I’m at a crossroads right now. I’ve always loved games, but only recently have I started seriously thinking: could I actually get into this industry? Whether as a developer, tester, or somewhere in between, the barrier to entry has always felt intimidating.

Expensive hardware. High learning curve. The feeling that you need a team or years of experience just to even start.

But something shifted with the arrival of the 1TB Steam Deck OLED. I picked one up to experiment, and honestly, it feels like one of the best and most cost-effective entry points into game development I could ask for. Not just for hardcore coders, but for anyone curious about creating or testing games in 2025.

Why the Steam Deck Is More Than “Just a Handheld”

The Steam Deck isn’t just a portable gaming console. It’s a full Linux-based PC, packaged as a handheld. And that’s huge, because it means:

• You’re not limited to playing games, you can also install dev tools like Unity, Godot, or Unreal.
• You can switch between “gaming mode” and “desktop mode” in seconds.
• You’re developing and testing directly on the same device many of your target players will be using.

That last point really matters. Traditionally, you’d develop on a big desktop PC and then maybe test your build on other devices. With the Deck, the development environment and the test environment can be one and the same.

For someone like me, still evaluating whether I want to dive into development or testing, this is perfect. It reduces friction, lowers cost, and keeps things simple.

Cost Comparison: PC vs Steam Deck

Here’s what made the Deck click for me.

• A proper dev PC build (decent GPU, monitor, peripherals) easily sets you back €1,200–€1,500.
• A 1TB Steam Deck OLED costs less than half of that and gives you:
  • A portable PC with plenty of storage for large dev tools and builds.
  • A high-quality OLED screen for testing art, lighting, and UI.
  • A handheld form factor that forces you to design with portability in mind, something an increasing number of players care about.

For a newcomer, that’s a big deal. You’re not stuck over-investing in hardware you may not stick with. You can start small, learn, and decide later if you want to scale up.

Development + Testing: A Dual Role Device

The Deck gives you a unique blend of opportunities:

• As a developer: You can build directly in engines like Unity or Godot. Test your mechanics and immediately see how they feel on a handheld.
• As a tester: You can play existing games, critically assess them, and learn. What works well on handheld? What breaks down? How do different genres adapt to smaller screens and limited controls?

Even if I ultimately decide testing is my route, I’ll have gained skills in identifying performance bottlenecks, UI legibility issues, and UX problems unique to handheld play. Those are valuable in QA roles.

Reaching a Broader Audience

Another angle I didn’t fully appreciate at first: if your game works well on the Steam Deck, you automatically tap into a different segment of gamers.

Handheld players aren’t just desktop players on smaller screens. They often have different habits:

• Shorter play sessions (commutes, bedtime gaming).
• Preference for games that are easy to pause/resume.
• Expectation of smooth performance on lower power hardware.

By designing with the Deck in mind, you’re not just making your game “compatible.” You’re potentially opening up to a loyal, enthusiastic niche audience who might spread the word faster than desktop-only gamers.

Inspiration:  Starless Abyss by Konafa Games

This brings me to an indie title that’s caught my attention: Starless Abyss by Konafa Games. It’s a roguelike deck-builder drenched in sci-fi and Lovecraftian horror, developed by an Egyptian couple living in the Netherlands.

Why it resonates with me:

• Small team, big vision: they’ve built something with depth and polish.
• Perfect handheld fit: Pixel art, roguelike replayability, and tactical systems make it ideal for short but intense handheld sessions.
• Positive reception: It’s sitting at Very Positive reviews on Steam, with players praising its mechanics, atmosphere, and balance.
• Active updates: Konafa have been releasing expansions and quality-of-life improvements, showing commitment to their player base.

For someone like me, still exploring whether I can contribute to this industry, Starless Abyss is proof. You don’t need a big team, you don’t need AAA budgets. You need vision, persistence, and a willingness to start small but smart.

And if they ever optimize fully for Deck, I’m convinced it’ll shine even brighter.

