Steam Deck Related News

5 followers

1 articles/week

Stay ahead with the latest news and updates about the Steam Deck. We bring you all the information you need about this new handheld gaming device.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows On Steam Deck Surprised Me More Than Getting Stabbed In The NeckWhen I heard Ubisoft claim that Assassin’s Creed Shadows would be Steam Deck verified at launch , I responded by saying “yeah right” with all the sass I could muster. I’ve tested a lot of games on Steam Deck here at Kotaku. I’ve seen games that should be slam dunks on the device fall short, and even games with the… Read more...

KotakuApr 21

Early Steam Deck Prototype Seemingly Sold On Ebay For $2,000Here’s something odd. Over on eBay someone seems to have spent $2,000 on a Steam Deck prototype which was being sold on the auction site for $3,000. Read more...

KotakuApr 9

Silent Hill f Will Be Playable on a Steam DeckThe PC system requirements and product page say Silent Hill f is "playable" on a Steam Deck, but expect to do some tweaking on the new game.

SiliconeraApr 8

How to Perfect Dodge in South of Midnight As you go through South of Midnight , you'll regularly run into Haints, living embodiments of trauma who want hook-wielding protagonist Hazel dead. Luckily, you have plenty of tools to deal with them, including a snappy dodge that, with proper timing, can deal damage to your attackers. Perfect Dodges can be tricky to pull off, but if you master the timing, you can get through many early-game fights without having to swing your hooks. Here's how to pull off a Perfect Dodge in South of Midnight . Table of contents How Perfect Dodges work in South of Midnight Tips on how to use Perfect Dodging in South of Midnight How Perfect Dodges work in South of Midnight Image via Destructoid You learn how to dodge during your first encounter with a Haint, and it's a pretty bread-and-butter mechanic. Just hit the dodge button (the Circle button on the PlayStation 5 DualShock controller, in my case) while the Haint winds up its attack, and Hazel will roll out of the way. You'll get away just fine with proper timing. Executing a Perfect Dodge, however, asks a bit more of you. To perform a Perfect Dodge, you need to dodge the instant before an enemy takes a swing at you. If you're successful, Hazel lets out a burst of Thread energy that deals a healthy dose of damage to her attacker. As is the tradition in action-adventure combat, judging when an enemy or boss is about to attack relies on careful observation and practice. Thankfully, South of Midnight 's Perfect Dodge timing is more forgiving than Sekiro or Lies of P' s Perfect Parries. I've been playing Soulslike games for years, so I quickly mastered the timing. Tips on how to use Perfect Dodging in South of Midnight Image via Destructoid Once you've got the timing for the Perfect Dodge down, it becomes one of the best tools in your arsenal. The damage you deal with a Perfect Dodge is a burst, so if you time it right, you can hit multiple enemies with the rebound damage. One of South of Midnight's earliest level-up skills, the Rending Step, pairs up with Perfect Dodge. With this ability, you can dash into a forward slash after a successful dodge. It also works with a Perfect Dodge, so you can quickly deal a healthy chunk of damage if you sharpen your dodging game. The post How to Perfect Dodge in South of Midnight appeared first on Destructoid .

