PC Handhelds - ROG Ally, SteamDeck etc.

[Maf]

Last night I got Dragon Quest 8 running on Steamdeck at 1080p60 and it’s so impressive considering it’s emulated. At first it runs at 720p but I guess it’s like anti-aliasing issue or something where everything looks very jaggy. But if you change the resolution in Emudeck it just looks perfect. There’s some slight frame rate issues in the first town where it tumbles and then builds back up quickly. Not sure. I also tried pushing it to 1440p but the frame rate tanks and it doesn’t really look better than 1080p anyway

 

It took me an hour to get it going because for the PS2 emulation you have to download the bios and get it in the right folder as well. It was difficult because, understandably, a lot of YT channels will not point to the website with the roms and bios in case of getting flagged. But eventually I found one that went go here, download, copy and paste in this folder, done. Like thank you, thank fuck. It’s really easy when you know what to do but when trying to follow instructions with this big gap in it I was getting nowhere

 

Just need to do the same for N64. Lately I’ve been thinking about all the N64 games I never got to play Duke Nukem Zero Hour or the Castlevania 64 sequel. They’re super expensive on eBay so that will my next experiment 

 

I have to be honest, I don’t especially like the Steamdeck. The build quality is eh, it’s super chunky, trying to navigate things like the store and desktop mode are a pain in the ass and I dunno. Kind of like the PS handhelds there’s something about it that I’m just like, ah, I’ll play somewhere else. I don’t know what it’s missing or has but it’s just not a great place to play for me

 

But for this emulation stuff it’s really fucking cool and I was so impressed with how it can actually make games like Dragon Quest run even better and clear up visual issues. It might just end up being a mini PS2/Nintendo hybrid box for me 

[one-armed dwarf]

I was having an issue with the deck's desktop mode where it wouldn't get into bios. Couldn't figure out why, I hadn't fucked around with the terminal (at least, not that much, just installed a few packages is all). Via some arcane combination of volume and power button I got into a bootloader menu or something which allowed me to pick a backup image. So I musta fucked something up, somehow

 

But I really like its openness, I'm not that into emulation these days but using it to drive some of the classic RPGs and dosbox stuff on GOG is super cool. The switch OLED I have I've barely touched in comparison, I just don't get a lot of enjoyment with closed platforms anymore. Would be great tho if Nintendo released their classics library on GOG or something, so maybe I can try and get into Zelda II again.

[Maf]

The openness of it is the best thing about it. For me that comes in the form of emulation. It would be nice if it could get Gamepass on it because then hey a nice cheap way to play Blue Prince or something. 
 

But I dunno. Anytime I try play a game on it I end up turning it off after 20 minutes. I’ve only played one game start to finish on it so far.

 

That said I did play 2 hours of DQ8 since yesterday. Took that long to beat the first boss. This is going to be a grind heavy DQ by the looks. Should have got the 3DS version. Maybe it’s easier. 

[one-armed dwarf]

Well, on an emulator you can use frameskip to speed up the grinding at least.

 

What that frameskip gets you on a steam deck though, I don't know

[Maf]

Coming to the end (sort of) of Dragon Ball I think the next game I’m going to play is Yakuza. I played the first one on PS2 up until the guy gets thrown in prison and didn’t think very much of it. Then sort of ignored the series and somehow it crept up to be a cult thing then a actually big thing and I’ve always been curious about going back and giving the series another shot, and looking online the Steamdeck plays it really well

[DANGERMAN]

does someone want to buy this weirdness to try it out?

