Haha, usually a smaller screen means cheaper prices… but obviously they’d need to setup the manufacturing and supply chains and whatnot. Having cracked mine open, I know it really wouldn’t be hard with parts they already use (it’s already very thin and efficient).
They are just really stubborn about the track pads… and given Valves lack of hierarchical structure, it’s hard for someone on their team to nix a feature as anyone involved and veto that decision.
But man, I’d buy so many as gifts— well, one or two, but good enough!
I love the track pads. They make navigating desktop mode actually bearable. With some qol tweaks to the mapping, I find them downright enjoyable to use.
Without them the deck wouldn’t feel nearly as standalone-capable. Hardly any application in games that don’t need a cursor though, I’ll give you that for sure.
True about that stand alone nature, and I think they like to argue it let’s you play mouse based games (which is true but I still like a mouse, haha).
I think a pocket version would be to at least rework it. How it does that, I’m not sure, though… PS Vita had a weird touch screen back plate, but that kind of sucked. Maybe a touch pad along the sides? Idk. But of joystick, dpad and touch pad, I think the former two win for gaming on average.
These days I’m mostly playing rhythm games and for those I much prefer the trackpads. Less finger strain, I can tap faster, less wear and tear for the buttons, less noise for my surroundings. And in other games with toolbars, even if they have console support, you usually have to sift through shoulder buttons to switch between your items. With the trackpads you can have a tiny macro pad right underneath your thumbs.
As someone with tiny hands who usually uses an extra small xbox controller, I still find myself loving the deck controls more, simply because there is more stuff to configure to my liking. Yes, I have some trouble reaching the shoulder buttons when my thumbs are on the pads, but so far that’s been less of a problem in the games I play.
Haha, usually a smaller screen means cheaper prices… but obviously they’d need to setup the manufacturing and supply chains and whatnot. Having cracked mine open, I know it really wouldn’t be hard with parts they already use (it’s already very thin and efficient).
They are just really stubborn about the track pads… and given Valves lack of hierarchical structure, it’s hard for someone on their team to nix a feature as anyone involved and veto that decision.
But man, I’d buy so many as gifts— well, one or two, but good enough!
I love the track pads. They make navigating desktop mode actually bearable. With some qol tweaks to the mapping, I find them downright enjoyable to use.
Without them the deck wouldn’t feel nearly as standalone-capable. Hardly any application in games that don’t need a cursor though, I’ll give you that for sure.
True about that stand alone nature, and I think they like to argue it let’s you play mouse based games (which is true but I still like a mouse, haha).
I think a pocket version would be to at least rework it. How it does that, I’m not sure, though… PS Vita had a weird touch screen back plate, but that kind of sucked. Maybe a touch pad along the sides? Idk. But of joystick, dpad and touch pad, I think the former two win for gaming on average.
These days I’m mostly playing rhythm games and for those I much prefer the trackpads. Less finger strain, I can tap faster, less wear and tear for the buttons, less noise for my surroundings. And in other games with toolbars, even if they have console support, you usually have to sift through shoulder buttons to switch between your items. With the trackpads you can have a tiny macro pad right underneath your thumbs.
As someone with tiny hands who usually uses an extra small xbox controller, I still find myself loving the deck controls more, simply because there is more stuff to configure to my liking. Yes, I have some trouble reaching the shoulder buttons when my thumbs are on the pads, but so far that’s been less of a problem in the games I play.