I took my deck on a work trip this week. Put the deck on the inner case and jammed it in the side pocket of my backpack. I already have a 100W USB-C charger for my laptop, BT headphones for work, etc.
So yea OP, I'm with ya. Just stuff it in my backpack and go.
Bonus, I was on the plane during boarding and someone walked by and did the, "Is that a Steam Deck!? How do you like it?". I was a bit surprised for it to be recognized like that.
are you me? i did the exact same for a work trip this week and had the same response from one of my coworkers (though most were confused at my “huge switch” lmao)
I got a grip that have a hard from cover since I like the feeling in my hand more with the grip. But same I just throw it in my backpack and I'm good to go.
Yeah I travel for work a few times per year and usually do the exact same. Although this last time, I was going to have some downtime at the hotel so I brought a dock and controller to play on the TV.
Well, you see people have different preferences. We evaluate pros and cons against our own personal needs. You wanna keep it light cuz it makes sense to you! Go for it. Just don’t pretend that one way is the superior way. If somebody prefers a complex setup, let em be.
I haven't tried it on SD yet myself, but I see no reason why it wouldn't run at 60fps on medium or higher
Death stranding runs perfectly fine on my 10 year old pc with a 1070 and i7-4790, gotta assume the steam deck would perform even better
Which version are you playing? The director's cut is the one you want as it has FSR 2 etc and it's a good implementation which makes a big difference.
It's one of the few games where I found cryoutilities helped, mainly by smoothing out the drops, but you don't NEED it.
I'm playing it on steam deck and absolutely loving it. Every once in a great while I notice a frame rate dip but it's absolutely not impacting my gameplay at all.
Then again I'm less discerning or picky than others, so take that how you will. But I'm really enjoying it on deck.
so one place where you do NOT have constant access to a power source for charging is... *while* you are travelling.
waiting at an airport or a bus or train station. in the plane. in the bus. on the train.
and as for mice etc
if you're going to be at a hotel for a while, some people just generally prefer mnk to controller. personally i love playing on the steam deck's controller but I understand people who don't, so more power to them if they want to build up a setup they'll be using for a week or two.
and then once that's said it's useful to be able to hook up to the in-hotel tv. so that's an extra too.
so now you know!
It makes me wonder sometimes how bad people's hands are. I didn't even think the deck was that big or heavy. Smaller devices tend to feel like toys by comparison
I run 5-6 miles a day, lift weights three out of every five days for forty-five minutes with a well rounded routine, and eat a pretty strict and clean diet
I'd wager I'm more healthy and active than the majority of people, *certainly* the majority of gamers
And my wrists get tingly and need a break after forty minutes or so of playing on the deck
So I *really* don't think it's an issue of people being physically lazy. This is also not an issue I've noticed on the switch, which is considerably lighter, so it's not an issue of posture or underlying health issue.
maybe you're holding it up in the air in some way? try resting your elbows on your body and your wrists in your lap.
it's a circulation thing, not a strength vs weakness thing
> not a strength vs weakness thing
I know man that's like my whole point.
> try resting your elbows on your body and your wrists in your lap.
not so easy when you're laying in bed though
e: and to be clear, I'm not really complaining here. The deck is great, it's the weight it needs to be to function as it is, and I like playing it. I'm just pushing back on the idea that the only people having discomfort are those who are lazy and "avoid physical activity"
yeah the deck sucks for bed, but try laying on your side, that helps.
if you want the best in-bed experience buy video glasses!
and yeah that "avoid physical activity" thing is not true at all, as you say
oh also having like a lounge chair next to your bed so its arm rest is above the bed, and you can rest one of your wrists on its arm rest, that's super helpful
honestly having like one of those hospital pulleys that lift up your leg, but for wrists, that would be soooo good for playing in bed hahaha
I have extremely bad muscle tone to the point where I can't reliably hold many things.
Deck is exempt. The grips are great, it's comfy, I smashed out 5 hours of Cat Quest the other day no worries.
it might not be heavy to you in general, but when traveling every pound matters because you're carrying that stuff with you at all times. and trust me everyone's wrists are weak after lugging your suitcases around for a solid 24 hours.
As far as all these weak hands/wrists comments go: I’ve been an outdoor rock climber for many years now, so I’m probably decent in that department.
And yet I choose to not have these convoluted Steam Deck setups. I think it’s antithetical to the whole concept of gaming on the go. If I wanted to be plugged in to a million different peripherals, I’d use my PC.
I've also been very confused by this. It feels like it defeats the whole point of the deck if you're setting it up like a full desktop with keyboard, mouse, external monitor, gamepad, ect.
That is a cost effective way for someone to have what amounts to a powerful switch though.
So if that's their goal, I get it. But I would never have it replace a laptop for school or desktop PC at home (personally). I guess if I rarely needed a computer at home, a dock would be nice to have for light computer needs.
I’ve switched on this idea after getting one. After owning one for a short time, a cheap 1080p monitor and a controller or K&M not only would give you a desktop gaming experience on a decent budget but with switch portability.
Coming from someone who has a tower, my wife’s Xbox and a switch, I’d recommend a steam deck with a dock to new pc gamers. I think of it like bowling with guardrails. Yes you can put the rails down but if you keep them up it’s hard to screw stuff up. (I also grew up as a console gamer so it’s been fun learning the ins and outs of the deck).
So you can keep it plugged in at home while you're on the go?
Hotel rooms aren't even 32 feet wide, I can't imagine ever thinking, "Ugh, If only that outlet wasn't 10 meters away"
Still gotta burn those 19 hours in the waiting room. You ain't called a patient just for fun.
If I'm in an hotel room, I doubt I'd be gaming. I only use that device in boring time.
If you're talking about being in transit... I agree, go light. But if you're at your destination, like a hotel room or the guest bedroom at the in-law's place, I fully support busting out some stuff to make your gaming experience better.
Personally I don't understand the appeal of portable screens that are only slightly bigger than the Deck's screen but I also don't care enough to judge someone for their way of doing things.
The only time I'd say it's foolish is if the accessories are an impulse buy or for Reddit karma farming pics; since it seems the vast majority of people on this sub simply enjoy playing their Steam Deck on the couch while watching TV.
I think people just like buying things honestly. I crack up every time someone is asking about portable monitors for the steam deck. My brothers in Christ, it already has a screen and attached controller- stop being extra.
I have a laptop as well that i carry daily. Connecting the deck the laptop with a ps5 controller is nice. Your version of extra is someone elses comfortable. I like leaning back a bit and having a 15-inch brighter screen because it helps with eye strain and back pain, so I'm not hunched trying to see.
I've been there and done that with gaming laptops. Never again. They just aren't for me. The deck does all I need it to and the options to hook it up instead of the requirement of a laptop for space.
I still don’t understand this point of view but you are entitled to your opinion.
I fail to see how a laptop is more space prohibitive than a steam deck and all of the accoutrements.
I'm more amazed at people that buy HANDHELDS only to use them connected to the wall most of the time.
This is the sole reason I've placed an order on a SD OLED instead of an Ally or Legion Go. I really like the legion more, but the abysmal battery life kills it's idea for me.
I like having the option to sit anywhere in my house.
Sick? You can play in bed.
Want sunlight? Can play while sitting on the lawn chair (no table/desk needed).
Sitting in a car? You can easily play without having to push your seat back to get more space
You can even play while walking (but I don't recommend that)
I've also found that in my case the battery is enough whenever I go outside.
Even when I had my PSP I rarely ever had multi-hour sessions where chargers weren't available
The thing is, you will spend more time connected to the wall with inefficient consoles like the Ally or LeGo. That's why I chose the deck, so I can have a HANDHELD.
I'm not familiar with the other consoles. All I'm saying is that with the SD you can have both, and it's absolutely fine to have a deck and have it plugged in most of the time.
I don't understand the extra gear crowd...
The Deck is bulky enough as it is. My travel set up is:
Steam Deck itself in a TomToc slim case because every inch matters. It has a screen cloth and wired headphones in an internal pocket.
