Really enjoy your channel. I'm 52 and started playing games in 1979 and none of my friends play games anymore, so it's pretty lonely when you can't share anything about your hobby. Visiting channels like yours, feels very good in that regard. Feels like coming home 😉

When I was a kid growing up with my various game boys, my friends and I would talk about how awesome it would be if there was a console that played everything. Nintendo, Sega, arcade and even pc games on a handheld. It seemed like one of those pie in the sky thoughts we’d have, alongside interstellar travel a la Star Wars, things like that. The steam deck is exactly what we dreamed about. I cannot believe something like this actually exists. Especially in our walled garden, pay for each live service type of existence. It’s remarkable.

I originally got the deck for emulation and I use it a ton for that. I am however, blown away by the AAA experience this thing offers and have also played a lot of Horizon: Zero Dawn, Spider-Man and Sonic Frontiers which has been one of the most exhilarating gaming experiences I've ever had, especially on a handheld. With my disability, I'm often switching between my bedroom and the living room so a traditional console didn't make much sense for me. In purchasing the deck, I knew it would emulate more consoles than other handhelds I own but had honestly expected a much more compromised experience for modern games but thankfully, the deck does not disappoint. Thank you so much for recommending it. It's truly a great piece of kit.

More of these type of videos please! I think all of us are a little burnt out on "device mania" and that's one of the fundamental appeals of retro gaming - a break from the constant consumerist push to buy more and keep up with the latest thing all the time, and a chance to enjoy what you want at the pace you want. Believe it or not your intent and headspace comes through clearly in the things you create, like these videos, so if you are having fun and finding peace then we are as well. And if you find it mechanistic and boring we probably will too.

I gave up being a physical game collector decades ago, but seeing those NES cartridges in the background almost makes me rethink that decision. They look so cool stacked up, and bring back so many awesome memories. I tend to forget about all the time spent blowing in them though.

FFXIV is an incredible experience on the Deck provided you're playing a controller-friendly class like Dancer. Playing an MMO while laying down is an absolute revolution in the field of human sloth.

What I would like is a video series for each console emulator on the steam deck: including the most optimal or preferred settings for that console, the games you most enjoy, the games you recommend, and the underrated and under-appreciated games.

This guy has his own distinctive way of making me understand things clearly. I really like to listen to him.

When I first heard about the Deck, I was excited like a little boy - and usually I am not, anymore, sadly. I wasn't as excited about a new device for more than 10 years. I have actually enjoyed waiting for it for 9 months. It has become a precious thing to me before it even arrived. And I treated it like something fragile, as it wasn't easily available for another half a year. During that time, I grew the idea to only really play games, that I could run at 10 W max. I extended that to about 12.5 W, but 10 W is my line. So I now have 3 categories in my library: "Deck: Perfect", "Deck: OK", "Deck: Too much power". This changed the perspective on my library. I had a look at many games, which I never played, when I was still grabbing big time in sales. The limitation was a relief, as oftentimes I sat in front of my Library and couldn't decide what to play. With the Deck, I learned again, to decide for a title and play it to the end. And I started to appreciate titles with less than 30 hours of story, like Dishonored, Guacamelee, Transistor. Currently I'm playing through Darksiders 1 on it. While I would love to still have the time for 100+ hours games and I did and do thoroughly enjoy Horizon Zero Dawn, AC Odyssey, Immortals and the like, I started enjoying playing "through" a game within a month a lot. Btw.: Such games, I only play at home via Steam Link / Remote Play. Works flawlessly (also the Ubisoft-titles). In my opinion a very underrepresented feature. And again I do appreciate the limitation. I ended up buying even less new games, because there's so much to play still. The Deck also got me into emulation and hence, to this channel. EmuDeck was so nice and easy to set up. It's the reason I've become a subscriber here, bought 2 Anbernic-devices and became a member in the respective subreddits. My use cases are gaming on the couch, while the wife is watching series, movies, videos on KZfaq, as well as, when I'm traveling (by train), which I do about once a month for the 3 days. It has mostly superseded couch-gaming on the big screen. I love it, I'm a fanboy and I'm excited about its effects.

