Gaming without a desktop or laptop computer?

 You've thought about it, haven't you?

Since the Steam Deck has taken hold, and the ASUS ROG Ally has arrived, mobile gaming computers are real and good.

I admit that back when Epyx Games designed their handheld gaming machine with color display, I was interested.  Atari bought it and put it out under their name.  When Nintendo brought out Virtual Boy, it piqued my interest.  However, bad, tiny displays weren't enough for me.

I looked at the Nintendo Switch several times.  The newer, OLED-equipped Switch really looks good, but it's not very powerful for 2023.  So many people bought them in 2020 and 2021 because they were stuck at home, the company did well.  For me, I want different games, and mostly, those games don't end up on Switch.

So, here I am with a Steam Deck and it's good.  I have over 182 games available in Steam, 62 are in the Great on Deck category, and I have 42 games installed.

Earlier, I was watching a YouTube video about installing a game launcher that could handle non-Steam-based games.  You have to exit Steam and go to the Linux/KDE desktop, use the virtual keyboard, and more.  Without a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, it sounds difficult.  It sounds like my 8-bit days before the GUI arrived. The good thing is that there is a GUI.  I'm not sure I want to bother with GOG Galaxy or the Epic Games Launcher on a Steam Deck in desktop mode, though.

Play Games or Mess with the computer?

This reminds me so much of my time at work getting Win98SE and WinNT to work.  Then, going home to my MacOS machines.  I really don't want to mess with the computer.  I bought Steam Deck to play games, not to become a Linux laptop replacement.

Windows Local or Windows Remote?

The good thing about Steam is that it allows you to Stream a game from another machine.  I can stream a game from Steam Deck, Mac, or Windows.  I can even play remotely on Android or iOS.

GeForce NOW will also allow you to run Windows games remotely on Android or iOS.  However, unless you're a premium subscriber, you may be waiting in the queue quite a while.  The Razer Kishi V2 works fairly well, but only supports/is supported by a handful of games I have.  It did not work with my OnePlus 8T and, while it works with my Google Pixel 6a, the Pixel 6a isn't as powerful as the 8T.  Gaming is not so happy, even for light, casual games.  Playing from a Mac is fine, but seems a waste.  I don't have a Kishi V2 for iPhone.

Valve has really worked hard to make Steam Deck a success and I'm pleasantly surprised how many games work well.  I'm not too quick to jump on the latest trends, but Ghostwire: Tokyo and Hi-Fi Rush from Tango Gameworks and Bethesda are pretty bug-free for new releases.

I'm not about to buy Hogwarts Legacy this year, partly, because it's massive, and partly, because it's expensive.  I would rather buy Baldur's Gate 3 sooner but it's going to be buggy and expensive, also.

Then again, if certain games arrived on Mac, I'd be spending to show my support for native Apple Silicon gaming development.  Some games work fine as Intel-based applications but more speed would make things go more smoothly.

It's interesting how many indie games are available for Mac and Windows at the same time while big studios can't seem to muster the courage.

Is playing handheld good enough?

I've played a number of games on Steam Deck, but some of my favorite pick-up-put-down kind of games, like Unreal Tournament 2004, don't work easily.  For the most part, you can play almost anything.  Games that require a keyboard and mouse will be difficult.  I currently have 44 games installed and they mostly work the way I'd expect but I removed one or two because they didn't work correctly.  Valve continues to make improvements in the Proton compatibility layer.

On iPhone and Android, I've been playing the Galaxy on Fire series for around 11 years, since the original Google Nexus 7 tablet with Nvidia Tegra processor and the second generation iPod touch.  Using gyros for the movement was surprisingly good, although it might have looked silly while playing in a waiting room.

Using a Steel Series Nimbus+ for the iPhone and a Razer Kishi V2 for a Google Pixel 6a makes certain games much easier to play.  It's a bit sad that Android controllers can't be more compatible with a wide variety of phones.  My OnePlus 8T just didn't work with the Razer Kishi V2 but the Pixel 6a isn't as powerful.  Now, Razer has a Kishi V2 Pro.

I still find myself at the computer, whether Windows or Mac, to play games that can't easily be played on Steam Deck, Android, or iOS.

I mentioned UT2004 earlier and it's one that I pick up for 15 minutes and then, put away.  I play Toxikk that way as well.  I haven't spent much time on Honkai: Star Rail or Genshin Impact on my phone.  They're too much for my Google Pixel 6a, but run fine on my 2022 iPhone SE.  The display dimensions aren't very good on the iPhone SE, as it doesn't really have a widescreen display.  It does have a powerful processor, though.  Genshin Impact demands a lot of my Windows 11-based machine.  Those fans run quite a bit while playing, even for a few minutes.  Teyvat is shown in great detail.

