The main issue I've had with Nintendo for some years now is, while their handhelds can be great and have a good selection of games (though Switch just feels lesser of a library to my tastes personally), but when it comes to their first party for Switch, we see a lot of stuff is pared back. I know We've seen games like Doom and stuff, but those were primarily designed around PC/higher level consoles than the Switch, so the Switch ports are naturally expected to suffer some cutbacks, but when it comes to Ninty 1st party, I'm expecting a vast wealth of knowledge and know how of designing games ultra specifically around the Switch.

What sucks is we got a somewhat deforested and emptyish Zelda, a Zelda that's running with UE and acting choppy (still not sure if they fixed that issue yet), a Pokemon that's severely deforested and sparse, with models looking rather low poly and not nearly as stylish as X/Y was back in 2013, and the ones that stand out to me are Mario and Splatoon.

If Ninty made a new handheld that was better than the Deck, I'd have new expectations of their first party, but at the same time Ninty doesn't seem all that bothered about visuals, not since they flopped against the PS2 with their better visuals on GC (seriously, PS2 got Code Veronica while GC got REmake 2, which I thought looked superior at the time, tank controls or not). 

I just wish they cared enough, but that's why I'm not going to be bothered by them much when I go for a Deck, because I know roughly what to expect with that device, but at the same time I can actually fiddle about with the clock speeds/voltage and game settings to likely get more perf and visual gains in some areas that the Switch won't, and that's what I want from Valve, because in my eyes, Ninty has given up on providing a good range of settings that aren't "feh, let's lock the game to 30fps and crank everything to lowest, ppl will lap it up anyway".

That being said, I do think the Deck will find itself a home in some parts of Japan, especially the indie devs and the visual novel fans (which Steam has plenty of and the Switch barely has). I still expect the bigger publishers to treat PC as they have for years (like how SE cares so little for PC port quality and now prices). 

I do think that if they have more power, they will use it. The problem with the switch is that the power ceiling is quite low by todays standards so the more ambitious their projects get, the more they need to optimize for it quite a lot which takes development time. So if they have the Switch 2 be similar in power as the Steam Deck, then the teams can do more without having to run into as many limitations. Some things will always look basic I am sure like I doubt Mario Party is gonna get a big graphical upgrade but I can see how something like Xenoblade or Zelda can get a notable graphical upgrade.

Heh i foolishly assumed dlss wasnt hardware reliant.

Yes, but do you believe that there is market for handheld PC gaming? I don't believe.

There is already a market for them (however large/small it may be) with Chinese manufacturers who make handhelds like the GPD Win's, Ayaneo's and Onexplayer. The Steam Deck will most likely pull in significantly higher numbers by Valve's SD lower entry level barrier with highly competitive pricing and brand awareness. That should give it a big boost in global mass market appeal. And so far preorders for the thing look really good.

I think we can call it a success if it hits 10% of what PSP sold. Preorders are just tech enthusiasts and hardcore gamers, but the masses are on phones.

The Friday news!

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Fanatical has a Space Weekend Sale, featuring lots of space themed games on sale. Careful, most games will be on sale during the next 7 days, but others may have longer or shorter sales: https://www.fanatical.com/en/collections/space

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Nothing-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

-Empty-

GAMING NEWS

New beautiful screenshots released for Elden Ring
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/new-beautiful-screenshots-released-for-elden-ring/
FromSoftware has released a new set of beautiful screenshots for Elden Ring via its official Twitter account. These screenshots showcase some of the game’s environments, as well as some of the enemies you will face.

Santa Monica will not be adding an Exclusive Fullscreen Mode to God of War
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/santa-monica-will-not-be-adding-an-exclusive-fullscreen-mode-to-god-of-war/
Santa Monica has issued an update, stating that it will not add an Exclusive Fullscreen Mode to God of War. Santa Monica claims that Borderless Mode currently does most of the things the company wants to support. Furthermore, Santa Monica will further improve Borderless Mode via future patches.

Multiplayer tactical space-based shooter, Boundary, will get a demo on February 21st
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/multiplayer-tactical-space-based-shooter-boundary-will-get-a-demo-on-february-21st/
Surgical Scalpels has announced that a limited-time demo for its multiplayer tactical space-based shooter, Boundary, will come out on February 21st. From February 21st and until February 28th, PC gamers will be able to download and play this demo.

BioShock 4, also known as BioShock Isolation, may get delayed until 2024
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/bioshock-4-also-known-as-bioshock-isolation-may-get-delayed-until-2024/
In November 2021, Oops Leaks leaked the logo, a presentation and the working of title of BioShock 4. And a couple of days ago, the leaked claimed that 2K Games is restructuring the studio that’s been working on it.

Forza Horizon 5 February 16th Update fixes memory leak & crashes, full patch notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/forza-horizon-5-february-16th-update-fixes-memory-leak-crashes-full-patch-notes/
A couple of days ago, Playground Games released a new patch for Forza Horizon 5. According to the devs, the February 16th Update fixes a memory leak/crash, as well as a crash that could occur when launching the game.