I like seeing this kind of video. Obviously you can't spend six months with every device you review, but it's nice having a check-in like, "is this thing still getting use? Is it getting ongoing support from the company and/or the community? Is there anything else different about the experience now than when the formal review went up?"

We love content like this Russ! It shows the fun side of gaming. Reviews are appreciated, however getting to know you and your preferences is satisfying!

Ever since I was a kid I dreamed to play Paper Mario TTYD and Simpsons Hit and Run on the go portably. I shed a tear the first time I booted those 2 on the deck.

That’s an awesome update! It’s great to hear that you are still getting in game time, because you kept saying how you don’t play many games any more, you just test them. So I’m glad to hear that you are enjoy some happy gaming as well. Also I have been loving games pass for streaming to my Odin at night😏

Super glad to see you talking about the Deck again! I got mine last november and I'm absolutely loving it, thanks in no small part to your emudeck tutorials. Keep up the awesome work, love your channel!

Dear Russ from Retro Game Corps, after resisting your Steam Deck videos for almost a year, and making excuses about why I wouldn’t buy one, opportunity finally struck and I had the chance to acquire one for Christmas. Now all I can do is thank you for all the Steam Deck content, because of course it is amazing both as a modern game device and a retro games device (I use it for both). I certainly wouldn’t have gotten it without your videos, and I use it exactly the same way you do, which is while watching TV with my wife after the kids are asleep. I don’t worry too much about battery life. If I want to play Sekiro, I just plug it in behind the couch, and if I want to play Link to the Past, no plug needed. I agree that it makes sense to pair certain kinds of games with certain TV shows. Sekiro is good during 90 Day Fiancé, but a slow-paced game is much better during Better Call Saul. Now I have two retro handhelds, the Anbernic RG280v that I use in bed and for travel, and the Steam deck that I play on the couch. They are perfect complements to each other. I have gotten a huge amount of enjoyment from theses two devices already, and I have you to thank for the recommendations, the setup guides, the accessory videos, etc. Keep it up man, Retro Game Corps for life!

I really love this type of content mixed in. One for the RP3+ and Miyoo Mini, please!

Your guide videos are what helped me get into emulation on my SD. Love it so far and it has become my nostalgia station!

Just ordered a deck and I’m excited to get it. I’m hoping this gets me back into gaming since I prefer handheld on the go and this covers every system I want play. Thanks for all you do

My biggest use of the device has been streaming my Ps5 to it so my wife can watch tv while I play, and I've found the battery life with that to be pretty nice.

Hey Russ, I'm not gonna lie I'll watch any and every video you create in regards to the Steam Deck. Doing a brainless Top 5 games of the month, software update summaries, Decky plugins, IRL topics, etc. Your content is far and away my favorite on KZfaq; even more so when it's about the beloved Steam Deck. I've been playing a lot of Wreckfest and Roguelikes/lites like Luck Be A Landlord, Peglin and Dicey Dungeons. Thanks, Nick

"no man - i dont wanna chew it" - russ bot 3000

Thank you so much. Ive been on the edge of buying a steam deck and have watched a ton of videos on it. With it being on sale right now, I've been trying to justify buying given I have a switch that i almost never touch. I like the idea of emulators and having the "better selection" of games to play on the go. Your everyday play conversation really helped me on taking the plung to buy one.

So no one is commenting on how this fine gentleman is able to play video games WHILE watching tv shows with his wife? Those are some impressive multitasking skills. We salute you 🫡

I’ve been watching your videos for about 2 months now getting into emulation. I was deciding between a steam deck or Odin pro. Ended up getting a great deal on a 256g steam deck. Your videos have givin me the courage to start my steam deck journey. Great video as always!

Thank you for continuing to make steam deck content. I love watching it.

Nice breakdown :) Would be nice to have an updated guide on how to install non-Steam games in Desktop Mode, namely standalone GOG installers as Heroic and Lutris can be finicky

I like the Spigen TPU cover for my deck. Still fits just fine in Valve's included case, and no adhesive to worry about. Thanks for the EmuDeck video dude

About a week ago, I spontaneously decided to emulate the entire Zelda series in my Deck. Never looking back.

