Valve's huge Steam Deck update is now ready for everyone, including rival AMD handhelds
New SteamOS handhelds, here we go?
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I know they make money off the store but making a quality, repairable product and selling it at a reasonable price is a really good business model. Other companies should try it. When Steam Deck 2 comes out, I’ll be buying it. And probably repurposing my original Steam Deck as a media server or something.
There’s like six companies left on Earth that do that and they’ll probably be around forever. I know it costs 30% more for quality and Valve has the store to supplement it. But I have a 20 year-old leather jacket and an even older kitchen knife. I saved up for both because I was broke and in my early 20’s. They’re probably both better today after going through their paces. I know a guy who works at a shipyard who gets his boots re-soled because he likes his boots. Same boots for decades. Occasional maintenance required.
I think we're going to need to see a generational shift in compute before we see steam deck two. I have the original deck, and the OLED. Kicked down the original to a friend. Both are great pieces of kit. I've basically survived without a gaming machine for almost 4 years because of these devices. I've experienced almost 0 desegregation on either. Just phenomenal devices.
I've finally bit the bullet on a more serious machine (for both work and pleasure). I've got a Asus ROG Flow Z13 on back order, the 128gb variant. I think this is the direction things are going to go. We just can't make CPU's/ Video cards faster/ more efficient if we keep them separated.
My speculation: the next steam deck is going to take on this design, so long as the stryx halo generation proves itself. It might not be a "full force" variant like I've bought into, but the rub is the temperatures and power to performance relationship. The stryx halo design is the only thing I've seen that would warrant a generation refresh.
Yes, thank you for mentioning the Strix Halo CPUs from AMD. I had this exact same thought before as well ever since I've seen these CPUs come to market. The SoC design is much more similar to the Apple M chips that can provide absurd memory bandwidth as well. I could imagine a cut down/low power version provided by AMDs semi-custom program where Valve would get a unique design again like with the first Steam Deck. Due to the high bandwidth LPDDR5x memory they would wipe the floor with every existing handheld SoC on the market today.
Which other companies come to mind? I'll support them too!
I said six as a joke but I thought I’d put together a list anyway.
To be clear, every single one of these companies might have been bought by a private equity firm that intends to ruin it and milk the brand equity while making everything worse. I’m not endorsing any corporation. I just have found those companies to be worth paying a bit more for compared to generic.
Get some Darn Tough socks! I've been using them for years and outside of the initial purchase I've been rocking free socks!
Occidental Leather. They make tool bags, pouches, and tool belts. Top notch shit, small company. I got a set in '94. I finally had to buy a new set in 2021 after 40hrs a week, 50 weeks a year of daily, hard use framing houses. I'd send them in every 5 or 6 years and they do repairs and cleaning for super reasonable prices.
Fairphones are modular, repairable smart phones.