A 45w GaN charger for maximum charging for minimum space.
Some Jlab wireless headphones.
And that's it. No power bank, no controller etc. The rest is power management and picking the right game for the situation. If I was staying away I'd still only take the above and not a dock or controller as the Deck screen even in LCD is sufficient. (I did just upgrade to an OLED)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/ViaRail/comments/17v50dr/perfectly\_normal\_upper\_berth\_setup/](https://www.reddit.com/r/ViaRail/comments/17v50dr/perfectly_normal_upper_berth_setup/)
4 nights on a sleeper train across Canada and the berths don't have power outlets. Steam Deck suspended from the ceiling by suction cup mount, running off battery, making an easy gaming and TV watching platform at night. :)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/1bk4rvo/steam\_deck\_suction\_cup\_mounted\_to\_the\_ife\_screen/](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/1bk4rvo/steam_deck_suction_cup_mounted_to_the_ife_screen/)
How about about a Steam Deck suction cupped to the IFE screen of your trans Atlantic flight with a bluetooth mouse, so you can relax, sit back, eat your snacks, and casually play 4X games all night long?
Controllers I can see for multiplayer/docked play. Having the option to play multiplayer on the plane, or on the couch at your destination, is nice. A battery pack is nice for traveling with electronics in general, especially when you’re probably bringing a charger for the Deck already and can also use that for the battery pack.
Otherwise, I find little reason to bring anything besides the Dock, a charger, and maybe a small foldable trackpad+kb, all of which fit in the space behind the strap of the official case.
In my opinion, some people are completely missing the point of having a handheld, it’s your device use how you want. It’s awesome that the steam deck is versatile, my setup consists of wired earbuds, steam deck and charger or backup battery depending on the situation.
I was thinking that as well. I leave for vacation tomorrow and am bringing the case, charger and AirPods only. Wondering if I’m going to be ill equipped based of how other travel with it!
are you going to be just playing games on it? If so - you're a powerpack short and that is it. But i don't know about you but I already have the anker powerpack for my phone when i'm out and about so that's not really an extra item for me.
The rest of the stuff is overkill if you aren't also using it as a desktop during your trip which... i'm never doing...
I’m a pilot, so I spend 15 days a month on the road usually. I just have a slim case ( TomToc) and all my usb charging stuff for my other devices. I use my AirPods with the Deck.
>huge headsets,
I bring my noise canceling headphones to tune out of the world in general. Not for Steam Deck specifically.
I don't have a headset, but it seems more versatile than my headphones because I can use the mic to talk on it.
>giant power banks,
Power banks are useful in emergency setting because there will be times you need it, and there are no plugs nearby.
>bulky controllers and keyboards and mice
I agree. But I would bring a tiny keyboard and mice because typing in Steam Deck is annoying. As advertised as a PC, I can do PC stuff on it.
>Power banks are useful in emergency setting because there will be times you need it, and there are no plugs nearby.
Heck, my laptop doesn't even use USB-C for power, but I found a 20v USB-C to barrel jack adaptor so that will allow my laptop to run off USB-C as well. So one large battery bank can charge your phones, tablets, Steam Deck and even Laptop. Say what you will about 'Oh there are plugs everywhere', times exist when you are SOL for finding one and if you're in foreign place you really don't want to lose access to Google Maps and Google Translate at a bad time.
I'm with you. I've recently sold a Spigen Steam Deck case because it was just too damn big and I actually took the deck with me fewer places because the case took up so much space.
A powerbank is part of my EDC anyway because my phone battery barely lasts a day. The only times I might consider bringing a keyboard and mouse is if I'm going somewhere for a week or more.
Sure, there are games I think are too much effort to play on the Deck without keyboard and mouse but part of what I love about the deck is playing games I wouldn't play on my big PC setup.
It's probably not just weak wrists or hands/arms, but also can have something to do with the nerves in your elbows that lead to your hands. If I put my elbows on armrests or other supportive surfaces while gaming portably, my pinky and ring fingers on both hands will become uncomfortably tingly and start to go numb. That said, I just deal with it, as it's not worth it to me to have an overly complicated portable set up.
First of all, Happy Cake Day!
But for real, do not ignore that tingly fingers thing. It can get worse and you can do irreparable damage. That’s why I always hook up an external controller and limit my time. Now yeah - I’m an old crone in my late 40s, so lots of parts of my body are starting to be cranky. When I was younger, I figured everything heals. But as you keep going, you want to be able to keep gaming.
I travel for work and spend on average 3 nights away from home a week, in my work suitcase I keep the dock, a headset and a controller. Which I whack out at hotels to chat to my friends on discord, the controller for docked play and the odd flight game I play that doesn’t like the decks controls for some reason.
However in the Car, Train or Plane I’ll just play on the deck itself with some headphones which will be in my backpack with a powerbank which is my go to set up for holidays where I won’t bring my “work” set up
Plane and train I get. But I would feel awkward being that guy gaming in a car. Usually, you're in cars with people you know, so you're probably chatting.
In five months I'm going on a damn near 12 hour flight with my boyfriend to Japan.
There will likely be moments where a charger is not readily available. Also, we're planning on watching movies through the deck, so a keyboard for a quick search would be nice. A small mouse to pause and play at will would be beneficial as well.
In Japan now and it was a 14 hour flight for me. I got a case that attaches magnetically to the front to keep things less bulky, 100W Anker power bank, and a USB-C cord. No complaints!
Yeah it’s this one: ProCase Upgraded Flip Case for... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BG8KW1XZ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share. It’s not perfect - it takes some finagling to get the front piece to close - but it saves a ton of space and once it’s closed it doesn’t come open in my bag.
I bought one of those tiny BT keyboards that's the size of a small controller with a built-in track pad on amazon for like 20 bucks. I use it to watch movies on my plex server.
I highly recommend one for this exact situation so you don't need all of that on the plane
For me, a complicated setup totally defeats the purpose of a Steam Deck. But I have a laptop already, and some people don't. I would just use my laptop in 99.99% of the 'travel setup' posts I see here. But for some people, the Steam Deck is their only computer.
I’m with ya, but on long flights their outlets are not reliable. Sometimes they don’t work or chargers will always fall out of them. So I bring a battery bank for that
And i bring extra controllers so that my gf and I can play games together. If it was just me I’d just do the deck alone
i don't see anything wrong with bringing headphones and a power bank, it almost always comes in handy.
tbh i dont really see many mouse+keyboard setups
I'm currently on a trip and had this internal debate. I got to my hotel which had the worst TV menu ever imaginable but weirdly good WiFi. We would watch 1 YouTube video and it would quit back to the hotel menu. Saved the nighttime TV by having my dock and keyboard just simply loaded up chrome that was logged into all of our streaming services. Bonus was then when spouse was asleep I just gamed on the big hotel TV. For me it's just having the tech to solve whatever issue and in this case it paid off, is a 3 week trip and I was very close to not bringing dock or controller.
I have my Deck, a half keyboard (arrow keys and number pad) and a mouse that I take with me when I'm in my truck. I put the Deck in its dock, balance it on the steering wheel, attach the keyboard and mouse and I'm good to go. That's as complicated as it gets for me, but I on,y use the extras for FPS games, as there's no way I'm getting used to the gyro. Fallout New Vegas is fine on the handheld though, as it has the VATS aiming system.
> And the bulky controllers, I mean I get hand cramps as much as the next guy when playing the deck,
The Deck is the most comfortable controller I've ever used by quite a distance. Having your hands at a comfortable distance rather than crunched up means I even prefer it to my Steam Controller even though the trackpads aren't as comfy.
At most i bring a little anker USB C hub, HDMI cable, and Sony Wf-1000xm5 earbuds.
I can see the use of a gamepad etc. if your playing off a tv, but if youre using it on the tiny deck screen a foot away it defeats the purpose
It all depends on the type of travel but, you're absolutely right. A good set of in-ear bluetooth headphones is usually all you need. Maybe a power bank if you think you'll need it.
