Cost is a major consideration when it comes to handhelds, and to pretend otherwise would be folly. In the aspect of pricing, Steam Deck OLED continues to decisively pull ahead of the competitors, and there's a special reason for this, which I have talked extensively about in the past. Valve has an ability to sell its handhelds at cost because of a structural advantage that no other handheld manufacturer does. Unlike ASUS or Lenovo, Valve isn't primarily in the hardware business. As a storefront operator collecting a commission on every purchase made through Steam, Valve can afford to price har
3 reasons I still prefer the Steam Deck OLED over Windows 11 gaming handhelds… Unlike ASUS or Lenovo, Valve isn't primarily in the hardware business. As a storefront operator collecting a commission on every purchase made through Steam, Valve can afford to price hardware generously and recover margins as well, and this advantage is passed down to the consumer. …
… Fortunately, while most operating systems have turned their back on people using older hardware, Linux still respects it. In fact, Linux developers have worked hard so that people with older hardware can enjoy their games better. …
… Out-of-the-box compatibility with peripherals Hardware compatibility on Linux is hit or miss, but mostly miss Linux is, counterintuitively enough, ahead of Windows in terms of basic hardware support . …
… Both laptops come with Windows 11 with Copilot+ capabilities to put that hardware to good use. …
… Hardware sales forced developers to pay attention, and developer attention meant that Valve got more data on which games worked and which didn't, and, in the latter case, why they didn't. …
… The tech giant says that the Surface Laptop Ultra's RTX Spark chip has been optimized for Windows with developer and creator workloads in mind, and lists several key apps that have been optimized for the chip through Nvidia's and Microsoft's ongoing partnership with app developers, including Adobe'… …
… For under $100, mine has become one of the most fun pieces of hardware in my setup . …
… We don't know the official pricing of Googlebooks yet, but Google can't win just on price alone. …
… Instead, Microsoft reportedly considers its refreshed Surface devices, "premium and ultra-premium pricing categories." Given that the tech giant recently implemented a major price increase on its devices, it's fair to say that cheap hardware isn't coming any time soon. …
… In a statement to XDA, Microsoft said the following regarding the Surface line's across-the-board price increase: Due to recent increases in memory and component costs, Surface is updating pricing on Microsoft.com for its current generation hardware portfolio. …