This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.
00:00:00 – 00:19:52
The video hosted by Randall from Tech Stewart focuses on evaluating and ranking various plugins available for the Steam Deck through Decky Loader, a homebrew application designed to enhance the Steam Deck gaming experience. Plugins are assessed based on their functionality, ease of use, impact on performance, and personal preference.
Key plugins discussed include:
– **HLTV (How Long to Beat)**, which provides estimated game completion times but is not highly valued by the host.
– **Decki Recorder** for screen recording, highly rated for its utility.
– **Proton DB Badges** for game compatibility ratings, useful but limited to post-purchase information.
– **Vibrant Deck**, enhancing screen color saturation, considered essential for its visual impact.
Other notable plugins involve:
– **Controller Tools** for managing controller connections and battery levels.
– **Storage Cleaner** to clear shader cache.
– **Deck Roulette** for randomly selecting games.
– **Free Games** for notifications of free game offers.
– **Auto Flatpacks** for automatic app updates.
– **Steam Grid TV** and **Steam Grid DB** for customizing game artwork.
– **Power Tools** offering advanced system performance customization but risky for general users.
– **CSS Loader** for changing UI themes.
– **Audio Loader** for customizing menu sounds.
Some plugins, such as **Steam Deck Audio Loader**, **Animation Changer**, **Auto Suspend Plugin**, and **Pause Games Plugin**, are noted for their specific but limited improvements, often impacting performance, and are ranked lower. Lesser-ranked plugins include **Shoddy Plugin** and **Bluetooth Plugin** for minor conveniences, **Deck FAQs** for game guides, and **Meta Deck Plugin** for emulation support.
The video concludes with a community engagement call, inviting viewers to share their opinions and subscribe for more tech content.
00:00:00
In this part of the video, the host Randall from Tech Stewart introduces a tier list ranking of Steam Deck plugins, primarily focusing on those available through Decky Loader. Decky Loader is a homebrew application designed to enhance the Steam Deck experience by allowing users to create and install custom plugins. The host explains how to install Decky Loader by switching to desktop mode, downloading the application, and then accessing it in gaming mode via the quick access menu. The segment also introduces the first plugin being ranked, “HLTV” (How Long to Beat), which provides estimated game completion times. Randall notes that while this plugin might be useful for some, it does not hold much value for his personal gaming preferences.
00:03:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses several plugins for the Steam Deck, ranking and evaluating each based on functionality and personal preference. Firstly, the “HLTV” plugin is placed in the F tier without elaboration. Next, the “Decki Recorder” plugin, which allows screen recording—a feature not natively supported by the Steam Deck—is rated highly (A tier) due to its usefulness despite its simplicity.
Following that, “Proton DB Badges” is introduced; this plugin provides ratings for games based on their compatibility with the Steam Deck. While beneficial for those with extensive game libraries, its main drawback is that it only aids post-purchase and cannot be used while purchasing games. Therefore, the speaker places it in the B tier.
The “Decki Settings” plugin is mentioned but not included in the tier list as it was removed from Decky Loader, with a hopeful note on its potential return. Finally, the “Vibrant Deck” plugin, which enhances screen color saturation for a more vibrant display, is recommended strongly. The speaker regards it as essential, ranking it in the S tier for its significant impact on visual experience.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, several Steam Deck plugins are discussed. “Controller Tools” helps manage multiple controllers by displaying connected devices and their battery levels, essential for those who dock their Deck. “Storage Cleaner” facilitates clearing Shader cache and compact data directly from gaming mode, making it a valuable though not top-rated tool. “Deck Roulette” randomly selects a game from your library, useful for indecisive moments. “Free Games” notifies users of free game offers from various stores, ranking high due to its convenience. “Auto Flatpacks” automatically updates flatpack apps without needing desktop mode, providing ease for frequent gaming mode users. Lastly, “Steam Grid TV” is introduced as a plugin to browse a library of game art.
00:09:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses various plugins available for customizing the Steam library and Steam Deck.
– **Steam Grid DB**: This plugin allows users to change the artwork of their game library to avoid boring and bland default box art. The speaker showcases how to customize the artwork for “Elden Ring,” deeming this plugin essential and ranking it highly (S tier).
– **Power Tools Plugin**: Tailored for advanced users, this plugin offers deeper customization of the Steam Deck’s performance. Although it provides significant performance enhancement options, it can be risky if used improperly, so the speaker ranks it lower (D tier) for general users.
– **CSS Loader**: This plugin enables users to change the UI themes and appearance of game artwork, such as rounding the corners or resizing artwork. The speaker appreciates its customization capabilities, ranking it B tier, though recognizing it could be considered fringe A tier.
– **Audio Loader**: This plugin allows customization of menu sound effects and background music. Users can apply themes from other gaming systems or games, like Xbox or “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” to personalize their experience further.
The segment highlights the speaker’s preference for customization plugins that enhance the visual and audio aspects of the Steam Deck and Steam library.
00:12:00
In this segment of the video, the presenter discusses various customization plugins for the Steam Deck. First, the “Steam Deck Audio Loader” is mentioned, which personalizes audio but has limitations, earning a C tier ranking. Next, the “Animation Changer” allows users to customize boot and suspend animations, though longer animations can increase boot and suspend times. This plugin also receives a C tier ranking due to its impact on performance. The “Auto Suspend Plugin” offers customizable low battery notifications, which the presenter appreciates for timely power management, and it also ranks at C tier. Lastly, the “Pause Games Plugin” enables switching between games without losing progress, a feature found unique but less useful by the presenter, resulting in a D tier ranking.
00:15:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker reviews several plug-ins and ranks them based on their usefulness:
1. **Shoddy Plug-in**: This plug-in helps organize screenshots by moving them to a specific folder. The speaker finds it useful for those who take a lot of screenshots but ranks it in the D tier due to its limitations.
2. **Bluetooth Plug-in**: This plug-in simplifies the process of connecting Bluetooth headphones by making it accessible from the quick access menu. It’s particularly useful for headphone users but less so for those who do not use Bluetooth devices. It’s ranked in the E tier.
3. **Deck FAQs**: This plug-in provides game guides but lacks thorough content, making it less useful. The speaker sees potential for improvement and encourages contribution of more guides. It’s ranked in the F tier.
4. **Meta Deck Plug-in**: This is useful for emulation and non-steam games by allowing users to apply metadata to these games. While helpful for emulation, it’s not as useful for those who mainly play Steam-purchased games. It’s ranked in the E tier.
00:18:00
In this part of the video, the creator discusses the convenience of using the Quick Settings menu to control music while gaming, specifically highlighting its use for Spotify. They personally rank this feature lower as they don’t typically use it, but acknowledge its value and rate it a C tier. They also introduce a plugin for taking quick notes, which is useful for remembering things like game passcodes without needing paper or a cell phone, rating it towards the bottom at R tier. The creator invites viewers to share their thoughts on the plugins and their rankings and encourages engagement by asking for comments on any missed plugins or tier changes. The segment concludes with a reminder to subscribe for future tech-related videos.