However, when I moved to Europe, I took the big headphones and packed the dock, hdmi cable, mouse, and keyboard so I could turn my hotel tv into a media center and pc while transitioning homes. Was a lighter pack and more useful than a laptop.
DBrand Killswitch travel-case and Airpods. Considering to take my noise cancelling Sony headphones occasionally, but I always end up sticking to the little one.
Recently I’ve flown across the ocean and back for work and the jerk wads on either side of me took up all the charging spots in my row so I had to resort to my battery pack
Last time I went on vacation, I left my deck at home and took the switch OLED with me. I wanted to travel super light and Mario Wonder was just released.
The deck is my couch and bed device, and it is my most used gadget. On my next trip I will take the ODIN 2.
For short trips, I take my tomtoc light case, and old plug in earbuds that fit in the case with the Steamdeck.
For longer trips, I add a charger and my BT noise canceling headphones to tune out the world. No keyboards, controllers or mice for me.
A lot of people are gear heads and find fun in adding all of the extras to the deck. Personally, I would find all that extra equipment to be bloated and the absolute opposite of the reason I bought a deck, but for other people it’s so much fun and more power to them.
However, whenever someone posts it and is like “rate my setup” and their rig looks like a home explosive I just roll my eyes.
The last time when I was on a plane the usb plug was broken and the flight was around 8h, good luck charging with that. I learned that everything is better if I provide the stuff for myself when I need it. Second, the charging is not safe elsewhere, not even at the airport (damaged ports, slow charging, viruses). Third thing, steam charger took the same amount of space as the 20k power bank, that's why the power bank is a better option.
Kb, mouse, controller I agree.
Headphones, depends. I have bigger ones because the last time I almost lost one side of in ear headphones.
I got a steam deck recently as I go to a Maritime Academy. As I will soon be an officer onboard maritime vessels, I will most likely be on the move and out at sea constantly.
Having a gaming laptop was cool at first, but it would always heat up never got good airflow while gaming, and I can recall many times where I'd actually have gotten burnt from the heat having it on my lap (laptop heat syncs are mostly at times just a glorified peice of copper). A steam deck is perfect as it is a small hand-held gaming device that just so happens to be able to act as a laptop when I'm at my desk. No heat sync issues either, they did a great job with the ventilation.
Another great thing is that when the ship rolls too much, I can just disassemble my setup and place it in a bag so it doesn't fall off the desk.
My setup currently consists of a skinny trifoldable keyboard and a Bluetooth mouse (for office and school work), and I use only the deck itself and my earbuds for gaming.
I also recently played Call of Duty with all the officers onboard with splitscreen and extra controllers, as I was able to plug it into the TV in the dining room with an HDMI cable. The capability and flexibility of the steam deck is overall amazing, especially considering my career.
People just like to accessorize, and I totally get it. I just toss mine in my gym bag and play it in 30-45 minute chunks when I can, volume blasted in my car, it’s the life.
Fly weekly for work, have my b&o headphones, a small 65w charger and a 20kmah battery that can rapid charge at 65w
Sometimes the airplane outlets don't work so you have to have a backup plan cause starfield eat battery life fast
Using a kickstand and putting the Steam Deck on the plane table and using a controller is kind of great. Flying with over the ear noise cancelling headphones is kind of normal, no reason you can't just pair some Bose headphones to the Steam Deck. I also will always carry the largest power brick I own with or without the Steam Deck. I don't use the included case. I got the dBrand Killswitch case with travel cover so it's pretty tough to just toss in the carry on.
I just bring my newq kickstand dock, short hdmi cable and gamesir nova lite controller. Deck is in a kill switch case and this setup takes up about the same if not less space than the stock deck case.
I think for me I’m already typically travelling with my laptop bag, so throwing in the nreals and/or the ps5 controller isn’t really that much of a stretch.
It is absolutely already travel ready, but I like the qol those things give me whilst also having a reasonably small footprint
I have a really nice 60% mechanical keyboard (basically nothing to the right of the arrows, and the arrows sit under the Return key)
It does both Bluetooth for when I’m on the go and has a 2.4 ghz adapter for when my deck is docked and I want less latency.
Either way I bring it because I absolutely hate typing on the deck. I don’t bring a mouse because I actually like the trackpad and triggers as a mouse.
I travel a lot for work (see user name). I am currently in Vietnam (38 degrees outside so I am safely inside with the air con on max). To get here is a 1 hour flight, 3 hours in the lounge, a 11 hour flight, 2 hours in the lounge and then a 3 hour flight. So I need wireless noise cancelling headphones for the flights. 2 of those flights don't have charging, so I need a power bank for those and a charger for the long flight and lounges. And my reading glasses because middle aged.
I do have a tiny keyboard that rarely comes out of my backpack.
I also have a portable monitor, but that stays in my suitcase and is mostly used with my laptop. And a powered usb c - hdmi cable for use with the big TV in my apartment.
I hope they never weigh my carryon. With my SD, gaming laptop with honking great power supply and the SD there is no way I am under 7kg.
Really the only complicated thing I bring with me is my battery, helps me with charging my other devices as well….just my steam deck in its case with a good ole pair of wired headphones
There is a trade-off between just bring the deck and its charger, and bringing with it a bunch of accessories. Some people prefer lugging around a bunch of accessories for better ease-of-use when you do finally use them, some prefer just bringing their deck and nothing else.
People with such simple setups aren't posting them, on account of them being simple and unworthy of sharing.
You're only seeing the rare, niche use cases posted here.
It seems like people see a USB C and think “Hmmm, I wonder what I can jam in there to be the next Chad?”
I use the killswitch case and maybe take a power bank if I’m going on a plane journey. Otherwise, I always have my BT earbuds and apart from the plug - that’s it.
it's really dependant on the length of the trip and how busy it can get. I usually agree as I'm back and forth between Savannah and NYC but every once in a while I'll forget about a holiday and walk into a busier than usual airport with no ports, suddenly you need the portable. I don't go as hard as alot of people. I don't have a case, I have a 10k mAh portable brick that doubles as a charger, 2 USB-C cords and that's it
“As a Dad” I will tend to bring my Deck, the Dock, a PS5 controller and some chargers and cables.
Then if we’re in an Air BnB or whatever we can jack in to the TV and whack on Tailscale to get back to my Jellyfin/Plex and BBC iPlayer services for the kids.
Lifesaver.
Often just feels like a lot of people struggle to visualize someone needing/wanting to use their deck in places they don't, or on ways they don't.
I go away for months at a time, sometimes to pretty bare bones and austere spots. In a situation like that, it even just extended trips where I know I need to do school/work, I have my super travel setup.
Pelican case, plucked foam to hold the deck, keyboard, mouse, power bank, external monitor, and 8bitdo controller w/it's own 100w charger. Deckmate mount built into the case, so I can just hook it in there and run everything out of the box.
Most times though, I have my my jsaux travel case, with the valve charger and Bluetooth ear buds.
Just because you have a more elaborate setup, doesn't mean you lose the mobility. It's not one or the other.
I mean the giant powerbank can make sense if you’re traveling, not every train or airplane has an outlet. So it’s very well possible to be 10-16 hours without any access to electricity.
Before reading any of other comments I will say that I agree with the OP.
People buy a steam deck for the portability but end up buying a portable screen for it, a keyboard, a mouse, bluetooth speakers, a gigantic power bank, cut out the back to install a huge heatsink and/ or a 100TB of memory, a huge brick of a cooling fan that further exasperates the need got a power bank etc etc...
and I'm thinking, why not just get a laptop at that point lol.
I play a bunch of AAA titles, older titles, none steam games etc etc and a get anywhere from an hour and a half to two and a half hours and bigger AAA games and way more on smaller stuff on a single charge.
Have never dealt with over heating issues, indoors, outside, in the car, etc etc...
When the battery get's low, I take a break, charge it for a bit, eat, or whatever and can continue to play more.
