For those unaware, Valve’s Steam Deck wasn’t exactly a winner when it launched early last year. It’s come a long way since then, though, leading to a flurry of like-minded imitators even if it technically wasn’t the first handheld gaming PC you could get. It’s still arguably the best way to play games on the go outside of the Nintendo Switch, due in part to its powerful hardware and a set of customizable controls that let you tackle games from numerous decades. In fact, there are now more than 10,000 verified and playable titles to choose from — just in case your video game backlog wasn’t robust enough.
Obviously, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out that Google is hosting a fall hardware event on October 20th, where it’s set to unveil a second-gen Pixel Watch with a new sensor array, dustproofing, and likely a few other upgrades. That said, Google’s first-gen wearable still offers a slick domed display, Fitbit integration for health tracking, and — most notably — no caveats for non-Pixel Android users, rendering it one of the more promising smartwatches in recent years. Google could drop the price following the release of the second-gen model next month, but truth be told, I doubt it’s dipping below $300 anytime soon.
