it’s more of a principle thing. I don’t need a Steam Deck so it’s easier to distance myself making a purchase and wait it out. Didn’t feel like only seeing a piece of hardware be continued for a few years (3 years for the Steam Machine and Steam Link, 4 for the Steam Controller) based on track record.
The only impact the discontinuation of those devices had on the people who bought them, is that they can’t buy another. Aside from that, they still work. You’re talking as if the end of sale has some kind of significant impact that makes owning the product less worth it, or like the device ceases to exist on that day. But you clearly know otherwise.
If the Deck stops being sold tomorrow, that has zero impact on the one I already have, save for the possible decline in spare parts available.
There are lots of reasons to wait to buy something, but “they might stop selling them” seems more like a reason to get something you want to have sooner, rather than later. So that when sales stop, you have one you can keep.
If the Deck stops being sold tomorrow, that has zero impact on the one I already have, save for the possible decline in spare parts available.
Yes, exactly. Getting it repaired (both within and outside of warranty) and spare parts availability.
Software eventually too, but usually that takes a while longer.
There are lots of reasons to wait to buy something, but “they might stop selling them” seems more like a reason to get something you want to have sooner, rather than later.
Would you have bought a Steam Deck if Valve would stop producing them after 3 years? I wouldn’t.
Not saying you shouldn’t though, each to their own and all that.
Yes, exactly. Getting it repaired (both within and outside of warranty) and spare parts availability.
What do you mean, “exactly”? The vast majority of owners will not need to repair theirs, and the vast majority of units will outlive their owners interest in using them. You’re assuming you’ll be one of the exceptions, which is always a possibility, but you can’t factor it in as if it’s a 100% chance.
Software eventually too, but usually that takes a while longer.
What do you mean?It’s an x86 PC. The same way I can grab a 15-year-old laptop and slap a linux distro on it, the same thing is possible with the Deck.
Would you have bought a Steam Deck if Valve would stop producing them after 3 years? I wouldn’t.
I would and I did. In fact every person who has bought one before today, technically did. That’s a million points of contest against the argument you’re trying to make with this. Are you seeing the catch 22 you’re asking your tech to adhere to?
I’d have bought a Deck even if it only lasted a few months, because I got one two months after launch on pre-reservation.
And why not? It’s a great device that is worth the price of admission, as-is. It runs games right now that I will still want to play years from now, and is durable enough to last that long. I do not need valve to make several million more, and to keep doing so for several years, for my unit to somehow become worth owning. It is worth that all on its own.
I get wanting companies to do hardware better, but the level of the standard you are claiming you want here, is absurd. The Decks potential for longevity is above and beyond almost any other hardware product in the tech industry right now, with the exception of the framework laptops.
My one unit has given me three years and hundreds of hours of gaming away from home, and will likely give several hundred more before it stops working. When it does, there are a variety of possibilities to get it back to working.
If it had stopped working within warranty, I’d either have gotten a new unit, or my money back. There is no gamble there.
Yeah I don’t mind waiting for that. Not very susceptible to FOMO. I do think it’s been going better for the SD than the other hardware though, so I’m happy for the userbase.
Fwiw, I almost always get some amount of buyer’s remorse when I make a purchase, usually on expensive items. There’s some hidden cost or feature that isn’t quite what I’d hoped for.
Not so with the Steam Deck. It has been virtually everything I hoped for, and not once have I felt like it did or had something I didn’t want. When you pull the trigger, I hope you get the same experience.
I say this quite a bit. Whatever the opposite of buyer’s remorse is, that is how I feel about the Steam Deck. Hands down the best purchase I made last year, and that is continually affirmed.
support has stopped (steam machine, steam controller, steam link
Steam Link is still getting software updates. Steam Controller doesn’t get updates anymore afaik, but it did get updates for a long time including firmware updates that added BLE support. Steam input on both the steam deck and in big picture mode still supports it and still allows community sharing of controller profiles.
In general I think Valve supports their less successful hardware pretty well by industry standards.