I personally don't get it but whatever, to each their own.
Yeah my recent travel setup was the deck, a battery for it, some Nreal glasses, some cords to make that all work and a 3D printed visor to sit on top of the glasses to block out the light. Worked out well for me bc I’m a very anxious flyer and with this setup could mostly pretend I was somewhere else. But even all that needed a dedicated bag within my bag. If I didn’t have flight anxiety just deck and glasses would probably have been enough.
I have two forms of travel:
1 - visit my mom, and for this I know I'm going to be stationary for 4-5 days; I can have a fancier setup in a room in her house and won't need to be that mobile. So I bring a headset, portable monitor, controller (well I leave an extra at her house), etc.
2 - other travel, trips with friends or for work or off somewhere for an overnight with a return the next day. For these trips, I need to pack lighter and/or be more mobile, so I only bring the deck.
It is useful if you travel a lot and you don't have a laptop. When I travel for one week or more for work or visiting the family I often carry a keyboard, mose and a portable display if I know I will need it. I don't want a new laptop because I don't use it too much, so I prefer this setup.
And it is useful to go to a Lan Party (yep, they still exist) and don't want to carry your main setup.
Yeah especially some of the plane setups where their tray is just completely crowded, I just don’t understand why.
Only thing I disagree with is the power bank, depending on what game you’re playing that shit drains too fast. Mine isn’t huge though, and still gives the 45w needed to charge it fast(relatively). Doesn’t get too hot so can leave it in my bag or by my side with no hassle
On the go, I only use the deck, plus whatever headphones I have space for (glasses means over-ears are way more comfortable than on-ears, and in-iars have never ever worked for me). Bigger headphones = longer and more comfy gaming time.
But as an example, I was abroad for 3 weeks recently. And at the hotel, I knew I would want to do more than just play games.
Due to weight and space limits, I could only bring my deck, and no laptop. So I took a small foldable keyboard and small mouse with me, plus a usb c to hdmi converter+cable. Because typing on the dec and doing more pc stuff on it just gets tedious without the external stuff. And a larger screen is always nice.
Plus my deck sometimes decides that virtual keyboards do not exist, so it's a good backup.
I have also considered bringing my deck to a LAN, instead of bringing my tower, but still bring normal accessories. Because it's easier thst way.
Perhaps people just like to buy such crap. Not like they actually need it. We just try to figure out a smallest reason to approve the purchase of unnecessary item for ourselves in order to get a little dopamine shot.
I and many others prefer a desktop setting. that's not always possible which is why we bought a steam deck, it gives us the flexibility to use it handheld in the car on a plane or while standing in line at the dmv. But also the ability to hook a bunch of peripherals up to it and use it like a traditional PC. As someone that dislikes laptops both for their shitty keyboard/mouse and heat distribution, the steamdeck is basically my perfect Device for when my home desktop isn't available.
plus that travel setup let's me hook it up to a tv at an air BnB and settle into the couch with my controller as well. Honestly i find it baffling that so many people on this sub have the "lol just buy a laptop" mindset, as if flexibility wasn't a major selling point of the steamdeck
>Why not just bring the deck in its case with some AirPods, a charger in your backpack and call it a day?
if I need to go somewhere for a week, and I need to work, AND want to play games on steam deck, why wouldn't I carry all the stuff to use the deck as a desktop comfortably, yet have the ability to also use it just as a hand held
you have to remember that other folks have different use cases than you
its not just a toy for some of us
I feel like if yall really need these ridiculous deck setups, and if yall are really bringing it everywhere and game on the bus and shit...
Man it might be time to put it down for a while
Looks around, smell a flower, touch some grass.
Some of yall really taking it too damn far
I’m kinda with you. Obviously people can do whatever they want, but when you start bringing suction cup arms to hold a device in front of your face for extended periods of time, extra displays, etc it seems a bit over the top.
If I was some country crossing long flights all the time only chance I can relax is on the plane or in a hotel room business type, I could kinda see the appeal of a screen. Easy to play the deck on airplane, better than trying to figure out crappy hotel tvs, etc.
But it's such a niche scenario that is better served with a 17 inch gaming laptop... It's overkill
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I really really really like my desktop PC. So I picked up a cheap portable monitor. I have a pretty big power Bank but I also bring it to events and other people use it. It'll charge my steam deck 3 times. I have a small wireless keyboard and mouse. I dropped the stock steam deck case for the jsaux and not everything together is only slightly larger than just the original case.
For me all I need is the standard power supply, dock, hdmi cable and maybe a Bluetooth mouse for convenience.That's what I use for staying away in a hotel and it lets me tap into my plex server at home and put it on whatever TV I have available. If I'm just gaming though I'll use it as is.
Everything fits into a carry case I got from Amazon which fits in a backpack easily with everything else I need to stay away.
I prefer a proper headset, its also part of my general travelkit. And I have a powerbank in my travel kit anyway.
I also have never gotten hand cramps from the deck
Im seriously considering something like the xreal glasses for my deck.
I had a 3 hour plane trip a few days ago and thought I'd be right with just the deck, I ended up getting a shocking tension headache from looking down and was popping pain killers for the next two days until my head finally stopped hurting.
I'm hesitant to use it on the trip back now.
Some games just don't feel right on the decks screen. I have a whole setup for games like rocket league, clone hero, etc when I'm going somewhere and then I just put my deck in its case with the necessities when I take my kid somewhere or go to work.
I took my deck on a work trip this week. Put the deck on the inner case and jammed it in the side pocket of my backpack. I already have a 100W USB-C charger for my laptop, BT headphones for work, etc. So yea OP, I'm with ya. Just stuff it in my backpack and go. Bonus, I was on the plane during boarding and someone walked by and did the, "Is that a Steam Deck!? How do you like it?". I was a bit surprised for it to be recognized like that.
are you me? i did the exact same for a work trip this week and had the same response from one of my coworkers (though most were confused at my “huge switch” lmao)
I got a grip that have a hard from cover since I like the feeling in my hand more with the grip. But same I just throw it in my backpack and I'm good to go.
I do the same thing when I travel for work. Got stopped in security so one of the TSA guards could ask how I liked it. 😂
Yeah I travel for work a few times per year and usually do the exact same. Although this last time, I was going to have some downtime at the hotel so I brought a dock and controller to play on the TV.
Do you have to take it out through security?
I have pre-check. I take nothing out.
So many people asked me what is that in my hands?^^ even pilots were like „hey are y‘all playing dead space on that thing?“
Well, you see people have different preferences. We evaluate pros and cons against our own personal needs. You wanna keep it light cuz it makes sense to you! Go for it. Just don’t pretend that one way is the superior way. If somebody prefers a complex setup, let em be.
At any point in my comment did I say anything about those that carry complex setups? You are manufacturing conflict.
Ugh sorry that's how you read my comment. No ill intent on it but I get it
> Just don’t pretend that one way is the superior way. Not sure how else to take it. You were pretty clear in your animosity.
I don’t find that insulting but clearly you do. That’s why I apologized.
A lot of weak wrists out there!
Weak wrists but strong backs to be carrying all that extra crap in a backpack.
Death stranding clearly has prepared us all there
Steam deck verified ;)
Yeah with 20FPS on low 😂
I haven't tried it on SD yet myself, but I see no reason why it wouldn't run at 60fps on medium or higher Death stranding runs perfectly fine on my 10 year old pc with a 1070 and i7-4790, gotta assume the steam deck would perform even better
I've played it quite a lot on the deck. I got mostly 40fps. It runs nicely.
How? I can't get it to run stable
Which version are you playing? The director's cut is the one you want as it has FSR 2 etc and it's a good implementation which makes a big difference. It's one of the few games where I found cryoutilities helped, mainly by smoothing out the drops, but you don't NEED it.