Which handheld will succeed to break the need for a laptop computer?

I'm looking forward to seeing Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and Legion Go take hold and change the face of gaming.  It's time.

Update 2023.12.14: Attached a keyboard and mouse to my Steam Deck and played Toxikk and Unreal Tournament 2004 as if I had a laptop computer.  It was a good experience, even though I need to adjust to the keyboard.  UT2004 actually ran better on Steam Deck than it ran on my Ryzen 7 5800H through the AMD application launcher using AMD graphics.  That experience on the 5800H was surprising, considering that my experience in 2004 was better on a Mac clone with an ATI card that was probably priced around US$200 in 2004. ATI's XClaim VR was the card from 2004.  The Steam Deck was awesome.

Cheap keyboard/mouse combo from Temu wasn't bad.  Longevity?  Who knows?

 Update 2023.12.26: I have Hogwarts Legacy on Steam Deck.  Performance is good so far.  I need to acclimate myself to the controls or I won't go far. 

Update 2024.01.13: Ayaneo has just announced a Steam Deck-like device using a SteamOS-like operating system, Ayaneo Next Lite.  It's starting just a bit cheaper than Steam Deck, but who knows whether they'll continue to support the operating system or not.  The company has so many devices that it may just be throwing things at the wall to see what sticks.

Update 2024.03.08: Ayaneo Next Lite will be shipped with Windows 11, for some reason.  Orange Pi Neo has been announced with Manjaro Linux Gaming Edition.  Supposedly, it will be less expensive than Steam Deck, even with Hall Effect triggers and a higher resolution display.

I've been acclimating myself to SteamOS desktop and updates through Discover.  Trying to work a machine without a good desktop interface is difficult, but this one is good.  When I was experimenting with Ubuntu back around 2005, there was a lot to dislike.  GNOME desktop wasn't good and Ubuntu's Unity was different, not better.  People raved about KDE but it wasn't that far along, either.

In any case, it's good to have a handheld device that can replace a desktop computer in a pinch.

Update 2024.03.19: Windows 11 Update KB5035853 has caused problems on Ally and others like it that use an AMD APU.  Too many times Microsoft isn't paying attention, but with millions of configurations, how can they test enough of them?

Update 2024.05.27: Things are better and there are more alternatives yet.  ASUS has an Ally X with some redesigns to fix and make things better.  We'll see if it corrects ruining the SD Card by overheating it.  It's still fairly expensive and Armoury Crate isn't much of a game launcher.

The newer Steam Deck OLED is a better performer and the display dazzles all but the most frugal.  There are over 15,000 games Verified or Playable now.

I've been playing a few games from Netmarble, some for Android, some for Windows.  I haven't got to the point where I want to try games outside of Steam on the Steam Deck.  I downloaded two launchers for the desktop, but haven't done much to try them.

Update 2024.09.09: I noticed this week in a couple of articles that AMD is close to a new generation of APUs for handheld devices.  There was a mention of Escher, which was in the same category as Van Gogh, the APU in the Steam Deck.  There was also a mention of Z2 and Z2 Extreme, the processors in the ASUS Ally and Legion Go. Supposedly, the Z2/Z2 Extreme will arrive first quarter of 2025 but the replacement for the Van Gogh may take longer.  It would be interesting to see how Valve handles a replacement for the current APU, not only in software, but in game verification.  Obviously, it has to be fully compatible, but will it support more to deal with technical difficulties we've seen on Steam Deck?

Update 2024.10.24: SteamOS has been updated to version 3.6.

I know that Legion Go and ROG Ally X are making improvements in handheld devices.  I don't see myself switching at this point.  I have a Windows 11 Pro machine and it seems as though the performance has become worse with every update.  Anything extra that they can eek out of Steam Deck would be appreciated.

Update 2024.12.28: At CES, there should be an announcement between Valve and Lenovo that the Legion Go will come in a SteamOS version.  Valve has been busy working on SteamOS to add drivers and such to make their distribution of Linux work for any handheld that works like the Steam Deck.

Steam Deck itself has been available in Australia for a bit, but it still has a long way to go.  The operating system is working well and many games run without major problems.  The minor problems often offset the problems that Windows has.

Update 2025.01.24: It has been a couple of days since I got a notice from Nintendo that the Switch 2 was being announced.  They didn't really go into enough detail about what it is.  I will guess that it isn't powerful enough because they always go less powerful than they should.  The extra port and the controller-as-a-mouse functionality is interesting.  However, after the number of portable gaming systems in the last few years, will it be enough?  Will the Switch 2 have enough power to play games without a Nintendo character, i.e. AAA games?

