This is a really poorly informed take. Playdate is and always will be niche. If you buy it not knowing what you get yourself into then yes, instant paperweight. The Steamdeck however is in a completely different league. It's a portable Linux computer that has a validated graphics and driver stack for games and the support of the largest games distribution channel. Even if you stop playing games on it you are left with a very capable platform to do anything else you might want on a handheld computer.

The Steam Deck delivers as promised, the biggest question mark with the SD is how Valve will support it over time. Previous Valve hardware has been abandoned pretty quickly since Valve as a company appears to have the attention span of a 5yo

What do you mean they abandon hardware quickly? They still support the Link, Controller, and Index. The Link hardware still gets software updates, and the idea lives on through the Link application. Same with the Controller: it's discontinued, but the steam input framework it uses still gets updates, and now can be used by all modern controllers.

You could argue they quickly abandoned Steam Machines, but they didn't actually make any, they were just branded PCs (so they didn't need active support from Valve), and barely any sold. They still support the SteamOS some ran on, because the Steam Deck also runs SteamOS.

> how Valve will support it over time

It's a PC so there's no need for "support" from the manufacturers... at least on windows.

With Linux the manufacturers have to update the drivers. Maybe one day Linux will get a stable driver API?

It's funny because any other time you'd be right, except now. The Steam Deck came with no Windows support and they've gradually been offering drivers for Windows (see Linus Tech Tips video about missing video, audio support on Windows).

For once Windows users spent a few days in the shoes of a Linux user.

They do that and fix their GUI stack (nope, Wayland ain't doing it) and we might finally actually be a decade out from The Year of the Linux Desktop.

Even if it is the cases that most people will stop after 1h of use, it's interesting to see new players and see innovation in the videogame consoles space. Maybe this one is not the successful one after the release, but at least it's proposing something new (the shape, the crank, the games), and maybe this one or next iterations are a success.

Remember that it is not mandatory to buy it. You may not like it but some other may do.

The steam deck seems to mosty live up to expecatations so far, doesn't it?

The Steam Deck works really well, I've had no issue with it whatsoever. I fail to see how it's comparable to a niche product like the PlayDate.

I was thinking of getting a steam deck, is it no good? (I have not followed the hype so my mind is open)

I have one and it is good. The amount of use you get out of it really depends on where and how you plan to use it, but it absolutely is what it was intended to be: a portable device to play Steam games.

It’s too light to be used as a paper weight.

actually it comes with a stand to make it a desk clock and pen holder

That’s sold separately and coming soon.

aw dang, I thought it was included