If you have interacted with me at all for more than five minutes in the last seven months, you’ll know that I am, quite literally, obsessed with my Steam Deck. I can’t go more than a day without mentioning Valve’s handheld system in one way, shape, or form, whether it’s in real life, on Twitter, or in the Prima Games Slack, where I am now a meme among my coworkers because of it.
I have zero shame, though. Because it is genuinely the best material thing I have ever spent money on. And now I’m here to give those of you who tell me, “Meg, stop, you’re going to make me buy a Steam Deck!” on a weekly basis a final push to make it happen. Open those wallets, baby—it’s Steam Deck season (and no, I’m not being paid by Valve to say this, though I should be because I’ve sold at least three of them through word-of-mouth. You’re welcome, Gabe).
Stop Debating and Pull the Steam Deck Trigger Already
My Steam Deck arrived in the mail one fateful day seven months ago, and it changed my gaming life forever. I figured I’d maybe get a handful of hours a week out of it, but after a couple of hours in Final Fantasy XIV and realizing I could no-life from the comfort of my bed, there was no going back.
Since July 2022, I’ve played 650 hours (649.4, to be exact) on my Steam Deck, averaging out to almost a month of playtime between games like Octopath Traveler 2, Disney Dreamlight Valley, and Sonic Frontiers. And if you think that’s bad, my husband has put 1,232 hours (51 days) into his in eight months. We’re both addicted and spend almost every night playing side-by-side in bed—couple goals, I know.
Related: These Hands on Deck: How is Sonic Colors: Ultimate’s Performance on Steam Deck?
What other handheld lets you play Elden Ring and smash the living daylights out of Godrick the Grafted while on the toilet? In the bath? On the bus? That fact alone should already have you racing to place your order. The convinience is, quite simply, unmatched. And if you purchase a dock, you can play on the TV whenever you want, too.
You don’t need to drop $649 on the 512GB version either if you’re worried about storage. I recently upgraded my husband’s 64GB model to 1TB for around $150, bringing the total cost to $550, though you can purchase a 256GB SSD for like $50 if you’re on a budget. The 256GB Steam Deck is $529 pre-tax so you’re still saving $80 that way. And making the SSD switch is super easy if you follow a guide, even if you’re less experienced with that kind of thing.
Long story short, if you like PC and handheld gaming, the Steam Deck is basically a dream. It runs most games well, you can play on the go, and it’s a mini PC if you like the idea of tinkering around in Desktop Mode or throwing Windows on it. You can even install themes and plugins to customize your system, unlike the Nintendo Switch, where we’re six years in and still no themes. That’s, like, caveman living, yo.
Related: How to Redeem Game Keys and Codes on the Steam Deck
If you’re still on the fence after this, well, I’ve done all I can. I’ve given you the tools to change your gaming life and it’s now up to you to make that leap. I promise you, you won’t regret it (if you do, that’s a you problem, not a me problem). Now, stop telling me you’re *this* close to buying a Steam Deck and just do it, you cowards. Thank me later.