No surprise there. It’s backed by a reputable company, built well, supported well, and continues to receive updates that affect not only the handheld itself, but the rest of the linux gaming scene all together. Plus it’s an absolute steal for the money.
Other brands had it all written out for them, but they all opted in for a quick buck, with generic bullshit with no understanding of what made the Deck so appealing
Agreed, the ease of repairs and ability to upgrade the SSD were a huge selling point for me.
I haven’t bought it because previous hardware has been quick to get discontinued or support has stopped (steam machine, steam controller, steam link) and I didn’t like that.
Told myself I’d buy a Steam Deck 2 because that would show long term support, though.
Dude, my Steam Link and Steam Controllers are still in active use and get updates to this day. I even have 2 backup Steam Links - at the end they were selling them at 5€ per piece, and since i use it to stream pretty much everything to my TV, i got some in reserve.
I’m still on the first one, and one of the Controllers is now working with my Steam Deck out of the box.
I agree (a bit) on the Steam machines, those were pretty much a flop when seen as isolated device - but they laid the groundwork for the Deck.
I can’t really agree with that assesment of Valves past hardware.
Steam Machines were DOA, and anyone that actually bought one from one of the manufacturers likely got one that came with windows installed, because valve delayed the controller and software for so long the manufacturers pivoted to putting windows on them to be able to start selling the inventory. That meant very few that actually run SteamOS made it into the wild, most of them getting sold as just console-sized windows PCs.
And if you still have one, it’s just a PC. You can slap Bazzite or Windows on it and it’ll work just fine even today.
Both steam controller and link continue to get software support, and also function to this day. Valve stopped manufacturing and selling them, but support has not stopped.
No matter how you look at it, buying valve hardware has meant that even as it ages, they make sure it doesn’t turn into a brick, or even have its usefulness compromised.
Same goes for the Deck, Valve couldn’t brick the thing if they tried. When you buy one, you will still have what came in the box ten years from now.
Yup. My Steam Link was a semi-cheap purchase when they were on sale, and over time their continued support of it only pushed me to use Steam more and more. I still use it today, and it was a big part of why I adopted the Deck right away.
I had one of the Alienware Alphas with the 860m and desktop haswell 4130t. You could swap in a 4160 but your big enemy would be heat.
I swapped the steam OS for windows and threw in some cheap 240gb adata ssd. Ran it for years.
Only problem was the cmos battery would fail every now and again and I’d have to solder a new one in because Dell……
Anyways, I was in it ~$400 and it was a great htpc. Only real problem was haswell couldn’t decode 4k YouTube.
The steam controller I still have, and it’s quirky. But I like it for the mouse function.
Was the soldered CMOS different than the removable one? I fought the battery (removable) in mine for a year or two and eventually just shelved it. Would love to get it running as a low energy emulation station if it’s salvageable
It was removable, but used Dells weird connection. I just had to solder the connections of the new battery on instead of paying Dell $20 for a watch battery haha.
I said or, not and.(“has been quick to get discontinued or support has stopped”)
Steam Link is kinda obsolete now, but I would have loved another iteration of the controller.
Fair enough. But that only further confuses me on how you came to the conclusion you did.
Surely it’s enough for a given product to either be worth the price one pays at the time of purchase, or not be. Judge a product for what it is, not what it will be. And in Valves case they’ve shown they won’t arbitrarily take that away at some later date. Your only complaint then seems to be that they don’t always add value with time.
We almost certainly are getting a second controller, but that will in no way take away, nor improve, the value that people who bought and still use the first one got and get out of it.
Yeah, that makes sense. I guess it’s more of a principle thing. I don’t need a Steam Deck so it’s easier to distance myself making a purchase and wait it out. Didn’t feel like only seeing a piece of hardware be continued for a few years (3 years for the Steam Machine and Steam Link, 4 for the Steam Controller) based on track record.
Again, what do you mean “continued”?
The only impact the discontinuation of those devices had on the people who bought them, is that they can’t buy another. Aside from that, they still work. You’re talking as if the end of sale has some kind of significant impact that makes owning the product less worth it, or like the device ceases to exist on that day. But you clearly know otherwise.