I've got my Deck on the way and I'm absolutely looking forward to it. Seeing videos like this come out are making me even more excited-

My 512gb will be here on Wednesday. I finally took the plunge. Too much good stuff in this little thing

Nice to see you dude!! You have one of my favourite steam deck / retro channels, awesome content and love you are mixing it up a little, keep it up man.

Aside from the fact that the Deck is indeed a brilliant device, there's only one word I can say about this one: AMAZING! The mix of talking face and top-down shots really drives it home! Can't wait for more! Digging both your content and perfect beard haha - stuff I can only dream of.

I have been having the same thought as you Russ, I haven't been playing much games on the Steam Deck that are really large and take a lot of time & commitment like Spiderman or Elden Ring, only some of the time. I've been mostly playing the smaller games or emulation (mainly Gamecube, PS2, PSP, Wii U, Switch sometimes). I finally beat Metroid Prime 1 (via Primehack) for the first time in my life and it was so much fun on the Steam Deck. Took me at least 20 yrs to beat it and I finally did. Highly recommend everybody that loves the Metroid series to play the entire Prime series on the Steam Deck

The emudeck tutorial was the first video I watched, since I got the steam deck I’ve been doing a lot of tweaks to it and had to have had it re-image and I keep going back to that video. Great content!

Just do your thing Russ, the style of videos you have are what brings us back again and again. At the same time, these sort of videos are a refreshing change from the usual review types, plus they can be an opportunity to do a retrospective on some of the devices you've reviewed in the past.

Just want to thank you for your channel and all the work you put into your videos. I've gone from Miyoo Mini, to Anbernic RG353M, to the Steam Deck I just ordered. Every device, I use your videos to gain insight on them before purchasing. Please keep up the fantastic work!

You put into words how I felt about playing it and I hadn't even been able to describe it myself. I keep putting off playing the bigger RPG games because I don't want to read or sometimes have the music or sound at all while my wife and I are on the couch. I hadn't really put too much thought into it but now that you mention it I think that that's why. I beat Hades as well as a lot of hours in vampire survivors as well😂

Steam Deck is supposedly great for emulation, but I've been using it to clear out my Steam backlog instead. A major gripe of detractors is the battery life but, like you said, it lasts 7-8 hours when playing lower spec or 2D games. Of course you can always play it while plugged into the wall too lol

I've always wanted to play my entire Wii and PS2 category on the go. Now I can in 2023. I cannot praise Valve enough for creating the greatest handheld device ever made

He uses his hands. There. Saved you a watch. In all honesty, this was really well put together. Thanks for this, Taki

Bro, I love your channel! Your instructions for setting up RetroArch was so good

I've just set up emulation on mine and I'm loving it. My son used to play Yokai Watch on his 3DS when he was younger so it awesome to finally see what he was into all these years later. Now 17, he's gone back to the 3DS so we play the game together. Awesome bonding experience!

For me the biggest thing that kind of caught me off guard was I figured I'd still be using my Vita and 3DS more because of both being smaller more pocket friendly devices and both just sit around collecting dust more than anything any more. The bulk of the Deck hasn't been as much of an issue as I thought it would be and I drag mine around with me basically every where. I think a big part of that is it's definitely a do everything I need handheld to the point where it even has picked up the slack for a few things I was previously considering a tablet for like reading comics on the go as well as even some music stuff. It's nice to be able to pick up my Deck and have so many bases covered with just a single device.

Love this channel I'm 41 and you're advice helps keep it up

Love how you upgraded your machine ! 👌

I think the Steam Deck is nearly perfect for me…but I’m gonna wait for the next version. If they can improve the battery, screen, internals, and make it thinner/lighter, then it’s near perfect, especially if the price stays the same. There’s been so many other companies that have jumped into the handheld gaming PC market recently that I hope Steam can take some of those improved features from competitors and make the deck even better.

I love this change up in your channel!

12:09 As someone who recently played through all of the mainline Metroid (including other m) what an awesome ride and I highly recommend it Russ.

I really like that leather skin. $50 for a skin is steep, and I was shopping on Dbrand today after I picked up my Steam Deck of FB marketplace. But the idea that the skin actually ages with use and tells its own story is really cool. Much the opposite of a more traditional vinyl skin that you continually fuss and worry over as it gets yellowed and scratched from use and touch. Seeing the wear on the leather like that reminds me of an old ball glove that's been broken in and seen some playtime. Cheers!

