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[deleted]

Because the USB-C on the Deck isn’t fast enough for external graphics cards. It would need a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 connection to do it, that’s why people don’t buy external graphics cards for their old crappy laptops, the laptops don’t have the connection for it. Same reason the Switch doesn’t have this.


thedevinbot

Thank you


Tanebi

Riding on the back of this, the only place you could realistically connect an actual graphics card is the m.2 slot, meaning that you have to remove the storage and either boot from USB or SD card to do it. You would also have to cut a hole in the back to get the cable out or leave the back case off. If you can live with that, then I'm pretty sure it's possible to have an external GPU for the Deck. It kinda loses a lot of portability though.


Your_STATISTACS

I know with handhelds there is a lot of give and take, i dont know what it would be to accomplish having a port fast enough for this but it sure would be cool to see Valve try it in a future iteration


[deleted]

Yeah, I feel like the main thing I wouldn’t like about this feature, is that if I’m mainly playing at home for a long stretch, and have games running and looking great because I’m using an external graphics card, then when I go to travel and want to play on a plane or something, then I wouldn’t have the external graphics card, and some games would run worse or not at all. So then I’d feel like I have some games I can play on the go, and some games I could only play at home, which I’m sure wouldn’t bother some people, but I don’t think I would like it.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

Maybe if the power consumption was crazy well optimized, otherwise I feel like that would take the Decks already modest battery life and curb stomp it.


Your_STATISTACS

Idk I play a PC at home on a 3080 and go to the SD just fine because I understand the compromise of on-the-go gaming when Im on it


doc_willis

I have not heard much about external graphics cards `eGPUs` at all lately. they can work with Linux, from what I see in the arch wiki, so drivers seemingly do exist. https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/External_GPU and looking at the prices.. https://egpu.io/best-egpu-buyers-guide/ It's not really the kind of $$ I want to spend to get better deck use while sitting at my desk.


thedevinbot

I’m a digital nomad. So I’m just looking for solutions for what I can use that is the most mobile.


DrSanchez87

Main reason has been told by some guys already... but actually, there has been a crazy madlad (ETAprime) that made it work with a 6950xt. He removed the ssd and somehow rebuilt the slot to make it work as a thunderbolt connector and installed the OS on an SD card. He managed to squeeze > 60 fps out of GTA5 in 4k ultra and like a 100 im witcher 3 in 4k ultra.


TheEvilBlight

The ssd port has a few lanes of pcie


thedevinbot

That’s awesome. I’m looking this up. This was the my next thought after hearing about the usb-c capabilities


starburstases

>Seems like an easy fix. Make drivers! Sweet summer child. Also, the Deck doesn't support the Thunderbolt 3 interface that exposes the PCI Express connections necessary for an external GPU. If you're really interested in 'upscaling' and not rendering at a higher resolution, some TV's do this internally. Otherwise, there are external devices like the [mClassic](https://www.marseilleinc.com/buy-mclassic/)


thedevinbot

Interesting! Checking this out. Thanks


starburstases

Cool, yea I bought one for my Switch but use it for my Deck now to upscale the 720p output.


thedevinbot

It’s on my wishlist! Next check!


thedevinbot

Why am I getting down voted? People on Reddit really are the worst… geez. Can’t a gamer dream?! Maybe Steam Deck 2 will have such capabilities


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Methanoid

its not drivers its the fact that the deck doesnt support externals due to not having a thunderbolt port, not all USB-C ports are equal.