As an older than average student for this campus, I’ve been around long enough to watch gaming evolve from a niche market to a worldwide phenomenon. Having watched the industry fairly closely since the early 2000s, Valve’s new Steam Deck is going to revolutionize the gaming world.

So, what is this thing? Picture a Nintendo switch with a user interface close to that of a Playstation or Xbox… now add the PC game library available on Steam.

Under the hood, the Deck boasts less overall power than even a Microsoft Series S, according to The Verge. However, the series S targets higher resolutions for display on TVs. Personally, I notice little to no graphical differences on the Deck’s 7-inch display, and I’m able to play what I want on the go.

I haven’t picked up another controller more than two or three times since I got my Deck in March. The reason is simple: I really don’t have to. Everything from indie games like Stardew Valley to first person shooters like Back 4 Blood runs how I want it; I’ve even been able to put together controller schemes for traditionally keyboard and mouse games like Creativerse and Civilization.

AAA games that were once console exclusive are now getting released on PC. Even juggernaut Sony titles like the God of War franchise have made the jump, according to Digital Trends. 

More of a Microsoft fan? That’s fine too, with IGN reporting that Microsoft Game Pass is supported. With all these big name games no longer locked to one console, there will likely be less people buying a console for one specific game or series.

There are some caveats here. For one thing, Nintendo has never ported any games to another device and shows no signs of doing so. There are also some single-player based games from Sony that won’t be released on PC immediately, but many always live games will get same-day releases on the Steam storefront.

This does, however, ignore the problem of playing with your friends. Some people will have their entire friend group committed to one console specifically to be able to game together. Game developers and Steam have solved this one recently as well, with huge improvements in crossplay functionality. 

My prediction boils down to timing, the combination of gaming becoming more mainstream, developers loosening their grip on console exclusive titles and improvements in crossplay creates a void for people who want to experience a console-like gaming experience with the freedoms associated with PC gaming.

If you enjoy gaming and are considering a new console or PC, you need to check out Valve’s Steam Deck. With an inclusive and impressive game library, the ecosystem to support gamers casual to competitive alike, and a reasonable price point that I won’t mention directly to avoid having this article sound like a commercial, there really is something for everyone on Deck.