Why is Steam Deck a better alternative than a gaming laptop? | TechBuzz

Steam Deck is obviously a better alternative than a gaming, laptop computer. Here’s why.

Some users prefer desktops, while some users prefer laptops. Both types have their advantages and disadvantages. While desktops are usually more powerful (although laptops have moved closer to desktops in terms of raw power, especially in recent years), making them more suitable for generally any type of task, especially the more demanding ones, laptops also have their pluses.

One of the main advantages of a laptop is its portability. But as I wrote, today we can more easily get even those more powerful laptops at a lower price, which is definitely a good thing if you like mobility. However, a device has recently appeared on the market which, according to a number of experts, should completely replace laptops in a segment that is very important: the gaming segment.

If you have a desktop computer, unless you travel a lot and work at the same time, you won’t need a laptop

Gaming laptops, for those who own desktops, will not create the feeling that they have missed anything. Yes, laptops are more portable than desktops, but if you buy a gaming laptop, it will be large enough and massive enough that it will not be very portable. Their low battery life also meant that if I wanted to engage in any serious gaming, the laptop had to be constantly plugged into a power source, thus limiting the much-vaunted portability.

Steam Deck

While no gaming laptop has been able to convince me, the new Steam Deck handheld laptop offers me everything I thought laptops couldn’t. It’s compact enough that I can carry it comfortably with me, and I can use it on the bus or train, something I would never do with a gaming laptop. While no gaming laptop has been able to convince me, the new Steam Deck handheld laptop offers me everything I thought laptops couldn’t. It’s compact enough that I can carry it comfortably with me, and I can use it on the bus or train, something I would never do with a gaming laptop.

There are also new games, such as Tunic, that look like a perfect fit for Steam Deck. This Zelda-inspired RPG works brilliantly on Steam Deck and I couldn’t imagine playing it on a laptop or desktop computer. The compact design of the Steam Deck meant that I played on it much more than any gaming laptop, but there is another important difference that many will want to play games on the Steam Deck: the device does not have Windows 10 or 11.

Steam Deck runs on Linux based on Steam OS 3.0 and I am increasingly convinced that this is a masterpiece. This means booting up Steam Deck takes a few seconds, and Valve, the company behind Steam Deck, has managed to implement features that don’t come with Windows 10 or 11, such as the ability to turn off Steam Deck, which suspends your game. When you turn it back on, the game starts and you’re where you left off, making it perfect for a quick game when the mood takes you away.

By comparison, playing a game on a Windows gaming laptop seems like hard work. After Windows starts or waits for it to wake up, you need to open the game launcher and then run the game. By that point, you probably missed your station.

Of course, there are still things you could argue about that gaming laptops take precedence. They’re more flexible to begin with – so you can use one to work when you’re not playing games. However, the Steam Deck has an operating mode that allows you to run certain applications, and if you connect a USB-C hub, you can use a keyboard, mouse and monitor.

While not as useful as a laptop, you can use it as a computer for many tasks. You can also install Windows 10 on Steam Deck if you wish. Sora strength should also be taken into account here. Almost any gaming laptop will outperform the Steam Deck, but that’s not necessarily a problem. Steam Deck has enough power to run games like God of War and Elden Ring with a decent level of performance, and while I think Steam Deck is better suited for arcade-inspired indie games, that means if you want to play an AAA title when you’re away from the mainstream , you can.

I was especially pleased to quickly launch the Elden Ring for fleece breeding and upgrading while on the couch. As a father to a young child, this fits in well with my life. Again, I never had the desire to do the same with a gaming laptop. Thanks to Valve’s hard work, the Elden Ring also works better in some aspects than an expensive gaming computer.

The last thing Steam Deck can boast compared to laptops, especially those designed to play games, is the price. Priced at € 399 for the base model or € 529 for the 256GB version and for the 512GB internal memory model available for € 649, the Steam Deck is much cheaper than most gaming laptops. While it’s not easy to get right now, there’s a waiting list that’s several months long, Steam Deck is very easy to recommend, especially if you’re undecided about whether to buy a gaming laptop or not.

Another good thing about the Steam Deck is that as time goes on and as demand grows, so slowly does the console’s inventory increase. If things continue like this, it’s not hard to assume that in a few years Steam Deck could completely squeeze out gamers, laptops from the gaming segment-focused market. This could create new headaches for gaming laptop manufacturers, but who knows, it might as well be good in some ways, as gamer laptop manufacturers as well as components will have to come up with new solutions.

Writes: Ivan Hečimović