Waiting for Valve to do something about Steam Deck feels like being in the waiting room of a doctor who has bad news for you.  They might have cleaned up SteamOS 3.6 enough to calm down the problems.  They're not big enough to have a huge distribution network, so things are moving slowly.  By the time they have it under control, they'll probably announce Steam Deck 2.

I've been considering moving to SteamOS for my Windows 11 Pro laptop computer.  It takes so long just to get it to the login page, even though it's using an M.2 SSD.  The 24H2 update gave me hope and then, it's no better.

Update 2025.02.26: Valve's Steam Deck is three years old.  My Steam Deck is about two years old.  The device still doesn't have a major distribution network but sells well.  The company is working on a Steam console and apparently, another VR headset.  Is SteamOS enough to upset Windows?  The company is still working on a one-size-fits-all version of SteamOS to be installed almost anywhere.

I watched someone install a version of Red Hat's Fedora offshoot called Nobara.  There seems to be an Nvidia version that I could use, as well as a SteamOS version.  It started up like it was still 2004, but eventually booted into a SteamOS-looking interface, similar to when I use my Steam Deck with keyboard and mouse.

Update 2025.04.06: Guess what isn't going to arrive in the USA?  The Nintendo Switch 2 is being delayed, due to the tariffs from the White House. 

Update 2025.11.15: Valve announced Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and a second generation Steam Controller just recently.

 I've got the original Steam Controller (somewhere) and it's both really good and really bad, at the same time.  Hopefully, the new one will be amazing since they've learnt a lot from the Steam Deck usage.

Steam Machine is just a Linux-based box computer for Steam-based games.  Anything that runs on Steam Deck will run on Steam Machine, but FASTER.  Will it be as good as current Playstation or Xbox models?  It may not matter.

 Steam Frame is another matter.  The Valve Index was expensive and then, Apple made it look inexpensive.  I suspect that it only sold a few hundred times.  I would like a VR headset, especially one that has the processing inside it as Apple has done.  If they have the energy for it as they've had for Steam Deck, they might do well.  Samsung just introduced another entry into the market.

 Valve could really use a Steam Deck with much more processing power.  The AMD Escher variant was designed to replace the Van Gogh variant and they should be planning to use it. 

Update 2025.12.23: The LCD version of the Steam Deck is finished.  When supplies run out, they won't be sold any longer, except for refurbished models, I'd expect.

I wish that this meant that a follow-on product was in the works, but they seem to be allowing anyone and everyone to load SteamOS. 

Update 2026.02.25: The Steam Deck is four years old today.

 I waited a while to buy mine.  They had so many shortages and couldn't deliver for the longest time, so I waited.  Now, with AI servers needing RAM and storage, things are slowing to a standstill.

I saw the other day that AMD is not providing firmware updates for the Z1 or Z1 Extreme APUs and Lenovo made a similar announcement.  SteamOS seems a better bet but can they cover all AMD APUs? 

Don't Track My Web Browsing and Shopping, Please

 Powered by Admiral--I see this a lot.  I have Firefox' Tracking Protection set to Strict.  I'm fine with seeing advertising.  I just don't want it following me everywhere I look.

In the last year, I have removed bookmarks for several websites because they allow tracking advertising.  I couldn't care less about seeing advertising, although I'd prefer something that doesn't sap the life out of my machine.  In the days of Flash, we were inundated with animated advertising and I'm glad it's mostly gone.  I don't deal with Facebook at all, because they make money from your information, and they gladly share it with scumbags.

E.G., the co-owner of the house needed my help with some perfume she was trying to buy through Amazon, through Facebook.  The perfume was US$19.99, so she was buying two.  Facebook gladly supplied her address, but didn't have her credit card.  The website pretending to be Amazon said that the card had expired.  We had just placed an Amazon order a day or two prior to that.

I pulled up the perfume on the Amazon app to find that it was US$150.00.  I had some trouble shutting down the scam, but eventually got rid of it.

I apologized for my insistence and brusqueness, but I really wasn't happy that someone almost got her information.

I don't mind that a site needs advertising to keep it going.  Maybe, I might even buy something through one of the adverts.  Still, if you want to force me, or follow me, forget it.  I have no need to visit a website that has shaky moral fiber.  If they're unwilling to look at what they're presenting to the public, they probably aren't worth the visit.

Update 2023.11.24: Rakuten has complained about my adblocker.  I don't have one, but I have the anti-tracking bits.  If I have to be tracked to get cash rebates, forget it.

