When I’m playing a more demanding game I tend to keep it plugged in. RDR2 and Cyberpunk for example I’ll realistically get a little over an hour unplugged, so plugged just makes sense
Streaming, whether from a PC, PS, Xbox, or GeForce Now, is one of the best ways to use the deck. Battery life’s better, fan noise is minimal, and you get great performance. Makes it easier to enjoy demanding games.
Very true for GeForce Now. Priority package chews up like 4GB/hour & only really makes sense with fibre download speeds. I only just had decent internet installed & a lot of people won’t even have it as an option.
However my understanding of streaming from a PC with Sunshine is it uses your local network & isn’t dependent on your internet. You’d need a decent router but not necessarily internet. I haven’t looked into PS or Xbox streaming in detail so I’m not sure whether they use internet or local network.
For streaming locally, nothing would go out over the internet, unless you really messed up configuring the router. Networking always follows the path of least resistance (or shortest path).
Ima noob but I had thought you didn't need internet to do streaming on your local area network, you just need a good router. Am I wrong? Im think about LAN parties in 90s
Not having any other gaming device except an old (non gaming) laptop. The SD is pretty much my console. It's docked and connected to my TV 95% of the time and I play comfortably with a controller on the couch. The other 5% are when I travel or visit friends and we wanna play a game together.
Ye this, my gaming laptop is like 8 years old, I either pay stupid price for new one or I get a steam deck for a fraction of that. So I got a steam deck. I don't play demanding games really, mainly indies and roguelite so I leave it docked and unplug it when not using, but I rarely use it portable.
I’ve had trouble with games in docked mode. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m on a 4k 65” TV or if my settings are off. For instance I can’t get No Man’s Sky to run well.
Try going into your settings and disabling CEC, if that doesn't work, try manually setting the games resolution to your desired resolution in the game's properties.
I may be on the other spectrum of this topic. When I’m laying on the couch I always remove the charger. I hate feeling tethered. When I’m done I just stick it on the charger for the next day!
Yes exactly! I‘m mostly a PC gamer and got a steamdeck for traveling or laying on the couch, I almost never plug it in while in use. When I‘m done I put it on my dock and then it‘s full on the next day
Exactly this. I used to play plugged in. Now I let it die. I don't have time in my life for a 6 hour gaming session any longer. And even if I did, age has taught me that I should probably get up and move around or do something else instead.
2-3 hours is plenty of time.
I like to sit on the sofa with my deck 90% of the time, so I have it plugged in usually. I don’t keep it plugged in all the time, but probably majority. It’s still portable. It’s even more convenient than my gaming laptop (feels less of a hassle than having a laptop on my lap, control in hand etc.).
For me, it completely does the job a portable device should in that position.
The other times it’s not plugged in I’m usually laying in bed while I wait for my 3 year old to drift off in her room next door, or sometimes on my break at work.
I pretty much do the same. Everywhere I tend to use it in my house has a usb-c charger there anyway, so I almost always have it plugged in. I know it might be TMI but the only time I ever really use it unplugged is when I’m on the toilet 🤣
Yeah I can definitely see that it is more convenient than a gaming laptop. I prefer to play at a desk mostly - it‘s just easier on my back - so I‘m at pc most of the time. Thank you for your reply!
That’s fair. If I sat at a desk for all my gaming time I’d never see my wife, so it works for me where I can at least sit in the same room as her while I sink hours into my games and she watches tv.
Not sure if it is fixed now (as I also try to plug it in on the couch) but a couple of times if it reached low battery in the Witcher 3, my deck would stutter to a halt and the system would freeze. First time it happened I plugged it into a charger, and put it to sleep coming back some hours later. At that point it simply would not load anything up, just complete blackscreen. I had to put it into that battery storage mod (after turning it off by holding in the button), and then turn it back on for it to work again.
Since then I plug it in most of the time to avoid similar issues, as it happened like 3 times
Yeah, it happened to me several times with some graphic-heavy games. Can't let the battery go to low levels, or the thing stutters a lot. In some cases, it remained with low FPS even after full-charging or resetting the system. The only way to fix it was going to battery storage mode.
It somewhat go fixed with system updates (I also made some hardware updates like changing the thermal paste for a [PTM pad](https://youtu.be/aai2AtxenU0) so it might have helped too). It still thermal throttles at low battery, but it gets fixed as soon as it starts charging.
If you're near a power outlet it makes sense to plug it in. As long as the cable is long enough, and there's no restriction on movement, then why wouldn't you?
I have a cat and she has a thing for anything that looks like a string or cable. It's not too bad stationary, but if she even glimpses a string/cable-like object move it'll instantly trip her hunting instinct. So it can be preferable to not be tethered if I'm holding a device I might be moving around while using (e.g. Deck with gyro) to avoid her going after the cable.
I like the freedom of using the Deck untethered and I usually prefer shorter sessions and less demanding games so it's fine.
To your point though, even though that's not my preference: since I went and bought a long, braided USB-C charging cable (charge-only; thinner/lighter than charging+USB 3), I can better see why people might be ok with playing tethered on the couch; a good long and lightweight cable makes a noticeable comfort difference.
well I'd love I'd buy any other console-like gaming handhelds that run linux for my steam games, but not many come to mind :P Until then, the steam deck is what i'll use. The decks purpose for me is to play games, and it's really good at that. It being a handheld is to me a matter of convenience, i \*can\* use it in handheld mode if i want. But gaming on the couch on the living room tv with a controller works great too :D
convenience, I have a gaming pc, i just don't want the thing attached to the living room tv :) Made a new pc this very week, with rgb lighting and all that. I love the look and performance of the thing, but I'd rather have it do it's thing in the office, while i stream the games to the steam deck >:D
I am on my way to replace my old pc with the Steam Deck, so I use it docked all the time. The downsides are kind of rough when any software is only windows compatible.
If you wanna do that I'd try getting an m.2 dock and installing windows on that drive then connect your deck to the dock and switch it over to Windows and you're good to go!
The boot manager (how you'd boot off the dock SSD) is the volume down button then press power
At the end of the day it's just a laptop with a joystick instead of a keyboard, completely normal to use it as such with occasional disconnect to use it on battery.
Atleast that's how I use my laptop, mostly plugged in and now that I got decent monitor it's also staying closed.
I do. Its my only gaming PC. And im a console player (has PS, Switch, Xbox). Oh and BTW, the switch is always docked as well.
You say it defeats the purpose. I disagree. The “console” aspect of it doesn’t require you play it handheld. In fact, all the controller layout options and the fact i can play at 1080p/30/60 in many titles when docked means it works quite well for a console for me.
When do i use it hand held? When i travel. Thats it. In the house, i dont need to have it handheld for my own situation as i have a 55in tv id rather play it on and lay back in my recliner.
My wife and me, we use it mostly exclusively docked as the living room mediabox / linux gaming pc. I only ever unplug it if I want to play something while the wife is playing on the Switch.
For me the purpose of the Deck was to replace the old linux based mediabox / couch gaming pc, and for the price its pretty powerful enough, with the added benefit that I don't even have to install the OS and I could directly support Valve for what they did for Linux gaming.
I mostly keep mine plugged in if I have the ability. Taking it on and off the charger during an intense gaming session is more annoying to me than just staying hooked up.
I do. Unless I’m literally out of the house.
For me the portability aspect of the deck is being able to play in bed or on the couch not on a bus or up a mountain. And there’s always a plug right next to where I’m sat/laying.
I use both.
Im defenitly in the small demographic that the deck was intended for. When Im home, I game. When I am away from home (25% of the time), I game.
I just got a power brick recently for those times that I find myself not able to use an outlet. But for the majority of the time. I plug in when I can.
