Steam Deck

Skerries

got my email yesterday but only saw it now so have it ordered, my time was 16 Jul, 2021 @ 6:58pm IST

cnocbui

Well Steam support are trying to be helpful but it's results that count with me. They sent me a pre-paid shipping label pdf I have to print and stick on the box, for Anpost. Jesus!

Let's see what they say to my response about needing to arrange a courier to collect, due to the lithium battery bit.

As I guestimated earlier, returning this and getting a replacement is going to take at least a month.

cnocbui

This keeps getting better and better. Don't know what's with people thinking Steam customer support is fast and efficient.

After their brilliant suggestion I post it back to them using the equally useless Anpost, who have a prohibition on Li-ion batteries, their follow on suggestion is that I use the link provided to find a DHL ParcelShop and just drop it in to my nearest one. There don't appear to be any in Ireland according to their finder. There are 5 in NI, and I might as well get on a plane and fly to the Netherlands at this point.

Steam customer service is as useless as the clowns who did the software for the Steam Deck and left out the factory reset option or sorted booting from an SD card and reflashing from one. Interesting little tidbit is that the OS build date on the one they sent me is Nov 2021.

Grumpypants

Steam customer service have always been a nightmare.

cnocbui

Well good news, for a change. Got hold of a USB-C adapter and managed to reimage the OS using that, even though the first attempt using the - button failed, using the + button bios menu worked, except it then got stuck in what seems to have been an OS install loop, which had to be force quit using the power button, but thankfully it had actually installed the new downloaded OS.

My son has a computer science degree and is a C-Dev, says it's the worst initialisation/install process for any device he's experienced.

The first update looped and had to be manually restarted by force powering off, the second update flashed an error message and then tried to restart, but failed and needed to be manually restarted after powering off.

But hey, it runs Crysis...

megaten

Yeah I've literally never heard anyone say Valve customer support is good. They wouldn't even set up a call centre for years.

cnocbui

The issues I had have revealed that Steam do not have a viable strategy or process for warranty returns from Ireland. That is a worry. They were unaware Anpost are a useless shower and wont handle anything with Li-ion batteries and that DHL don't have drop-in retail centres in Ireland, only in NI.

coquenoes

How's the shipping been for everyone? Mine was dispatched May 25 and left the parcel centre in Netherlands @ 04:51 on 26/05/22. No update since. I know it's been the weekend, but that was early on a Thursday. Surely scanned at another location by now. Getting kinda worried though. Don't mind a long wait, just want an update at least.

johnny_ultimate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119135059#Comment_119135059

Nothing to worry about. Took 6-7 days from shipping to delivery for me, including several days of no activity between Netherlands and Ireland and another few days sitting at the parcel centre in Ireland.

super_furry

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119134372#Comment_119134372

They're great for stuff that they have automated - like game refunds. Anything outside of that where you have to interact with a human, they're awful.

Grumpypants

11 mins away now. Good shot at this weekend.

coquenoes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119135475#Comment_119135475

Ah ok. Sounds like what im getting now. still saying the same thing as it did. Its been 8 days since paying so hopefully before end of week it arrives. Got a train journey to take!

Skerries

mine left the Netherlands on the 25th and hit Ireland last night so you might see activity today

Skerries

Huzzah! it just arrived

Grumpypants

Much rejoicing :)

cnocbui

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119145178#Comment_119145178

My son got his yesterday, also. After spending hours loading many games from his library, he's discovered it has a dead pixel mid screen. Another support request saga has ensued.

A hub I ordered arrived; looking surprisingly good on the big TV via the hubs hdmi.

Markitron

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119148784#Comment_119148784

Can it push past it's native 1200x800 res in-game when you run it on a 4K screen? I keep meaning to test this.

Grumpypants

Seconds away now 😂

Jumped to 18:27:14 and I'm at 18:27:??.

Has to be Monday.

Mr Crispy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119151571#Comment_119151571

Wait. Wait.. WAIT!

Is this what they've always meant by "Valve Time"?

cnocbui

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119149002#Comment_119149002

What a mess. It appears to be capped at 800, irrespective of display device, from Steam Deck OS. To get higher res you have to switch to desktop mode and run desktop Steam, then you can select higher resolutions. I have only tried it with Crysis, but performance at 1080p dropped to not nice compared to nice and smooth 800. I'd imagine it might be better with more optimised and newer games. I'll maybe try it with HL2 some other time.

But desktop mode has some nasty UI issues like navigation and not having a mouse pointer - ugh.

The Steam Deck is missing a very useful feature - backlit buttons. I hope they improve the systen OS a lot so desktop mode is more usable and such.

johnny_ultimate

Two issues I have with the Deck the more I play it:

One is the wifi seems pretty inconsistent. I have the same issue with the Switch, to be fair - playing in my room with the router downstairs and the connection is generally unstable. It's perfectly fine and fast downstairs when I'm near the router, but the range is definitely limited. I have an extender in the room which doesn't seem to help, but I might need to configure that properly as I mostly use it to wire up my PC. I think it's probably more noticeable than the Switch given the always-online nature of Steam - still usable offline of course, but just gets a bit messy with cloud saves, syncing errors etc... Might just be easier putting it on offline mode sometimes.

Second, far less significant issue is constantly getting distracted by Vampire Survivors when I boot it up to play something else 😁

Skerries

I have heard about Vampire Survivors but it looks like a bullet hell game crossed with Gauntlet which funnily enough I am playing on the SD atm

cnocbui

Well after a two hour drive, including return, to the nearest airport with a DHL depot, my son's SD is on it's way back.

Looks like they sent me the wrong link for finding DHL drop-off centres, or they and DHL have fixed their systems since I pointed out the problem, but there are actually 5 places in Ireland with a DHL office you can drop off an SD for a warranty return, if you have the means to print off the label and return sheet required.

Grumpypants

My time is 18:27:52. Timer is at 18:27:14.

So I'm seconds away 🤣

Grumpypants

And we are on. Purchase made. Had been dropping 50-100 a month onto my steam wallet for the last few months so it's not that big a hit on the funds.

Two weeksish to delivery now. Can't wait.

Vicxas

Where are you guys getting your steam deck? Steams Ireland page is telling me October (at least)

I wanted one for my flight to the US in October.

Homelander

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119168489#Comment_119168489

Your only hope is 2nd hand at inflated price I would imagine.

I pre-ordered mine in July and I'm still waiting.

There are a few decenty competitor options to the Deck but they're way more expensive.

The Freeman

Pre ordered mod August. Still post October so lucky to get before Xmas. Xcloud and razer kishi is keeping me busy these months til I get the steamdeck.

Markitron

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119168489#Comment_119168489

You probably won't have one for October but I recommend you just get in the queue anyway.

Fnz

Ordered 64GB model on the 19th July (early morning). Got my order availability email today.