Steam Archives – DestructoidApr 7

Review: Keep Driving Is Worth the Trip The journey often becomes the best part about any piece of media. Yes, it is satisfying to see things come to an end. Sure, there’s excitement about getting started. But the part from point A to point B is when it gets interesting. YCJY Games’ Keep Driving focuses on those moments. Sure, reaching the festival at the end is a great culminating moment of “I did it,” but everything getting up to that is what makes it so great. Who are you in Keep Driving ? Whoever you want to be. This is a freeform experience, which means you get to customize your identity. That comes down to your backstory, family situation, and car you drive. These choices help set up your starting position as you prepare for a road trip to see a concert states away with a friend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT5YZlFKDgA Keep Driving is a sim through and through, though I feel like it sort of dances among the exact type. It’s a road trip and driving simulation for sure. You’re picking out the right way to reach the concert, achieving milestones and going through experiences along the way. There’s even something of turn-based “combat” when on the road and dealing with other vehicles and incidents. There’s resource management, as there will be events that will “hang” from your rearview mirror. Did you pack and manage to procure certain items like gas and food? How do you handle potential hitchhikers? It does get a bit easy when it comes to a successful drive and dealing with things like threats and challenges can repeat a bit, so I would advise pacing yourself and playing for a few days, then pausing for a few weeks before heading back. I also feel like there are other “sim” elements present here that make things feel a bit more involved. Inventory management is a big deal, since you’re limited in how much space is available in each vehicle. You’ll quickly learn which items are really important to you and rely upon them, so just ensuring you’re able to keep stocked up might be the only thing to keep in mind. Picking your upgrades and skills is a priority too, especially since your passengers also have abilities. There’s also some life sim elements to it. This comes up with selecting work, dealing with hitchhikers, and even choosing what exactly you decide to do. The concert is a possible goal, but does it become your priority and only one? Images via YCJY Games It’s so easy to play too! Runs in Keep Driving take a few hours, and there’s a lot of replay value to the game. It’s easy to jump in and figure out how to play. The controls are commonsense ones, and it just works. I didn’t experience any crashes or issues, and I’ve headed out on three trips so far. However, I might say it is perhaps a bit too easy. By my second run, I felt like I didn’t need to stress at all, and if you get to three then you’ll know exactly how to “win.” There’s little challenge and, while satisfying, it might feel tedious after you’ve gone on a few drives. But then, spacing them out and not playing them back-to-back like I did in the circumstances I did would probably help with that. All of this is complemented by design decisions that make Keep Driving stand out among other games. We’re seeing everything from the side as we drive through this 2D world a la Oregon Trail . Impressive vistas and familiar takes on cities appear in the background. Spritework is used to recreate other vehicles and environmental elements. We’re always presented with all relevant information via what I felt was a well-organized UI. Images via YCJY Games The only downside is that Keep Driving feels like it would be perfect on a Steam Deck or handheld PC… but it doesn’t support it really yet. Unless you’re okay with a virtual or actual keyboard up for driving. It’s not ideal, but controller support is promised . When that arrives, it will be a real force to be reckoned with. Keep Driving is about that brief moment of time when you get that freedom to pick up and go. Safety net? You have family. Obligations? You’re young and unencumbered. Opportunities? They’re absolutely everywhere. Each run can and will feel different, as there are so many options and multiple endings. The only downside is, if you marathon it and take multiple trips in a row, you may get bored due to how repetitive and easy it can be. Still, the road is open ahead of you, and it’s a joy to take off and drive. Keep Driving is available on the PC via Steam . The post Review: Keep Driving Is Worth the Trip appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraApr 6