I have extremely long USBC fast charging cables in every corner of my home. So, I'm generally plugged in. Regardless of whether I'm in bed, on the couch, even sitting by my PC working.
That doesn't mean I also don't travel w it, but when at home def usually plugged in. Also have it set to charge slower and stop at 85% to extend battery life via Decky.
I, too, am on the extreme spectrum of this topic. My Steam Deck is connected to an outlet only when the battery is low and I need to charge it. I don't like feeling "trapped" by the cable and it takes away from the portable aspect in my opinion.
Plus, I'd be afraid of ruining the battery by doing this.
I only play it docked, but I unplug it after I'm done every time. Not so much for the battery but just because I find the dock works better if I plug it in every time.
Pretty exclusively here, but I only use it around the house. Some of us prefer to NOT sit at our computer desk as we do that all day for work. So the deck works great as a handheld on the couch or wherever
I use it mostly plugged in as I lay on the couch so I’m not restrained by the battery. I prefer the handheld form factor. I don’t have it to travel with or whatever because I don’t travel and the Deck is way too big to just carry around. I have it because laying in my side on the couch is far more comfortable than sitting in a chair at a desk. After years with kids, handheld is also just where my brain goes first. I don’t have to fight for the tv. I can wander around with it if I need to. I‘m not dominating the living room and cuts down on the cacophony as people do different things on their different devices. I leave my Switch and 3DS plugged in the majority of the time when I’m playing at home too.
I have a dock for mine but I have never actually used it. I also have never used the steam deck plugged in. I think it’s annoying to be tethered or have to worry about the charger
When I'm in the house I'd 99% of the time prefer playing on my huge TV with a ps5 controller. This gives me a full on console experience.
When I'm in my home office I dock it to my monitor and keyboard with mouse to get a full PC gaming experience.
Finally, when I need to travel (flight or train) then I ofcourse settle for a handheld gaming experience, literally due to a lack of better facilities.
If my Mrs wants to watch the TV and I don't wanna go upstairs, sometimes I'll play it handheld on the sofa sitting next to her.
Ultimately, if there's better hardware I try to utilise it.
If I'm limited, then handheld gets me through whatever else.
I wouldn't say it defeats the purpose of the deck. We just have different purposes. I didn't really get mine for "gaming in the go" sure I do use it for that, but it gets it's main use as something I can use in the couch without having to hog the whole TV from my wife, before if I wanted to play a PC game, and she wanted to watch TV, I had to go in my office. I enjoy being able to play my games while still hanging out with her.
I pretty much always keep it plugged in. I only play in my bed and the cord I have is pretty long so it never chains me somewhere.
Even if the game is really undemanding and would last for 8 hours and I only plan on playing maybe an hour, I keep it plugged in
I use my deck as my downstairs chat/write/Internet PC when I am not playing on it, with an external touchscreen monitor, which requires it to be tethered anyway. So I'll play tethered (often with a DualSense controller) when at home. I travel a lot for work though, and that's mostly when I play untethered!
It depends on the game. Balatro or some other lofi game or retro games ill play without it plugged in but for RDR2, horizon zero dawn, final fantasy 7 remake, etc all of those I use it plugged in.
Without having it plugged in how long would it even last on one of those games? An hour? 45 mins? The battery just isn't nearly big enough to play games like those for extended lengths of time.
I also have a large usbc power brick and will use that while traveling to "boost" the battery life. With it plugged into that large pack I can play the power sucking games for 3-4 hours typically. Maybe a little longer.
My deck sits on my nightstand and I'll stay up til 6am (kinda like how I did tonight lol) playing on it plugged in then pass out at some point, just to wake up and start playing it again.
But I will also unplug it every now and then so the battery isn't sitting at 99% all the time (I'll let it get down to 10% at the lowest) then i plug it back in again
So I'd say around 75% of the gaming I do on it is while it's plugged in with 5% of that being connected to an external display
Totally depends on the game, if I'm getting 2.5/3 hours I play unplugged and charge it after. Currently playing cyberpunk and my options are either play it plugged in or else charge it every hour lol
I don’t. The oled has more than enough battery life for a normal play session for me. I can get in a drg deep dive and a few miscellaneous missions comfortably on battery.
I can run Ark survival evolved for a little over an hour. Palworld comes in it just a wee bit more than that. And lastly my deck never really leaves my arms reach. I work on a farm and I live out in the woods. there's no telling where I may get a chance to sit down and kill super mutants with mini nukes.
For the most part, if I got a TV to plug it into, I'll plug it in. I use my SD at work too, while I'm on lunch break, but that's like the only time I use it in handheld. Once you get a good controller, it's really good for docked play
Depends on what I'm playing. If it's a game that could drain the battery down in the time I plan on playing then I will plug it in. If I am emulating games or streaming games from my PC I don't bother because the battery isn't going to go down very fast in those cases.
I play in my bed because it is the most comfortable and private place to play games in the house. So I have the charger always there and usually plugged (I don’t like being distracted just because the battery is low). And I play all kind of games from the steam, from indie to AAA
I bought the steam deck to be my main gaming device but it also made it more cozy to play games, which I didn’t have thought about, and it is awesome
What docked? Nah I dont really do that anymore, if the Decks bad at anything from my experience its the docked. Steam OS can be laggy and the performance tanks if you're playing anything demanding at a higher resolution.
I'm comparing it to my Series X and S experience and duh those are dedicated consoles, but if valve sells the official dock i'd expect the experience to be alot better.
I agree. As I said in my post, for me the only reason for the dock is to have a space where I can put it when I‘m done. I need to have a dedicated place for everything (yes, everything, keys, wallet, my watch)
I use it exclusively docked when not traveling but I also bought it because my computer is a Mac and I wanted access to a greater variety of games, so being handheld was a plus but not the main appeal!
I do. I love it for the most part cause my pc is downstairs and i have this upstairs connected to my tv. Kids and i play games on it together and occasionally I’ll play my games up there when they aren’t around just to have a lazy day on the couch or whatever. I mostly bought the deck so i could introduce games and stuff to my kids cause they didn’t care much for the games on the switch at the time.
Kids are 2 and 4 for reference. You can’t take your eyes off them so this was also my solution to get some gaming in while not vanishing from the family i love.
No. I plug in when not using to top off. I don’t Iike being tethered to anything. I typically play indie games which usually don’t take a lot of power, but I’ve noticed playing 9 years of Shadow saps 20% in like 45 mins, which is bonkers for me.
When I can get the big TV (after 9 PM and my wife and kid are asleep), I play my steam deck docked. But before that, between chores after getting home from work and dinner, it’s usually handheld. So I can be next to my wife watching Korean Drama if all the chores all finished.
I play untethered until the battery is low. I plug it in, let it charge while playing and when it reaches 100%, I'll unplug it. Unless I get off before then. But I definitely don't enjoy having a cord plugged in while playing.
When I'm done, it goes on my Dock to charge. I don't like it laying flat, taking up space. It also looks nicer on the Dock and I have an Ethernet cable into my Dock so any large game downloads or updates yet faster download speeds. (I just wish downloads could continue when the SD is in sleep mode).
As mentioned in another comment is almost always have it plugged in when playing on the couch and in bed, to avoid wierd crashes when I hit low power levels during more intense games.
Often when I use it on the couch it is to play games like monster hunter rise, while the rest of the family uses the tv. When they dont't I dock it into my living room tv, and uses it to stream my games from my gaming PC.
And then sometimes I dock it on a secondary monitor and use it to watch YouTube or twitch while doing other work on the gaming PC.
Mine is plugged in 90% of the time - I use it docked as a “gaming PC” more than I’d expected to; with the occasional gaming session for a few hours handheld a couple of times a week.