No Man’s Sky Sentinel 3.81 Update released, full patch notes revealed
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/no-mans-sky-sentinel-3-81-update-released-full-patch-notes-revealed/
A couple of days ago, Hello Games released the Sentinel Update for No Man’s Sky. This Update introduces a total overhaul of weapon systems, new lore and stories, as well as all-new Sentinel enemies and combat behaviours. And earlier today, the team released a brand new patch that fixes a number of bugs and issues.

Friday news, part two:

Hello Games on No Man's Sky: "We're not done yet by a long shot"
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/No-Mans-Sky-not-done-yet/
Hello Games continues to crank out the updates for No Man's Sky, the latest arriving yesterday, and it doesn't look like the conveyor belt of free content is stopping anytime soon: Studio head Sean Murray says they've just got too many ideas.

Your Halo Infinite rank is probably going to be lowered by a full tier
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/your-halo-infinite-rank-is-probably-going-to-be-lowered-by-a-full-tier/
In a new Halo Waypoint post, 343 community manager, John Junyszek, announced that Halo Infinite competitive players are going to see a mid-season rank reset. The post also told players to expect to find themselves a full tier lower in rank than before due to tweaks to the game's skill assessment system.

McPixel 3 is a game about saving the day in the stupidest way possible
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/mcpixel-3-is-a-game-about-saving-the-day-in-the-stupidest-way-possible/
McPixel, released in 2012, is a series of 100 "short challenges" in which you, as the titular pixellated hero, must dig through secrets, silliness, and stupidity to save the day from disaster in 20 seconds or less. A decade later, developer Sos Sosowski is preparing to follow it up with a sequel, McPixel 3, published by none other than Devolver Digital.

Bungie is finally clamping down on AFK farming in Destiny 2's 'Thrallway'
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/bungie-is-finally-clamping-down-on-afk-farming-in-destiny-2s-thrallway/
I don't think AFK farming is unique to the Destiny 2 community by any means, but when it comes to taking the path of least resistance for XP and loot, guardians are serial offenders.
The latest This Week at Bungie is primarily focused on an upcoming rework of the Gambit mode, and a preview of the patch notes for next week's The Witch Queen expansion. But hidden below all that is a change coming to the Shattered Throne dungeon that should help crack down on the most notorious AFK farm in the game: "The Thrallway".

Cyberpunk 2077's 1.5 patch nerfed the hell out of crits without telling you
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/cyberpunk-2077s-15-patch-nerfed-the-hell-out-of-crits-without-telling-you/
Cyberpunk 2077's huge 1.5 patch landed the other day, and the patch notes detail changes made to everything from enemy combat AI to an overhaul of the driving system to V's apartment decorating options and ability to get a haircut mid-game.
But the patch notes don't tell the full story. Players have noticed some pretty big changes in patch 1.5 that aren't covered in the patch notes, many of them pertaining to a major nerfing of V's crit chance and crit damage. YouTuber One Dragon has an excellent, in-depth breakdown (which I found via this Reddit post by headin2sound) of a whole host of changes introduced in patch 1.5 that don't appear anywhere in the patch notes.

Look out, the Elden Ring leaks have begun
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/look-out-the-elden-ring-leaks-have-begun/
Elden Ring mania is reaching fever pitch. Or, maybe it has always been at a fever pitch, and now it has reached some enlightened state of hype, indescribable by words. With a matter of days before From Software's new game launches, you probably belong in one of two camps: those who are hard refreshing the Elden Ring subreddit every couple of minutes for more tasty leaked morsels, or those who are vigilantly avoiding any mention of the game, lest it be spoiled.

Dead Island 2 might actually be out by early 2023
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/dead-island-2-might-actually-be-out-by-early-2023/
(...)
Despite the silence on Dead Island 2 in recent years, it's possible that it could actually turn up in the relatively near future. During a Q&A session following its Q3 FY2021/22 report, CEO Lars Wingefors appeared to indirectly hint that it's expected to be out sometime in the company's 2023 fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2023.

Lost Ark is getting a new region to deal with lengthy queues for EU players
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/lost-ark-setting-up-new-servers-to-deal-with-european-queues/
While Lost Ark players on the NA servers have been able to play without waiting, players on EU servers are complaining of queues that last for hours. "18,587 in queue", says one user review from Sweden. "See you next week." Steam's user review rating for Lost Ark has slid down to Mixed, and European queue times are a recurring frustration. "3-4 Hrs in queue", says a German player. "3 hrs to figure out the Character Name because Names are Cross-Server. Everything remot[e]ly normal is already taken. No Numbers, no Special Chara[c]ters, no First/Last Name. My Characters Name is now 'aripwonmhvj'".
>> The new servers are now online.