If the Deck stops being sold tomorrow, that has zero impact on the one I already have, save for the possible decline in spare parts available.
There are lots of reasons to wait to buy something, but “they might stop selling them” seems more like a reason to get something you want to have sooner, rather than later. So that when sales stop, you have one you can keep.
Yes, exactly. Getting it repaired (both within and outside of warranty) and spare parts availability.
Software eventually too, but usually that takes a while longer.
Would you have bought a Steam Deck if Valve would stop producing them after 3 years? I wouldn’t.
Not saying you shouldn’t though, each to their own and all that.
What do you mean, “exactly”? The vast majority of owners will not need to repair theirs, and the vast majority of units will outlive their owners interest in using them. You’re assuming you’ll be one of the exceptions, which is always a possibility, but you can’t factor it in as if it’s a 100% chance.
What do you mean? It’s an x86 PC. The same way I can grab a 15-year-old laptop and slap a linux distro on it, the same thing is possible with the Deck.
I would and I did. In fact every person who has bought one before today, technically did. That’s a million points of contest against the argument you’re trying to make with this. Are you seeing the catch 22 you’re asking your tech to adhere to?
I’d have bought a Deck even if it only lasted a few months, because I got one two months after launch on pre-reservation.
And why not? It’s a great device that is worth the price of admission, as-is. It runs games right now that I will still want to play years from now, and is durable enough to last that long. I do not need valve to make several million more, and to keep doing so for several years, for my unit to somehow become worth owning. It is worth that all on its own.
I get wanting companies to do hardware better, but the level of the standard you are claiming you want here, is absurd. The Decks potential for longevity is above and beyond almost any other hardware product in the tech industry right now, with the exception of the framework laptops.
My one unit has given me three years and hundreds of hours of gaming away from home, and will likely give several hundred more before it stops working. When it does, there are a variety of possibilities to get it back to working.
If it had stopped working within warranty, I’d either have gotten a new unit, or my money back. There is no gamble there.
Previous hardware mostly immediately flopped. Steam Deck has been seeing regular hardware and software improvements over the last several years.
If you’re waiting for Steam Deck 2, you’re most likely going to be waiting a while. Valve doesn’t do anything quickly or on a regular basis.
Yeah I don’t mind waiting for that. Not very susceptible to FOMO. I do think it’s been going better for the SD than the other hardware though, so I’m happy for the userbase.
Fwiw, I almost always get some amount of buyer’s remorse when I make a purchase, usually on expensive items. There’s some hidden cost or feature that isn’t quite what I’d hoped for.
Not so with the Steam Deck. It has been virtually everything I hoped for, and not once have I felt like it did or had something I didn’t want. When you pull the trigger, I hope you get the same experience.
I say this quite a bit. Whatever the opposite of buyer’s remorse is, that is how I feel about the Steam Deck. Hands down the best purchase I made last year, and that is continually affirmed.
Glad to hear that! I don’t really need one so it would be more of a spur of the moment kinda thing. Maybe when it’s on offer 😏
SD is here to stay. You have nothing to worry about there. It’s pretty damn amazing and what we have been waiting for all our lives.
I’m not even exaggerating.
Steam Link is still getting software updates. Steam Controller doesn’t get updates anymore afaik, but it did get updates for a long time including firmware updates that added BLE support. Steam input on both the steam deck and in big picture mode still supports it and still allows community sharing of controller profiles.
In general I think Valve supports their less successful hardware pretty well by industry standards.
The Switch is none of those things and yet still manages to sell 100x more units.
Orange juice is nothing like apple juice, and yet both still sell
And yet one sells 100x more than the other.
The switch has brand recognition, loyalty from decades ago, and ease of use (for the less tech savvy).
Steam has all of those as well.
It has exclusives iirc, steam deck “just” has the rest.
The switch also has coop multiplayer and a few other things going for it as well.
Switch is more portable and also easier to dock.