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004782196757.html?dp=ppr-uk-2848794428&aff_fcid=52c788077b844da5a20d2c35a8f78cb3-1750248580889-08810-nHz3rGy0&aff_fsk=nHz3rGy0&aff_platform=promotion&sk=nHz3rGy0&aff_trace_key=52c788077b844da5a20d2c35a8f78cb3-1750248580889-08810-nHz3rGy0&terminal_id=08d4e4d39399446291cdb2ae74e626af&afSmartRedirect=y

 

[Maf]

Trying to play MGS HD collection for Peace Walker on Steam Deck and getting the RPCS3 thing running is so hard. I think i’ve downloaded and installed the firmware correctly (Surprised Sony just lets people have it legally) but can’t get it to recognise the game file for anything. This shit is always so frustrating 

[Maf]

I officially give up. Maybe one day they’ll put out a MGS Master Collection 2 and I’ll be able to play the game again. Between the jank of the Steamdeck and the jank of the emulation stuff. I’ve been beaten on this one, I can’t do it 

[one-armed dwarf]

Doesn't sound great - "This is not an Xbox". Though there's some good reviews out there as well

 

https://www.theverge.com/games/799698/xbox-ally-x-review-asus-microsoft-full-screen-experience

 

I don't really know how the Verge works, seems like you have to sign in and it lets you read it, this polygon review is not gated: https://www.polygon.com/rog-xbox-ally-x-review/?link_source=ta_bluesky_link&taid=68efb0039ec7f20001fd5905&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky

 

https://www.eurogamer.net/rog-xbox-ally-x-review

 

Quote

In reality, it seems that Microsoft and Asus didn’t actually ship their units to stores with that version of Windows installed — or necessary BIOS updates, graphics drivers, and more. Reviewers like me spent hours and multiple reboots waiting for those updates to install before we could play a single game; even after I was done, I still couldn’t navigate Windows without some smudging of the touchscreen and fighting with the gamepad controls.

 

This is what I was feeling with the whole Windows as Xbox thing, the Steam Deck has taken a lot of software iterations to get to where it is. It was not totally there at launch, and still has issues today, but has improved a lot in that time. 

 

Windows isn't really an OS for gaming, given how often it fucks up with controllers. I play mainly on keyboard now so sidestep that issue, but the basic things you take for granted and the real points of friction aren't even really the things you'd expect, like drivers and installing hardware or it blowing up. It's the fact that Windows is a productivity software OS, gaming is secondary to that. So it was never going to be the case that MS would effortlessly leapfrog Valve's effort which is maturing all the time. Maybe they get there eventually though, who knows. Wait and see I guess

 

 

[Maf]

I’ve barely looked in to it as the price makes it a no-go for me, regardless. But from what I can tell people are very happy with the way it plays games. Performance seems good.

 

But also the device seems dogged by “is it an Xbox?” Which MS did to themselves, I suppose 

[mfnick]

I really thought that they’d streamline the experience on this much more. Still sounds like an absolute PIA to use just for games. Maybe they’ll get there one day. 

[Maf]

I watched the first 10mins of the above Giant Bomb video earlier and all the problems they have made me think yep, definitely not an Xbox. That’s some authentic-ass PC gaming 

[shinymcshine]

I just don't really understand the target market for it, or the Steam Deck TBH

 

Yes, they are impressive from a tech standpoint - but aside from sitting in your armchair to play, I don't really get the advantage of them - where they are relatively power hungry to need regular main top up / connection. I find similar 'restrictions' with the NS - almost too big to carry and play on the go.

 

I miss the small pocket sized handheld consoles where the current market seems to be the Evercade or Playdate then a handful of retro themed ones - nothing for me had ever filled the DS / 3DS void - and that is still my default travelling gaming device.

 

I'm not trying to wind up anyone who's got one - perhaps just trying to figure out why, rather than a gaming laptop etc.

[Maf]

In terms of Steamdeck and other handheld PC’s I think the draw is it’s a good console style entry point in to PC gaming. Though there’s some awkwardness with that. Trying to navigate Steam, even on the deck, with sticks and buttons is fiddly. It works, but it definitely feels like a half way point between console and PC, and has some frictions in it. They tried putting these track pads on it to give a mouse-like usability option, but they’re complete rubbish 

 

The portability complaint is very real. But I think it might just be a reality of components needed 

 

But overall it works. And importantly to me it’s great for smaller games. I don’t want to play 2D games on a TV or widescreen anymore. I much enjoy smaller games on smaller screens. I think part of why I don’t like Silk Song that much is it’s on a a screen that’s too big for it 

 

And this is where the Switch/Switch 2 really shines because for me I get to do both. I get to play Mario Galaxy on big screens, and Dragon Quest on a small screen (though I still haven’t tried the Switch 2 in portable yet, I understand it’s not as good as Switch OLED so this use case might be slightly dented by that) 

[one-armed dwarf]

I disagree about the track pads, once I got used to them it made Morrowind extremely playable on deck. 