Review: Urban Jungle Pairs Plants With Unpacking Style Gameplay Unpacking set something of a cozy trend by pairing elements like environmental storytelling with room organization, and Kylyk Games and Assemble Entertainment built on that concept with the plant arranging game Urban Jungle. The concept is similar and the inspirations are clear! However, here there are more puzzle-based elements and overt storytelling that attempt to add a little more challenge while also ensuring you know exactly who the character you’re helping is. Like Unpacking , we’re following a specific individual in who loves plants in Urban Jungle as she moves from place to place throughout her life. Ayta Borisova first fell in love with horticulture in 1995 with her grandma, where she was staying with her brother while her mom looked for work. However, that was cut short following her mother getting work abroad. Each chapter follows a year and period in Ayta’s life as she settles into a new place and makes it her own by also placing new plants. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB1aE4ymoF4&ab_channel=AssembleEntertainment The structure of Urban Jungle means that each chapter in the game is a new location and level with challenges, just like Unpacking . So in the first 1995 stage, Ayta is staying with her grandmother and helping her place plants until she hits a certain point milestone by satisfying their needs and unlocking the next chapter. The second jumps to 2001, when Ayta and her brother Nurgun are sharing a room in a new home with their mother. Since Ayta got her first “A” of the year, her mother (and grandparents) gifted her plants to decorate her space. Said plants are a random draw. After you use up the ones in your dock and hit a point milestone, you can select two additional ones to add to your collection. Each one has humidity and light needs. They will also be happier or less healthy if placed alongside other plants. There are different variants of each one, which can involve different sizes or cosmetic designs, to offer a change of pace. While some of the “selection” options will be free, you can use earned coins to “pay” for potentially rarer ones. Images via Kylyk Games This means each stage involves optimal arrangements. Which I found honestly isn’t that difficult. Unlike Unpacking , which often had very specific spots or requirements for certain pieces you’d placed, Urban Jungle is a game that offers a lot of room and opportunities. Need light? Place the plants near a window or turn on an actual light in the room. Need water? Putting one near a watering can, sink, fountain, or hose will work. The plant only likes being around certain other plants? Well, I found there honestly isn’t any incentive to diversify, especially since the plants at each top up are random, so just take only two or three varieties that all get along. I found it is pretty easy to beat the system. Once you hit the point allotment for a stage, you also don’t need to immediately move on. There are often optional objectives, which can involve tidying up elements of a room or interacting with certain objects, and you can get some coins for plants for that. There’s also a free-play option once you’ve unlocked a stage, which allows a little more opportunity to decorate, rearrange, and play around. Especially if it is a location with multiple room sand stories to it. Images via Kylyk Games While it isn’t as subtle about its story as Unpacking, I did enjoy the direction Kylyk Games took with Urban Jungle . It is easy to sympathize with Ayta. I wanted her to enjoy what she loved and to have cozy spaces to live in, especially as she dealt with issues with her brother or job. I was also completely unfamiliar with the Sakha Republic and appreciated cultural elements included. For example, after I heard about Yhyakh in the tutorial level, I went online to learn more about it. I will also say that Urban Jungle isn’t quite ideal on a handheld gaming PC just yet, so if you’re using a Steam Deck, you may experience issues. I was playing on a Lenovo Legion Go , and using the controller scheme wasn’t ideal at the moment. There are times when moving a plant with just a joystick and buttons doesn’t work. Maybe it won’t automatically realize that yes, there is a table/desk/surface it can be placed on and will still slide along the floor. It might not select the right one. It’s fiddly! You’ll need to still use the mouse and touchscreen to play! I also missed a few optional objectives, such as one involving petting a cat and another with a light being turned on, due to the game glitching and both becoming inaccessible when using the controller scheme. Urban Jungle is interesting and happens to be one of the better organizational games like Unpacking that I’ve played. I like the defined identity of our avatar and sympathized with her situation. The concept is enjoyable too, and it scratches similar itches. It also encourages a bit of strategy, since you need to take into account other foliage, light, and humidity. However, it can also feel repetitive and restrictive sometimes, and the lack of proper handheld gaming PC and fully comprehensive controller support keeps it from being a Steam Deck must-have. With a few adjustments to the control scheme, it could be a relaxing way to pass some time. Urban Jungle is available for PCs , and a demo for the game is out now. The post Review: Urban Jungle Pairs Plants With Unpacking Style Gameplay appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraApr 5

