Hey everyone 🤍
This is a little, very chill review of my Steam Deck. I’ve been seeing it everywhere on TikTok for a while now, and I ended up getting one for Christmas. After spending some time with it, I wanted to share my thoughts—nothing super technical, just my real experience so far.
Now, full transparency before we go any further: I am not a PC gamer. I’m not a hardcore gamer girl. I don’t know specs like that. I notice the small things, the way something feels, how it looks, how smooth it runs, and whether or not it actually fits into my everyday life.
I’ve had my Steam Deck for about two weeks now, and this is just me talking about what I’ve noticed, what I like, what surprised me, and what I had to learn along the way. Think of this less as a “review-review” and more as a cozy check-in with a new piece of tech that accidentally won me over.
Why I Chose the Steam Deck LCD (and First Impressions)
I ended up getting the Steam Deck LCD. At first, I thought about saving up for the OLED, but honestly? In this economy? It came down to $500 versus $300, and I would rather save that extra money and put it toward storage. I grabbed a 1TB SD card (and yes, in hindsight, I probably should’ve gone with 2TB, but we live and we learn).
When I first got the Steam Deck, I’ll admit I had expectations already set by TikTok. Everyone kept saying it was huge and super heavy, so I was bracing myself. But once I actually held it? It really wasn’t as big as I thought. Size-wise, it feels pretty similar to a Nintendo Switch, just slightly more solid.
And weight-wise? I don’t find it heavy at all. This might be personal preference, but for me, it feels very normal and very comfortable. I have smaller hands, and I usually avoid consoles that feel bulky or awkward to hold, but the Steam Deck surprised me. The grips feel good, the buttons move smoothly, and everything just… sits nicely in my hands. I know that sounds generic, but it genuinely feels good to hold.
I actually posted a TikTok unboxing when I first got it (I’ll link it here), and even then, my first thought was how manageable it felt.
lol I meant to say charger, not battery
Aesthetically, it’s simple, clean, and not overwhelming. Nothing about it feels clunky or overdone.
Now, when it comes to gameplay, and by that I mean how games actually look and run on the screen, that’s where the Steam Deck really won me over.
Before this, I had a Switch Lite, which unfortunately broke (fully my fault). Comparing the two isn’t really fair, because they serve different purposes. But comparing the Steam Deck to my iPad, which is what I was playing games like Wuthering Waves and Genshin Impact on before? That’s where the difference became very clear.
For me, this purchase ended up being very reasonable. Not as a flex, not as a “gamer girl” moment, just as someone who wanted a better, smoother experience for the games I already enjoy.
The Learning Curve (and Almost Thinking I Broke It)
Having the Steam Deck for these past two weeks has definitely been a learning curve for me. Like I mentioned earlier, I’ve never owned a PC gaming console before. No gaming laptop, no PC setup—nothing. The closest thing I had was my Switch, so stepping into the Steam Deck world felt… intimidating at first.
When I first downloaded games and started playing, the system was a little loud. And I mean a little too loud for someone who doesn’t understand PC gaming behavior. I genuinely thought I was breaking it. I remember sitting there like, “Oh my god, I just paid money for this thing, and now I’m breaking it.” I got so nervous that I closed out of the game entirely because I didn’t want to mess anything up.
But as I kept using it and, honestly, playing around with it, I started to understand how the system actually works. I downloaded Decky Loader, customized the interface, and even added an Ouran High School Host Club opening as my startup screen (which plays the theme song and is honestly the cutest thing ever). That customization alone made me feel more connected to the device and less scared of it.
That’s when it finally clicked for me: the Steam Deck isn’t like a Game Boy or even a Nintendo Switch. It’s basically a miniature computer built for games. And that might sound obvious to some people, but for me, that realization changed how I treated it. It’s not something you just throw around or ignore—if you take care of it, it takes care of you.
Battery Life, Performance, and Knowing When to Stop
Battery life has been pretty solid for me, especially considering the games I play. With Wuthering Waves, I can get around three hours of gameplay, which I honestly think is reasonable. I don’t play for extremely long sessions anyway, because I don’t want to push the system too hard.
That said, I am curious by nature. I like to test limits (within reason). I played around with FPS settings, tried different performance options, and learned pretty quickly that some games handle adjustments better than others. I’m still learning, and that’s okay.
Comparing Wuthering Waves on the Steam Deck versus my iPad, the difference was immediate. On the iPad, the game felt gloomy and dim—almost like I wasn’t seeing the full vision. I know it’s not meant to be like Genshin, but even still, the colors weren’t what I expected.
On the Steam Deck? Completely different story. The colors are vibrant, clearer, and more alive. The same goes for Infinity Nikki, which looks absolutely beautiful visually (though it has its own performance quirks—I’ll save that for a future blog)
A Few Honest Cons
Of course, it’s not perfect. While the Steam library has a plethora of games, there are still some titles that just aren’t compatible with the Steam Deck yet. There were a few games I saw all over TikTok that I wanted to try, only to find out they weren’t supported. That can be a little disappointing, especially when you’re excited to jump in right away.
Some newer games also require patience—you have to wait until they’re optimized or officially supported. And while games like Infinity Nikki are playable, they don’t always run as smoothly as you’d hope (again, more on that later).
Final Thoughts (For Now)
Overall, this was a pretty decent purchase for me. It gives me a nice dopamine boost, a solid escape, and a cozy way to play games without needing a full PC setup. I genuinely feel like the Steam Deck LCD is worth it, despite what TikTok might say.
If you’re debating between the OLED and the LCD, my honest opinion is this:
get the LCD and save your money. The difference isn’t as dramatic as people make it seem, and what you’re really paying for with the OLED is storage not the experience itself.
For someone like me casual, cozy, curious, and very much not a PC gamer, the Steam Deck LCD has been more than enough.