Maybe this is an idea: An episodic approach to playthroughs of your favorite games, on different devices? I for one have just finished Metroid Prime again on Primehack, 18 years after I finished it on Gamecube. Having been able to play this handheld is really a dream come true and it’s still every bit as brilliant as it was back then. I’m now at 30% in the equally awesome Echoes. It’d be a great way of introducing younger gamers to retro classics, as well as highly entertaining as a lot of games come with personal stories and memories, as well as development background stories etc. Call it ‘Russ plays’ or whatever 🙂 I’m certain it would be of interest to anyone who’s already an RGC aficionado!

The number one thing that’s going to drive people crazy is definitely trying to figure out how to split the window when you open dolphin and I’m here to help. There are two ways you can either hold control and hit N or you can click on the three lines box in the top right corner and click on new window. 💫✊🏆

Totally want that old TV in the bg.

Great video Russ !!! I have had my steamdeck for almost a month now. I have a dual boot, windows 11 on a 2tb external SSD and love it. I have basically made a “Frankendeck” with a HUB, 2 external SSDs, and a micro sd card installed as well. Love the device even though I seem to be spending more time tinkering than playing. I would love to see more Steam deck videos on game configurations and performances

Really like this channel, love my steam deck and been really messing with it . just wish I had more time to get everything running

Great video, awesome insight! Helping me make my decision to purchase a Steam Deck.

I was already starting the latest video by Digital Foundry (coincidentally) about the Steam Deck, but Russ... I tapped your thumbnail so fast. I love DF's pixel peeping skills, but I appreciate your perspective, because it's much more reliable as a user. Thanks for your awesome work!

Sitting on the fence for a Steam Deck v2 or v3 with OLED screen and better battery life. Would love to see a better APU under the hood as well.

Thanks for saying "without further delay" instead of "ado"! Thanks, really!

Videos like this are nice. I find it facinating to see how others use their devices. I learn a lot of new things 👍

Can't wait for my Steam Deck to get here, as a fellow guy who loves to play mindless games while watching stuff. I find if I'm not doing something with my hands it's hard to watch stuff, so I'm really excited to set it up for emulating old faves

Considering you get/have ayaneo OXP and GDP devices, would love to see a video talking about why you lean on the steam deck rather than those devices

I've been playing Ape Escape 2 (PS2 emulation), Borderlands 3, and Psychonauts 2.

I play my steam deck when i want to play while lying on my bed, or sitting on the big sofa away from my PC, or when I want to grab every pillow and hole up in my closet with snacks, drinks, and games like I'm 5 again. I usually play turn-based JRPGs and indie games that are easily pausable, meaning that pausing actually stops gameplay and when I unpause I don't need to quickly react to anything. This is because I often play in very short bursts, like when I'm waiting for water to boil. I don't play emulated games much because JRPGs take forever to finish, but the one I do play is pokemon mystery dungeon because even if I stop and come back a week later, it's very quick for me to pick up right where I left off. I also bring my deck when I go on flights, or when I go visit my family (I don't bring a laptop or tablet). In these cases, I'll also play a little FFXIV because I'm away from my PC. As for what videos I'd like to see, I'm interested in all steam deck videos, but I'd just prefer a few quality videos as opposed to, say, a lot of videos that have mostly filler content. I can wait for quality videos, I have a steam deck ;)

I greatly enjoy your channel. This video in particular was kinda nice, just hearing about your real world experience with it. Thanks for sharing. I'm getting my steam deck this week - can't wait to play around with it.

