#65: Steam Deck but as a console

In today's overkill digest newsletter, we're checking out the new EmuMachines.

Hello, welcome, and good day.

I am Kevin, this is overkill digest — your weekly round-up of the best handheld news (and then some) from overkill and across the internet.

I am still tired post-Gamescom. Like last year, we've only had one buffer day from returning from Cologne to starting work for our day jobs again. But only two more weeks, and I am off of work for a while. (If you're new here or forgot: overkill is a side gig for Chris and me. And while overkill is officially a company, we've been doing everything for free so far.)

I finished Black Myth: Wukong yesterday — or rather today, I finished at 3 AM (maybe that's why I am tired?!). Great story, decentish gameplay, and crazy visuals. I am surprised my 3070 was able to run the game at 1440p60 at high settings. But I definitely need to upgrade to a new computer next year. I might ask for your help since it's been a while since I last built a machine. Are AMD CPUs still the go-to? What GPU manufacturer is the one we trust most? (Gigabyte? Asus?) What's the deal with DDR5? I'll certainly have more questions next year.

Ok, enough PC talk. Let's get to this week's newsletter.

Big this week

This week saw the pre-release of the EmuDeck Machine by our friends over at EmuDeck.

This EmuDeck hardware is a mini-PC based on Bazzite, a Linux-based OS similar to Valve's SteamOS. It comes with an AMD Ryzen 8600G APU, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD, and all that in a Sega-inspired enclosure designed by the EmuDeck team.

I've been talking to dragoonDorise (the head dev of EmuDeck) for the past couple of months and followed the project from its initial idea to the first renders, to the first working prototype (built in a wooden box). He's been working on different builds, trying to find the best manufacturer for the case, has to go through all the loops related to homologation, and then, before the first devices ship, needs to install all the software parts by hand.

It is very much an ambitious passion project for the dev and one he doesn't expect to make a ton of money off. Unfortunately, this is not how it was perceived by his community, as there was a bigger backlash than he anticipated. But in a thread on Reddit, the dev explains:

Why did I come up with the EmuDeck Machine? The short and simple answer is because I thought it was cool. The core idea of EmuDeck has always been to make emulation fun and approachable. And a well-built EmuDeck Machine makes our community more accessible to those who are not tech-savvy. Like with EmuDeck itself, the goal is not to monetise emulation, nor to scam people; the EmuDeck Machines aren’t meant to earn money beyond covering any expected RMA costs.

He continues:

The concept of EmuDeck Machines is much like building a PC for a friend, which is why I put the IndieGoGo project threshold so low (100 units).

I, for my part, am looking forward to the EmuDeck Machine. The design looks great, Bazzite is a good OS, I trust the team, and paired with the dock, I might install this next to my TV (where the AM02 currently lives).

💌

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In other news

Star Wars: Outlaws launched, and I ask the very important question if it runs on Steam Deck. (The answer is no.)
Dbrand is bringing my favourite case, the Killswitch, to the ROG Ally X.
Almost a year after launching the Legion Go, Lenovo introduced a bunch of new accessories, like a controller connector, a dock, and more.
Talking of Bazzite, version 3.7 launched and probably the biggest change is the possibility to now install the OS without the need for a keyboard – very handy for handheld devices. I have yet to try Bazzite out on a handheld, though.
To my utter surprise, AYANEO announced they are now selling two of their products directly through Best Buy – the Next Lite for $399 and the KUN for $999. This is a big deal because it shows that AYANEO is slowly starting to pass into the mainstream. It also means that now you can get one of their handhelds without having to deal with Indiegogo campaigns but with US-based support (as a European, I'm a tad jealous). Though I've got to admit, the choice of handhelds and the pricing is a bit out there. The Next Lite is by now too old, and the Kun too expensive in a world where you can get a ROG Ally X for less. But they've announced more handhelds to come, so I'll keep an eye on them.
Retroid started teasing the Pocket 5. It'll come with a 5.5" 1080p AMOLED screen, in a couple of different colours (I NEED that Game Cube coloured one!!!), and will probably be slightly larger than their Pocket 4. The big unresolved mysteries are shipping date, price, and what chip this device will use. But so far, I like what I see.
Here is a good deal: Nearly all Resident Evil games for under $30.
This is big (at least to me, I'm beyond hyped): Remedy Entertainment is teaming up with Annapurna Pictures. The plan? "Expanding Control and Alan Wake into new entertainment mediums." So movies and TV shows. (Annapurna is also funding half of the development budget for Control 2.) The Remedy Connected Universe (currently encompassing Alan Wake and Control, maybe even Quantum Break) is one of my favourite gaming universes. I'll take all I can get.
Nintendo held their potentially last Partner Showcase and Indie World Direct before announcing the successor to the Switch. There are over 50 announcements across the two presentations, and most of these games will also come to PC.
French website Dealabs has leaked (as always, take it with a grain of salt) more information regarding the upcoming PS5 Pro. We currently all expect it to be announced at the end of September.