PlayStation Backbone | Portable PS5 | Gaming Unboxing

ksdixon

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Now show what happens when you get notifications either popping over your game, or killing your remote play session stone dead. Remote playing/streaming gaming on a phone sucks a big fat dick. I say that owning a Gamesir v2 simillar product, and ones in the past.

At the very least I'd want a dedicated device (Project Q, I guess), but I'd want it to work outside the home and have local storage for downloadable games.

But sure, more options are a good thing. Project Q's price announcement (whilst already knowing the competitor's price and import hassles) is the only thing that stops me getting a GPD Win4 so far.
 
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ksdixon

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I actually find myself in a triangle, effectively caught between each devices fail-point.

Project Q - doesn't seem fit for purpose, but might just be cheap enough to provide a better remote play solution (around house at least), than phone with Gamesir v2.

Steam Deck - looks HUUUGE and uncomfortable. However is cheap by comparison, and seems to "just work" for most games.

GPD Win 4 - costs LOOOADS and have to futz with importing/possible build quality issues. But form factor looks great and it's pocketable too.

If I could just get some real world handling of them, I would more effectively be able to weigh up the pros and cons of each device. For now I suppose I'll just keep wanting and getting none.
 
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Old Gamer

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I actually find myself in a triangle, effectively caught between each devices fail-point.

Project Q - doesn't seem fit for purpose, but might just be cheap enough to provide a better remote play solution (around house at least), than phone with Gamesir v2.

Steam Deck - looks HUUUGE and uncomfortable. However is cheap by comparison, and seems to "just work" for most games.

GPD Win 4 - costs LOOOADS and have to futz with importing/possible build quality issues.

If I could just get some real world handling of them, I would more effectively be able to weigh up the pros and cons of each device. For now I suppose I'll just keep wanting and getting none.
All hands on Steam Deck to sail the high seas!
 
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arvfab

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I want to praise the company (and of course the product, very good for emulation on mobile).

I bought the Backbone Android around February. This version is not compatible with the PS remote app. The PS Android version released afterwards, but Backbone offered a free exchange!
 

ksdixon

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All hands on Steam Deck to sail the high seas!
I'm more worried about getting laughed at or done over traveling on the bus with the Deck out. Project Q looks to sidestep that issue with its slapass formfactor by way of seemingly not gonna work out of house.

GPD seems more fit for purpose, but by God I'm scared of Chinese importing and build quality. But the retail version on amazon UK by droid x seems to whip on about an extra £400 to the price.

Maybe I'll take a sit down and write out the different things I plan to try with whichever of these machines I get. Perhaps that'll allow someone who knows more about PC gaming/these machines to go "those games aren't demanding, you can get a lower RAM specced model without fear", or "you could also try this other option outside of your main 3 choices, it'll run what you need these machines for fine".

It's not the size capacity that I'm bothered about, I can uninstall and reinstall: juggle a bit. But the machines seem so costly, I'd like to sort of get once and get the right thing. Setup and forget, kind of thing, just play from then on.
 

ksdixon

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I want to praise the company (and of course the product, very good for emulation on mobile).

I bought the Backbone Android around February. This version is not compatible with the PS remote app. The PS Android version released afterwards, but Backbone offered a free exchange!
I was equally as impressed with Google refunding people's Stadia subscriptions, and I belive opening their controller code to pair with more devices or whatever they said they intended to do.
 

alphachino

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24 Aug 2022
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I actually find myself in a triangle, effectively caught between each devices fail-point.

Project Q - doesn't seem fit for purpose, but might just be cheap enough to provide a better remote play solution (around house at least), than phone with Gamesir v2.

Steam Deck - looks HUUUGE and uncomfortable. However is cheap by comparison, and seems to "just work" for most games.

GPD Win 4 - costs LOOOADS and have to futz with importing/possible build quality issues. But form factor looks great and it's pocketable too.

If I could just get some real world handling of them, I would more effectively be able to weigh up the pros and cons of each device. For now I suppose I'll just keep wanting and getting none.
I've got the steam deck and while it's big it doesn't feel so because it's so sublimely comfortable. It's the perfect example of substance over style. Everything is exactly where it should be for maximum comfort and the best back buttons in the business IMO.

I also own the GPD Win 4 and while I absolutely adore the way it looks, it's absolutely HORRENDOUS to actually use. The sticks are awkwardly placed and there isn't enough grip anywhere and the back buttons are basically unusable. Keep in mind that I also found the PSP and VITA uncomfortable but with this I could at least use a finger-tip grip and get by for about an hour or two, but due to weight and formfactor of the WIN 4, this is not an option whatsoever. The only way I get any use out of the Win 4 is when I use it with my AR glasses either sitting or lying on my back, then I can rest the Win 4 on my legs or tummy and get some use out of it that way. Without the glasses though, the device is close to unusable for me, particularly when I have the Steam Deck as an option. I love the optical mouse though, that thing is genius and I wish every portable gaming PC had that as standard.

Project Q is an interesting device because I do love their haptics and adaptive triggers. I do miss those sometimes when gaming on my PC.
I've recently started seriously streaming from my 3080 PC using moonlight because some games just won't run well on the Steam Deck or even run at all. Again, AFAIC, using AR glasses is the only way to play while laying in bed. Even with games that do run, because I use the AR glasses at 1080P, the SD is just not up to the task while still maintaining 60fps and medium-high settings. The Steam Deck is working out remarkably well as a Moonlight/Chiaki streaming device and is essentially what the Project Q purports to be and with the current sale, it's available for $370 for the 64GB version while Q is rumoured to cost up to $300. I love Sony and all, but I just cannot see myself spending that on it. maybe if it was 200-250 and I was able to install some apps on it and it had displayport out functionality, I would buy it for the haptics and triggers alone and be happy to use it with my PC and occasionally with the PS5. As it stands though, it's close to useless when I have the Steam Deck.
 
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Gamernyc78

Gamernyc78

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I'll be getting the Q but the backbone also has had my interest.
 

ksdixon

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Lol I'm gonna end up hijacking this thread. Poor backbone PS version.

Should we have a "portable gaming/remote streaming play" OT? That's abit of a word salad title, but I feel those discussion areas are naturally intertwined, while convos usually also encompass cloud delivery/digital ecosystem points too. I don't think I'm making sense, I need coffee.