I'm sure your misses is really enjoying the sound of that fan during TV time 😄

Hey Russ, just thought id take a minute and share my experience. I grew up with CRT TVs , but as I got to about 13-14 and I was no longer spending as much time at home and I was able to go out and sleep over friend's houses, plasma tvs were in their infancy. I vividly remember for my 14th birthday, my mom got me a 12" flat screen tv that only had component and a brand new ps2(I owned multiple lol). But I would take that tv and ps2 everywhere with me including to school so that I could go right from school to a friends house and start playing my games at their house. In the 8th grade Final Fantasy XII came out and I remember me and one of my good friends would get together almost 7 days a week at his place to play through that game side by side, some of the best memories I have! I also grew up with gameboy, ds, psp ,etc. and I always wondered if we would ever get to a point where they would be able to fit a ps2 and a screen into a handheld device I pictured a large gba lol. welp, here we are in 2023, ill. be 30 in couple days and the steam deck exists and is honestly mind blowing to me. I love it to death, and it's probably my favorite console/pc ever made. Never mind the fact that I love what Valve is doing, or how the deck sheds light on Linux in an awesome way and could help loosen Microsofts' and Windows' grip on gaming in general, but it also brings to life that dream I had all those years ago, carrying my 12'' tv and my ps2 around and for that it holds a very special place in my heart!

Sooo I’m kind of obsessed with the intro music 😂 great content!

I am really happy about the Steam Deck and what is has become. I was one of the people who got theirs very early and the experience was rough at start. But with constant updates and community care, the device is now my travel PC and favourite handheld of all time.

steam deck is amazing for xbox cloud gaming and PS Now. I three in one bundle, not counting the console emulators you can play on this

Ive been looking for a handheld to give me the best experience playing windwaker! Glad you mentioned it. By far my fav zelda and something ive been craving to play for a while

Doesn't have to be tailored to specifically handheld playthroughs BUT I'd enjoy hearing more about your thoughts on retro games in general! Doesn't have to be comprehensive like these 40min essays but just casual thoughts would be nice!

You are really honest. Thanks for the content

Paper Mario: The thousand year door. Beautiful to see. Thank you for this great and informative video!

Your channel is so good. Keep it up man. Thanks.

For almost a year my Steam Deck has been dedicated as an emulation dedicated beast with every rom under the sun

Things I Do With My Deck In order of likelihood: 1. *Play RPGs* PSP/Vita/3DS/Switch era. Shin Megami Tensei, Jeanne D'Arc, Persona, Tactics Ogre, Final Fantasy, Bravely Default, Danganronpa 2. *Play 360/Wii U/PS3-era games* . Graphics pair well with Deck, good battery usually. Think Bayonetta, Dead Rising, Elder Scrolls Oblivion, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Mario Kart 8 3. *Nostalgia-Trip* , play classics like Pokemon Stadium, Goldeneye, Cruis'n World 4. *Indie games* . Like Blasphemous, Loop Hero, A Hat In Time, Katana Zero, Rimworld 5. *Play modern titles or recent* : Breath of the Wild, Horizon Zero Dawn, Dirt 5, Mortal Kombat 11 Conclusion: I've already beaten several games in my backlog, even older games like Banjo Kazooie. Really digging the deck! I lean towards games with good battery life. Some games are surprisingly playable like the mouse-only Elder Scrolls Oblivion. Good community controls let you use gyro, joystick, and trackpad, feels great! Lastly, some action games like Bayonetta just feel better docked, using a gamepad. Iwas playing very poorly with the Steam Deck buttons, kept dying and missing dodges

Thank you so much! It took me so long to do this w fail after fail until I found this video! I don't know if it was signing into game pass first, NOT accepting any of the microsoft cookies, or the copying and pasting of the infamous space that did it, but you Sir are a GOD! Thank you so much!

I've been using my Steam Deck as my main computer ever since I moved countries in September (because I wasn't able to bring my main machine, yet) and it is honestly absolutely amazing that it can fulfil the role of a PC, I can even work on my Unreal games on it to some extent!

I really appreciate this type of video. It is cool to see how others use their devices, and which ones get the most use. I don't have a Steam Deck, but I do have a Win600 with SteamOS, as well as a Onexplayer (5700U version) that I use regularly. The Win600 has been my go to device for playing Horizon Chase and a few other lightweight games. I use my Onexplayer as a side computer at work, but I also really like playing Fallout 76 and all the Forza games on it. I am typing this message on it as well!

