I almost exclusively use desktop mode. One of the main reasons I got a steam deck was to have a Linux PC connected to my TV at all times. I watch a lot of sports via pirated streams, and those only really work well in a web browser. A raspberry pi 4 was not quick enough to keep up with it, but the steam deck is more than capable.
Currently, just when I have to use it to install anything that I can’t install via game mode, and when I need to tweak the system or game files, copy roms from my NAS, etc.
I use it all the time. For everything besides gaming, where I like having the integrated gaming mode UI instead.
Of course, the Deck is my only PC currently, which isn’t the use case that most have for it.
I’m in the same situation, the Deck has been my only PC for about as long as I’ve owned it (first batch, so about a year and a half now) and it’s more than enough for my use case.
There was a period of time where I was too lazy to re-hook up my main PC to everything. I just hooked up my Steam Deck instead via a USB C hub.
It was then that I realized I don’t really use my main gaming PC anymore. I just play on the Steam Deck and almost everything else is just general use most of the time.
Since then, I found I still prefer to do some tinkering on a way the Steam Deck isn’t very good at, so I been thinking of selling off my PC and buying a capable laptop to have that extra ease as I found I don’t need the extra performance anymore.
I put the Nix package manager on my Deck and use it for software development. You definitely want a BlueTooth keyboard to use it this way.
Mostly installing games from outside the steam shop.
Setting up emudeck
Not frequently, I tried to use it to launch gog games via lutris but they were not performing as well as within the steam app.
Mostly I play games or browse the web / watch videos - But I do all of this with a dock and mouse and keyboard.
I mostly use desktop mode for messing about with things like emudeck and creating and forgetting an su password.
deleted by creator
@Moxvallix copying files, basically 😂😂😂 I’m still yet to buy a dock - afterwards it will be more useful.
Tinkering with settings, web browsing, coding, file management, terminal, DistroBox, YouTube watching, using multiple monitors, installing flatpaks, installing emudeck, installing cryoutilities, compiling code, Qt creator, etc.
When my wife uses steam link to play my pc on the tv I connect my dock to my keyboard, mouse and monitor and go about my business uninterrupted.
For viewing and commenting on this post, reading books and PDFs, doing Coursera courses, playing Minecraft Java edition…
