Steam Deck Portable Gaming PC: 512GB NVMe SSD Expired

I got mine in September of last year, upgraded the SSD (if you've ever opened up a laptop before it's very similar), and I've drunk the Kool-Aid (clearly) but it really has been a game changer for me. My gaming desktop has sat largely unused - playing your PC games on the couch or in bed is such a nice experience, and if (like me) you always found the Switch too small or uncomfortable to use in handheld, you'll probably like the Deck's controls.

For those who haven't checked it out yet, there are always caveats:
-anti-cheat doesn't (always) work on Linux, so some multiplayer games won't work
-compatibility is pretty good, but check and see if the games you want will work on Steam Deck
-I find it comfortable, but it is pretty big - if you're used to a Switch, this will feel substantial in comparison

But on the flip side:
-there are lots of community resources to help users: finding good settings to use for games, getting other launchers like Epic and Battle.net working on Deck, and other performance and customization options - Steam Deck HQ [steamdeckhq.com] and Gaming On Linux [gamingonlinux.com] are good resources
-there's also a plethora of accessories for the Deck as well - cases, docks, skins (even full on shell replacements if you're skilled/brave), Hall-effect joysticks. iFixit [ifixit.com] has an entire site devoted to the Steam Deck, and you can order replacement parts from them if needed
-Valve continues to crank out updates for the Deck, adding in new features and improving game compatibility/performance - it helps to tinker, but there are a lot of cases where a game just works
-40Hz setting on the screen looks a lot smoother than you'd expect it to, and helps to get better life out of the battery in lots of games

I highly recommend the Deck. The Ally is a cool machine too, and it is faster, but only by a bit at 15w (SD max) and you need to pump the Ally's wattage up (and send the battery life down) to see a (imo) substantial difference. For close to $200 less at the same storage on this sale price, I think the Deck is the better value.

512GB isn't enough. You're better off buying the $399 and expanding to 2TB later. Flash prices has been falling. Although 2242 cards are more expensive (sometimes twice as much), but seeing 2280 4TB prices dropping, I believe high density chips are falling more drastically than low density ones. So there is some hope down the line. That is unless YTMC chips are banned in the US sometime in the future.

Good on them. I hope they sell thousands.