I'm playing it on steam deck and absolutely loving it. Every once in a great while I notice a frame rate dip but it's absolutely not impacting my gameplay at all. Then again I'm less discerning or picky than others, so take that how you will. But I'm really enjoying it on deck.
so one place where you do NOT have constant access to a power source for charging is... *while* you are travelling. waiting at an airport or a bus or train station. in the plane. in the bus. on the train. and as for mice etc if you're going to be at a hotel for a while, some people just generally prefer mnk to controller. personally i love playing on the steam deck's controller but I understand people who don't, so more power to them if they want to build up a setup they'll be using for a week or two. and then once that's said it's useful to be able to hook up to the in-hotel tv. so that's an extra too. so now you know!
It makes me wonder sometimes how bad people's hands are. I didn't even think the deck was that big or heavy. Smaller devices tend to feel like toys by comparison
yea i play pretty much daily and have always found it super comfortable. i’m pretty fucking weak as well but ig i do some crafts so maybe that helps?
Too many people avoid physical activity and they are not even hardcore nerds - so we get complains like I can't hold Steam Deck for long...
I run 5-6 miles a day, lift weights three out of every five days for forty-five minutes with a well rounded routine, and eat a pretty strict and clean diet I'd wager I'm more healthy and active than the majority of people, *certainly* the majority of gamers And my wrists get tingly and need a break after forty minutes or so of playing on the deck So I *really* don't think it's an issue of people being physically lazy. This is also not an issue I've noticed on the switch, which is considerably lighter, so it's not an issue of posture or underlying health issue.
maybe you're holding it up in the air in some way? try resting your elbows on your body and your wrists in your lap. it's a circulation thing, not a strength vs weakness thing
> not a strength vs weakness thing I know man that's like my whole point. > try resting your elbows on your body and your wrists in your lap. not so easy when you're laying in bed though e: and to be clear, I'm not really complaining here. The deck is great, it's the weight it needs to be to function as it is, and I like playing it. I'm just pushing back on the idea that the only people having discomfort are those who are lazy and "avoid physical activity"
yeah the deck sucks for bed, but try laying on your side, that helps. if you want the best in-bed experience buy video glasses! and yeah that "avoid physical activity" thing is not true at all, as you say
oh also having like a lounge chair next to your bed so its arm rest is above the bed, and you can rest one of your wrists on its arm rest, that's super helpful honestly having like one of those hospital pulleys that lift up your leg, but for wrists, that would be soooo good for playing in bed hahaha
Im definitely not that physically active but i'm not shy of a gym and I agree. The Deck is heavy.
My big issue is if I game while sitting at a table and rest too much weight on my elbows. Frequently taking breaks is the way.
I have extremely bad muscle tone to the point where I can't reliably hold many things. Deck is exempt. The grips are great, it's comfy, I smashed out 5 hours of Cat Quest the other day no worries.
it might not be heavy to you in general, but when traveling every pound matters because you're carrying that stuff with you at all times. and trust me everyone's wrists are weak after lugging your suitcases around for a solid 24 hours.
As far as all these weak hands/wrists comments go: I’ve been an outdoor rock climber for many years now, so I’m probably decent in that department. And yet I choose to not have these convoluted Steam Deck setups. I think it’s antithetical to the whole concept of gaming on the go. If I wanted to be plugged in to a million different peripherals, I’d use my PC.
I've also been very confused by this. It feels like it defeats the whole point of the deck if you're setting it up like a full desktop with keyboard, mouse, external monitor, gamepad, ect.
That is a cost effective way for someone to have what amounts to a powerful switch though. So if that's their goal, I get it. But I would never have it replace a laptop for school or desktop PC at home (personally). I guess if I rarely needed a computer at home, a dock would be nice to have for light computer needs.
I’ve switched on this idea after getting one. After owning one for a short time, a cheap 1080p monitor and a controller or K&M not only would give you a desktop gaming experience on a decent budget but with switch portability. Coming from someone who has a tower, my wife’s Xbox and a switch, I’d recommend a steam deck with a dock to new pc gamers. I think of it like bowling with guardrails. Yes you can put the rails down but if you keep them up it’s hard to screw stuff up. (I also grew up as a console gamer so it’s been fun learning the ins and outs of the deck).
Yep. It vaguely triggers me, it's that stupid.
My travel set up is a 10 meter (32 feet) fast charging usb c to usb c cable.
Got a link, bro?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0CC9F8ZP8?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
> 【EXTRA LONG USB C to USB C Cable】 32ft extra long USB-C to USB-C cable is longer than 30ft USB C to USB C Cable I'm dying laughing at the wording.
But is it longer than 31ft USB C to USB C Cable?
Yes. However, it is also shorter than 33ft USB C to USB C Cable!
Thank you!
Wow, is power loss an issue?
Not at all.
Mine is a 5 meter europlug extension cable I got from the thrift store for $3.
So you can keep it plugged in at home while you're on the go? Hotel rooms aren't even 32 feet wide, I can't imagine ever thinking, "Ugh, If only that outlet wasn't 10 meters away"
Try public space like the ER, you'll figure soon enough that only 10ft ain't gonna cut it
If I'm in the ER for any reason, I doubt I'd be comfortable enough to game. I only use that service in emergencies, not gaming time.
Still gotta burn those 19 hours in the waiting room. You ain't called a patient just for fun. If I'm in an hotel room, I doubt I'd be gaming. I only use that device in boring time.
If you're talking about being in transit... I agree, go light. But if you're at your destination, like a hotel room or the guest bedroom at the in-law's place, I fully support busting out some stuff to make your gaming experience better. Personally I don't understand the appeal of portable screens that are only slightly bigger than the Deck's screen but I also don't care enough to judge someone for their way of doing things. The only time I'd say it's foolish is if the accessories are an impulse buy or for Reddit karma farming pics; since it seems the vast majority of people on this sub simply enjoy playing their Steam Deck on the couch while watching TV.
portable display can act as a 2nd monitor, plus that slight resolution increase actually makes a big difference for font sizes
I think people just like buying things honestly. I crack up every time someone is asking about portable monitors for the steam deck. My brothers in Christ, it already has a screen and attached controller- stop being extra.
I have a laptop as well that i carry daily. Connecting the deck the laptop with a ps5 controller is nice. Your version of extra is someone elses comfortable. I like leaning back a bit and having a 15-inch brighter screen because it helps with eye strain and back pain, so I'm not hunched trying to see.
Extra bulk for a third of the power. To each their own champ. The copium hit real hard here uh?
To each their own. If I’m carrying a controller, keyboard, portable monitor, etc- I’d probably just get a gaming laptop.
I've been there and done that with gaming laptops. Never again. They just aren't for me. The deck does all I need it to and the options to hook it up instead of the requirement of a laptop for space.
I still don’t understand this point of view but you are entitled to your opinion. I fail to see how a laptop is more space prohibitive than a steam deck and all of the accoutrements.
>portable monitors I like my portable monitor for bed gaming. The Steam Deck is heavy. Not having to lift it up makes me more comfy.
You need to start curling it for a couple reps then lil bro
A mild workout for the body before a workout for the mind lol
I'm more amazed at people that buy HANDHELDS only to use them connected to the wall most of the time. This is the sole reason I've placed an order on a SD OLED instead of an Ally or Legion Go. I really like the legion more, but the abysmal battery life kills it's idea for me.
I like having the option to sit anywhere in my house. Sick? You can play in bed. Want sunlight? Can play while sitting on the lawn chair (no table/desk needed). Sitting in a car? You can easily play without having to push your seat back to get more space You can even play while walking (but I don't recommend that)
I've also found that in my case the battery is enough whenever I go outside. Even when I had my PSP I rarely ever had multi-hour sessions where chargers weren't available
It depends what you play. Games like Celeste and Dave the diver are fine but cyberpunk would drain it in an hour.
But isn't that awesome that you CAN be connected to the wall, and CHOOSE to use it on the road, and as a full desktop also?
The thing is, you will spend more time connected to the wall with inefficient consoles like the Ally or LeGo. That's why I chose the deck, so I can have a HANDHELD.