Update 2024.02.20: Rakuten is working again on some sites, without my changing settings.  A photographic web site has apparently switched completely to tracking advertisements and I don't see any advertisements, but they're complaining.  The site administration chose them.  I didn't.  I get that they want more money, but when you're not providing information much any longer, and mostly just providing ways to get money from clicks, you might want to be prepared for the effects of your actions.

Updated Mac, Apple Watch, and iPhone to the latest operating systems

 I took the leap to update all three devices around the same time.

Apple Watch Series 7 was on watchOS 9.x, 2022 iPhone SE was on 16.7.2, and MacBook Air was on macOS Monterey.

I usually wait until the x.x.1 version of the operating system, but lately, Apple has not been as good.  I was going to wait until the release that happens right before Christmas.  None of them want to deal with problems over the Christmas holiday, so they usually do a better job of bug elimination.

However, the Mac has been two generations back from Sonoma, and it shows when I want to back up the iPhone.  There is a need to download a compatibility patch of some sort.  I wouldn't be two generations of macOS back except that Ventura has had so many bad reports, I didn't want to encounter any of the problems.

I remember too well how my PowerPC machine was having trouble with Leopard and later, Snow Leopard.  It just never was so good again.  However, the people with Intel-based machines were really happy with the performance.  Transition time anywhere is not so easy.

So, I clicked on Install, and Sonoma was downloaded and around 30 minutes later, was running.

 Downloading 17.1.1 was just as simple and the update process was free from errors.  The time to process the update seemed forever but was suddenly finished.

Requesting the Apple Watch update from the iPhone app was interesting.  At one point, it said "1 Day" and later, it seemed to lock onto "16 Hours", which was way too long.  I restarted the phone and the watch, and then, started the update from the watch.  It requested agreeing to the Terms and Conditions on the phone, which went back and forth four times.  The screen had things overlapping, as if they hadn't really tested the installer.  However, it claimed 2 Hours once everything was handled correctly.

Everything is up to date for the moment.  Battery life on the phone and watch seem less than ideal, which I expect with every new release.  Usually, macOS has some checking and cataloguing to be done for days, and that hasn't seemed to have happened.  It just went to work immediately.  It seems fairly steady.

I hope that it will all be good before the releases in February.  Hopefully, the battery life will be improved with the releases before Christmas.

Update 2023.11.24: The updates are generally good, although the battery life for the watch and phone have been less than ideal.  They have not entered the dreaded red zone yet, though.

People have been mentioning that Sonoma has been quite a bit faster.  Maybe, I'm not seeing it because I don't use Safari as my web browser, plus, I never used Ventura.

That said, I keep waiting for GOG Galaxy and Steam to become Universal applications and speed up a lot of things.  Steam will be the last one of all, I'm almost certain.  With dwindling Mac game play through Steam, Valve doesn't really care to invest much effort.  Perhaps, when the last of the Intel-based machines are on the obsolete list, Valve will do something more.  I really liked playing Half-Life 2 and Portal 2 on my Mac.  It's a shame that I loaded Catalina on my older, Intel-based Mac because I could still play those 32-bit games before Catalina.

Hopefully, with Sonoma' Game Mode running successfully, more developers will arrive with good ports of their games.  Feral Interactive has done well on conversions, and Larian Studios has Macs in mind when developing.

Update 2023.11.30: Sonoma 14.1.2 is out with bug fixes and security updates, as well as iOS 17.1.2.  Updates went smoothly, so I'm hoping for the best.

Update 2023.12.14: My Apple Watch decided that I wanted to update to watchOS 10.2 and did it without asking.  I'm waiting for macOS 14.2.1 and iOS 17.2.1 before I go further.  Those should be out in the next week or two.

Update 2023.12.20: macOS and iOS are on my M1 MacBook Air and 2022 iPhone SE.  They are both working relatively well.  Given that there won't likely be another update until February, I'm satisfied with the performance.  Everything needs better battery life, though.  People with Intel-based Macs are complaining about Sonoma but it's macOS is finally getting better for Apple Silicon-based Macs, in the way that Leopard made Intel-based Macs better, and messed up PowerPC-based Macs.

Sonoma's Game Mode does help, but my SteelSeries Nimbus+ controller is not working, possibly due to a fall.  It disconnects intermittently, even when using a cable.  Why are game controllers so fragile?

Update 2023.12.31: I continue to see users complaining about random bugs and I wonder how many used developer or public beta test versions before using a production version.  I would have that happen occasionally in the early days of Mac OS X but haven't had that happen lately.