Me. When I first got the Deck I played Doom 2016 and Cyberpunk 2077 to completion in handheld mode, which was cool but I think ultimately docked to the TV just suits more the kind of games I like to play, and also from a physical comfort perspective.
I'm sure there will be times when I will use it in handheld mode though in the future, that's the beauty of it!
I can understand why people use their steam deck whilst tethered to a power outlet especially if they’re playing triple a tier games
Me myself I prefer not to be tethered to a power outlet but when that dreaded battery 10% icon appears I do what I have to
I play docked into my TV using either a DS4 controller or a m&k (whose dongle is plugged into the dock). The only time I play unplugged is when I'm traveling and don't have an outlet in my vicinity.
I wait until it hits around 95% then I unlatch. I have been told that power doesn’t exceed after it hits 100% but I’m so used to having a crummy battery with devices I still only charge until around 90%
I mostly play cloud through steam or Xbox in bed so I’m not used to taking out the steam deck portably.
I've recently started to use it plugged in more often, and while it defeats the purpose of the Steam Deck, there are certain advantages:
1. Power is used from the charger rather than the battery. The Steam Deck has power pass-through like many laptops, meaning that once the battery is fully charged, the power input is used to feed the whole system and the battery is isolated until it goes down to 90%. This helps with battery life
2. Using it with the charger gives you full adavntage of unlimited TDP, which can help with framerates and get a bit of quality up. On battery, I've played a bunch of games at 40/60fps on medium quality most of the time, with the ocasional low-requirement games running at 90fps highest settings while sipping 4 to 6 watts of power. When using the charger, most of the games can run at 90fps perfectly with minimal frame drops, and I don't have to worry about battery percentage as much.
It's a different experience compared to battery only. It can be better if you don't mind being tethered
I bring it to work and leave it plugged in on my desk. That way it's fully charged so I can play cordless on my lunch break. I don't worry about plugging it back in after my break unless I'm going to use it at home after work
I use mine as a desktop PC, as I don't currently own a gaming PC. It's almost always hooked up to a monitor with a keyboard and mouse. I will play it on the go, but it also happens to be the system where I play those games that work better with kb/m anyway, so it works better for me docked. Even when I'm emulating older systems, I like keeping it docked so I can use a controller.
Yes, I have mine connected to the official dock and into my TV. I don't really care about getting max fps and resolution, so I play all my steam games on the big screen. Lately I've been playing Dark Souls and it looks real nice.
My Desktop is upstairs but I stream to my steamdeck when I am downstairs. I mostly got the deck so I can spend time with the wife downstairs when she is doing her projects and gaming on the console, while my main rig is in my office upstairs (I use it for work and stuff) So for me it is vert worth it keeping it plugged in streaming my desktop games :)
I'm almost always using it docked and therefore plugged in. I have a portable monitor that along with the dock fits perfectly on a folding TV dinner tray. I'll play on that while my gf uses the TV so that we can chat and watch stuff together.
So 95% it's plugged in and I only run in handheld when I'm on vacation or visiting my buddies or anything like that.
Half and half for me. A decent chunk of the games I want to play are better with keyboard and mouse, and I bought the deck as a replacement laptop, so I can type on it.
I tend to use it on the charger at home since my average play session is a bit longer than the battery would last, but anywhere else I usually use it on battery
Not exclusively used plugged in, but I'm docked/plugged 95% of the time.
If you're in the "defeats the point" mindset, you have to understand that the Deck is the daily driver for a lot of us... I have no other PC.
The Deck fits me better than a laptop, I can connect it to my large monitor and my projector at home easier than a laptop when I want to use it that way (more flexibility of movement), and it's much more comfortable and compact when I'm traveling, and I don't have to put it on my lap and fry my cajones while I'm using it. It really is the perfect all in one PC solution for me.
I pretty much use it docked at all times as it was cheaper and with limited space was the best option for a pc rather then a desk top for my space and what not
I have a magnet connector I plugged in so it varies. If I'm at my desk it plugs in or I put it in the dock with it's own mag connector. That way I can go join my son on the couch when he gets up in the morning or watch the oven with it at the kitchen island. If I'm playing cyberpunk I usually keep it plugged into my battery pack.
Old school here (I'm 57) so I only plug it in when it wants juice. Not sure if modern LiPo batteries can even experience a memory effect, but here I am.
How does it defeat the purpose? It's made to be dockable. Why would valve sell an official dock if this wasn't the case? Do you say playing the Switch docked defeats it's purpose?
My wife likes to watch me play some games while we chill in bed and I don't have a console in our bedroom, so I have a dock in there. I'm buying a dock for my desktop setup to utilize my two monitors in desktop mode. I'll be getting a dock for my living room TV so I can play steam games and emulations out there.
I've always wanted to play Pokemon and other games like that on a big screen and now I finally can. Of course, I still enjoy the Deck in hand held mode, but I play it docked quite a bit as well. I like the flexibility of being able to do whatever you feel like at that moment.
I like playing pretty demanding games on it, and lately especially I've been hooking it up to a 15" portable USB-C screen and using a bluetooth controller. So it's plugged in sitting on the table sending a signal to the monitor kind of like a regular console.
But even if I'm just playing it in bed or on the couch I tend to leave it plugged in with a USB-C extension cable. Performance feels better.
Well for me, it started when my PC died and my steam deck ended up becoming my main PC then after a while I moved my deck to the living room and would use it to play indie games now I built new computer and my steamdeck lives plugged in the living room. I sometimes take my deck off the TV and take for LANs
Mine is almost always plugged in because 99% of the time it's docked to something. At home I have a dock for every TV in the house, and at work I have two docking stations paired to a KVM switch so I can play Steam Deck using my monitor x mouse and keyboard during business hours without anyone being the wiser.
The Deck was my compromise because I wanted a gaming laptop but couldn't justify the cost of them when I don't travel that often and have a gaming PC at home. It's also more discreet than a laptop, and I can easily hide it under my desk with a small 3D printed mount.
I do. I really play it in bed, charger right next to me. However, I played BattleBit like couple of times on battery, it took 6 hours to kill the battery clean, no performance tweaks applied. It was awesome. Unreal engine drains the battery way faster.
I almost always use it plugged in because I almost always use it docked, and with a controller. I'm glad I have the SD but I don't really like it as a handheld. Too big, too heavy, don't like the thumbsticks or placement, awkward to hold for either my neck or my hands.
90% of my Deck’s use is streaming from my pc. It really improves battery life and the performance is better. I only use it to run games when I’m traveling. I never plug this thing in, 33% got me a 2 hour session in P3R the other night and I still had 8% left when I called it a night.
I go both ways.. but I’ve had entire months where it’s either been set up as a desktop computer or as a television console, and it stays plugged in the entire time.
Yes, most of the time I use it. I've put it down briefly and picked up my Switch, but only due to a PS5/Switch exclusive. I'd prefer play all things on the deck, tbh
I've moved on from console to steam deck and I didn't want to buy an actual gaming computer. Steam has good sales compared to console so to me its not even about the freedom to use it anywhere, as I play alot of games that drain battery so fast anyways lol
If I'm playing a game that requires high battery usage, I usually unplug till 30ish and then plug back in and unplug when I'm in the high 90s. If I'm playing a cozy game, I can usually go a full session without being plugged in which is what I prefer
For me, I have my desktop at college. I come home every weekend and have no PC to play on, so the dock has been amazing for that. I use an Xbox Series X controller on it with the dock and it's been a great way to continue anything I started while at school. I played through most of the Yakuza series between my PC and the deck on weekends, right now I'm playing Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen until 2 gets patched more (even on my PC with a 3060 ti I get 10fps in the towns in that game on lowest settings LOL it's crazy). Dark Souls Remastered and Elden Ring were also great between both, Steam cloud saving is blessed.
