The Steam Deck's biggest flaws, according to actual users. Valve should take notes for the Steam Deck 2

Yesterday, on Reddit, users had a discussion on the worst traits of an otherwise very popular device, Valve’s Steam Deck. Since its initial release in 2022, the Steam Deck has grown in popularity thanks to its ability to take everyone’s Steam library on the go. A user named Madeleine61509 shared a post on the Steam Deck subreddit asking others to share what they have disliked about the Steam Deck experience. Valve, if you are working on a sequel to this handheld device, you should take notes.

Users discuss the Steam Deck’s biggest flaws, and Valve should be taking notes

This post might sound relatable to many modern PC gamers, especially anyone who has a growing Steam library: “I have spent weeks debating getting [a Steam Deck]. In that time, I have repeatedly read glowing review after glowing review… For me to feel like I am making an informed decision about the product (especially tech), I like to know about the negatives as well as the positives.” This seems like a great outlook to have. Even if you are confident in the value of the product, it’s still good to know what to expect. Even with those glowing reviews, more than 1,000 people commented on the post, sharing their thoughts.

A handheld gaming device.Steam Deck by Valve.

Of all the comments, there were two that stood out, each receiving over 1,000 upvotes from the community. The top-voted complaint about the Steam Deck had to do with its inability to download updates while in sleep mode. Compared to most modern consoles, this does feel like a major missed opportunity. Consoles like the Nintendo Switch and the PlayStation 5 can update games while resting, as long as they maintain an internet connection. The biggest difference is that consoles like the PlayStation 5 and the Switch (in dock mode) are constantly plugged into the wall, providing a stable power source. The Steam Deck is generally a more dedicated handheld device, so downloading updates could easily drain the battery if left unchecked. But maybe having an optional feature could give players who have a dock the option to turn this feature on.

The Steam Deck Shop menu.Steam Deck by Valve.

The other top comment discussed the Steam Deck’s keyboard. To be clear, if you’re not the most familiar with the Steam Deck, it doesn’t have a physical keyboard. Users are discussing the digital keyboard that appears on the screen as needed. The comment argues that “the keyboard should… be draggable, have opacity, [and] have autocorrect.” Apparently, as some other comments pointed out, there are ways to download mods that fix things like the keyboard’s opacity, but most agree that these should be base features.

Other common Steam Deck complaints included the battery life and the shop interface. According to one user, the battery drains surprisingly fast even when in sleep mode. Other users complained that the shop often feels janky, requiring the use of the touchscreen, lacking proper stylus support, and having problems with the search features. One user also randomly pointed out that, according to them, Terraria has been on the front page of their shop for the last two years.

The Steam Deck is the first of its kind. If Valve is planning a sequel device sometime soon, I’m confident it will improve on the initial design. There’s no doubt that Valve has learned a lot in the last few years about creating a handheld PC and what makes that better or worse. But when the community provides insight like this, it’s worth paying attention.

• Steam
• Valve
• gaming
• Steam Deck