I prefer GPD handhelds to the Steam Deck. They all have a keyboard, are built for Windows and have better specs (AMD 6800U and above).

Steam Deck is way too thick due to those handles. Unless you install a different OS, you will still need a Steam Account just to set it up.

Also Valve's Linux for has horrible touch support on the desktop and lack of a keyboard doesn't do Linux any favours.

Never used a handheld and probably never will. Probably nice for people who don't have a beefy PC, but it'd be an inferior experience to my 1440p, 240 Hz, 27 inch screen.

I use a phone for gaming needs outside of my PC and even that does not happen often. A handheld would be completely superfluous to me.

... and people who can't bring that equipment into the subway.

I used to think like that. Since the Evercade I changed my mind about a few of these things. There are games that are designed for handhelds, they can be more fun on such a device than on the big screen (in my case 4k, 144Hz and 32").

The Steam Deck is going to be too bulky and heavy for me, especially since my physical therapist wants me holding hand held devices up to eye level and not slough over it.

My PC is pretty beefy, but therein lies the rub. It's heavy and cumbersome. I can play Starfield on my couch while my wife watches TV. It helped get me through her chemotherapy, since she was napping for a lot of the infusions.

Try the GPD Win 4. It's way smaller and more functional.

GPD is that freaking small?? It's hard to get a good opinion about the GDP because many people seem to be Steam fanboys and shit on anything that's not Steamdeck. At least on the forms I visited.

Yep. Both Ayaneo and GPD have various handhelds in different sizes with different target audiences. The GPD Win 4 is not a direct competitor to the Steamdeck, among other things it is more powerful.

Well sure, AYA NEO KUN and Lenovo Legion Go would be the most direct competitors to the Steam Deck. Out of the entire GPD line-up though, the Win 4 is certainly the most direct competitor to the Steam Deck. Everything else is either Android or laptop-like.

Personally, I prefer the GPD Win Max 2 and the upcoming GPD Win Mini (How can I prefer something that's not out? Well it's basically a sequel to the GPD Win 2, which I do own).


It is indeed. Even the GPD Win Max 2 is way more portable, despite rocking a 10.1 inch screen (See attachment). Clamshells FTW.

True, some games are definitely more suited for handhelds than others.

But either way, generally, when I'm not at my PC, I want to be doing other stuff than playing games. I'm not saying handhelds are useless, just that I personally don't really have a use-case for them.

That handheld is blatantly trying to sell itself to PlayStation fans. It's design is based on the PSP/Vita. If there's anything that is obviously wrong with the GDP based on that picture, it's that the analog buttons don't line up with each other like they do no the Vita and are instead staggered.

The comparison photo though makes me wonder if the Steam Deck might just be too big in general, not just weight and bulkiness. I mean like how the controllers for the original Xbox was too big where I couldn't reach all the bottoms. The analog buttons on the Steam Deck could potentially be out of reach if they designed it with big boy hands in mind.

I haven't checked the prices lately but I got a feeling at some point that Steam Deck has quite a competitive price. Maybe Valve keeps the margins low for the unit as they know most people will play Steam games on it anyway, hence buy more games from Steam.

Steam Deck's competitors like GPD need to make all their money by selling the units, hence they need to keep higher margins than Valve = higher unit prices.

My problem with handhelds in general is that I rarely end up in situations where it'd be practical for me to play with them, like waiting for a flight for hours on an airport, or riding a train for hours. Maybe I also tend to play games where you need to concentrate and play for longer periods, and not just an odd 15 minutes here and there.

At home I rather play on PCs (laptops in my case, but with a proper keyboard and mouse and an external monitor, so practically a desktop PC), and I did bring my laptop to e.g. Thailand this summer and occasionally played it there in the evenings.

No, t has higher performance and more storage.

https://stealthoptional.com/tech/is-gpd-win-4-better-than-steam-deck/

I'll wait for the Ayaneo Slide.

Then I wouldn't invest too much (or nothing at all). I too used to play on my laptop, but since I got my company laptop for trips, I didn't bring a private one with me. So a handheld is a ok solution for some entertainment once in a while. Currently I bring my Evercade, since I am also a fan of retro gaming.

I find Handhelds also ok for playing platformers and casual games. It can be more relaxing with such a thing. But for these you don't need much power/performance, since they are usually designed for Switch, which is foutr to five times slower.

When I went to Vietnam, I brought my Vita with me. Barely touch the thing through the whole flight. I was too busy exploring even to game when I got to Vietnam. Honestly my gaming laptop is portable enough for me.

So I'm feeling the same way as you.