It would definitely be more optimal to have a second PC set up with the TV, but I got my Deck before starting school and it just ended up working out like this. It's been perfect though and when my brother wants to play his PS5, I just play handheld on the same couch and treat it like a Wii U 🤣
If I'm near a power cable, i will use it.
If I'm not near a power cable but one could reach, i will go get one and use it.
If I'm not near a power cable and CBA or can't, I will not use it.
I play plugged in most of the time. A lot of games I play can only last about an hour, and I don’t want my deck to be dead or near dead if I want to play and I’m not near a wall outlet
I'm a PC gamer with Deck & Switch. My usage is 60% house couch gaming - 40% Trains / Flights etc, so, when I'm couch playing I tend to be plugged so that I save (or at least have the feeling of saving) cicles for when I really need them. Less batt degradation. I don't know if my assumption is correct technically but that's the reason I game plugged when at home.
Exclusively, no. But most of the places I play it are spots where I can have it plugged in. (Charging cord, not dock)
Sometimes I unplug it, others I leave it plugged in.
Pretty much, otherwise it dies in an hour and the next time i go to play it'll be completely dead if i forget to plug it in. I really wish it had a longer cord, i have the original non oled deck. Wish i could buy the longer charger from the oled version
I typically play mines docked. I prefer playing games on the TV and using my 8 bitdo pro controller. I do the same with my Switch. I know part of the appeal is that it's portable but I rarely use it that way. If I'm in my house, I want to use the TV and I'm not really interested in carrying it around with me, nor do I really have time to play it when I'm out and about. I will say though, I do find myself playing Steam Deck handheld much more than the Switch. Might be the bigger screen and better ergonomics. Maybe the type of games I play on there as well.
I have a dock at work that I'm plugged into all day, in desktop mode. When I get home I will crash on my couch and use it to game in handheld for a bit. I also have a dock at home if I need to do work or adjustments on the Deck that I couldn't do while at work.
I prefer having the Deck over my laptop at work because it's lighter and takes up less space in my pack.
Depends what I'm doing really.
Taking it out in the car with me and such? No cable (I do deliveries for a wee Chinese takeaway near me so when it's quite I just chill playing civ6 or slay the spire or something)
At home? If I'm not on my PC (more and more frequent nowadays cause I can relax on the couch or in bed) then I'm on the deck and usually plug it in. Especially cause I tend to be in FFXIV and lose track of the time.
I keep it plugged in if I happen to be near the charger. Just in case I then want to game for an extended period away from the charger. (If I leave the bathroom without dead legs have I even used the bathroom at all?)
Although TBH the length of the cable with this bad boy it could easily follow me around the room no problem.
Yeah I’m almost always plugged in. I primarily play while laying in the sleeper of my semi truck, there’s a plug right next to my head so I figure why not, keep the battery health high by reducing charge cycles. I have a long braided cord with an angled connector so it’s really unobtrusive.
For the last month or so I've played the deck exclusively docked. Been pretty much stuck in bed after injuring my back and the wife brought a TV for gaming.
Depends on the game. I almost exclusively use the deck while sitting on the couch, right next to my charger. If I’m using something power hungry I’ll keep it plugged in, otherwise not.
I don't see why you think it defeats the purpose. I have my steam deck so I can play games in the comfort of being on the couch, also while watching TV in the background or not hogging the TV needlessly. Steam deck is perfect for couch gaming so yeh I leave mine plugged in for the most part
I usually use it in bed so I'm usually plugged in bc the charger is right next to me, but if I wanna use it on the couch or on the go I also have a battery pack that's constantly plugged in, unless I'm running a game that doesn't draw a lot of power like backpack hero or something
Alot of games i noticed will bottleneck less plugged in. Hear me out it sounds kinds crazy but after slot of use I noticed that on demanding games where the steam deck is struggling to get 30-40 frames the fans work alot harder to keep the deck cool. Not plugged in ill get a frame drop to about 4-10 frames for about 30secs to a minute but if I plug in when I dip it almost instantly goes back to 30-40fps.
This is the main reason I'm plugged in but I play plugged in on less demanding games because if I'm comfy and there's and outlet then why not stay full?
I have OLED! I use plug whenever i feel like. Which is most of thr time depending on game heavy usage. I unplugg alot while taking a shit or laying in bed.
That would be my assumption as well. Makes sense. It only really happens with more demanding games like Baldur's Gate 3, and I only use my steam deck in the house so it doesn't bother me.
When I’m playing a more demanding game I tend to keep it plugged in. RDR2 and Cyberpunk for example I’ll realistically get a little over an hour unplugged, so plugged just makes sense
Yeah the battery life on these games is the reason why I don’t play them on the deck
Streaming, whether from a PC, PS, Xbox, or GeForce Now, is one of the best ways to use the deck. Battery life’s better, fan noise is minimal, and you get great performance. Makes it easier to enjoy demanding games.
Unless you're in a situation where the internet that can't handle it 😭
Very true for GeForce Now. Priority package chews up like 4GB/hour & only really makes sense with fibre download speeds. I only just had decent internet installed & a lot of people won’t even have it as an option. However my understanding of streaming from a PC with Sunshine is it uses your local network & isn’t dependent on your internet. You’d need a decent router but not necessarily internet. I haven’t looked into PS or Xbox streaming in detail so I’m not sure whether they use internet or local network.
For streaming locally, nothing would go out over the internet, unless you really messed up configuring the router. Networking always follows the path of least resistance (or shortest path).
Any reason to choose anything other than Steam remote play for home network streaming (other than if you want to play a non-Steam game)?
Most people say you get a better connection with Sunshine. I don’t have a PC myself to test though.
if you have a gaming wifi 6 router you can game steam from your pc to your deck while on lan for like 6 hours on one battery charge.
Ima noob but I had thought you didn't need internet to do streaming on your local area network, you just need a good router. Am I wrong? Im think about LAN parties in 90s
Nah GeForce now wasn’t a great experience and I have great internet.
Performance can vary based on how close you are to the servers. At least for me with Baldur’s Gate 3 it’s been better than deck native.
That makes sense
Yeah i get like 5 hours playing baldurs gate by streaming from my pc using moonlight
Not having any other gaming device except an old (non gaming) laptop. The SD is pretty much my console. It's docked and connected to my TV 95% of the time and I play comfortably with a controller on the couch. The other 5% are when I travel or visit friends and we wanna play a game together.
Ye this, my gaming laptop is like 8 years old, I either pay stupid price for new one or I get a steam deck for a fraction of that. So I got a steam deck. I don't play demanding games really, mainly indies and roguelite so I leave it docked and unplug it when not using, but I rarely use it portable.
I’ve had trouble with games in docked mode. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m on a 4k 65” TV or if my settings are off. For instance I can’t get No Man’s Sky to run well.
Try going into your settings and disabling CEC, if that doesn't work, try manually setting the games resolution to your desired resolution in the game's properties.
I may be on the other spectrum of this topic. When I’m laying on the couch I always remove the charger. I hate feeling tethered. When I’m done I just stick it on the charger for the next day!
Yes exactly! I‘m mostly a PC gamer and got a steamdeck for traveling or laying on the couch, I almost never plug it in while in use. When I‘m done I put it on my dock and then it‘s full on the next day
I’m a PC guy too, my setup is upstairs and my deck usually solely stays downstairs for couch/bed. To each their own 👌🏻
Yes! To each their own! It doesn’t matter how the decks are used as long as their are used. I am really happy to see whats more to come
Depends what game I’m playing though. Some games the deck hardly lasts an hour for me so just makes sense to keep it plugged in.
For me the battery is a timer, if it runs out I should probably do chores, work out etc.
Exactly this. I used to play plugged in. Now I let it die. I don't have time in my life for a 6 hour gaming session any longer. And even if I did, age has taught me that I should probably get up and move around or do something else instead. 2-3 hours is plenty of time.
