this post was submitted on 04 Mar 2025
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Steam Deck

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A place to discuss and support all things Steam Deck.

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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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[–] RmDebArc_5@sh.itjust.works 17 points 2 days ago

It’s pretty much impossible to get gnome on regular steamOS. Bazzite also has some additional stuff compared to steamOS, namely printing support, optional full disk encryption, newer plasma version (SteamOS should be on 5.27 or what ever the latest version of plasma 5 is). Nothing major, but small stuff. Bazzite has the disadvantage of not being installed by default and less of a backing (Valve still is a big company). Most things on steam deck are easily replaceable, except for the battery, but not necessarily upgradable. If you want to upgrade storage be aware that the steam deck uses a relatively rare nvme size, so prizes might be higher than expected (other than that it’s quite simple). The screen also can be upgraded but that requires a sizable amount of work, same with ram.