I’m just disappointed by how quiet they are on both my LCD and OLED models. It’s not that I NEED the speakers to be obnoxiously loud at max volume, but if you try to play the device in anything but a perfectly quiet room it’s easy for a lot of games to get drowned out by basic ambient noise like a desk fan working.

I swear my LCD one was a little louder when I first got it, but a SteamOS update dropped the max volume down at some point along the way. I tried every single trick posted online by tweaking things in desktop mode but none of them work. Seems like switching back to gaming mode dumps it back into the default settings.

Aside from maybe using a third-party solution I think the only option left is to simply use a pair of wired or Bluetooth headphones/earbuds.

Not sure if it’s the same issue, but mine makes an occasional faint electric noise (like an old hard drive being read) every once in a while. Not sure if that’s the fan or some other component. I just know my LCD model never did this. It’s not causing any performance issues or stuttering at all though.

I’m thinking it’s not mentioned in reviews because a lot of units don’t have these issues, or it’s not a big enough problem to bother most journalists.

I don’t see the mura effect on my 1TB OLED at all. Nor do I notice any fringing. I mean I don’t play games with my face right up against the screen, so maybe that’s why. I guess I also don’t expect a device like this to have a 100% perfect screen either, esp. at this price point. I suppose if it was made for productivity like professional graphics work it would be a serious issue. Thankfully it’s not.

The buttons are a tiny bit loose on mine, but they don’t rattle like crazy when handled normally. No sticking X or B buttons either. Nothing feels overly mushy either. In fact the D-pad is noticeably clickier than my 512GB LCD. So I think we can chalk those up to defects, or being at the far end of allowable factory tolerances?

I mean if you’re not happy with your unit you can return it to Valve. And either take another shot at getting another one to see if these things improve, or just stick to the older model until the next major revision rolls out.

Surprised they didn’t add a grappling hook device to really double down on the fast combat. I feel like Titanfall does a better job of emulating the chaotic nature of the original Tribes games.

So would it be ideal to disable in-game frame limiters and just let SteamOS handle it, since the FPS cap slider is now tied to the refresh rate too?

but not worth the extra $150 to me over the 512gb.

Wait, why are these two even being compared? You realize there’s a non-LE 1TB model for $30 less, right? You’re basically just reducing your hard drive capacity capacity by almost 1/2 and getting a glossy screen. That’s why it’s much cheaper. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Apparently some people were complaining about the strap scratching up their screen. Not sure how that’s possible, but I always put the microfiber cloth on top before closing the whole thing and never ended up with any scratches. Either way they could’ve just changed the material to be less abrasive, like a silky ribbon. Would’ve done the same damn thing.

I’ll play devil’s advocate here in saying that there is some value added with such threads by reducing unnecessary RMAs, as well as gathering information from a larger sample size of affected individuals who have the same issue(s) to identify certain patterns and/or root causes. Both can potentially help Valve if users direct them to such threads and such.

I get what you’re saying and I know it’s annoying to have a million different threads about the same problem. Maybe weekly bug report/hardware issue megathreads can be created for this purpose. And any additional info gathering polls and such from affected users can also be posted with mod approval.

RED Launcher is buggy. Disable it by going into the game’s Properties menu in Steam and typing –launcher-skip here. It’ll stop the issues with the game freezing on startup, or launching multiple instances of the game (which will kill your framerates).

Lower on mine as well. Judging by all the replies it seems like it’s normal.

Gotcha. That’s definitely not normal behavior. I think they loosened the tolerances to prevent the some of the buttons from getting stuck or caught along the edges of the outer shell.

After a year of usage, the B button on my 512GB LCD has developed a nasty tendency to grind along the right edge if I play games that require quick, repeated presses (like dodging/dashing in Cyberpunk).

So far it hasn’t happened on my 1TB OLED. The buttons are definitely looser, but not in a way that feel sloppy or screws up any of my inputs. But I guess time will tell whether that’ll last.

Seems like common issue.

It’s not really an issue if it’s not causing any problems in functionality. It’s more about perceived quality (subjective) by the end user.

Their username flair states 512GB OLED.

FYI it’s rogue, not rouge. Unless you’re describing the game as having a light reddish pink tint to it.

Same, also 1TB model.

After zooming in and looking at it more closely, that thin gap mentioned appears to be INSIDE the device itself and is only visible because you got a semi-transparent shell. I mean that’s one of the downsides to getting anything that’s transparent. You’re going to see how some spots are asymmetrically designed or how the plastic isn’t molded perfectly in some areas. Anything mass produced and built to a specific price point is always going to have varying tolerances.

Valve accidentally included a quantum computer drive on your model. Simple mistake, really.

Nope. I have an older 512GB LCD and new 1TB OLED. I enjoy both equally. When I switch back and forth between the two I’m not sitting there thinking, “Man, this LCD model is a massive downgrade! I should get rid of it.” Hell no. It’s still just as fun to play on as before, and the screen looks nicer after the last SteamOS update. I’ll likely use the LCD one for vacations and other trips, while the OLED one stays home.

Agreed. You’re never going to be able to enjoy anything if you have a perpetual fear of stuff being outdated in the future. That’s a terrible way to go about living life. Enjoying the present and making memorable moments is what it’s all about.

I sold my PS5 and got a Steam Deck afterwards. Zero regrets. Just be aware there are some caveats though…

1. The Steam Deck may struggle on anything but the lowest graphics settings for some newer, more demanding AAA titles designed for current gen. So if there are some PS5 titles you’re particularly fond of, know that you may need to make some sacrifices.
2. If you enjoy twitchy multiplayer games (like first-person shooters), you will be at a distinct disadvantage against keyboard and mouse players. Some games do offer aim assist settings when a controller is detected, but it’s not the case all the time.
3. Certain anti-cheat software (like a EAC) will prevent you from playing multiplayer, since they’re not Linux compatible. I’d recommend doing a little bit of research by checking games you intend to play on websites like ProtonDB.com.
4. Games which heavily rely on third-party launchers (EA, Ubisoft, Rockstar, etc.) can become buggy or break from time to time. Again, this is due to Steam Deck using a Linux-based OS and these publishers don’t provide official support for that platform. Valve is usually pretty quick to patch things up though.
5. Not all your favorite games will be on Steam. Epic for example has their own storefront and launcher which is needed to play some of their games. There are workarounds to running these games on the Steam Deck (i.e. Heroic Games Launcher). But once you get past the setup process it’s relatively painless.

Hopefully none of this scares you off from giving the device a try. I just thought I’d give a fair warning since a lot of people get the wrong impression that this device is basically a console where everything is plug ‘n’ play and will work perfectly 100% of the time. No, it’s literally just a handheld PC that boots up into Steam’s controller-friendly gaming mode.

It’s seriously not as bad as it sounds though. I have zero experience with Linux and I’m not the best at troubleshooting PC issues. But I can tell you the learning curve for the Steam Deck isn’t steep at all. I’d say 98% of the time it’s just as easy to use as consoles are. And in the rare instance when you do run into a roadblock, there are a ton of helpful guides and resources out there to help along the way.