The Steam Deck looks great – but my hands already hate it
The Steam Deck, a portable and handheld PC that Valve announced yesterday, looks like the answer to gamers out there who’ve been looking into getting into PC gaming but have always had something that held them back. Maybe it was money, or being used to a different OS, or something akin to that… The Steam Deck also looks like it’s going to break my hands.
That doesn’t mean I expect the Steam Deck to suck, of course. I find the thought of a handheld PC incredibly interesting, especially the low price range that’ll allow people who can’t afford a high-end PC to jump in on the Steam Deck and play the games they couldn’t anywhere else. Or, if you’re like me and just desperately want to play everything in bed, there’s that plus for you too!
And if that doesn’t sell you on the Steam Deck, it’s also going to apparently let you down third-party software on it too. Can you imagine getting to play the entire series of Mass Effect and/or Dragon Age on a handheld device while tucked up in bed? Honestly, I’d cry if I could spare the moisture but it’s too hot right now, so.
BUT. I can’t deny that the Steam Deck also makes me worry about my hands. For one, it’s super bloody heavy. It’s 1.47lbs, which is just less than twice the weight of a Nintendo Switch. I struggle with the Nintendo Switch at times because after a few hours of playing, my little fingers go numb and my wrist starts to hurt. It’s gotten so bad that I usually use this crane thing that holds my Switch for me so I can play without worrying about my hands. So what the hell is the Steam Deck going to do to them?
Now I’m certainly going to give this new PC that looks like a console a chance. There are just several things I have to keep in mind, and ultimately I’ll have to weigh up the pros and cons of the Steam Deck like a reasonable, functioning adult.
For example: a pro would be me finally being able to play Control in the bath, and downloading Discord to talk to my friends at the same time. Because that’s just what friends do, play games while naked and talk to friends. The con of this would be that due to the weight of the Steam Deck it would weigh my hands down and cause me to drop this, possibly electrocuting myself and causing my friends to listen to my last moments.
On the other hand, I get to play Baldur’s Gate 3 in bed and listen to all the ways I’ve failed to live up to Lae’zel’s expectations while madly falling in love with her at the same time. A con would be that I play Baldur’s Gate 3 like this so much that by the time I’ve reached 30 I’ve worn my wrists down so much that I’m no longer able to use them. Hmm…
I think I’m going to buy a Steam Deck.
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