[Discussion] I think that the number of Deck Users will skyrocket after Xmass.
Here's my two cents.
Many of the original Steam Deck users initially gravitated towards the device for its promise of a "cheap" and convenient, console-like PC gaming experience. Now, with the impending release of the new OLED model, the online marketplaces have been inundated with a huge amount of used Decks at crazy low prices. So, considering how good (for the price) the Steam hardware still is in 2023, and how close we are to Xmas is not too much of a stretch to think that both new and used consoles will have a huge sell.
So what?
Well, i do believe that this further grow may actually push the game developers to release more "deck optimized" games in 2024. The pressure is already there and with more users this trend may actually grow.
I had thought about how the new deck would drive sales, but hadn't thought much about how many second hand decks are about to enter the market.
The discounts to the LCD model have already pushed the deck back into the top 10 best sellers on Steam, so a whole bunch of LCD decks are being sold even with the OLED on the horizon.
Mine is for sale, but I doubt it will sale. I'm only willing to sale it for $500 (it was the 512gb model) and if I can't get that for it, I'm keeping it. I really doubt it will sale at that price, but oh well.
Unless their production costs are vastly cheaper for the old model, I give it maybe 6 months before they replace the 256 LCD sku with an OLED version. They probably know they wouldn't be able to keep up with releasing the entire lineup at once and want to get just a bit more use out of the existing lcd sku production line and supply chain (using up already purchased components and running out contracts) before they shutter it.
Does it even matter anymore.
This has all become some type
of crazy head trip.
Waiting in cue
All the wait, Missing packages,
Wich delivery service is best
Wich delivery service steals
the most packages, Gabe is
is the best, Linux is the best.
We got robbed, purchased an experiment by Gabe. A crowd
funded beta, device full of bugs
Now for the real one. ready
for prime-time.. Im done enough.
We got "oled-headed". The "refresh" blows the beta away...
I disagree. The the first deck wasn't a beta, was simply new. The increase in performance and battery life that the actual lcd model had thanks to the continuous updates is clear. The new version is not the Deck 2, considering the very similar gaming performance. This is simply a refresh, just as the switch oled and the psp5 slim, same performance with newer optimized hardware. This is exactly why i think that the actual marketplace prices for the used lcd 512 Deck are the best deals one can possibly wish for right now.
Honestly I'm just glad that games work on my PC now. I'm hoping as the deck grows so will interest in Linux and maybe one day we'll see more software support not just games