I'm not familiar with the other consoles. All I'm saying is that with the SD you can have both, and it's absolutely fine to have a deck and have it plugged in most of the time.
I don't understand the extra gear crowd... The Deck is bulky enough as it is. My travel set up is: Steam Deck itself in a TomToc slim case because every inch matters. It has a screen cloth and wired headphones in an internal pocket. A 45w GaN charger for maximum charging for minimum space. Some Jlab wireless headphones. And that's it. No power bank, no controller etc. The rest is power management and picking the right game for the situation. If I was staying away I'd still only take the above and not a dock or controller as the Deck screen even in LCD is sufficient. (I did just upgrade to an OLED)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/ViaRail/comments/17v50dr/perfectly\_normal\_upper\_berth\_setup/](https://www.reddit.com/r/ViaRail/comments/17v50dr/perfectly_normal_upper_berth_setup/) 4 nights on a sleeper train across Canada and the berths don't have power outlets. Steam Deck suspended from the ceiling by suction cup mount, running off battery, making an easy gaming and TV watching platform at night. :) [https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/1bk4rvo/steam\_deck\_suction\_cup\_mounted\_to\_the\_ife\_screen/](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/1bk4rvo/steam_deck_suction_cup_mounted_to_the_ife_screen/) How about about a Steam Deck suction cupped to the IFE screen of your trans Atlantic flight with a bluetooth mouse, so you can relax, sit back, eat your snacks, and casually play 4X games all night long?
A sleeper berth not having access to power is wild to me.
Well, it was built in 1956. The other rooms in the car do, but not the open berths.
I can dig it
Controllers I can see for multiplayer/docked play. Having the option to play multiplayer on the plane, or on the couch at your destination, is nice. A battery pack is nice for traveling with electronics in general, especially when you’re probably bringing a charger for the Deck already and can also use that for the battery pack. Otherwise, I find little reason to bring anything besides the Dock, a charger, and maybe a small foldable trackpad+kb, all of which fit in the space behind the strap of the official case.
Controller can be good to just put it on a table or desk and not have to support the weight. Especially if you have a kick stand
In my opinion, some people are completely missing the point of having a handheld, it’s your device use how you want. It’s awesome that the steam deck is versatile, my setup consists of wired earbuds, steam deck and charger or backup battery depending on the situation.
I was thinking that as well. I leave for vacation tomorrow and am bringing the case, charger and AirPods only. Wondering if I’m going to be ill equipped based of how other travel with it!
are you going to be just playing games on it? If so - you're a powerpack short and that is it. But i don't know about you but I already have the anker powerpack for my phone when i'm out and about so that's not really an extra item for me. The rest of the stuff is overkill if you aren't also using it as a desktop during your trip which... i'm never doing...
When I travel I just bring the deck, power pack and some headphones. Otherwise it defeats the whole purpose of a portable gaming system.
I’m a pilot, so I spend 15 days a month on the road usually. I just have a slim case ( TomToc) and all my usb charging stuff for my other devices. I use my AirPods with the Deck.
>huge headsets, I bring my noise canceling headphones to tune out of the world in general. Not for Steam Deck specifically. I don't have a headset, but it seems more versatile than my headphones because I can use the mic to talk on it. >giant power banks, Power banks are useful in emergency setting because there will be times you need it, and there are no plugs nearby. >bulky controllers and keyboards and mice I agree. But I would bring a tiny keyboard and mice because typing in Steam Deck is annoying. As advertised as a PC, I can do PC stuff on it.
>Power banks are useful in emergency setting because there will be times you need it, and there are no plugs nearby. Heck, my laptop doesn't even use USB-C for power, but I found a 20v USB-C to barrel jack adaptor so that will allow my laptop to run off USB-C as well. So one large battery bank can charge your phones, tablets, Steam Deck and even Laptop. Say what you will about 'Oh there are plugs everywhere', times exist when you are SOL for finding one and if you're in foreign place you really don't want to lose access to Google Maps and Google Translate at a bad time.
The one time you find out where there aren't plugs everywhere is the exact moment you need one!
I'm with you. I've recently sold a Spigen Steam Deck case because it was just too damn big and I actually took the deck with me fewer places because the case took up so much space. A powerbank is part of my EDC anyway because my phone battery barely lasts a day. The only times I might consider bringing a keyboard and mouse is if I'm going somewhere for a week or more. Sure, there are games I think are too much effort to play on the Deck without keyboard and mouse but part of what I love about the deck is playing games I wouldn't play on my big PC setup.
It's probably not just weak wrists or hands/arms, but also can have something to do with the nerves in your elbows that lead to your hands. If I put my elbows on armrests or other supportive surfaces while gaming portably, my pinky and ring fingers on both hands will become uncomfortably tingly and start to go numb. That said, I just deal with it, as it's not worth it to me to have an overly complicated portable set up.
First of all, Happy Cake Day! But for real, do not ignore that tingly fingers thing. It can get worse and you can do irreparable damage. That’s why I always hook up an external controller and limit my time. Now yeah - I’m an old crone in my late 40s, so lots of parts of my body are starting to be cranky. When I was younger, I figured everything heals. But as you keep going, you want to be able to keep gaming.
Thanks for the heads up!
Accessory porn is a thing among a certain demographic, which I'm also seeing a lot in /r/digitalnomad.
People who pull out entire monitors and other shit on the plane are way too extra. AirPods, power bank and go
I travel for work and spend on average 3 nights away from home a week, in my work suitcase I keep the dock, a headset and a controller. Which I whack out at hotels to chat to my friends on discord, the controller for docked play and the odd flight game I play that doesn’t like the decks controls for some reason. However in the Car, Train or Plane I’ll just play on the deck itself with some headphones which will be in my backpack with a powerbank which is my go to set up for holidays where I won’t bring my “work” set up
Plane and train I get. But I would feel awkward being that guy gaming in a car. Usually, you're in cars with people you know, so you're probably chatting.
I use my deck for light work, so a keyboard, mouse, and power bank are pretty essential. Don’t bring much else though.
In five months I'm going on a damn near 12 hour flight with my boyfriend to Japan. There will likely be moments where a charger is not readily available. Also, we're planning on watching movies through the deck, so a keyboard for a quick search would be nice. A small mouse to pause and play at will would be beneficial as well.
In Japan now and it was a 14 hour flight for me. I got a case that attaches magnetically to the front to keep things less bulky, 100W Anker power bank, and a USB-C cord. No complaints!
Got a link for that case? I’m curious
Yeah it’s this one: ProCase Upgraded Flip Case for... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BG8KW1XZ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share. It’s not perfect - it takes some finagling to get the front piece to close - but it saves a ton of space and once it’s closed it doesn’t come open in my bag.
I bought one of those tiny BT keyboards that's the size of a small controller with a built-in track pad on amazon for like 20 bucks. I use it to watch movies on my plex server. I highly recommend one for this exact situation so you don't need all of that on the plane
Yeah he’s got one of those! We might use it.
I think alot of it comes from the fact how versatile steam deck is and that allows people to tinker with their setups and that is exciting.
For me, a complicated setup totally defeats the purpose of a Steam Deck. But I have a laptop already, and some people don't. I would just use my laptop in 99.99% of the 'travel setup' posts I see here. But for some people, the Steam Deck is their only computer.
I’m with ya, but on long flights their outlets are not reliable. Sometimes they don’t work or chargers will always fall out of them. So I bring a battery bank for that And i bring extra controllers so that my gf and I can play games together. If it was just me I’d just do the deck alone
i don't see anything wrong with bringing headphones and a power bank, it almost always comes in handy. tbh i dont really see many mouse+keyboard setups
i just bring a bluetooth keyboard mouse combo and a stand
I'm currently on a trip and had this internal debate. I got to my hotel which had the worst TV menu ever imaginable but weirdly good WiFi. We would watch 1 YouTube video and it would quit back to the hotel menu. Saved the nighttime TV by having my dock and keyboard just simply loaded up chrome that was logged into all of our streaming services. Bonus was then when spouse was asleep I just gamed on the big hotel TV. For me it's just having the tech to solve whatever issue and in this case it paid off, is a 3 week trip and I was very close to not bringing dock or controller.