Bazzite OS: A worthy Windows replacement, or just a passing fad? For all its ubiquity, Windows OS is a less-than-perfect choice if you're a gamer. It's bloated, overly contrived, and has nothing in the way of a gaming-oriented UI for use in a living room setting. Valve showed us a potential alternative with SteamOS, but would it work? SteamOS is not out yet. Further, it looks like Valve isn't interested in pushing it out for this particular use case anytime soon: instead, the focus as of SteamOS 3.7 is to get it to work on non-Deck handhelds specifically , and even that might take a while. As I've been looking for an off-ramp for Windows for some time now, I decided the right time for experimentation was yesterday, and chose Bazzite OS as my primary consideration. Bazzite OS is, more or less, a third-party attempt at emulating SteamOS, built from the ground up to emulate the experience on a wide array of devices. If you can install Linux on it, you can install Bazzite (which is built on Fedora), and the process is surprisingly foolproof. Picture by Destructoid In a general sense, Windows is fine, and it's what the vast majority of us have gotten used to over the years. It is the de facto go-to option for any modern PC builder. It's big, however. Big, bloated, and expensive if you're actually buying first-party licensing. Sure, it supports virtually everything under the sun, but this quickly turns into a detriment for specific use cases. For an office PC and workstation, then, a Windows PC is the obvious option. If you're building a living room PC to use as a console or a media station, though, you will want to drive the thing using a controller or a remote, and that's not good at all on Windows. Enter SteamOS, which has been designed from the ground up as a media-focused OS. Bazzite functions almost exactly the same, being an unofficial take on SteamOS, and it should support virtually every reasonably modern hardware combo under the sun. My goal for experimentation with Bazzite has been to reduce my reliance on Windows as a whole and turn my old gaming laptop into a Linux-based media powerhouse. For the longest time, the problem was that my laptop used an Nvidia GPU, but modern Bazzite also supports Team Green, which is excellent news across the board. I'm testing Bazzite on an old-gen Lenovo Legion machine. Equipped with 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, a reasonably fast i5-9300H CPU, and the RTX 2060, it serves as a solid baseline for virtually all media reproduction and casual gaming. Most things run fine on this machine, even though the tech running it is getting long in the tooth on top of being laptop hardware to begin with. Picture by Destructoid Installing Bazzite OS is quick, easy, and painless I'm happy to report that there's hardly anything to complain about installing Bazzite. All you need is an appropriately tweaked installation file (drivers, etc.), which is available via the official website , and Rufus to prepare bootable media. Using the default settings worked for me, and it took about 20 minutes for Bazzite OS to install on the laptop. I'm writing this out specifically to assuage any concerns you might have about installing a Linux distro: setting up Bazzite was the first time I've ever installed Linux on my own, and if I didn't mess anything up, I reckon you won't either. Post-installation, one issue I encountered was that the Steam Game Mode UI was laggy, but this was resolved simply by allowing the GPU to render Web View interfaces in Desktop Mode. Easy-peasy. The whole thing functions exactly the same as SteamOS does on the Deck if you set it up that way. Bazzite lets you choose whether your PC boots into Game Mode or Desktop Mode during the installation process, and I've set up my laptop to emulate the Deck in this sense. Crucially, SteamOS's Quick Settings menu also works, allowing you to quickly tune your upscaling options, refresh rate, and a bevy of other things while playing. In my testing (playing Witchfire, 2K Drive, and Sulfur for the most part), there have been no problems, and the performance seems about on-par with what I saw on Windows. I've not conducted truly hardcore benchmarking on this system, however. For that information, I'd recommend checking out Larkin Cunningham's testing from early March 2025, which suggests Nvidia systems may lose some performance on Linux versus Windows 11. In my case, any potential performance dips I might've experienced have been minuscule enough not to notice them, and I do usually notice these things . The one thing that is missing is the TDP limiter, which could be an issue depending on what you want to do with your device. In my case, the laptop's battery is particularly crummy to begin with, and though Bazzite did help me eke out 20-odd minutes of extra battery life (3:10 at full charge versus 2:50ish on Windows 11 at full charge), it's plugged in when in use, anyway. Picture by Destructoid What do I get for my troubles, then? A capable semi-mobile media driver with reasonable workstation capabilities. Since Bazzite OS has a full-fledged Desktop Mode, I can do some light work on it. Everything web-based works by default, and for everything else, there's OpenOffice. A particularly handy app I've grown to love on Linux is CoolerControl , which allows me to control all attached LEDs and fans in a single interface. It, too, worked flawlessly out of the box, and I'm frankly astonished with how easy setting it all up has been. This applies to Bazzite OS in general. I've yet to find something that's outright broken on the OS or doesn't work. Sure, all the usual caveats of SteamOS apply here as well: if a game doesn't support Linux, you won't be able to play it natively on the device you've got Bazzite on. To be perfectly fair, you could get Bazzite OS's biggest boon by simply setting up your PC to boot directly into Steam Game Mode UI on Windows. That is an option, and it will be the preferred way of doing things for those who wish to stick with Windows no matter what. If you're like me, though, and wish to see if things could be done outside of Microsoft's purview, I can happily recommend Bazzite OS. I've had Bazzite installed on my laptop, using it as a media PC hooked up to a TV, for about two weeks now. One bug I've had a few times is that the leftmost Game Mode feature menu will glitch out. Thankfully, it's rare enough that I don't feel too pressed about it. Everything else has been trucking along just fine to the point that I have to go out of my way to look for reasons to use Desktop Mode. In summary, Bazzite OS is, in my experience, good enough for most casual users and those interested in building media PCs. If you'd like to avoid the usual Windows bloat, insistence on constant updates, and the god-awful new AI Copilot feature, this may well be the ticket. You could also dual-boot if you're into that sort of thing! The post Bazzite OS: A worthy Windows replacement, or just a passing fad? appeared first on Destructoid .