Watching this video while waiting my Deck to arrive soon! I purchased this just only to be the ultimate emulation system, I hope I dont regret it. Legion 5i pro gen 7, Switch Oled and now Deck. My setup is now complete

Fantastic video! I wish there were more of these. Ive been bitten by decision paralysis with my SD. I want to set up emulation - i gave it a go but couldnt get it working and now im just kind of sticking to official steam store stuff and a couple of games from Heroic. I find these kind of videos inspire me to find different ways of getting the most out of my SD. Ive ordered a dock as I think desktop stuff will suit RTS type games that I enjoy more and I want to have another go at emulation. Any more videos on this would be awesome but I love all your content, the ones where youre talking about your experiences with you sat in front of the camera like this work really well!

Great perspective, always appreciate your thoughts and reflections. My Steam Deck has been a perfect foil for the beefier rig I assembled after GPU prices fell last year. When I first built the rig, I found that I wasn’t quite as excited to sit down and play as I thought. After receiving the Steam Deck, however, I’ve found the portable experience with games to be a gateway drug back into the desktop. I got my Deck this past fall, and so it has become a symbiotic relationship-sometimes the Deck leads me to the TV (where I have the rig connected), sometimes the rig leads me back to the Deck. Right now, I’m playing Witcher 3 (complete edition) on the rig while concurrently playing the non-updated iteration on the Deck. Sort of playing one against the other not only to compare version differences, but also to play off different choices. For other titles, retro games in particular, I’m thinking about diving into something like Syncthing to keep all my retro saves synced. I wonder if content around managing multiple machines (not as many as you might have on hand, but perhaps a main rig and Steam Deck setup) might be an avenue to explore? It’s always interesting to see how folks manage things, never fails to introduce new perspective and new ways to make my own process better.

If I don't get my W-2 this week, I swear to god. I want a steam deck so bad lol

I also use the steam deck as my evening unwind with my wife on the couch. It’s been nice to just pick up and play some old games I never gave a chance before. Have been playing Metroid prime 1 and 2 as well as mad max

Exactly the video I needed this morning.

My Steam Deck wow moment was playing Wind Waker HD nearly perfect on it. Couldn't believe how well it runs. I also play a lot of PSP on my Deck.

I like the 8BitDo ultimate. The dock has a usb slot for the dongle so, just plug it into your dock and you are good to go. The dock and dongle comes with the controller so you are all set to have it stationed with your dock and ready to go.

I love how the white balance issue made it into the video 😂

started installing pc games recently, but I've been living off of emudeck since I got my steam deck. Love this unit !

I aaaaalmost saved up enough to get a steam deck but bills came and now I'm starting over

This baby is still so huge for me, Cant wait the V2 Thanks for the video 👍🏼

The game i find myself playing the most right now on any platform is Vampire Survivors on my Deck. I play it on the couch next to my kid or my wife while they watch TV. I play it on the road, I play it in bed, and I play it on the toilet. I just want my life back!

when i first got my deck, wasn't really sure. a lot of my steam library were older titles that weren't fully supported. but as the months have passed two things.. first, i've spent a lot more money on steam than any other platform, to the point i haven't bought a game for anything else. second. i've stopped using my switch entirely, not that i'm playing my switch games on my deck, i'm not, i just have given up on my switch and my huge library. i should look at dumping my carts and trying them on the deck, but i have so many steam games that are working well on the deck now i just don't really care. so. yay for deck, i'm very happy with it.

Had my 512gb steam deck for months and have done zero upgrades. All I did was buy a dock to that I could plug it into my monitor with a keyboard and mouse from time to time. I haven't used my PC for gaming in months, and probably won't for a long time, I love this thing. I've had so many hearts games sitting in my backlog for far too long.

This video gave me more sway to buy the steam deck then the 20 plus other videos I've watched did because you were honest and frank thanks ❤

I set up eldest a few weeks ago and since then I’ve logged liek 20 hours on SSX 3 it’s amazing on deck and a perfect bus/train ride game

I finally have great access to PS2 games. I'm barely an adult now so the Deck released at a perfect time when I started making my own money, and I've been able to play games like Persona 3 FES (after years of Portable on my phone). I'm currently playing Silent Hill 3.

Loved seeing Thousand Year Door on the little TV

As always, great vid. My playthroughs are mostly Game Pass and pc streaming via Moonlight. Some retro stuff, but i tend to like it more on my self-build cabinet :)

Return of the beard! You look better with it. The Steam deck is awesome!