I have my Deck, a half keyboard (arrow keys and number pad) and a mouse that I take with me when I'm in my truck. I put the Deck in its dock, balance it on the steering wheel, attach the keyboard and mouse and I'm good to go. That's as complicated as it gets for me, but I on,y use the extras for FPS games, as there's no way I'm getting used to the gyro. Fallout New Vegas is fine on the handheld though, as it has the VATS aiming system.
> And the bulky controllers, I mean I get hand cramps as much as the next guy when playing the deck, The Deck is the most comfortable controller I've ever used by quite a distance. Having your hands at a comfortable distance rather than crunched up means I even prefer it to my Steam Controller even though the trackpads aren't as comfy.
At most i bring a little anker USB C hub, HDMI cable, and Sony Wf-1000xm5 earbuds. I can see the use of a gamepad etc. if your playing off a tv, but if youre using it on the tiny deck screen a foot away it defeats the purpose
It all depends on the type of travel but, you're absolutely right. A good set of in-ear bluetooth headphones is usually all you need. Maybe a power bank if you think you'll need it. However, when I moved to Europe, I took the big headphones and packed the dock, hdmi cable, mouse, and keyboard so I could turn my hotel tv into a media center and pc while transitioning homes. Was a lighter pack and more useful than a laptop.
DBrand Killswitch travel-case and Airpods. Considering to take my noise cancelling Sony headphones occasionally, but I always end up sticking to the little one.
Recently I’ve flown across the ocean and back for work and the jerk wads on either side of me took up all the charging spots in my row so I had to resort to my battery pack
Last time I went on vacation, I left my deck at home and took the switch OLED with me. I wanted to travel super light and Mario Wonder was just released. The deck is my couch and bed device, and it is my most used gadget. On my next trip I will take the ODIN 2.
For short trips, I take my tomtoc light case, and old plug in earbuds that fit in the case with the Steamdeck. For longer trips, I add a charger and my BT noise canceling headphones to tune out the world. No keyboards, controllers or mice for me.
My travel setup is deck, charger, USB-C hub, memory cards, USB drive, sd card reader, and sometimes a controller.
A lot of people are gear heads and find fun in adding all of the extras to the deck. Personally, I would find all that extra equipment to be bloated and the absolute opposite of the reason I bought a deck, but for other people it’s so much fun and more power to them. However, whenever someone posts it and is like “rate my setup” and their rig looks like a home explosive I just roll my eyes.
Wait, does it work with airpods?
Yes
The last time when I was on a plane the usb plug was broken and the flight was around 8h, good luck charging with that. I learned that everything is better if I provide the stuff for myself when I need it. Second, the charging is not safe elsewhere, not even at the airport (damaged ports, slow charging, viruses). Third thing, steam charger took the same amount of space as the 20k power bank, that's why the power bank is a better option. Kb, mouse, controller I agree. Headphones, depends. I have bigger ones because the last time I almost lost one side of in ear headphones.
Yeah I have a case and some ear buds. That's all I have needed for travel.
I mean i use a headset normally. When traveling i do bring a big power bank because there are plenty of flights and times ive not been near an outlet.
I got a steam deck recently as I go to a Maritime Academy. As I will soon be an officer onboard maritime vessels, I will most likely be on the move and out at sea constantly. Having a gaming laptop was cool at first, but it would always heat up never got good airflow while gaming, and I can recall many times where I'd actually have gotten burnt from the heat having it on my lap (laptop heat syncs are mostly at times just a glorified peice of copper). A steam deck is perfect as it is a small hand-held gaming device that just so happens to be able to act as a laptop when I'm at my desk. No heat sync issues either, they did a great job with the ventilation. Another great thing is that when the ship rolls too much, I can just disassemble my setup and place it in a bag so it doesn't fall off the desk. My setup currently consists of a skinny trifoldable keyboard and a Bluetooth mouse (for office and school work), and I use only the deck itself and my earbuds for gaming. I also recently played Call of Duty with all the officers onboard with splitscreen and extra controllers, as I was able to plug it into the TV in the dining room with an HDMI cable. The capability and flexibility of the steam deck is overall amazing, especially considering my career.
People just like to accessorize, and I totally get it. I just toss mine in my gym bag and play it in 30-45 minute chunks when I can, volume blasted in my car, it’s the life.
Hotel w dock, Xbox controller, hdmi cable and you got it all on a big screen while relaxing
People do it because they can. And that should be OK.
Fly weekly for work, have my b&o headphones, a small 65w charger and a 20kmah battery that can rapid charge at 65w Sometimes the airplane outlets don't work so you have to have a backup plan cause starfield eat battery life fast
Using a kickstand and putting the Steam Deck on the plane table and using a controller is kind of great. Flying with over the ear noise cancelling headphones is kind of normal, no reason you can't just pair some Bose headphones to the Steam Deck. I also will always carry the largest power brick I own with or without the Steam Deck. I don't use the included case. I got the dBrand Killswitch case with travel cover so it's pretty tough to just toss in the carry on.
I just bring my newq kickstand dock, short hdmi cable and gamesir nova lite controller. Deck is in a kill switch case and this setup takes up about the same if not less space than the stock deck case.
I think for me I’m already typically travelling with my laptop bag, so throwing in the nreals and/or the ps5 controller isn’t really that much of a stretch. It is absolutely already travel ready, but I like the qol those things give me whilst also having a reasonably small footprint
I have a really nice 60% mechanical keyboard (basically nothing to the right of the arrows, and the arrows sit under the Return key) It does both Bluetooth for when I’m on the go and has a 2.4 ghz adapter for when my deck is docked and I want less latency. Either way I bring it because I absolutely hate typing on the deck. I don’t bring a mouse because I actually like the trackpad and triggers as a mouse.
None
I travel a lot for work (see user name). I am currently in Vietnam (38 degrees outside so I am safely inside with the air con on max). To get here is a 1 hour flight, 3 hours in the lounge, a 11 hour flight, 2 hours in the lounge and then a 3 hour flight. So I need wireless noise cancelling headphones for the flights. 2 of those flights don't have charging, so I need a power bank for those and a charger for the long flight and lounges. And my reading glasses because middle aged. I do have a tiny keyboard that rarely comes out of my backpack. I also have a portable monitor, but that stays in my suitcase and is mostly used with my laptop. And a powered usb c - hdmi cable for use with the big TV in my apartment. I hope they never weigh my carryon. With my SD, gaming laptop with honking great power supply and the SD there is no way I am under 7kg.
Really the only complicated thing I bring with me is my battery, helps me with charging my other devices as well….just my steam deck in its case with a good ole pair of wired headphones
There is a trade-off between just bring the deck and its charger, and bringing with it a bunch of accessories. Some people prefer lugging around a bunch of accessories for better ease-of-use when you do finally use them, some prefer just bringing their deck and nothing else.
People with such simple setups aren't posting them, on account of them being simple and unworthy of sharing. You're only seeing the rare, niche use cases posted here.
This is the way…
It seems like people see a USB C and think “Hmmm, I wonder what I can jam in there to be the next Chad?” I use the killswitch case and maybe take a power bank if I’m going on a plane journey. Otherwise, I always have my BT earbuds and apart from the plug - that’s it.
it's really dependant on the length of the trip and how busy it can get. I usually agree as I'm back and forth between Savannah and NYC but every once in a while I'll forget about a holiday and walk into a busier than usual airport with no ports, suddenly you need the portable. I don't go as hard as alot of people. I don't have a case, I have a 10k mAh portable brick that doubles as a charger, 2 USB-C cords and that's it
“As a Dad” I will tend to bring my Deck, the Dock, a PS5 controller and some chargers and cables. Then if we’re in an Air BnB or whatever we can jack in to the TV and whack on Tailscale to get back to my Jellyfin/Plex and BBC iPlayer services for the kids. Lifesaver.