Steam Archives – DestructoidApr 2

Is Schedule 1 Steam Deck compatible? No doubt by now you'll at least have heard of Schedule 1 , the indie crime simulator that has you building a drug empire. Well, it seems to be doing well for itself, evidence of how the indie scene can still make a splash in the cut-throat world of modern gaming. In fact, despite it coming almost out of nowhere, it's been making headlines, with it sitting on the number one spot on Steam's Top Sellers list at the time of writing. It keeps smashing its concurrent player count, according to the latest figures from SteamDB , so it's clearly doing alright, despite it only releasing recently (hype is a powerful thing, it seems). https://twitter.com/ScheduleOneGame/status/1904292142035743200 Currently, the game is exclusive to PC, but for those who like their gaming on the go, you may be wondering whether you can run it on your Steam Deck. Well, there may be some good news ahead. Can you play Schedule 1 on Steam Deck? Yes, Schedule 1 is playable on Steam Deck . Schedule 1 is not a demanding PC game by any means, so it runs completely fine on Steam Deck and other PC handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally. Because of this, you can get the game to run on Steam Deck, although it does not have official controller support just yet, and there are some issues with on-screen text, which is a common error with games that are Deck playable. Schedule 1 is definitely not the most optimized Steam Deck experience, to say the least, but you should at least be able to get around 30 FPS if you lock the frame rate to this number. Beyond that, it will take further optimization to make the game run better. Is Schedule 1 Steam Deck verified? Image via Steam Schedule 1's Steam Deck compatibility is still officially listed as "Unknown." This basically means that Valve, as the developer of the device, is "still learning" about the game, so no official information can be said about its compatibility. But just because its status is not known doesn't mean it won't work. According to recent posts on the community forums , Schedule 1 is still playable on the Steam Deck, and I've had a similar experience. The game can be played, but since it does not have official controller support yet, it's not recommended. Because of this, it's better to use a keyboard and mouse while the game's developer works on further support for both controllers and the Steam Deck. For now, yes, Schedule 1 is technically playable on Steam Deck, but it has not yet been verified by Valve, and it's a much better experience on PC or with a mouse and keyboard attached to the Steam Deck handheld. At the time being, it's suggested to either wait for the game to become verified or at least considered "Deck Playable" by Valve's standards, or hook the handheld up to mouse and keyboard peripherals, otherwise you may be in for a bad time trying to enjoy yourself and play the game the way it's meant to be played. Keep an eye out for updates on this game's Steam Deck playability in the future, especially if it continues to be a popular game in the early months of 2025, as players learn how to make and sell drugs in the cartoonish open-world title. The post Is Schedule 1 Steam Deck compatible? appeared first on Destructoid .

