Project Q is the upcoming streaming only device that will allow you to play games installed on a PlayStation 5 remotely.
It has not been announced if the handheld will allow streaming of games from the cloud and is rumoured to cost between £250 - £300.
Will you be picking one up later this year?
Absolutely not. If it’s a streaming device that means I have to be near high-speed wifi to use it. For the same price you can get a steam deck which can play thousands of games.
Yeah it’s why I’m on the fence about a Steam Deck. I’m stuck between a Project Q and gaming PC or just getting a Steam Deck with a dock and monitor so my gaming PC is like a Switch. Is that possible with a Steam Deck?
Yes it is possible. You should look at the ROG ally since it runs Windows which may be more to your liking
The rog ally has had micro sd issues, make sure that is resolved if you choose one over the steam deck. The deck boots right to steam so you don’t need to touch the Linux os unless you want to branch out.
I thought the Steam Deck was Windows too.
It’s SteamOS (Linux based) with a compatibility layer for Windows games.
Ah I though it had Windows installed.
Is it possible to install Windows 11 on it and use it has a hybrid gaming PC/gaming handheld/everyday PC if it’s connected to a dock with a monitor and keyboard & mouse?
You don’t have to install Windows. The Linux OS can boot into desktop mode and it functions just like a desktop PC with the Dock. I have it hooked up to a monitor and a TV via separate docks and the monitor dock has a mouse and keyboard. It works great.
I’ve never used Linux before. I’ve only ever used Windows and macOS. Also can the Steam OS play non Steam Windows games. Could my daughter play Roblox, Fall Guys and Sims 4 on it?
The SteamOS Linux install is skinned pretty similarly to Windows/macOS. It’s not much of an adjustment unless you need all kinds of custom software. I can’t say for certain about those games but you can definitely run Windows games in desktop mode. I’ve played several of the Assassin’s Creed games and run a few emulators in Desktop mode.
From what I understand the driver support is pretty poor under Windows. That may have changed since I last looked but that appeared to be the state at and around launch of the Deck.
Yeah. I haven’t done it, but lots of others have.
You can, but the usability does suffer a bit. I would honestly just keep SteamOS on it as you will get better performance even with the compatibility layer, and you don’t really have to touch the desktop if you don’t want to. The Deck boots directly to steam.
So it’s not really a practical replacement for a PC? Damn.
It definitely is. You can try out the default OS, which functions just fine as a full PC in desktop mode or as a gaming console I’m game mode. You can switch between the two modes as much as you want.
But if you run into game compatibility issues or just cannot get used to Linux for whatever reason, you can install Windows on it. Again, you can use it as a full PC with Windows.
Yes you can plug the steam deck into an official deck or just a USB hub with hdmi. It will then display on TV and allows controller input. So yes, it works like a switch in that respect.