Paradox accepts finding of independent audit, vows to 'leave no stone unturned'
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/paradox-accepts-finding-of-independent-audit-vows-to-leave-no-stone-unturned/
In late 2021, reports emerged that painted a bleak picture of things at Paradox Interactive, most notably that a majority of the company's female employees reported 'mistreatment' of one kind or another in an internal survey. This was followed by additional interviews with former staff who basically said, 'Yep, this place has a problem'.
In response, Paradox commissioned Gender Balance, a Swedish firm specializing in issues of discrimination, harassment, and equality, to conduct an audit of the company. The various employee unions agreed with this choice. That report, written by Paul Bengtsson and Anneli Häyrén and titled 'Review of organisational capability to respond to discrimination, bullying and victimisation at Paradox Interactive', has now been published.

EA denies blaming Halo Infinite for Battlefield 2042's problems
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/ea-says-it-didnt-blame-halo-infinite-for-battlefield-2042s-problems/
Speaking to employees during an internal "town hall" meeting, an EA executive reportedly attributed some of Battlefield 2042's negative reception to the surprise launch of Halo Infinite's free-to-play multiplayer, which dropped on Steam at around the same time. (...)
"These stories are not accurately capturing the discussion and the context, which was an in-depth and very humble internal conversation about the recent Battlefield launch," EA communications VP John Reseburg said in a statement sent to PC Gamer. "It was about key learnings and actions we are taking, not blaming external factors."

Skull & Bones still exists, Ubisoft insists
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/skull-and-bones-still-exists-ubisoft-insists/
Remember Skull & Bones? Ubisoft's beleagured pirate adventure might have seemingly been adrift since 2017, but the publisher now reckons it'll definitely reach port sometime in the next fiscal year. For real, this time.

Let's end this up checking what's up at GOG and Steam:

+GOG

• The first one is the We Love Games Sale, featuring up to 90% discounts on more than 3000 titles until Monday. You can check all the deals from here or check them grouped by topic from here.
• And there are three new flash deals, all of them with the same main character and discount, 14%, during the next 70 hours:
  • Elvira: Mistress of the Dark: https://www.gog.com/en/game/elvira_mistress_of_the_dark
  • Elvira II: The Jaws of Cerberus: https://www.gog.com/en/game/elvira_ii_the_jaws_of_cerberus
  • And Elvira's Horror Bundle, featuring the two games: https://www.gog.com/en/game/elviras_horror_bundle

+Steam

• The first daily deal is The Signal State, that has a demo, and it's 25% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1577620/The_Signal_State/
• The second daily deal is Death's Gambit: Afterlife, 60% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/356650/Deaths_Gambit_Afterlife/
• The first Weekend Deal is World War Z: Aftermath, 38% off until Monday: https://store.steampowered.com/app/699130/World_War_Z_Aftermath/
• Golf With Your Friends will be free to try and 67% off until the 21st: https://store.steampowered.com/app/431240/Golf_With_Your_Friends/
• The Street Fighter franchise gets up to 75% discounts until Monday 21: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/street-fighter
• The Friendship Games Week, that apparently started on the 11th and will last until the 21st, features up to 90% discounts: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/friendshipgamesweek
• Descenders is free to try during the weekend and and 60% off until Thursday 24: https://store.steampowered.com/app/681280/Descenders/
• And of course, there's also the weeklong deals.

That's all folks! Until next time, I wish you a happy and gaming weekend.

As hinch said, there's already a market for it, but we still don't know how big it really is. After all, many predicted the death of handhelds and that the Switch would be another failure for Nintendo, and we know how that turned out, right?

As for selling those 2 millions you say (PSP sold around 21 millions), I don't really know if it will manage that. You're asking it to sell as much oas the PSV did and we don't know how many units will Valve be able to make or if they'll be able to be purchased from other stores outside of Steam.

Personally, if Valve decides to launch a Deck 2 in two or three years with a better SoC and other tweaks, that could be the prove that it has been a success. After all, they wouldn't do it if it's a failure.

Are you saying that the reason why Steam Deck won't be a success is because most people are on phones? You do know that is the exact argument that many people claimed as to why the Switch would fail right? The reality is, people being on phones doesn't matter because anyone that wants to play the types of games that Steam and Switch offers won't play well on phones.

The success of a device is also relative to the goals of the company. For example, Nintendo needs to sell a ton of consoles in order to remain profitable. If they only sell 10 million Switch 2 for example, this will greatly affect the revenue stream of the entire company. They take 30% cut of all games being sold on their platform which is dependent on the sales of the hardware... So if they have a low amount of unit sales, their revenue stream gets cut down significantly.

Valve on the other hand doesn't need the Steam Deck to be sold nearly as much to be profitable. Even if the Steam Deck sells 1 unit, it won't affect their revenue stream because Steam is the go to platform for PCs and isn't reliant on Steam Decks sales. They would obviously like it to sell a lot but their actions make it clear that it's a niche product. You can buy a Switch for example at many retail locations such as Bestbuy and etc. But Valve is only releasing the Steam Deck on the Steam Store.