When I built my first gaming PC in 2012, it was hard not to be blown away by the majesty of Steam sales. This was my first foray onto the platform, having spent a lifetime as a console player, and after a few seconds of browsing the digital storefront, I was bombarded with absurd discounts and this never-ending supply of games.
Some I’d heard of in passing or played inferior versions of over on console, but never had a chance to sample myself. Now I had the power, and the asking price was an absolute steal. But over the years, that magic has begun to fade away.
Steam Sales Aren’t What They Used To Be
Don’t get me wrong, the dwindling magic of Steam sales has a lot to do with my job. I have been covering video games for a long time now, meaning codes for titles big and small will come across my desk at regular intervals. I don’t need to buy them, and even play many before they’re even released. So there is rarely an opportunity for me to hop onto Steam to pick up a beloved indie or heavily reduced triple-A banger when a sale comes around. A lot of people would argue that seasonal steam sales lost their lustre when flash sales were removed too, which took away so much of the novelty of getting games for pennies.
You could argue that the ill-fated Steam machines and other devices like the Link have tried to console-ify the PC experience before, but they always felt like small steps instead of big strides.
As a teenager, though, it was the exact opposite. When a Steam sale came around, I was a kid in a candy store, and used this as an opportunity to broaden my gaming knowledge and establish a foothold in a gaming landscape I’d not grown up with. But PC gaming wasn’t for me in the end. I much preferred sitting on the sofa with drink and controller in hand, adding to my Trophy and Achievement collections across two console ecosystems I was already heavily invested in. Steam couldn’t offer that. At least, not until the Steam Deck came along.
But The Steam Deck Is Bringing Them Back To Life
I used the Steam Deck as an excuse to get back into PC gaming. As someone who hates to play games at the same desk I work at for several hours a day, I needed that detachment. I needed a device that carried over the Valve ecosystem but was powerful enough to support most of the games I wanted to play. Whether new or old, triple-A or indie, the Deck had to fill so many distinct niches for me to care. The Deck does it so well it has taken over the Nintendo Switch as my handheld of choice. The OLED model especially looks incredible and has been able to handle everything I’ve thrown at it.
The Deck has also opened my eyes up to a number of genres and indies I may have turned my nose up at otherwise. It’s making me take risks, which I needed in my old gamer age.
When it comes to sales, it also presents an opportunity to care more than I have in almost a decade. The Deck has a curated storefront, even during seasonal events, which allows you to see which games are supported by the hardware and people are playing. I can pick up a surface level hit that is the talk of the town, or dig even deeper for a discount I would never have cared about if discovered on desktop. And now the Autumn Sale is here just ahead of Thanksgiving, I’m going to dive in and see what other hidden treasures I can dig up.
