I'll let you in on a little secret: I've never really gotten along with gaming notebooks, but while I was impressed with their performance, I never felt the need for one.
Instead, I always and in all circumstances returned to my trusty desktop computer. It's more comfortable to use, and while the mobile components are more powerful than ever, even the most powerful gaming laptop can't match my desktop for killer performance.
The fact that I can upgrade my PC to keep it current or replace conflicting components also means it's going to outlast a laptop. Naturally, after a while, my PC ends up looking like Theseus' ship: if every single component is finally upgraded, will it still be exactly the same PC? More effectively, it's more affordable than getting a new gaming laptop every 5 years or so.
Of course, my dislike for gaming laptops meant that I missed the portability and convenience they offer. I like my big, big, awkward desktop PC, but I won't take it everywhere.
Meanwhile, the gaming laptops didn't really feel like I was missing out too much. Yes, they were more portable than my PC (which isn't really hard enough), but they were still big and heavy enough that I didn't appreciate carrying them around. Poor battery life also meant that if you wanted to really game, you had to be plugged in, limiting that vaunted portability.
So, there I was perfectly satisfied with the lifespan of my desktop computer. When I felt like playing my PC games on my living room TV, buying a gaming laptop was never a consideration for me - I just built a slim and compact desktop. OK, maybe I have a bit of a desktop addiction...
enter the bridge
While no gaming laptop has ever won me over, the new Steam Deck handheld gives me everything I thought laptops couldn't. It's solid enough to comfortably carry with me and I can use it on a bus or train, which I would never do with a gaming laptop.
As with gaming laptops, this gives me access to a lot of PC games, and while playing non-Steam games is more difficult, there are workaround options. Steam Deck also brought me back to games I thought I would never play again. I would never have run Hotline Miami on a gaming laptop, but I tried it on the Steam Deck and couldn't put it down.
There are also newer games, like Tunic, that seem to be a perfect fit for the Steam Deck. This Zelda-inspired RPG runs great on the Steam Deck, and I couldn't imagine playing it on a laptop or desktop.
The Steam Deck's solid design means I've played considerably more on it than on any gaming laptop, but there's another big difference that made me more likely to resume and play on the Steam Deck: no Windows XNUMX or XNUMX.
Steam Deck runs on Linux-based Steam OS XNUMX, and I'm becoming more and more convinced that it's a hit teacher. This means that starting Steam Deck takes seconds, and Valve (the company behind Steam Deck) was able to incorporate features that aren't included in Windows XNUMX or XNUMX, such as the ability to turn off Steam Deck, which pauses your game play. When you turn it back on, your game is running and you're right where you left off, making it perfect for speedy gaming whenever you feel like it.
Playing a game on a Windows gaming laptop, by comparison, feels like a chore. After starting Windows or waiting for it to activate, you must open the game launcher and then start the game. At this point, you have probably missed the shutdown.
Of course, there are still things you could say gaming laptops have an edge on. They're more flexible, to boot, so you can use one to work when you're not gaming. However, the Steam Deck does have a desktop mode, which lets you run certain apps, and if you connect a USB-C hub, you can use a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. Although it is not as useful as a laptop, you can use it as a PC for many tasks. You can also install Windows XNUMX on the Steam Deck if you want.
There are also power considerations. Pretty much every gaming laptop will outperform the Steam Deck, but I didn't really care. There's enough power in the Steam Deck to run games like God of War and Elden Ring at a decent level of performance, and while I think the Steam Deck is best suited for arcade-inspired indie games, that means if you want to play a AAA title when you're away from your prime machine, you can.
I found it particularly nice to quickly cast Elden Ring for a bit of rune farming and couch leveling. As a parent of a little boy, this fits really well into my life. Again, I never wanted to do that with a gaming laptop. Thanks to Valve's hard work, the Elden Ring also performs better in some ways than my beloved gaming PC.
The last thing that Steam Deck has is the cost. A €XNUMX/€XNUMX for the base model, €XNUMX/€XNUMX for the GB XNUMX version and €XNUMX/€XNUMX for the GB version. At XNUMX GB, the Steam Deck is significantly more affordable than most gaming laptops. there is a waiting list of months. I'd advise getting a Steam Deck on a gaming laptop pretty much every time and in all circumstances, especially when supplies increase and become easier to acquire.
There have also been hints that the Steam Deck is not only the first in a line of Valve designs, but third-party manufacturers could be up to their tricks. This could produce a new category of Steam Deck-based PC gaming handhelds, and if that happens, gaming laptops could have a lot of drawbacks.
Not persuaded? Here are the best gaming laptop deals:
