In terms of power,

Are Steam Decks about equal to Xbox Series S?

I got one as a gift ages ago, but never really touch it anymore.

I basically only ever used it for BG3. I assume it comes down to how well games are optimized, but if we’re looking at 1080p 30 FPS…

I think the Deck is slightly worse, but not too much worse.

Should I keep the Xbox around for more intensive games, like Final Fantasy 16 or Expedtion 33? I’ve been tempted to sell it to try and fund a Steam Machine as well.

Definitely not Series S level, no. You should expect something like PS4 graphical fidelity at 800p.

I’d consider it as a ps3.5, but you can clearly play newer AAA games if you’re not picky with the performance

What would you consider a Steam Machine in that case? Been considering saving up for one.

I think I’d agree with that. Tinkering with settings can get me a bit of a boost, but anything not exceedingly well optimized from the PS5 generation gives my deck trouble.

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/xbox-series-s-gpu.c3683

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/steam-deck-gpu.c3897

The Series S is a much faster machine. Larger GPU, faster memory, double the CPU cores, higher clocks it can keep at full speed more frequently; it’s really no contest.

Not to say the Deck is bad by any means.

But if you were to sell it, and you are worried about fidelity, I’d save up until you are ready to immediately trade it for a Steam Machine.

I don’t have one, but I guess it’s comparable to the base Ps5 I have.

Reviews seems to confirm this and it’s also why I’m not sure I would get it if it was available in my country.

For now I’m hoping for advancements with Linux on PS5 and I might get a 1000$ gaming rig around 2029..

A good 1080p desktop.

Unless you need HDMI CEC, want the small form factor or can't put together a Lego kit, building your own PC will probably be cheaper and/or have better performance than a Steam Machine.

Sounds like a plan. Thanks!

I got one as a gift ages ago,

Funny enough I got Series S from my brother too, years ago. I also have a Steam Deck and a PC too. Series S is probably more powerful than a Deck, overall speaking, but the use case is different anyway. I just connected my Series S back to play games on it that do not run on my Linux PC or Deck. For those cases alone I would keep the XBOX around. In example I highly doubt GTA 6 will be playable on the Deck, or in a good state, but it will certainly be playable on Series S.

As for the power, the Deck is a handheld designed to run in low power, while the console can use more than 100W and should be better cooled, speak less throttling. Also on the Deck you typically play at 720p or 800p, so comparing the FPS alone against a Series S at 1080p or 1440p doesn't make sense. It's been a few years since this article, but I find it still useful: https://www.digitalfoundry.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2022-steam-deck-vs-xbox-series-s-how-future-proof-is-the-valve-handheld ... also looks like the internet is a terrible place now and I can't find good benchmarks comparing them both with same games.