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The original was posted on /r/steamdeck by /u/s2kfred on 2025-07-27 13:36:52+00:00.
So about 2 months ago I made the decision to purchase the 1TB OLED Steam Deck.
I consider it almost perfect, just wish it was designed with the 2280 ssd driver instead of the 2230, and also the current position of the 2230 is pointing upwards instead of sideways like the previous Steam Deck design making it harder to mod with a 2280 for more storage.
While gaming on it, I realised that my secondary PC that I use just for sim racing, is pointless to keep, and taking up too much space beside the TV. I have considered replacing it with a mini PC once the AMD APUs become powerful enough, but after experiencing the SteamOS, I think the handheld is the way to go. It makes it so easy to start your games.
Since buying the SteamDeck, I have installed EmulationStation, I have not tried installing Jellyfin and connecting it to my NAS but I'm sure it is not a problem.
I just hope in 2 to 3 years, AMD's APUs will be powerful enough to do 1440p at around 60 fps, my sim racing PC has a 5600 cpu and a 6700 XT and it can do 60 to 100 fps at 1440p depending on the game (AC, ACC, Dirt Rally 2, Forza Horizon 4, etc.), and it handles my PSVR2 quite well.
So, for those who want budget PC gaming, it might be best to just buy an handheld, get a monitor and a dock, keyboard and mouse, and you are good. If you have some extra money, upgrade your ssd, or build a NAS to future proof yourself a bit.
Get a new handheld every 3 to 5 years or so. It costs around the same as a mini PC, similar performance.
With handhelds cannibalising some of the budget PC market, I think we might see the end of budget GPUs, the future will be APUs, then mid and high tier GPUs for high performance PCs.
On a side note, I bought the JSAUX Mod Case to protect the Steam Deck from impact, I occasionally take it with me in my backpack to work. Because of this, it does not fit on the Steam Dock anymore, are there aftermarket docks that work well with Steam Deck protective shells?