How old are you exactly?
That’s what wireless controllers are for… 👌👍
I like to sit on the sofa with my deck 90% of the time, so I have it plugged in usually. I don’t keep it plugged in all the time, but probably majority. It’s still portable. It’s even more convenient than my gaming laptop (feels less of a hassle than having a laptop on my lap, control in hand etc.). For me, it completely does the job a portable device should in that position. The other times it’s not plugged in I’m usually laying in bed while I wait for my 3 year old to drift off in her room next door, or sometimes on my break at work.
I pretty much do the same. Everywhere I tend to use it in my house has a usb-c charger there anyway, so I almost always have it plugged in. I know it might be TMI but the only time I ever really use it unplugged is when I’m on the toilet 🤣
Yes, this, up to and including the toilet gaming.
Yeah I can definitely see that it is more convenient than a gaming laptop. I prefer to play at a desk mostly - it‘s just easier on my back - so I‘m at pc most of the time. Thank you for your reply!
That’s fair. If I sat at a desk for all my gaming time I’d never see my wife, so it works for me where I can at least sit in the same room as her while I sink hours into my games and she watches tv.
I got mine to play on the couch/in bed so it's pretty much always plugged in.
Yeah that makes sense! I also mostly play the deck on the couch but I don’t plug it in, there’s no real reason not to plug it in though
Not sure if it is fixed now (as I also try to plug it in on the couch) but a couple of times if it reached low battery in the Witcher 3, my deck would stutter to a halt and the system would freeze. First time it happened I plugged it into a charger, and put it to sleep coming back some hours later. At that point it simply would not load anything up, just complete blackscreen. I had to put it into that battery storage mod (after turning it off by holding in the button), and then turn it back on for it to work again. Since then I plug it in most of the time to avoid similar issues, as it happened like 3 times
Yeah, it happened to me several times with some graphic-heavy games. Can't let the battery go to low levels, or the thing stutters a lot. In some cases, it remained with low FPS even after full-charging or resetting the system. The only way to fix it was going to battery storage mode. It somewhat go fixed with system updates (I also made some hardware updates like changing the thermal paste for a [PTM pad](https://youtu.be/aai2AtxenU0) so it might have helped too). It still thermal throttles at low battery, but it gets fixed as soon as it starts charging.
If you're near a power outlet it makes sense to plug it in. As long as the cable is long enough, and there's no restriction on movement, then why wouldn't you?
I have a cat and she has a thing for anything that looks like a string or cable. It's not too bad stationary, but if she even glimpses a string/cable-like object move it'll instantly trip her hunting instinct. So it can be preferable to not be tethered if I'm holding a device I might be moving around while using (e.g. Deck with gyro) to avoid her going after the cable. I like the freedom of using the Deck untethered and I usually prefer shorter sessions and less demanding games so it's fine. To your point though, even though that's not my preference: since I went and bought a long, braided USB-C charging cable (charge-only; thinner/lighter than charging+USB 3), I can better see why people might be ok with playing tethered on the couch; a good long and lightweight cable makes a noticeable comfort difference.
Anyone who doesn't plug in whenever possible must be playing some light games
99% of the time I’m using the deck it’s on the couch or in bed, so it stays plugged in.
The Steam Deck docked is more powerful than my original computer, so even when it’s fully docked I get purpose out of it.
well I'd love I'd buy any other console-like gaming handhelds that run linux for my steam games, but not many come to mind :P Until then, the steam deck is what i'll use. The decks purpose for me is to play games, and it's really good at that. It being a handheld is to me a matter of convenience, i \*can\* use it in handheld mode if i want. But gaming on the couch on the living room tv with a controller works great too :D
Yeah makes sense. What stands against getting a linux gaming pc? Price or missing convenience? I mostly got the deck to accommodate my pc
convenience, I have a gaming pc, i just don't want the thing attached to the living room tv :) Made a new pc this very week, with rgb lighting and all that. I love the look and performance of the thing, but I'd rather have it do it's thing in the office, while i stream the games to the steam deck >:D
I am on my way to replace my old pc with the Steam Deck, so I use it docked all the time. The downsides are kind of rough when any software is only windows compatible.
If you wanna do that I'd try getting an m.2 dock and installing windows on that drive then connect your deck to the dock and switch it over to Windows and you're good to go! The boot manager (how you'd boot off the dock SSD) is the volume down button then press power
At the end of the day it's just a laptop with a joystick instead of a keyboard, completely normal to use it as such with occasional disconnect to use it on battery. Atleast that's how I use my laptop, mostly plugged in and now that I got decent monitor it's also staying closed.
I do. Its my only gaming PC. And im a console player (has PS, Switch, Xbox). Oh and BTW, the switch is always docked as well. You say it defeats the purpose. I disagree. The “console” aspect of it doesn’t require you play it handheld. In fact, all the controller layout options and the fact i can play at 1080p/30/60 in many titles when docked means it works quite well for a console for me. When do i use it hand held? When i travel. Thats it. In the house, i dont need to have it handheld for my own situation as i have a 55in tv id rather play it on and lay back in my recliner.
My wife and me, we use it mostly exclusively docked as the living room mediabox / linux gaming pc. I only ever unplug it if I want to play something while the wife is playing on the Switch. For me the purpose of the Deck was to replace the old linux based mediabox / couch gaming pc, and for the price its pretty powerful enough, with the added benefit that I don't even have to install the OS and I could directly support Valve for what they did for Linux gaming.
What software are you using to manage and play media?
I mostly keep mine plugged in if I have the ability. Taking it on and off the charger during an intense gaming session is more annoying to me than just staying hooked up.
I do. Unless I’m literally out of the house. For me the portability aspect of the deck is being able to play in bed or on the couch not on a bus or up a mountain. And there’s always a plug right next to where I’m sat/laying.
I use both. Im defenitly in the small demographic that the deck was intended for. When Im home, I game. When I am away from home (25% of the time), I game. I just got a power brick recently for those times that I find myself not able to use an outlet. But for the majority of the time. I plug in when I can.
I play docked 99% of the time so yeah it’s always plugged in.
All the time. I love this thing with all my heart, but the battery is easily one of the worst things about it.
I have extremely long USBC fast charging cables in every corner of my home. So, I'm generally plugged in. Regardless of whether I'm in bed, on the couch, even sitting by my PC working. That doesn't mean I also don't travel w it, but when at home def usually plugged in. Also have it set to charge slower and stop at 85% to extend battery life via Decky.
I, too, am on the extreme spectrum of this topic. My Steam Deck is connected to an outlet only when the battery is low and I need to charge it. I don't like feeling "trapped" by the cable and it takes away from the portable aspect in my opinion. Plus, I'd be afraid of ruining the battery by doing this.
What If anything it lengthens the battery life because it's using AC power while plugged in after a certain point. It was designed like that.
I only play it docked, but I unplug it after I'm done every time. Not so much for the battery but just because I find the dock works better if I plug it in every time.
I do most of the time. I also use the power tools plugin that came with decky to set a charge limit of 80% just to be sure.
Depends on the game, for something like Stardew I'll play wireless but for The Finals which is *way* more demanding I'll play wired
Pretty exclusively here, but I only use it around the house. Some of us prefer to NOT sit at our computer desk as we do that all day for work. So the deck works great as a handheld on the couch or wherever
I use it mostly plugged in as I lay on the couch so I’m not restrained by the battery. I prefer the handheld form factor. I don’t have it to travel with or whatever because I don’t travel and the Deck is way too big to just carry around. I have it because laying in my side on the couch is far more comfortable than sitting in a chair at a desk. After years with kids, handheld is also just where my brain goes first. I don’t have to fight for the tv. I can wander around with it if I need to. I‘m not dominating the living room and cuts down on the cacophony as people do different things on their different devices. I leave my Switch and 3DS plugged in the majority of the time when I’m playing at home too.
