My Steam Deck Experience – The Good, Bad & Ugly

Buying the Steam Deck

Like many, I was super exited about the Steam Deck. I was also hooked by the number of (fellow) YouTubers who consistently praised the machine. One day, I decided to look on Steam and they were in stock. I settled on the 64 GB version.

I provided a basic overview of my experience on my YouTube channel.

“My” Steam Deck

The Steam Deck arrived and I configured it the way I wanted. I had a solid week with the unit before the first of multiple problems arose. In fact, I documented my first impressions here:

My favorite game to play on the system was Jedi Fallen Order. I also ran into problems with the EA Launcher while playing the game.

The third video I made was to show how to use FileZilla to transfer files.

The Problems Began

While playing Jedi Fallen Order I noticed that the R1 button did not work reliably. I contacted Steam and they sent me a return label. The system took a week to arrive at the repair place and another week for it to be repaired. Lastly, it took a third week for it to return to my house.

The joy from having my system was short-lived. Within two days of the system’s return, I began to encounter performance issues. I contacted Steam (again) and conducted the tests they recommended. They determined that the system needed to be sent back again. This time, I was offered a different machine. By this point, I was completely exasperated with the machine and asked for a refund instead.

Returning the Steam Deck

Steam provided a return label and I got the system ready to ship back. According to the tracking information, the system took about a week to arrive back at Steam and my payment choice was refunded shortly thereafter.

Thoughts on Steam

Overall, I thought the way Steam handled my situation was excellent. They were more than accommodating with me, and would consider getting a newer model, should one become available.

What experiences ave you had with Steam and the Steam Deck?