Subj : I bought a cheap refurbished Steam Deck, and its convinced me to To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Sun Apr 27 2025 10:45:07 I bought a cheap refurbished Steam Deck, and its convinced me to skip the Nintendo Switch 2 Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2025 09:38:00 +0000 Description: I was strongly considering upgrading to a Nintendo Switch 2 but that's all changed now I have a Steam Deck here's why. FULL STORY ====================================================================== The Steam Deck is pretty cool, isnt it? You may be wondering where Ive been all this time, if Im only just finding out about the brilliance of Valves handheld gaming PC. The truth is that I was waiting to see what the Nintendo Switch 2 had to offer before deciding if Id get aboard the hype train. Now, after seeing exactly whats coming on June 5, I think Im happy to skip Nintendos upcoming console. Very briefly, a word on prices. Because while I feel the backlash is entirely valid (especially when it comes to the cost of Switch 2 games), its been said more than enough times already. And its not the main reason my interest in the new console has plummeted. Its more the fact that the Steam Deck is just too damn good. It also helped that I paid 249 (about $370) for it through the Certified Refurbished Steam Deck program. Theres always a concern with buying secondhand that you'll end up with an inferior product. But, as I found with my experience of the eBay Certified Refurbished program , steps have been taken to make these products as close to as good as new as possible for buyers. My refurbished Steam Deck arrived in a plain but functional box and included a surprisingly sturdy carry case. The handheld itself looked in top condition, free of any marks, scratches, nicks, or dents that might indicate it had been used or returned. Performance has been excellent, too, well in line with what youd expect from a new system. My refurbished Steam Deck arrived with this useful carry case included (Image credit: Future / James Pickard) So, if you have any doubts about the quality of a Valve Certified Refurbished Steam Deck, then take my word for it I was very impressed by the quality and condition of the handheld. I would have guessed it was a completely brand-new Steam Deck if I hadnt known otherwise. Decked out Now, onto what its actually like to use. Im sure fellow Deck owners will agree that its glorious, right? SteamOS is beautifully presented and easy to navigate, and a considerable number of games are verified and well-optimised to work on the system. Sure, you may have to make to graphical concessions here or there, but with the games Im playing, thats rarely an issue. Given I now do most of my gaming on the PS5 and my PC is still rocking an ancient GTX 1060 Ive been out of the loop with PC gaming for a good five years. I did miss the variety and inventiveness of many smaller games or indie darlings that never make their way to the major consoles, or dont do so for many years down the line. That was a huge draw of getting the Steam Deck: to play these unique, interesting and often fascinating games in reasonably good quality without needing to sit at the same desk Id just worked at for the last eight hours. Its been a blast uncovering all the surprise gems of UFO 50 , enjoying the explosive chaos of Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor , and reminding myself of the mystifying nature of the original Tomb Raider trilogy. I've tried a whole array of games on the Steam Deck I might've otherwise missed (Image credit: Future / James Pickard) Adding my GOG and Epic Game Store library (mostly freebies Ive claimed over the years just because I can) has also been a breeze, but an even bigger win has been setting up PS5 Remote Play so I can stream from the console to the Deck, much like the PS Portal. Thats been a huge bonus to chip away at monumental 100+ hour RPGs that Metaphor: Refanzaio without hogging the TV from my partner every evening. While that wouldve been possible with the PS Portal, instead of spending 200 on that dedicated piece of hardware, I can also access my entire PC games library for just 50 more. Ive experienced all of that in the few dozen hours Ive had with the Steam Deck so far. I know theres even more to look forward to when I dig even further into my back catalog to finally play some of those Steam sale impulse buys from years ago, or rediscover a classic I thought I wouldnt return to without a gaming PC. Switched off I weighed all of that up with what was shown in the Nintendo Switch 2 showcase. Theres a new version of Mario Kart that looks perfectly fine, an unexpected but welcome outing for DK in Donkey Kong Bananza , a surprising From Software exclusive in The Duskbloods , and the long-awaited release of Metroid Prime 4 .. Alongside that is a lot of excitement about an online chat feature (that also works best with an extra camera accessory), a paid-for tech demo in the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, and various upgrade fees to play last-gen games at a better performance level. Will I miss not playing the latest Mario, Metroid, or Zelda? For sure. But it seems many of these games will still be playable on the old console too, even if I have to fight with my OG Switchs pathetic battery life. And, ultimately, theres already so much awaiting on the Steam Deck that I dont think Ill be missing out on too much. ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/i-bought-a-cheap-refurbished-steam-deck-and-i ts-convinced-me-to-skip-the-nintendo-switch-2 --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .