I'm so tired of this... Handheld Reviews and Crowdfunding

Handheld gaming PCs seem to be in a similar state as RISC-V SBCs or even still some Arm SBCs... keep spamming out new models every couple months (many on a preorder or crowdfunding basis), barely get support for basic features, abandon the device and move on to a newer model... rinse and repeat :(

I don't crowdfund anything anymore. I am a customer. I am not an investor, I am not a bank giving interest free loans. It's not my responsibility or my desire to prop up all these projects. What do I even get for crowdfunding? At worst they take my money and run. At best, I preordered. No thanks. I'll wait until the product comes out (if it does) and check out some reviews to see if it's worth it before I part with my money. Crowdfunding can go pound sand as far as I'm concerned.

big companies using crowdfunding is just kinda icky for me. it really feels like they are trying to dodge the higher responsibilities in taking actual pre-orders. with all the horror stories ive heard, i just dont think ill ever be up for backing a crowdfunding campaign also, im definitely not the target market for handhelds, but i find a lot of the reviews kinda same-y, because a lot of the products are kinda same-y. there's just only so much you can do beyond tiny adjustments and the only real questions are "does it suck to hold?" and "how is the battery life?"

Steam Deck delivered what I look for a handheld device: They went the Gameboy approach, not SUPER RAW POWER, but user experience. The customization of controls (that I actually use), enough power for most games, in a 7-8 inch screen I don't need 120Hz or 1080P, mature software (took a while but we got there) and yet they deviated from the Nintendo model by actualñy letting you tinker with it. Hardware and software wise. Slight itterations of the steam deck is what I need, also their pledge for repairability is amazing. All of these are reasons why I kept my Steam Deck infavour of the Ally or Go. They provided an adecuate bridge between PC and console experience. A bridge between custom and customizable software. A bridge between build quality adn repairability. I just need a Steam Deck 2.

Jeff talking to handheld designer companies: Stop it, seek some help

As for your questions at the end: My personal preference is to get reviews of devices that focus on stuff people using these devices actually care about - It baffles me how many handheld "reviews" are more like "spec sheets and hype-building" than "What it's like to use it." I want to hear what it's like to actually use a device as intended. How many hours did you play on it? What did you actually find enjoyable to play? Where were you usually at when you played? (Sitting/laying on a couch? Sitting/laying in bed? At a table? In the car?) How long were you able to play on it comfortably? How loud is the cooling fan in an average game running at normal TDP ranges - Loud enough to bother those trying to watch a TV in the same room? Is the screen pleasant to look at? Is it top-heavy?

Main problem I have is the lack of support. All if them have horror stories about units arriving with bad QC and being completely screwed by their support departments being useless. I've been holding on to getting an Ayaneo Slide since announcement because of this, I want a keyboard in a handheld like my childhood dream the Vaio UX. Thankfully, Antec decided to take on some distribution so I'm finally gonna be buying one of those this weekend.

This is why I follow your channel. This is one of the most fair reviews I have watched in ages. You gave fair constructive criticisms with a path to solution. You pointed out the positives and at no point did it feel like an attack.

And while this rant goes on im fully satisfied with the original steam deck and will be using it for a long time

As someone looking for a handheld right now for my s/o I greatly appreciate this review. I don’t even consider crowdfunding devices an option as it makes me concerned for support later down the road.

I have been successfully talked out of ordering the OneXPlayer X1 Series: 3-in-1 Console 10.95" AMD 8840U. Thank you for all your time and efforts.

I always appreciate when creators and reviewers do what they can to keep companies in check. Shit like this is why i haven't bothered "upgrading" from my first run Steam Deck to a newer and more powerful handheld. It's a known quantity that is both getting continued support and isn't being replaced by a new model every 9 months.

With Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go being sold at my local Best Buy and Valve’s superior customer service if anything goes south, there’s no reason to do anymore Kickstarters or IGG for the latest new gaming handheld.

I don't get the value of those really big ones... they are BARELY portable, is it just in case you need to kill a man while you're gaming on the go?

Yeah, I really think the software is the most important aspect of these things. It's why the Steam Deck is seeing so much success, Valve invested so much time and care into making Steam OS better for THAT specific hardware configuration. It's why the Switch is also hugely successful. Tweaking setting, overclock, etc etc is nice but the majority of people are going to get tired of that (or they won't even do that at all) and just want an experience that's simple and easy. Pushing out all these different variations on these things just means your software devs aren't going to be as able to make that software experience shine as easily.

i have mad respect for valve for waiting for so long before even considering a deck 2. this is excatly the reason consoles work and are succesfull

i like watching the amount of beer slowly lower throughout the video

This reminds me of the Bringus studios Ayaneo 2S situation, where ayanei made a handheld that could actually burn you if you used the touch screen and they hand-waived it away as "it's just a prototype" personally I think when these companies say "it's just a prototype" it's a lie and it's actually the finished unit, and they're using the "prototype" excuse for reviewers to go lighter on it as "it's just a prototype the finished product will be better" but in many cases, no that's really not the case, as soon as these consoles are released they're onto the next handheld with no updates after launch.

I love handheld PCs. I have been paying attention to them since before the Steam Deck. My first one was the Steam Deck OLED and later on I got both the ROG Ally and Legion Go. Since then I’ve found myself loving the smaller handhelds. I pick up my Ally more than anything else as it’s not too big to transport. I do not like these handhelds getting bigger and bigger. It makes them less portable and more like a laptop in size. I’ve also agreed that these companies need to have fewer handhelds. Aya Neo is especially guilty as they’re shipping out new models practically every three months. Consumers are going to be very confused by that. They need to stick with 2 or three product lines that get updated every year or two. I do agree that battery life and software need to be high priorities. It seems like Asus and Valve are the only ones who understand and ship out good software. Lenovo is lacking and plenty of others are too. Software is very important for the user experience and a bad software environment can make even the best hardware feel frustrating and might even make them feel underpowered

Better return his screwdriver sir! Otherwise you owe him a few beers.