this post was submitted on 20 May 2025
242 points (99.2% liked)
Linux Gaming
18594 readers
576 users here now
Discussions and news about gaming on the GNU/Linux family of operating systems (including the Steam Deck). Potentially a $HOME away from home for disgruntled /r/linux_gaming denizens of the redditarian demesne.
This page can be subscribed to via RSS.
Original /r/linux_gaming pengwing by uoou.
No memes/shitposts/low-effort posts, please.
Resources
WWW:
Discord:
IRC:
Matrix:
Telegram:
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
The Game Gear ate batteries like they were Tic Tacs, and it needed 6 of them at once. I don't think it's the design that held it back. It's the power usage, and the lack of Tetris.
It was also gigantic compared to the Game Boy. Between that and the fact you needed to carry an AC power brick or 12v cigarette lighter adapter (or both) pretty much all the time unless you were swimming in AA battery money, you ended up carrying the thing around in what was basically a damn purse, like this one (more pictures on linked page):
And that's the smallest of the several first-party SEGA cases for it!
Needless to say, despite its technological superiority to a Game Boy, I didn't play mine nearly as often as I would have had a owned a Game Boy instead, just because it was so cumbersome to take places.
That's the whole point though. These PC handhelds are also gigantic (as is the switch at this point).
They are, that's true. I think there's three big differences, besides battery life. First is we already have small phones that can play simple games and provide entertainment, so we don't need an additional something like the Gameboy. Second is it's marketed towards adults mostly, which are going to have an easier time bringing it with them wherever they are, unlike kids who would have to take it to school or wherever. Third is the game selection is massive and uses your steam library, which you probably already have a lot of games for.
And that's a big reason I don't own a Steam Deck.
I would be much more likely to buy one of those tiny retro emulator handhelds. (I haven't done that either, but that's for an entirely different reason: decision fatigue.)
Some of those retro emulator handhelds run Linux, to boot. I did a playthrough of Stardew Valley on my Anbernic SP.
Columns was... also a game where things fell vertically...
Hilariously, that style of game is also more popular than Tetris clones now.
Columns was not an interesting or addictive as Tetris. It also didn't come with the console.
Tetris and the Gameboy being sold together was a massive boon to both of them.
Yeah. To be clear, I was (also) pointing out how underwhelming Columns was. It was fun, but it's a long way from being Tetris.
Good point about Tetris bring an included game - that had to help, too.