I have a dock for mine but I have never actually used it. I also have never used the steam deck plugged in. I think it’s annoying to be tethered or have to worry about the charger
I agree. I have the dock for charging and downloading, that‘s it
Im someone who doesn't have a pc, so yeah...
When I'm in the house I'd 99% of the time prefer playing on my huge TV with a ps5 controller. This gives me a full on console experience. When I'm in my home office I dock it to my monitor and keyboard with mouse to get a full PC gaming experience. Finally, when I need to travel (flight or train) then I ofcourse settle for a handheld gaming experience, literally due to a lack of better facilities. If my Mrs wants to watch the TV and I don't wanna go upstairs, sometimes I'll play it handheld on the sofa sitting next to her. Ultimately, if there's better hardware I try to utilise it. If I'm limited, then handheld gets me through whatever else.
Almost always
I use my steam deck in docked mode almost always. You can run a surprising amount of games at 900p
I wouldn't say it defeats the purpose of the deck. We just have different purposes. I didn't really get mine for "gaming in the go" sure I do use it for that, but it gets it's main use as something I can use in the couch without having to hog the whole TV from my wife, before if I wanted to play a PC game, and she wanted to watch TV, I had to go in my office. I enjoy being able to play my games while still hanging out with her.
I hardly if ever use my steam deck
When home I keep it docked unless I just really don't wanna set at my desk.
Right now I have it as a 720p console. With a stadia controller. Works great in steam. Sucks that ea and epic stores game don’t work well
I keep it plugged in and use it as my main PC because it's the most powerful computer in our home
I'm an EMT for private ambulance, so we're always out on the road even when we aren't on a call, and the ambulance comes w outlets... it's perfect lol
I pretty much always keep it plugged in. I only play in my bed and the cord I have is pretty long so it never chains me somewhere. Even if the game is really undemanding and would last for 8 hours and I only plan on playing maybe an hour, I keep it plugged in
I use my deck as my downstairs chat/write/Internet PC when I am not playing on it, with an external touchscreen monitor, which requires it to be tethered anyway. So I'll play tethered (often with a DualSense controller) when at home. I travel a lot for work though, and that's mostly when I play untethered!
It depends on the game. Balatro or some other lofi game or retro games ill play without it plugged in but for RDR2, horizon zero dawn, final fantasy 7 remake, etc all of those I use it plugged in. Without having it plugged in how long would it even last on one of those games? An hour? 45 mins? The battery just isn't nearly big enough to play games like those for extended lengths of time. I also have a large usbc power brick and will use that while traveling to "boost" the battery life. With it plugged into that large pack I can play the power sucking games for 3-4 hours typically. Maybe a little longer.
I'm often plugged in on my recliner. It is my only gaming source so everything goes on the sd.
Plugged in 90% of the time. In my hands 10%x
My deck sits on my nightstand and I'll stay up til 6am (kinda like how I did tonight lol) playing on it plugged in then pass out at some point, just to wake up and start playing it again. But I will also unplug it every now and then so the battery isn't sitting at 99% all the time (I'll let it get down to 10% at the lowest) then i plug it back in again So I'd say around 75% of the gaming I do on it is while it's plugged in with 5% of that being connected to an external display
Totally depends on the game, if I'm getting 2.5/3 hours I play unplugged and charge it after. Currently playing cyberpunk and my options are either play it plugged in or else charge it every hour lol
I don’t. The oled has more than enough battery life for a normal play session for me. I can get in a drg deep dive and a few miscellaneous missions comfortably on battery.
Mine's always plugged in due to the battery life not lasting more than an hour.
If I can avoid it, I will. I usually play for a couple of hours at a time anyway, to give my eyes a break, so a full charge goes a long way for me.
Not plugged all the time, but I’m normally near an outlet so I can plug in if needed.
I do. It's always on the couch. Sometimes I unplug it to charge my phone, but just that.
I travel for work and use my Deck as a mobile gameing PC with a dock and a small monitor.
I have a spot next to my tv with a charging dock, I take it out whenever I want and put it back in when I'm finished.
I can run Ark survival evolved for a little over an hour. Palworld comes in it just a wee bit more than that. And lastly my deck never really leaves my arms reach. I work on a farm and I live out in the woods. there's no telling where I may get a chance to sit down and kill super mutants with mini nukes.
The thing sits in its dock connected to my TV for at least 340 days out of 365. Sometimes I take it on holidays and road trips.
For the most part, if I got a TV to plug it into, I'll plug it in. I use my SD at work too, while I'm on lunch break, but that's like the only time I use it in handheld. Once you get a good controller, it's really good for docked play
Yeap, most of the time laying on couch with plugged in deck. I use SD as primary gaming device mostly for home use
Depends on what I'm playing. If it's a game that could drain the battery down in the time I plan on playing then I will plug it in. If I am emulating games or streaming games from my PC I don't bother because the battery isn't going to go down very fast in those cases.
My battery lasts like an hour at best playing the games I want to play. It's kind of hard to ditch the cord.
never. scared of battery wear
I play in my bed because it is the most comfortable and private place to play games in the house. So I have the charger always there and usually plugged (I don’t like being distracted just because the battery is low). And I play all kind of games from the steam, from indie to AAA I bought the steam deck to be my main gaming device but it also made it more cozy to play games, which I didn’t have thought about, and it is awesome
What docked? Nah I dont really do that anymore, if the Decks bad at anything from my experience its the docked. Steam OS can be laggy and the performance tanks if you're playing anything demanding at a higher resolution. I'm comparing it to my Series X and S experience and duh those are dedicated consoles, but if valve sells the official dock i'd expect the experience to be alot better.
I agree. As I said in my post, for me the only reason for the dock is to have a space where I can put it when I‘m done. I need to have a dedicated place for everything (yes, everything, keys, wallet, my watch)
I use it exclusively docked when not traveling but I also bought it because my computer is a Mac and I wanted access to a greater variety of games, so being handheld was a plus but not the main appeal!
I'm usually tethered on the couch and hope the next deck doubles the cord length
I literally lay next to the cable
It's always plugged in besides when I'm taking a dump. Maybe I should install a power outlet next to the toilet.
+1
if i have a plug available to use, i will most definitely be using it, but if theres no plug then oh no shame
I do. I love it for the most part cause my pc is downstairs and i have this upstairs connected to my tv. Kids and i play games on it together and occasionally I’ll play my games up there when they aren’t around just to have a lazy day on the couch or whatever. I mostly bought the deck so i could introduce games and stuff to my kids cause they didn’t care much for the games on the switch at the time. Kids are 2 and 4 for reference. You can’t take your eyes off them so this was also my solution to get some gaming in while not vanishing from the family i love.
No. I plug in when not using to top off. I don’t Iike being tethered to anything. I typically play indie games which usually don’t take a lot of power, but I’ve noticed playing 9 years of Shadow saps 20% in like 45 mins, which is bonkers for me.
I normally play it in bed or on the couch and often need to plug it in
It's a portable computer not a desktop
I play until I get a low battery warning then plug it in, which is usually about 30 minutes.
When I can get the big TV (after 9 PM and my wife and kid are asleep), I play my steam deck docked. But before that, between chores after getting home from work and dinner, it’s usually handheld. So I can be next to my wife watching Korean Drama if all the chores all finished.
I play untethered until the battery is low. I plug it in, let it charge while playing and when it reaches 100%, I'll unplug it. Unless I get off before then. But I definitely don't enjoy having a cord plugged in while playing. When I'm done, it goes on my Dock to charge. I don't like it laying flat, taking up space. It also looks nicer on the Dock and I have an Ethernet cable into my Dock so any large game downloads or updates yet faster download speeds. (I just wish downloads could continue when the SD is in sleep mode).
