While the Steam Deck’s mobile platform isn’t one that caters to every player and game, one user on the r/SteamDeck subreddit has had more of a positive experience than many other people who have purchased the device.
User Motherhazelhoff made a post on January 16 detailing how they had previously been a frequent user of marijuana prior to having purchased their Steam Deck. They explained how they had been smoking heavily partially due to the fact that they had their gaming computer next to where they would smoke, but the Steam Deck changed the habit for them.
They elaborated that they had a habit of smoking weed in-between games and matches while they would sit at their PC, but since they switched over to the Steam Deck, the habit had shifted. They were spending more of their time gaming on the couch rather than in the PC room, so they weren’t even considering smoking anything because they were in a different room from where they kept it.
The user finished the post by saying that the experience was encouraging them to quit smoking weed entirely after 15 years because they don’t even find themselves craving it anymore. Another post on their account highlighted how switching to the Steam Deck not only caused a change in their smoking habits, but drastically reduced their electricity usage by around 18 kWh per week.
The post was met with a positive response from the community, with some users even saying that they’d had similar experiences with other games and devices causing them to change their habits. One user said that their Steam Deck has been a lifesaver for their experience with quitting marijuana, while another made the point that the money that was being spent on weed can now go to buying new games for the system.
While it might not have been an intended effect of Valve’s, the Steam Deck’s portability makes for a great distraction from any location. Even though the device wasn’t intended for breaking addictions, it’s nice to know that it can still have that effect for some players.