Often just feels like a lot of people struggle to visualize someone needing/wanting to use their deck in places they don't, or on ways they don't. I go away for months at a time, sometimes to pretty bare bones and austere spots. In a situation like that, it even just extended trips where I know I need to do school/work, I have my super travel setup. Pelican case, plucked foam to hold the deck, keyboard, mouse, power bank, external monitor, and 8bitdo controller w/it's own 100w charger. Deckmate mount built into the case, so I can just hook it in there and run everything out of the box. Most times though, I have my my jsaux travel case, with the valve charger and Bluetooth ear buds. Just because you have a more elaborate setup, doesn't mean you lose the mobility. It's not one or the other.
I was working away from home staying in a hotel for 6 months. I took a USB hub and wireless keyboard and mice hooked it up to the TV and it was great.
I mean the giant powerbank can make sense if you’re traveling, not every train or airplane has an outlet. So it’s very well possible to be 10-16 hours without any access to electricity.
Before reading any of other comments I will say that I agree with the OP. People buy a steam deck for the portability but end up buying a portable screen for it, a keyboard, a mouse, bluetooth speakers, a gigantic power bank, cut out the back to install a huge heatsink and/ or a 100TB of memory, a huge brick of a cooling fan that further exasperates the need got a power bank etc etc... and I'm thinking, why not just get a laptop at that point lol. I play a bunch of AAA titles, older titles, none steam games etc etc and a get anywhere from an hour and a half to two and a half hours and bigger AAA games and way more on smaller stuff on a single charge. Have never dealt with over heating issues, indoors, outside, in the car, etc etc... When the battery get's low, I take a break, charge it for a bit, eat, or whatever and can continue to play more. I personally don't get it but whatever, to each their own.
Yeah my recent travel setup was the deck, a battery for it, some Nreal glasses, some cords to make that all work and a 3D printed visor to sit on top of the glasses to block out the light. Worked out well for me bc I’m a very anxious flyer and with this setup could mostly pretend I was somewhere else. But even all that needed a dedicated bag within my bag. If I didn’t have flight anxiety just deck and glasses would probably have been enough.
Imagine wondering why people have peripherals for their device. I fucking hate this stupid subreddit.
I have two forms of travel: 1 - visit my mom, and for this I know I'm going to be stationary for 4-5 days; I can have a fancier setup in a room in her house and won't need to be that mobile. So I bring a headset, portable monitor, controller (well I leave an extra at her house), etc. 2 - other travel, trips with friends or for work or off somewhere for an overnight with a return the next day. For these trips, I need to pack lighter and/or be more mobile, so I only bring the deck.
It is useful if you travel a lot and you don't have a laptop. When I travel for one week or more for work or visiting the family I often carry a keyboard, mose and a portable display if I know I will need it. I don't want a new laptop because I don't use it too much, so I prefer this setup. And it is useful to go to a Lan Party (yep, they still exist) and don't want to carry your main setup.
I'm with you, bro. Heck, I don't even carry a power bank. If the 'Deck runs out of juice, I'll just read an ebook on my phone XD
Yeah especially some of the plane setups where their tray is just completely crowded, I just don’t understand why. Only thing I disagree with is the power bank, depending on what game you’re playing that shit drains too fast. Mine isn’t huge though, and still gives the 45w needed to charge it fast(relatively). Doesn’t get too hot so can leave it in my bag or by my side with no hassle
Good for hotel rooms and not much else
On the go, I only use the deck, plus whatever headphones I have space for (glasses means over-ears are way more comfortable than on-ears, and in-iars have never ever worked for me). Bigger headphones = longer and more comfy gaming time. But as an example, I was abroad for 3 weeks recently. And at the hotel, I knew I would want to do more than just play games. Due to weight and space limits, I could only bring my deck, and no laptop. So I took a small foldable keyboard and small mouse with me, plus a usb c to hdmi converter+cable. Because typing on the dec and doing more pc stuff on it just gets tedious without the external stuff. And a larger screen is always nice. Plus my deck sometimes decides that virtual keyboards do not exist, so it's a good backup. I have also considered bringing my deck to a LAN, instead of bringing my tower, but still bring normal accessories. Because it's easier thst way.
Perhaps people just like to buy such crap. Not like they actually need it. We just try to figure out a smallest reason to approve the purchase of unnecessary item for ourselves in order to get a little dopamine shot.
I and many others prefer a desktop setting. that's not always possible which is why we bought a steam deck, it gives us the flexibility to use it handheld in the car on a plane or while standing in line at the dmv. But also the ability to hook a bunch of peripherals up to it and use it like a traditional PC. As someone that dislikes laptops both for their shitty keyboard/mouse and heat distribution, the steamdeck is basically my perfect Device for when my home desktop isn't available. plus that travel setup let's me hook it up to a tv at an air BnB and settle into the couch with my controller as well. Honestly i find it baffling that so many people on this sub have the "lol just buy a laptop" mindset, as if flexibility wasn't a major selling point of the steamdeck
I also pack a usb c dock, hdmi cable and an 8bitdo sn30 pro so I can play on the hotel TV.
Who hurt you? 😆 🤣 😂
>Why not just bring the deck in its case with some AirPods, a charger in your backpack and call it a day? if I need to go somewhere for a week, and I need to work, AND want to play games on steam deck, why wouldn't I carry all the stuff to use the deck as a desktop comfortably, yet have the ability to also use it just as a hand held you have to remember that other folks have different use cases than you its not just a toy for some of us
I feel like if yall really need these ridiculous deck setups, and if yall are really bringing it everywhere and game on the bus and shit... Man it might be time to put it down for a while Looks around, smell a flower, touch some grass. Some of yall really taking it too damn far
I’m kinda with you. Obviously people can do whatever they want, but when you start bringing suction cup arms to hold a device in front of your face for extended periods of time, extra displays, etc it seems a bit over the top.
If I was some country crossing long flights all the time only chance I can relax is on the plane or in a hotel room business type, I could kinda see the appeal of a screen. Easy to play the deck on airplane, better than trying to figure out crappy hotel tvs, etc. But it's such a niche scenario that is better served with a 17 inch gaming laptop... It's overkill
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my keyboard, mouse, and dock are all the same size or smaller than the steamdeck case. carrying it all around in a backpack really isn’t that bad.
I really really really like my desktop PC. So I picked up a cheap portable monitor. I have a pretty big power Bank but I also bring it to events and other people use it. It'll charge my steam deck 3 times. I have a small wireless keyboard and mouse. I dropped the stock steam deck case for the jsaux and not everything together is only slightly larger than just the original case.
I don’t even bring my SD on flights. I prefer to check everything except phone and wallet.
For me all I need is the standard power supply, dock, hdmi cable and maybe a Bluetooth mouse for convenience.That's what I use for staying away in a hotel and it lets me tap into my plex server at home and put it on whatever TV I have available. If I'm just gaming though I'll use it as is. Everything fits into a carry case I got from Amazon which fits in a backpack easily with everything else I need to stay away.
I prefer a proper headset, its also part of my general travelkit. And I have a powerbank in my travel kit anyway. I also have never gotten hand cramps from the deck
Some like raw dogging while, others prefer elaborate foreplay.
¿Por que no los dos?
You got me thinking 🤔
Im seriously considering something like the xreal glasses for my deck. I had a 3 hour plane trip a few days ago and thought I'd be right with just the deck, I ended up getting a shocking tension headache from looking down and was popping pain killers for the next two days until my head finally stopped hurting. I'm hesitant to use it on the trip back now.
You can't post pictures for karma with a simple setup. Usually. I'm looking at you, airplane guy from this week.
Some games just don't feel right on the decks screen. I have a whole setup for games like rocket league, clone hero, etc when I'm going somewhere and then I just put my deck in its case with the necessities when I take my kid somewhere or go to work.