TL;DR: Antec is going to be selling a Steam Deck competitive device, based on the Ayaneo Slide. The device has a slide up screen that reveals a keyboard, which is good because using desktop windows is much easier with a keyboard. However the device’s lowest estimated power draw at low/no load is 15w, meaning it will use comparable power to the deck running at max power. This means the battery life will probably be pretty rough when compared to the Deck. It will also likely have a much higher price point.
Valve’s money comes from the service, not the device. The more there are, the better.
I had a Kyocera Slider, once. I loved to open and close that thing, and it was basically a fidget device. I also had an LG Chocolate 2 and 3, and the physical keyboard was fantastic.
This handheld incorporates both, but I really don’t know if it can work in this form factor. Part of the reason it worked on the phones is they were relatively small, but with a wide handheld with joycons on either side, it seems like it would be clunky.
Every single one of the competitors I’ve seen makes at least two of the following mistakes, each of which means they don’t stand a chance:
- Windows
- Display resolution > 720p
- No trackpads
- Awful layout
I could do without the trackpads but everything else I agree on.
Maybe you could, but the whole point of the steam deck is the ability to play any PC game, and most require mouse input to play well. Most people would be unwilling to make that tradeoff
Why not 1080p?
Increased battery drain for diminishing returns. From the distance and screen size, it wouldn’t be that noticeable, but the performance drops would be.
Unless it runs Linux it doesn’t stand a chance. The moment you decide to sell a handheld gaming console running Windows you doom it to failure. It’s the worst OS possible for that purpose.
Nope, there are plenty worse…
z/os, Temple OS, OpenBSD, React OS and others.
Sorry, I am just feeling pedantic, it is late and I am about to get some sleep…
This keyboard seems worse than any virtual keyboard 😅
I have a Rii mini keyboard as a remote control for YouTube, when I sit back. Typing anything on such a keyboard is a struggle and usually don’t type on it. The integrated keyboard from the handheld in the picture doesn’t look particularly good either. But I have to say, with such a small screen and especially with Windows not optimized for this task, such a keyboard is probably better than having none.
Alternative would be using a virtual keyboard on a small screen, which overlaps parts of it and does not have the greatest touch input screen. Look how small the screen is. Such a small 6" screen is only an option for smartphones, but not for an operating system like Windows with a regular desktop to play games on it. Therefore, such an integrated keyboard is probably a good idea. Even if it sucks.
Windows is dog shit.
It’s crazy that Microsoft hasn’t made an interface for Windows for handhelds like this. They’re leaving money on the table.
They will release an Xbox mode, not only a UI. A true Steam OS alternative. But that takes time. I bet they are aiming for a 2025 release.
I mean, Ive been begging for a new media and gaming mode since the failed Windows XP Media Center Edition.
The inclusion of the keyboard is a little perplexing. On paper it makes sense that a lot of PC games are built for or work best with a keyboard, but that’s because you’re using stuff as hotkeys, not because you’re typing. How do you comfortably do that with this form factor? I feel like a panel of fewer programmable buttons would’ve made more sense.
I would imagine its for the typing you might need to do, rather than using an onscreen keyboard.
Just seems odd if this is supposed to be a gaming device. How much typing do you really do on a steam deck?
I didn’t say it was a good idea, lol