I started the mid-2012 MacBook Pro, with Catalina, the other day.  I'm considering a Linux-based distribution, so that I can turn it into a decent game machine.  I can't decide on a distro.  I'm leaning toward Arch or Kubuntu, in hopes that I can load the SteamOS Proton layer in order to play Windows games.  However, with only 512 MB of VRAM, it might not be enough.  Even the full 1 GB of VRAM might not be enough for recent games from my experience with the Omen by HP with a GeForce GTX 1050 with 2 GB of VRAM.    This latest Windows machine has an RTX 3050 Ti with 4 GB of VRAM.

Still, the old MacBook Pro is a good heater with that quad-core Intel i7-3770.

Update 2024.01.28: This week, Apple pushed iOS 17.3, macOS 14.3, and watchOS 10.3.  I don't usually go until the x.x.1 release is ready.  They were pushing a lot and they mentioned a security flaw that might have been exploited, which usually means that it had been exploited.  Ugggh.  So, I updated.  It may have been a fluke but cellular connectivity doesn't seem as stable.  Battery life is still not right.  Hopefully, the x.x.1 update will be ready before Valentine's Day.

I'm still glad to have the M1 MacBook Air on Sonoma.  I wish Apple would really take software development seriously and produce better software.  The only good thing is that we're not paying for bad releases, as we were in the System 7.x and MacOS 8.x, 9.x days.  When I would pay US$79.99 for a release and it wasn't really any better and then, they would discontinue things that really helped, it was rather frustrating.

Update 2024.01.31: I wanted to make room for Death Stranding: Director's Cut and I started deleting games and more because I only had about 153 GB available in Finder.  So, I went through Steam and looked at the games I wasn't playing or that we're as important.  I also deleted so other various stuff, and found through Settings(Control Panel) where various data was too much.  I checked and the available space was 2 GB smaller.  I waited for fseventd to finish and I restarted the machine.  No significant change was shown.  I deleted more and still no change that I could see.  I used the application WhatSize to help me find things that macOS wouldn't let me access easily.  I deleted more but there still was no visible change, even after a restart.  I left it along for a while and it had gone from 151 GB to about 298 GB available.  Today, it was showing 458 GB available.

Apple apparently doesn't have any long term developers watching what they're doing.  It's a bit scary that they've handed off development to people without oversight.  Someone should be checking the quality and fixes should be issued as soon as possible.

Sadly, they only seem to handle security flaws when they're on the news.

I live out in Central Valley and many people from the San Francisco Bay Area live out here now, including people from Apple, HP, and Google.  I wonder how many are so tired from their three hour commute that they're just not productive.  I'm hoping that someone cares but I'm not so sure about that, either.

Update 2024.02.08: Updated to 17.3.1, 10.3.1, and 14.3.1, which is the best fix for a while.  They had a fix for a major inconvenience in editing text on iOS or macOS.  Hopefully, they fixed a lot of other little bugs, as well.

Update 2024.03.22: Updated to 17.4.1 on iOS.  There were some serious problems to fix.  I'm hoping for 14.4.1 and 10.4.1 updates soon.  These are usually ready just before WWDC and the newest major releases.  Then, we wait until August or September.  I suspect that things are better on my iPhone with this newest release, but there are probably loads of bugs remaining.  It seems that Apple just wants to add feature after feature without fixing problems ahead of adding features.  They've become like Adobe.

I'm not ready for iOS 18, especially if they're going to push AI integration.  With the car project halted, AI developers are available, but should they experiment in the background more and wait to move such work into the real world?

Update 2024.08.07: iOS 17.6.1 and macOS 14.6.1 are available.  Apparently, they weren't quite finished with the bug fixes, but got them out just a couple of days later, rather than two or three weeks later.  That may be everything for the current operating systems.  I'm not ready to move to the next, even more buggy versions.

Update 2024.09.17: Warning!  Updated to iOS 17.7 and macOS 14.7 today.  Went to California DMV to renew my license.  Filled out the application on my phone through the process to be ready for the window.  I got a notification and my application was GONE.  I could not log into the system through the California DMV app but Apple should have been checking since so many people working there live in California.  Maybe, someone at headquarters will return with a story and the fix will be out next week.

Update 2024.11.20: Apple is pushing for me to switch to iOS 18.1.1 and macOS 15.1.1.  I might be ready by 18.7.1 and 15.7.1 but I'm thinking to wait until 19.7.1 and 16.7.1.  I hope that they'll have things not completely awful by then.  They have not shown me that they can handle fixing things.

