this post was submitted on 04 Mar 2025
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Steam Deck

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Some questions before probably getting a Steam Deck (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by Dariusmiles2123@sh.itjust.works to c/steamdeck@sopuli.xyz
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Hi everyone,

I'm a Playstation gamer and a Linux user for my administrative tasks.

Since my computers (Microsoft Surface Go 1 and upgraded MacBook Pro 2012, both running Fedora Workstation) aren't powerful enough to run some 7-8 years old games unavalaible on Playstation 5, I'll probably get a (maybe used) Steam Deck by the end of 2025. It could be another handheld, but the Steam Deck is my favorite for now as reparability and Linux compatibility are high on my list.

I'd be using the Deck to run some games, but also to work when docked to my Philips 273B through USB-C, also using a USB mouse and keyboard. I'd be keeping the Playstation 5 to run demanding games and do sim racing as I don't even think a Steam Deck 2 would be powerful enough.

Here are a few questions: -I love Gnome, but I'd be willing to give KDE a shot. If I don't like it, how difficult would it be to have Gnome while keeping the normal Steam OS? -I know that I could wipe Steam OS and get Bazzite with Gnome. Except getting Gnome, what are the advantages of getting Bazzite over Steam OS? What are the inconvenients? -I think that KDE is now in version 6.3 or 6.4. What is the version that you now have on Steam OS? For an obscure reason, I coudn't find the info on the web. -What can you easily upgrade on a used Steam Deck (probably not Oled)?

Thanks in advance for your answers!

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[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

-I love Gnome, but I'd be willing to give KDE a shot. If I don't like it, how difficult would it be to have Gnome while keeping the normal Steam OS?

Afaik, not possible. SteamOS uses a mostly immutable A/B partition structure, so while you could likely install Gnome, the next time SteamOS updates, I expect it would wipe out your tweaks (or enough of them to break shit).

-I know that I could wipe Steam OS and get Bazzite with Gnome. Except getting Gnome, what are the advantages of getting Bazzite over Steam OS? What are the inconvenients?

Pros:

  • It won't wipe out your system tweaks at every update.
  • It will use the most updated versions of things available in Fedora's repos.
  • A bad update can be easily rolled back.

Cons:

  • It's not like traditional Linux distros, like Workstation, so learning how to work with an atomic distro can be a challenge at first.
  • It might not have every patch SteamOS has, or at least not right away. This tends to be minor in practice, but Valve has a vested interest in making the Deck awesome, not Linux as a whole. The community is pretty good at keeping up with downstream patches, though, if any.

Noteworthy:

  • It uses Wayland by default. That matters to some.
  • Some software cannot be easily installed (like some VPN clients) or installed at all. The more a program has to touch system files, the less likely it is that you can install or use it.
  • Updates take a long time due to how the snapshot imaging works.

-I think that KDE is now in version 6.3 or 6.4. What is the version that you now have on Steam OS?

5.27.10. SteamOS uses X11.

-What can you easily upgrade on a used Steam Deck (probably not Oled)?

For the LCD version, lots. From the screen to the shell to the buttons. I vaguely remember there being a fan mod, too. There's a whole ecosystem of Deck mods out there. You can even remove the screen and controllers entirely, if you're so inclined.

[–] Dariusmiles2123@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Thanks for the detailed answer!

It’s weird that Steam OS is still on KDE 5.2X and not using Wayland. I guess it’ll come.

I think I’ll really try to use KDE at the beginning until switching to Bazzite if I miss Gnome too much.

[–] RmDebArc_5@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Just FYI while it uses X11 in desktop mode, in game mode it uses Wayland. It’s probably still on 5.X because for the main use case of the deck plasma 6 isn’t really that much of an upgrade and they probably prefer having a stable system than having some new stuff most users won’t actually use

[–] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 1 points 1 day ago

The Deck is weird in terms of Wayland/X11 usage. Gamemode runs on Wayland, but the Steam client runs through XWayland and for the games another XWayland session is started.

[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 1 points 1 day ago

I should also mention that you might want to look into a Deck Saver. It's a little bit of plastic you can 3D print that fits into the original Deck case, and it will hold your device in place in the event you pick up the case with the lid open.

If you don't want to bother, I have a rule I follow: if the Deck is in the case, the zippers go shut. First thing. No exceptions.