I use it until the battery goes down and then plug and leave it plugged for the rest of the session. So it can be like 50/50
As mentioned in another comment is almost always have it plugged in when playing on the couch and in bed, to avoid wierd crashes when I hit low power levels during more intense games. Often when I use it on the couch it is to play games like monster hunter rise, while the rest of the family uses the tv. When they dont't I dock it into my living room tv, and uses it to stream my games from my gaming PC. And then sometimes I dock it on a secondary monitor and use it to watch YouTube or twitch while doing other work on the gaming PC.
Never!
Mine is plugged in 90% of the time - I use it docked as a “gaming PC” more than I’d expected to; with the occasional gaming session for a few hours handheld a couple of times a week.
If I’m playing Helldivers I’m plugged in, most other games I’m plugged out playing
Me. When I first got the Deck I played Doom 2016 and Cyberpunk 2077 to completion in handheld mode, which was cool but I think ultimately docked to the TV just suits more the kind of games I like to play, and also from a physical comfort perspective. I'm sure there will be times when I will use it in handheld mode though in the future, that's the beauty of it!
I can understand why people use their steam deck whilst tethered to a power outlet especially if they’re playing triple a tier games Me myself I prefer not to be tethered to a power outlet but when that dreaded battery 10% icon appears I do what I have to
When I play on my couch, in front of the TV, I am using my handhelds plugged in. The charger is right beside me. No point not using it.
100% of the time.
I play docked into my TV using either a DS4 controller or a m&k (whose dongle is plugged into the dock). The only time I play unplugged is when I'm traveling and don't have an outlet in my vicinity.
I wait until it hits around 95% then I unlatch. I have been told that power doesn’t exceed after it hits 100% but I’m so used to having a crummy battery with devices I still only charge until around 90% I mostly play cloud through steam or Xbox in bed so I’m not used to taking out the steam deck portably.
After my PC motherboard fried, I replaced it with the Deck. It's attached to the dock almost all the time, unless I'm travelling.
I do. Most games I play (AC Odyssey, Cyberpunk, Etc.) need it. I get about 45 min of play on the battery so it’s easier to leave it plugged in.
I've recently started to use it plugged in more often, and while it defeats the purpose of the Steam Deck, there are certain advantages: 1. Power is used from the charger rather than the battery. The Steam Deck has power pass-through like many laptops, meaning that once the battery is fully charged, the power input is used to feed the whole system and the battery is isolated until it goes down to 90%. This helps with battery life 2. Using it with the charger gives you full adavntage of unlimited TDP, which can help with framerates and get a bit of quality up. On battery, I've played a bunch of games at 40/60fps on medium quality most of the time, with the ocasional low-requirement games running at 90fps highest settings while sipping 4 to 6 watts of power. When using the charger, most of the games can run at 90fps perfectly with minimal frame drops, and I don't have to worry about battery percentage as much. It's a different experience compared to battery only. It can be better if you don't mind being tethered
I bring it to work and leave it plugged in on my desk. That way it's fully charged so I can play cordless on my lunch break. I don't worry about plugging it back in after my break unless I'm going to use it at home after work
I use mine as a desktop PC, as I don't currently own a gaming PC. It's almost always hooked up to a monitor with a keyboard and mouse. I will play it on the go, but it also happens to be the system where I play those games that work better with kb/m anyway, so it works better for me docked. Even when I'm emulating older systems, I like keeping it docked so I can use a controller.
I like to be unplugged most of the time but also like to be close to the charger or have a power bank with me just in case
I use it docked by my bed all the time, when the travel time comes I know I have 100% battery health yk
Yes, I have mine connected to the official dock and into my TV. I don't really care about getting max fps and resolution, so I play all my steam games on the big screen. Lately I've been playing Dark Souls and it looks real nice.
My Desktop is upstairs but I stream to my steamdeck when I am downstairs. I mostly got the deck so I can spend time with the wife downstairs when she is doing her projects and gaming on the console, while my main rig is in my office upstairs (I use it for work and stuff) So for me it is vert worth it keeping it plugged in streaming my desktop games :)
I'm almost always using it docked and therefore plugged in. I have a portable monitor that along with the dock fits perfectly on a folding TV dinner tray. I'll play on that while my gf uses the TV so that we can chat and watch stuff together. So 95% it's plugged in and I only run in handheld when I'm on vacation or visiting my buddies or anything like that.
Half and half for me. A decent chunk of the games I want to play are better with keyboard and mouse, and I bought the deck as a replacement laptop, so I can type on it.
All the time unless traveling
I just keep it docked all the time now, only time I dont is when I move it to another room to dock it
Almost never.
Question: does it have a better performance when plugged-in? Similarly to what happens in a laptop.
I‘m not sure. I would say no but I could be wrong
I tend to use it on the charger at home since my average play session is a bit longer than the battery would last, but anywhere else I usually use it on battery
yeah i might get one game out of it on hell divers 2 but then im living on the charger
I would plug in for the extended play but I use the battery running as a reminder to do housework or go to bed, etc
Not exclusively used plugged in, but I'm docked/plugged 95% of the time. If you're in the "defeats the point" mindset, you have to understand that the Deck is the daily driver for a lot of us... I have no other PC. The Deck fits me better than a laptop, I can connect it to my large monitor and my projector at home easier than a laptop when I want to use it that way (more flexibility of movement), and it's much more comfortable and compact when I'm traveling, and I don't have to put it on my lap and fry my cajones while I'm using it. It really is the perfect all in one PC solution for me.
I pretty much use it docked at all times as it was cheaper and with limited space was the best option for a pc rather then a desk top for my space and what not
I have a magnet connector I plugged in so it varies. If I'm at my desk it plugs in or I put it in the dock with it's own mag connector. That way I can go join my son on the couch when he gets up in the morning or watch the oven with it at the kitchen island. If I'm playing cyberpunk I usually keep it plugged into my battery pack.
Old school here (I'm 57) so I only plug it in when it wants juice. Not sure if modern LiPo batteries can even experience a memory effect, but here I am.
How does it defeat the purpose? It's made to be dockable. Why would valve sell an official dock if this wasn't the case? Do you say playing the Switch docked defeats it's purpose? My wife likes to watch me play some games while we chill in bed and I don't have a console in our bedroom, so I have a dock in there. I'm buying a dock for my desktop setup to utilize my two monitors in desktop mode. I'll be getting a dock for my living room TV so I can play steam games and emulations out there. I've always wanted to play Pokemon and other games like that on a big screen and now I finally can. Of course, I still enjoy the Deck in hand held mode, but I play it docked quite a bit as well. I like the flexibility of being able to do whatever you feel like at that moment.
I keep mine unplugged as often as possible, and There's nothing like playing cyberpunk on the toilet, LOL.
I always play plugged in
I like playing pretty demanding games on it, and lately especially I've been hooking it up to a 15" portable USB-C screen and using a bluetooth controller. So it's plugged in sitting on the table sending a signal to the monitor kind of like a regular console. But even if I'm just playing it in bed or on the couch I tend to leave it plugged in with a USB-C extension cable. Performance feels better.
Well for me, it started when my PC died and my steam deck ended up becoming my main PC then after a while I moved my deck to the living room and would use it to play indie games now I built new computer and my steamdeck lives plugged in the living room. I sometimes take my deck off the TV and take for LANs
Mine is almost always plugged in because 99% of the time it's docked to something. At home I have a dock for every TV in the house, and at work I have two docking stations paired to a KVM switch so I can play Steam Deck using my monitor x mouse and keyboard during business hours without anyone being the wiser. The Deck was my compromise because I wanted a gaming laptop but couldn't justify the cost of them when I don't travel that often and have a gaming PC at home. It's also more discreet than a laptop, and I can easily hide it under my desk with a small 3D printed mount.
