I think the stuff about “experimenting” with limited editions is because they’re trying to find ways to make it hard for scalpers to buy them. That’s why they’ve got stuff about having a Steam Account in good standing etc… Maybe it’s actually working!

It absolutely discusses phone size - in some detail both in the intro and as part of the reviews.

I’d get this instead: JSAUX Docking Station Compatible with Steam Deck/ROG Ally, 5-in-1 Steam Deck Dock with HDMI 2.0 4K@60Hz, 100Mbps Ethernet, Dual USB-A 2.0 and 100W USB-C Charging Port for Valve Steam Deck-HB0602 https://amzn.eu/d/c71hbV8

It’s a fairly well known dock for the Deck, and seems (based on feedback on Reddit) that it’s more reliable than the official one if anything.

That was my conclusion from research, so I’ve got it and it’s worked flawlessly for several months.

GeForce Now is Nvidia’s game streaming service.

I’ve been using the absolute simplest option - just use normal desktop mode and then KDE Connect for control. KDE Connect connects your phone to anything, and then can use phone touchscreen as mouse for the deck.

I agree, it’s a bit annoying. Maybe you could put it in desktop mode, and configure it to turn screen off but not go to sleep? It’ll still do updates then.

I’ve been playing more single player games. My PC has mostly been for multiplayer stuff with friends - Siege, Deep Rock etc. My Deck has opened up time to a load of Single Player things - AAA things like Spiderman, Control, Mad Max and indie stuff like Black Skylands.

Plus I had a load of work travel in the first part of this year. The Deck made hotel rooms much more pleasant!

I’m glad to see some variation in this space (I almost said innovation except that it’s a combo of the Deck and Switch). But it’s still running Windows (see above) and it’s going to be around twice the price of a Deck.

Yeah, the ROG Ally particularly makes zero sense to me and misses the point. It runs Windows and it doesn’t have the touchpads.

The touchpads really broaden the utility of the console, from being able to select small UI elements in normal programs to being able to play more mouse enabled games (FTL being the most recent for me).

And Linux is the real special sauce - nobody seems to get why Valve did all that work rather than “just” putting Windows on it. Windows isn’t a selling point (you can put it on the Deck if you want), it’s slow, the UI doesn’t work well on that screen and you lose out on being able to suspend games etc.

Interesting - I’d always thought that G-Sync etc meant the other way around. Thanks for the explanation!

Desktop Linux had been a bit behind the others on display features due to the legacy of X. As everybody moves more to Wayland that better enables these sorts of things, they’re catching up.

You can update your version of Fedora through the updater software as well but it’s a very clear separate process that is initiated manually.

Distro version updates bring major updates to key packages - the one you’d notice most would be to Gnome, the desktop environment. There will be other things too that get only bugfix and security updates during the life of that version, and then after a while that version will lose support and you won’t get any updates at all (https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/releases/lifecycle/).

Updating is very safe and reliable. I’ve had my Fedora install at work for 3 years, updating periodically and it’s working extremely well.

You need some mechanical features to locate the Deck as it goes in to ensure that the USB locates properly.

I bought this one off Amazon and it seems fine:

Joyhood Carrying Case Compatible with Steam Deck, Portable Travel Carry Case, Hard Shell Storage Bag Fits Steam Deck Console with TPU Soft Cover, Gifts for Men (Slim) https://amzn.eu/d/fj6lQNS

Like the sibling comment it feels the opposite way round to me. The Switch feels like a child’s toy - light, small and not wildly comfortable to hold for a long period of time. The Deck feels much more ergonomic and solid to hold in my hands - I still enjoy the feeling of just picking it up (had it for 7 months) because it just feels like it fits.

Some of this is because I have big hands and the Switch obviously has to work for kids hands and the Switch being lighter is actually better for longer sessions but when I got back to the Switch now it feels cheap and flimsy.

Have you tried reporting it to Steam support? They’re pretty good and it sounds like you’ve got the precise cause narrowed down

Coincidentally, I’ve been looking at these as I’m due a new phone soon.

The flip 5 style has no value apart from gimmick as far as I can see. It goes in your pocket in a smaller height which might be of use to some people but that’s about it. Same volume of phone, same size of screen.

The Fold 5 style makes a lot more sense to me. You get a phone the same size as a normal one (roughly) but then a screen twice sized normal (roughly). I’m sure not everyone is interested in that, but there’s definitely a practical value there for some.

Which he is now also doing - one time payment to remove ads permanently.

It’s moderately expensive actually at more like $20 (depending on location) but I’m happy to pay it - it’s a great app.

I personally think that a sign of a healthy technology platform is one where some people can make money from it, while the platform itself remains open. To use Linux as an example, it’s wonderful that it’s open source, and it’s great that Red Hat can be a profitable company based on Linux. It’s a good sign and it helps the Linux ecosystem thrive due to RH’s contributions.

For Lemmy there are plenty of free apps - no-one is being forced to use Sync. I’m happy to pay for something that provides some more polish to my Lemmy experience, and doesn’t require anything of anyone else.