Update 2024.12.11: Yesterday, I saw that the latest iOS and macOS had arrived.  I looked for security updates.  I found macOS 14.7.2 hiding.  As I was trying to update to it, Apple started pushing 15.1.1.  I had to restart twice and downloaded, etc. 14.7.2 again.  After the restart, it was installed.  Apple has a lot of nerve to push an update in the middle of my update.  I don't care about their adoption numbers.  I want them to fix the bugs that they already have.

Update 2025.03.10: I've been trying to avoid upgrading operating systems.  My 2022 iPhone SE has a battery problem after almost three years and I couldn't wait much longer.  I decided that I didn't want the iPhone 16e and I bought the iPhone 15.  The deal, with trade-in, is about US$1.50 per month more than the iPhone 16e would have been at the introductory price for 24 months.

 Anyway, I have the iPhone 15 up and running but of course, I'm on 18.3.1, so I'm upgrading t he macOS version to 15.3.1 and later, the watchOS version. 

Update 2025.12.23: Apple recently released iOS/macOS/watchOS etc. 26.2 with security fixes.  They released the previous macOS with security fixes around the same time.  They did not show the iOS version 18.7.3 with those security fixes, but only 26.2.  This bothered me because it's not ethical to push people in a certain direction for the sake of statistics.

Someone at MacRumors noticed that iOS 18.7.3 was available, if you had beta updates enabled.  They posted that method and I updated quickly.  Within a couple of hours, that method was removed.

I appreciate that they want to show the shareholders the statistics; however, honest statistics would be better.   Since their botched AI attempts and their last few years of poor software quality, I prefer to wait as long as possible. 

Update 2026.01.26: Imagine that Apple made iOS 18.7.4 available somehow but did not allow a person to update to it.  They are seriously broken when their metrics mean more than keeping people's devices safe.

 The iOS 18 Beta Updates say that 18.7.3 is the latest.  I'll probably end up finding the full download and download it to the Mac and then, hopefully, I can update that way, but this is ridiculous. 

Update 2026.03.04: Updating to 26.3.1 now.  Hopefully, it's reasonably safe. I'm not feeling trusting since they keep pushing without giving me an alternative on the iPhone.  My MacBook Air has re-booted a couple of times, so they must be installing firmware updates or security updates to the separate SoC behind Touch ID.  It just re-booted again, so I hope that it's not in some infinite loop.  It just showed 80% then 91% finished.  "About 8 minutes remaining..." probably means 30 minutes.

 Looking at an M5 MacBook Air because I've had the M1 MacBook Air for around three years and it's a 2020 model. 

The iPhone 15 is taking some time in the "Preparing" stage.  It probably needs to weed out the Apple Intelligence crap since the iPhone 15 doesn't support it. 

Killed my Corsair M55 RGB Pro playing Genshin Impact and more

 I'm a bit tough on my mouse.  Over the years, I've settled on Logitech Trackman Marble when I want to work.  I'm always a bit short on desk space.  Besides, that first Trackman that hung on the edge of my laptop computer keyboard in 1990 was something special.  It should have been for US$159.99.

These days, I wouldn't think of spending so much.  So, when I was having trouble with my Corsair M55 RGB Pro, I looked for something different.  Corsair has a lot of complaints, for whatever reason.  The iCue software was a pain and the mouse would just not connect at times.  Pulling the plug and re-inserting would get it going.  I chose it after having a disastrous end to my Logitech G402 Hyperion Fury mouse I had that suddenly stopped working.  I got it on sale at Target and with a Team Member discount + Red Card discount, it was a decent deal.

In any case, I've been having problems with the Corsair mouse since I started playing Genshin Impact.  The more intense the battles, the less it responded.  Then, last night, the left mouse button collapsed and broke.  I got out my trusty Trackman Marble and continued.

I had just ordered another mouse from Newegg--an ASUS ROG Strix Impact III mouse that wasn't expensive.  Obviously, it was going to take longer than I had. This morning, I walked to Walmart to pick up a SteelSeries Rival 3.

The Rival 3 is a decent mouse with a big light show.  It's small and light and the grip is good.  It's not only compatible with the Windows machine but with the Mac.  If I ever get a desktop setup for my Steam Deck, it might go well with that, also.  The price is right.

I can't imagine that I'd be happy spending $159.99 again and finding that my mouse was broken.   I'm sure that the expensive kind break, even if they do it less frequently.  The e-gamers certainly don't have to worry too much about spending that money once they're well known, right?

In any case, I'm back in business.  I need to remove the iCue software.  I already had the Steelseries software for one of their wireless game controllers, so it was easy to switch.  Hopefully, the Rival 3 can stand up to Genshin Impact's impact.

Update 2023.10.23: The ASUS mouse arrived and it's quite good, except that there is no application for settings.  The DPI setting uses a control on the underside of the mouse.

