@rizenstrom: It is widely accepted that Steam Deck, out of the box is infinitely more comfortable to hold and play over a standard Switch. This is well documented. No need for additional accessories to actually make it comfortable to play.
Availability has been a problem since launch. Many factors contributing to this. Parts shortages & availability. Global chip shortages on top of Valves own ordering system via the steam store to prevent scalpers from fleecing everyone. I've personally been waiting a full year to get hold of my Steam Deck. Has it put me off? Not a chance.
You want more storage? You pay for it. That's simple economics 101 in the computer hardware market. Valve do give you a choice of storage options. Do Nintendo give you a choice? No.
Dock isn't essential right now. You can use a USB C lead that does exactly the same job. Dock will come later. Would it be nice to have? Yes. Is it essential? No.
"It looks promising but isn't a true competitor... yet"
Steam Deck will dominate this space, given it's capabilities and the gaming eco-system Valve owns. Whatever the competition has, or is dreaming up, it's got a mountain to climb to even match what the Steam Deck currently offers & at the crazy low prices the hardware is retailing at. If Nintendo are cooking up a Switch 2, it's going to have to be something extraordinarily incredible to compete with the Steam Deck. A Zelda or Mario launch title won't be enough to save it. It has to be equal to, if not better than the hardware the Steam Deck currently has (not to mention what's around the corner with the Deckard) to be taken seriously & at a price point everyone can afford. That means Nintendo taking a hit on profits, which we all know, won't happen.
Nintendo pretty much hold you to ransom with their first party titles. Hell, the only reason everybody bought a switch, was to play BOTW & Mario.
So, as long as Nintendo keep pumping out the software, people will buy the hardware, even though it's outdated & under-powered.
The Steam Deck, from what I can tell, is pretty much the perfect portable device, literally playing everything in existence at full 60fps & at maximum settings.
Valve even give you the option to customize all your settings for christ sake, so if you want to talk about real innovation, whilst giving the consumer what they actually want, look no further than Valves hardware. It is pretty special.
The killer ingredient from Valve though, is the support they give, both with the hardware updates & software. Nothing comes close to the Steam Store. Take a look at the current summer sale & marvel at the selection of games and the ridiculously low prices you can pick them up for. Hell, I just bagged 4 X AAA titles for £30:00 a couple of days ago. Frankly, that's kinda ridiculous but therein lies the power of the Steam store & what incredible times we live in when you can combine that with what the Steam Deck does.
Subnautica is one of those games that I return to occasionally but it's a colossal time tank. I just don't have the patience for it but I do dive in and continue where I left off now & then. Superbly atmospheric game with so much to discover. Just give up on your life for a long time if you're a completionist.
I loved the original Tomb Raider for it's exploratory aspect and the silent ambiance walking through, what felt like, completely undiscovered tombs and ancient relics. That's what I loved about Tomb Raider. The later Tomb Raider really drifted away from that and tried to turn Lara into a female Bond & a massive serving of narrative, that just took you too far away from actual tomb raiding. It didn't help that they went directly head to head with Uncharted and the two games could have been identical if you just swapped out the character.
Tomb Raider needs to get back to that essential ingredient of discovery and pacing.It doesn't need to be an all out action movie, if you know what I mean?
My policy these days is 1) Be extremely selective about which games I buy in the first place. 2) Absolutely DO NOT buy into the hype. We're all guilty of that . 3) Do not, I repeat DO NOT pre-order. There is absolutely no reason why you need to do that these days. There are chip shortages, not game shortages. Stop doing it. 4) Wait at least 2/3 months after a game has been released to iron out the initial wave of game breaking bugs. Do you absolutely have to have the game Day1? If you do, you probably need to re-evaluate your life priorities. 5) Research the developer track record. Given Bethesda's recent history, you've every right to be cautious. If you don't do this, don't look for sympathy and bitch online that you'll never pre-order again. I've heard it all before. 5) Don't bother with any reviews in progress. They aren't worth the paper they're written on. I'm looking at you Sony/Gran Turismo 7.
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