What I’ve Learned So Far

Spending time with the Steam Deck as both a tester and a budding creator has clarified a few things:

1. Accessibility matters: The lower the barrier to entry (cost, setup, testing), the more likely new devs will actually take the plunge.
2. Handheld is not a gimmick: It’s a legitimate platform with unique design considerations, and unique opportunities.
3. You can start exploring before you commit: I’m still not sure if I’ll become a developer or a tester. But the Deck lets me do both without forcing me to choose right away.

Why the Steam Deck Is More Than “Just a Handheld” (Technical Features)

Some specs to keep in mind:

• CPU / GPU: Custom AMD APU (“Van Gogh”) with Zen 2 CPU + RDNA 2 GPU.
• RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5.
• Display: 7-inch (or similar) OLED/IPS, depending on version; resolution ~1280×800.
• Storage: NVMe SSD (1TB model, very fast).
• OS: SteamOS (Linux) with a “Desktop Mode” for general Linux desktop tasks.

These specs allow dev tools + game builds of modest size to run locally. But there are trade-offs when targeting heavier engines or AAA-style graphics.

Limitations & What to Watch Out For

Knowing what doesn’t work (or works poorly) is just as important. As someone evaluating this path, here are the biggest limitations I’ve discovered:

• Battery & Thermal Constraints – Running GPU/CPU at high loads drains battery fast and causes heating, which in turn can throttle performance. If your game pushes the limits, you’ll need power profiles or modes (performance vs battery life).
• UI / Font Legibility on a Small Screen – Text can be hard to read. Fine detail in UI or HUD (heads-up displays) needs to be scaled or designed for smaller screens.
• Proton / Compatibility Layers – If your game or development tools are windows-only or Windows-centric, you may need Proton. That adds overhead, and sometimes performance penalties.
• Storage & Load Times – While 1TB NVMe is generous, large asset builds / texture packs / sound files still take up space, and load times may be slower than high-end SSDs.

Practical Tips for Using the Deck in Dev / Testing

Here are strategies I'm following to explore dev / test possibilities:

1. Set the viewport to Steam Deck’s native resolution in your engine (e.g. use 1280×800). Helps preview how UI, textures, etc. will look.  
2. Use scalable UI / fonts so that text remains legible even on handheld mode.
3. Profile early and often: track framerate, GPU load, CPU temp, memory usage. Use simplified shaders / lower poly counts early, and optimize only what users will notice.
4. Test in real handheld mode (battery, lower power) as well as if the device is docked or plugged in. Performance differences matter.
5. Optimize graphics settings: shadow resolution, number of particles, draw distances, post-processing effects. Allow toggles for performance vs visuals.
6. Export / package for Linux / SteamOS early: even if you develop mainly on another OS, build and test Linux versions often. It smooths out unexpected issues.
7. Use Desktop Mode sparingly for heavy tasks; consider remote or cloud builds when you need serious compute (compiling large projects, rendering, etc.).

What This Means for Someone Evaluating Game Dev / Testing

Putting this all together:

• If you’re still deciding, the Deck gives you a sandbox to try both paths with low cost.
• As a tester, you learn what handheld constraints are: input, UI, performance. These are valuable skills.
• As a developer, you can build smaller / mid-scale projects that run well on Deck and perhaps use that as a stepping stone, get feedback from handheld users, polish, then consider more ambitious features.

Conclusion: A First Step Worth Taking

The 1TB Steam Deck OLED isn’t just a toy. For newcomers like me, it’s a doorway into the industry, one that’s cost-effective, portable, and practical. It lets you learn, test, and even launch without massive upfront investment.

And when I look at studios like Konafa Games making waves with Starless Abyss, it feels like the timing couldn’t be better. Tools and devices like the Steam Deck are levelling the playing field, making it possible for small teams, or even individuals, to create something meaningful and reach real audiences.

I may not know exactly where I’ll land, dev, testing, or somewhere in between, but I do know this: starting with the Deck feels like the smartest way to find out.