Update 2024.05.02: I downloaded ASUS Armoury Crate.  That has customization for the mouse.  I connected the Rival 3 to the MacBook Air, which already had SteelSeries software running for my wireless controller, the Nimbus+.  Both mice have been excellent.  Occasionally, I've had trouble with macOS Sonoma not seeing the mouse as a mouse but it's a rare occurrence.

Obviously, I don't have any eSports tournaments to win, so inexpensive mice are fine.  I also have a very large mouse pad that goes from the Mac to the Windows machine.

Since Android 14, my Pixel 6a is suddenly unusable Update: slightly better

 Apparently, Google didn't test Android 14 very well on Pixel 6a, Pixel 6, or Pixel 6 Pro.

There is a problem with multiple users on the operating system on those devices.

After a few days of Android 14, it has decided that my data is corrupt and has pushed me to do a Factory Data Reset.  Otherwise, I'm stuck watching "Pixel is starting..." forever.

Since I've been using this phone, it's been one problem after another.  The developers really didn't consider that people would use the phones because it hasn't been as smooth as other Android distributions.

Even as chaotic as OnePlus was with their Oppo-inspired mix, it was made for users.  I suppose I should just go back to my OnePlus 8T, as it was faster, smoother, and a better experience altogether.

I'm seriously disappointed that Google isn't as good as smaller companies in developing Android-based devices.

Well, I did the Factory Data Reset and started fresh.  I've got one user account and very few apps.  It's going to be a very long time until I trust it again.  Sadly, some of my data is gone forever.

I won't buy another piece of hardware from Google.  This Pixel 6a is the last, after two iterations of the Nexus 7 tablets.  One of those (with the Nvidia Tegra) was such a disaster that I returned it immediately.

I've been fighting with the Pixel 6a ever since I got it.  At US$299.99 - 10% Target team member discount - 5% Red Card discount, it was an easy choice.  However, my luck with Android has been just okay.  I didn't figure that Google's own Android release would finish off my data. 

Update 2023.10.22: Asphalt 9, which was working on Android 14 is no longer working.  It just hangs.  Oh, never mind.  It starts after a few minutes.  That's not as fast as when it started in a few seconds.  Way to go, Google!

Update 2023.11.16: I added my other account, feeling a bit more cautious, as it might be labeled corrupt and cause everything to be wiped again.

Mostly, it's fine.  Asphalt 9 was running just fine, but days later, it isn't.  Something seems seriously wrong with Android 14, or maybe, it's just Google's phone team's implementation.  I really haven't done much with the phone, as I'm not quite ready to invest time on something that may never work correctly again.

Update 2023.12.06: Android update for security apparently had more in it than something like 37 security fixes.  Asphalt 9 is running again.  Hopefully, it will stay that way.  I wanted to transfer music back to the phone but the Files app is irritatingly difficult.  It could be worse, to be certain.  It found my USB drive after a while.  There isn't as much music as there is free space but it claims that there isn't room available.  It won't transfer some of it and it's a pain to transfer folder by folder.

Maybe, their new AI can figure out how people actually use phones and computers and they can use it to generate applications that actually work for people.

Google, you damaged the trust I had that the phone would work.  You destroyed what I had and, while I continue to try to use it, there is no way I will spend more money on hardware from Google.  It isn't in my best interest.

Update 2024.02.01: I let my phone plan finish.  Since I have a 2022 iPhone SE that's my regular phone, I only had a cheap plan to try Android.  Google has shown me that they don't care and I'm not about to spend money on such a phone.

The interesting thing is that, without a 5G connection, moving from my usual spot that is a floor above the router, causes the phone not to be able to access the internet at all.  Even if it's only a few feet (a meter or two), the phone can't find an internet connection.  Isn't that pathetic?

Update 2024.02.22: I almost bought a OnePlus 12R.  It's quite a good phone with a recent processor and multiple cameras and sensors.  My credit union signaled a fraud alert, which gave me a second chance to think about it.  I doubt that it works with my Razer Kishi V2, although the Razer web site finally mentions that the OnePlus 8 Pro doesn't work with it, and I had the 8T.  Would I buy the Razer Edge, which is guaranteed to work with the Razer Kishi V2 Pro and just let my Pixel 6a and Razer Kishi V2 sit, abandoned?

Update 2024.06.23: I've been looking at the Razer Edge again, since Newegg has it for US$299.00 and I can pay $76 something four times.  I'm sorry that I bought this Google Pixel 6a so much that I will never buy another Google product.  I'm doubtful that Google cares how much anyone likes their products, as long as they continue to buy them.

