this post was submitted on 16 Nov 2024
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I can't overstate how nice it is having a tiny little Linux gaming PC in your backpack. It can run the majority of games I throw at it, from Cyberpunk 2077 to Stardew Valley. I replaced SteamOS with Bazzite, which is a little better IMO. And for the games I can't get good performance with, it's seamless to stream them from my Linux gaming rig. It also obviously works great for ROMs, and while some Switch games are glitchy, most run very well. You don't have to limit yourself to games on Steam either, since it's pretty easy these days to run any Windows, MacOS, or Android apps or games on Linux, and Heroic gives you 1-click installs for GOG and Epic game stores.
Battery life is around two and a half hours for a game like Cyberpunk 2077, and as much as 7-8 for something like Stardew Valley.
Do you think that Linux mint would fair well on it? I do like my Linux mint lol.
I'm rocking a 1060 in all of my builds and my laptop so im already used to medium Gfx at best.
You could install that, yes. But keep in mind that distros made for the Deck include the game mode for the Deck, as well as Steam Input, which is one of the greatest things Valve has made, allowing you to make complex macros and rebind every part of the Deck, from the buttons to the trackpads or even the gyro, in almost any way you want. Without those things, the Deck is just a PC with a very small screen. Steam Input is what makes many games, even ones that were never meant to be played with a controller, viable on the Deck.
I might be misunderstanding but isn't that a function of steam itself? Not a custom OS? And game mode is just big picture mode?
No, game mode is a specific mode made for the Steam Deck and other portables. I believe people have also gotten it to work on the ROG Ally. It replaces the desktop entirely while active, and only Steam games, and games that are added as a shortcut to Steam can be launched. It is not something that is launched from Steam like Big Picture mode, and while it is active, there is no desktop, and no other way to interact with the Deck. Using the desktop normally requires exiting game mode entirely.
Game mode is way better than big picture because