I think I’ve spent more time playing emulated games on this than I have normal Steam games! Being able to hand the Deck to my wife to play the original Gamecube version of Animal Crossing – something she can’t play unless we buy a Gamecube, then somehow adapt it to work with a modern TV, then only play it while at home.

Want to play Pokemon Emerald – my childhood game of choice? Great, use Emudeck to install the emulator, copy the ROM and get cracking. The thing is, this can play any of the games you played as a kid. I’ve been using portable consoles for over two decades – as I’m sure many of you have. I had a Gameboy Advance, a PSP, and my wife has a Switch Lite. The Steam Deck is the definitive example of a handheld games system. That’s fine, but at least listen to why I think it is first eh? Oh you’ve already left a 3,000 word essay in the comments? Ah ok nevermind then. I’m sure some of you will disagree with me. I’ve had my Steam Deck for about a month, and I’ve come to the frankly inescapable conclusion that it is the best handheld console you can buy right now.

Steam deck handheld