Playing Through My Backlog on the Steam Deck
A slower way to play. One evening, one quiet session at a time.
I bought the Steam Deck for a few reasons. Mostly, I wanted to play in different places around the house. Gaming at my desk started to feel… disconnected. I work there too and spending hours in the same chair, staring at the same monitor, felt like I wasn't really at home. I was there physically, but my mind stayed in that "work" space.
I wanted to change that. I wanted games to feel like a part of my home again, not something confined to a single corner of a room.
And, of course, I wanted to finally play through my backlog—the games I've been promising myself I'd get to "someday".
Adjusting to It
I'm still getting used to the Deck. It's larger than I expected and after a couple of hours my hands start to feel sore. It's not a dealbreaker, but it reminds me to take breaks.
The battery is a different story. It changes a lot depending on the game. Lighter indie titles are fine, but heavier games drain it fast. I catch myself watching the percentage drop and it feels like I'm racing against the battery. I don't like that feeling.
So I choose games differently now. Slower ones, turn-based ones, things that don't make me think about power consumption. Sometimes I pause heavier games until I'm near a charger, just to avoid that low-battery anxiety.
How I Use It
I mostly play on the couch or in bed. Sometimes just before going to sleep. It feels quieter than gaming at a desk.
There's something about holding it in your hands that changes the mood. It doesn't feel like "sitting down to game". It's just picking up a game for a few minutes, then putting it away.
I like that I can stop anytime. Close the Deck, rest, come back later.
It's a different rhythm—more like reading a book or flipping through a magazine. You don't feel guilty for playing only twenty minutes. You don't feel like you have to "make progress".
Why It's Worth It
The Steam Deck isn't perfect. It's heavy, it takes some getting used to and I still think too much about battery life.
But it's doing what I hoped—it makes gaming feel smaller in a good way. Not a big event, not something separated from the rest of my day. Just a quiet thing I do when I feel like it.
And in that way, I'm slowly working through my backlog.
One evening, one quiet session at a time.