Steam Archives – DestructoidApr 1

Persona 5: The Phantom X to Appear on SteamPersona 5: The Phantom X will come out on Steam in China. It's unknown whether it iwll be compatible with the Steam Deck.

SiliconeraMar 31

Pokemon TCG: The Best Journey Together Cards Scarlet & Violet: Journey Together , the new Pokemon Trading Card Game expansion set , focuses on the return of specific trainers’ Pokemon and their particular game strategies. Looking to find the best cards of the set? We’re here as always to help break it down. The coolest Journey Together cards We see a couple of entries in our favorite category, “legendaries you can get as uncommons,” in Virizion , Articuno and Regice . Pulling a cool creature more times in a pack is just good, and though these three lack the sort of powerful attacks you’d want for a constructed deck, they each have some really handy moves for a limited format. Seeing as we’d love to see more attention to that format in the Pokemon TCG, it’s great that they’re at a rarity that means they’ll get pulled in that context more often! From a visuals perspective, we love to see different art styles and approaches on even the normal cards, and there’s a ton of that to appreciate in Journey Together . We especially like the Metapod , Karrablast , Cubone , Kecleon , Ludicolo and Iono’s Voltorb . The Illustrator Rares are always great, but we like that there’s something interesting to look at without cracking a ton of packs just to get one. Photo by Siliconera The most interesting Journey Together cards The new Meowscarada line is intriguing, as it uses all-colorless attacks. The final evolution in particular, though, is what makes it worth a look. Its power lets it swap into the active spot whenever it wants, and then slap an opponent’s ex Pokemon for 180 damage with just two energy. There’s also an effort to make burn more of a viable strategy. Magmortar increases your burn damage by 30, while Volcanion ex makes for a strong attacker but also can use its power to burn the opponent every turn it’s out in front. Finally, though its Stage 2 status makes it unlikely to see play, Ludicolo uses its Vibrant Dance ability to give all your creatures 40 more HP, and that’s a fun idea. The most meta-relevant Journey Together cards The set’s Tapu Koko ex makes for an effective sweeper. Its Linked Lightning attack deals a base 60 plus 20 for each of your benched creatures, and it does it at just two energy, meaning you can get that 160 up and running fairly quickly. The flexible Brock’s Scouting supporter lets you pull either two Basics or one evolution from your deck. A new special energy card shows up, too, and it’s a versatile one. Spiky Energy provides just one colorless, but it also deals 20 recoil damage to the opponent if it attacks you. Handy! Alcremie ex might be a good bench utility despite its evolved status, as its ability can heal anything for 30 once a turn. Toedscruel is similarly intriguing, as it lowers all your retreat costs by two and can effectively let you swap around your Pokemon at will. A beneficiary of that strategy could be Magearna ? If you move it into the active spot, place an energy on another creature and then move it back out to attack, you can use its ability to get 90 HP healing along the way. Photo by Siliconera The cutest Journey Together cards There’s a decent pool of options for cutest cards in this set, a welcome change from the last few expansions. It’s not hard to make Sprigatito cute, but the one here lounging in its bed certainly qualifies. Togedemaru is also an easy mark. The sleeping Komala is a friend, and so is Skwovet chowing down. In terms of Illustrator Rares, Lillie’s Ribombee captures a moment well, and Furret is just a good little bud. The latest Pokemon Trading Card Game expansion, Scarlet & Violet: Journey Together , launches March 28, 2025. Check out our Pokemon TCG archive for more about the game, including an overview of this latest set. The post Pokemon TCG: The Best Journey Together Cards appeared first on Siliconera .

SiliconeraMar 28