 

The big issue with Deck imo is its most suited for old games, but most old games aren't built for controllers. So it's in this sort of limbo with regard to its potential. I don't know how you would solve that problem either, keyboard doesn't really work on handheld. But at the very least, mouse support is the most important, fundamental thing to have. There's too much stuff that won't work without it

 

In fact, the Ally X not having a trackpad has me thinking wtf a bit. That excludes lots of games, so many RPGs, 4x, rts, pc-centric genres etc and old games. The functional limbo of this device is worse than deck 

[Maf]

In fairness I never used the trackpads in a game. Maybe in games they work better. I only used them for Steam and for emulation stuff

 

But from that experience I can say not a fan 

[DANGERMAN]

I don't think Steam is difficult to control on the Deck at all, Valve have done a great job with it. There's buttons either side to bring up the menus you need, that's it. You can even touch screen keyboard if you need to type anything

 

In terms of use, same as with the Switch I guess, I've taken it on my commute before, quite regularly for a while, otherwise it's good to just pick up and play. I tend not to play stuff like Civ or even Metro on it, games that I'd rather use a mouse for, but given the merging of PC and console gaming in the last 15 years or so there's plenty to play. I have a gaming laptop, it's significantly more powerful than any of the handhelds I suspect, but its not the same experience. To get the most out of that I'm needing a desk, a controller, or a mouse depending, and still probably a power supply

 

With the Deck, and the Rog etc, if you limit the performance you get more out of it, in the same way playing Witcher 3 or Zelda would drain the Switch quicker than the retro emulators. It at least charges quickly of a decent supply, but off a slow charge it can take all day (like a USB port rather than a socket)

 

I'm sort of with you missing the smaller handhelds, I'm not sure how many of them are actually pocket sized (the Playdate is, and I have my GB Micro in my bag from when the servers were down at work), but I liked the dedicated handhelds. They just wouldn't get enough support nowadays though I guess. I said at the time the 3DS' library wasn't going to continue on to the Switch, just because of the increased development costs, and I think that's played out. We've had a few remakes and stuff, but those weird rpgs you used to get from the likes of Atlus seem to have vanished, which is a shame

[Maf]

One big contradiction/oversight/something I think with any handheld is the idea of an OLED touch screen. It’s too beautiful to put finger prints all over (I know you can clean it; but still) 

[mfnick]

Going back to the Xbox Rog, am I being simple or is there a reason they couldn’t have an emulation layer in there to play a much larger proportion of your actual owned Xbox games. Like the consoles do. They know the system here, it’s not a generic Asus handheld. If they’re officially licensing this it should have that extra bit of compatibility. 
 

I really think they should be getting a lot more shit for the “This is an Xbox” & Xbox branding when it’s such a small percentage of your library. 
 

Even the official marketing has “Play ALL your games” as a tag. 
 

 

So am I missing something as to why they couldn’t have put that emulation in there for other, older games? 
 

[one-armed dwarf]

I don't know, it's a good question, my guess is they're more interested in blurring the lines between what is meant by 'Xbox' and 'PC' and looking at competing with Valve now instead of Sony. They get to say 'allyourgames' because of Cloud gaming, but it's a secondary concern to them compared with broadening the consumer base of PC players and trying to use 'Xbox' as a recognisable brand to onboard them, get them integrated into that ecosystem on the PC side of things and try to get more people into the idea of the MS store as the main place to buy PC games, instead of Steam

 

I really think we're looking here at a dry run of what the next 'Xbox' is actually going to be