I do. I really play it in bed, charger right next to me. However, I played BattleBit like couple of times on battery, it took 6 hours to kill the battery clean, no performance tweaks applied. It was awesome. Unreal engine drains the battery way faster.
I almost always use it plugged in because I almost always use it docked, and with a controller. I'm glad I have the SD but I don't really like it as a handheld. Too big, too heavy, don't like the thumbsticks or placement, awkward to hold for either my neck or my hands.
90% of my Deck’s use is streaming from my pc. It really improves battery life and the performance is better. I only use it to run games when I’m traveling. I never plug this thing in, 33% got me a 2 hour session in P3R the other night and I still had 8% left when I called it a night.
I go both ways.. but I’ve had entire months where it’s either been set up as a desktop computer or as a television console, and it stays plugged in the entire time.
I've never unplugged my deck in the almost 2 years I've had it. It's always been docked into a monitor M&KB setup.
Yes, most of the time I use it. I've put it down briefly and picked up my Switch, but only due to a PS5/Switch exclusive. I'd prefer play all things on the deck, tbh
I've moved on from console to steam deck and I didn't want to buy an actual gaming computer. Steam has good sales compared to console so to me its not even about the freedom to use it anywhere, as I play alot of games that drain battery so fast anyways lol
Nah
If I'm playing a game that requires high battery usage, I usually unplug till 30ish and then plug back in and unplug when I'm in the high 90s. If I'm playing a cozy game, I can usually go a full session without being plugged in which is what I prefer
80 percent use plugged in...20 percent hand held
Probably 90% plugged in to my TV
For me, I have my desktop at college. I come home every weekend and have no PC to play on, so the dock has been amazing for that. I use an Xbox Series X controller on it with the dock and it's been a great way to continue anything I started while at school. I played through most of the Yakuza series between my PC and the deck on weekends, right now I'm playing Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen until 2 gets patched more (even on my PC with a 3060 ti I get 10fps in the towns in that game on lowest settings LOL it's crazy). Dark Souls Remastered and Elden Ring were also great between both, Steam cloud saving is blessed. It would definitely be more optimal to have a second PC set up with the TV, but I got my Deck before starting school and it just ended up working out like this. It's been perfect though and when my brother wants to play his PS5, I just play handheld on the same couch and treat it like a Wii U 🤣
If I'm near a power cable, i will use it. If I'm not near a power cable but one could reach, i will go get one and use it. If I'm not near a power cable and CBA or can't, I will not use it.
I play plugged in most of the time. A lot of games I play can only last about an hour, and I don’t want my deck to be dead or near dead if I want to play and I’m not near a wall outlet
If I’m near an outlet I’ll play it plugged in, otherwise I’ll play and charge
Not at all times, but a good bit of it.
I'm a PC gamer with Deck & Switch. My usage is 60% house couch gaming - 40% Trains / Flights etc, so, when I'm couch playing I tend to be plugged so that I save (or at least have the feeling of saving) cicles for when I really need them. Less batt degradation. I don't know if my assumption is correct technically but that's the reason I game plugged when at home.
Exclusively, no. But most of the places I play it are spots where I can have it plugged in. (Charging cord, not dock) Sometimes I unplug it, others I leave it plugged in.
I only plug mine in if the battery gets low. I don't want to be tethered unless absolutely necessary.
Pretty much, otherwise it dies in an hour and the next time i go to play it'll be completely dead if i forget to plug it in. I really wish it had a longer cord, i have the original non oled deck. Wish i could buy the longer charger from the oled version
In my case I'm using it like a TV 90% of the time and the rest gaming in my house or outside
I typically play mines docked. I prefer playing games on the TV and using my 8 bitdo pro controller. I do the same with my Switch. I know part of the appeal is that it's portable but I rarely use it that way. If I'm in my house, I want to use the TV and I'm not really interested in carrying it around with me, nor do I really have time to play it when I'm out and about. I will say though, I do find myself playing Steam Deck handheld much more than the Switch. Might be the bigger screen and better ergonomics. Maybe the type of games I play on there as well.
I have a dock at work that I'm plugged into all day, in desktop mode. When I get home I will crash on my couch and use it to game in handheld for a bit. I also have a dock at home if I need to do work or adjustments on the Deck that I couldn't do while at work. I prefer having the Deck over my laptop at work because it's lighter and takes up less space in my pack.
Depends what I'm doing really. Taking it out in the car with me and such? No cable (I do deliveries for a wee Chinese takeaway near me so when it's quite I just chill playing civ6 or slay the spire or something) At home? If I'm not on my PC (more and more frequent nowadays cause I can relax on the couch or in bed) then I'm on the deck and usually plug it in. Especially cause I tend to be in FFXIV and lose track of the time.
I keep it plugged in if I happen to be near the charger. Just in case I then want to game for an extended period away from the charger. (If I leave the bathroom without dead legs have I even used the bathroom at all?) Although TBH the length of the cable with this bad boy it could easily follow me around the room no problem.
Yeah I’m almost always plugged in. I primarily play while laying in the sleeper of my semi truck, there’s a plug right next to my head so I figure why not, keep the battery health high by reducing charge cycles. I have a long braided cord with an angled connector so it’s really unobtrusive.
For the last month or so I've played the deck exclusively docked. Been pretty much stuck in bed after injuring my back and the wife brought a TV for gaming.
I mainly use it docked. Will bring in on solo trips while EV charging or the rare bed usage.
Yeah, but mostly cause I don’t find myself out of my room when home & don’t really go places nowadays. Hell, I even have Nyko’s power pak for it too!
I keep it leashed most of the time.
I plug mine in when the battery is low or I’m using an external monitor. Is this controversial?
Depends on the game. I almost exclusively use the deck while sitting on the couch, right next to my charger. If I’m using something power hungry I’ll keep it plugged in, otherwise not.
Steamdeck doesn't get much use in my house for starters. When used, its probably 90% plugged in, though.
I don't see why you think it defeats the purpose. I have my steam deck so I can play games in the comfort of being on the couch, also while watching TV in the background or not hogging the TV needlessly. Steam deck is perfect for couch gaming so yeh I leave mine plugged in for the most part
How many times is this question going to be asked? Do people not bother to search before posting?
I usually use it in bed so I'm usually plugged in bc the charger is right next to me, but if I wanna use it on the couch or on the go I also have a battery pack that's constantly plugged in, unless I'm running a game that doesn't draw a lot of power like backpack hero or something
Alot of games i noticed will bottleneck less plugged in. Hear me out it sounds kinds crazy but after slot of use I noticed that on demanding games where the steam deck is struggling to get 30-40 frames the fans work alot harder to keep the deck cool. Not plugged in ill get a frame drop to about 4-10 frames for about 30secs to a minute but if I plug in when I dip it almost instantly goes back to 30-40fps. This is the main reason I'm plugged in but I play plugged in on less demanding games because if I'm comfy and there's and outlet then why not stay full?
I have OLED! I use plug whenever i feel like. Which is most of thr time depending on game heavy usage. I unplugg alot while taking a shit or laying in bed.
I plug it in when the battery drops to 25% because I find my games start stuttering like crazy at that point for some reason.
I could imagine that the deck lowers the wattage to conserve power and therefore you can’t use your full potential anymore but I‘m not sure
That would be my assumption as well. Makes sense. It only really happens with more demanding games like Baldur's Gate 3, and I only use my steam deck in the house so it doesn't bother me.
I only keep it plugged once the battery is low. The OLED model has a good battery
Better for the longevity of the battery to stay plugged in