If they went back to being an internet search-only company, would the world care?

Update 2024.12.17: I got a notice for Android 15.  That's come a few weeks behind the announcement that Android 15 was ready for Pixel devices.  I'm allowing it to be installed.  Can they mess it up more?  I'd be sadly amused but not surprised.

It's still working.  I haven't done much with it, yet.  Hopefully, it doesn't act much different than Android 14.

Update 2025.06.26: Android 16 is now installed.  Tips showed me a couple of changes but I don't see anything remarkable.  It doesn't seem slower, which is a bonus considering how slow it is.

Genshin Impact, from AR 6 to AR 40 in a few months, without money

 I tried Genshin Impact when it was a few months old.  People at work had been playing and I was interesting in trying it.  I was terrible at it.  I was determined not to spend money--something that my co-workers were doing--and I didn't go far.  When Honkai: Star Rail became available, I was still at AR 6 in Genshin Impact.  That's a long time.

After playing Honkai: Star Rail for a while, and getting my characters up to high levels (many are at level 80 now), I started to play with Genshin Impact while I was bored waiting for the energy to be recharged in HSR.  With level 80 characters and at game level 60+, it takes a long time to level up characters.

Now, in Genshin Impact, I'm up to AR 35 and my main character, in both accounts, is at level 60.  I need to finish the Dvalin/Stormterror quest to go further and reveal many opportunities.  I've made decent progress or I wouldn't be at AR 35, but there is much to experience.  I haven't made it to the peak of Dragonspire and I haven't be allowed to see Inazuma, although the occasionally talk about it.

I've finally got a 5-star character on both accounts: Dehya.  So far, the 4-star characters seem more reliable, but all characters seem to have incredible weakness and they fail at the wrong time.  Most weapons are 3-star varieties with lots of duplicates, so using the Refine function helps.  I've unlocked the weapons upgrade materials sites, so it's easier to do that.  Upgrading the characters is another matter.  How do you upgrade a character that isn't strong enough to fight for the materials it needs?

Well, just having made it to AR 35, I have that ascension challenge happening.  I need to get the other characters up a few levels.  However, the things I need to accomplish don't seem possible.  I guess all I can do is be patient, upgrade artifacts and weapons and keep trying.  The ascension challenge wants all characters at level 60.  The other characters are at level 40 right now, except for Dehya, who is at level 60 on one account and level 50 on the other.  Her materials are much easier to get.  I need two others at level 60, though.  My main character is now at level 70 on both accounts.

 The mechanisms in Honkai: Star Rail seem to be almost the same as Genshin Impact.  It's just in the presentation where they differ.  The fighting style is the biggest difference, of course.

Update 2023.10.09: It took a while to make it past the Ascension challenge.  One account worked quickly, but the other struggled and I finally got a team with a characters at levels 70, 50, 40, and 60 to work.  It took so long that the second account went directly from AR 35 to AR 39.  The first account to succeed went from AR 35 to AR 37 but they're both nearing AR 40 right now.

Upgrading weapons works, but upgrading 4-star weapons is more difficult, of course.  My trouble is that I have characters from Inazuma, which is not open to me yet.  You can't upgrade characters with unavailable items.

Still, I haven't spent any money on the game.  My frustration level may not be any higher than those spending money, though.

Update 2023.10.11: Make that AR 40, on both accounts.  I still have much to learn.  I really wish I had 4-star weapons on both accounts.  The mix of 4-star characters is good enough.  The Dehya character has been extremely useful, even though most rankings I've seen are not positive.  Keqing should be interesting, once I can move her past level 20.  I ended up having to use Noelle with a strong weapon to get past AR 35 on the lagging account.  My previous experience was that the character was not useful but she was enough to handle the situation to upgrade Kaeya, and will be needed again.

Update 2024.03.08: Up to AR 42, but not really making progress.  My main character is at level 80 on both accounts and the weapon is at level 70 on one and close to that on the other account.  It's interesting to have the same characters on both accounts and frustrating not to have certain characters on both.

I got into the new area with this latest release, but I still have early quests with the Adepti to finish in order to progress.  At least, I got to see the Lantern Festival around Lunar New Year.  That was the main reason I started Genshin Impact years ago.

Update 2024.09.04: At AR 43 this week, after having trouble with the battle when entering Natlan.  I've lost interest after finding some of the puzzles and battles too difficult.

Trial of the Equilibrium: Part Six

On one account, I'm at level 65, which means I have to face the Trial of the Equilibrium again.  This time, the characters are at level 80.  I had the Main Character, March 7th, Bailu, and Welt Yang.  I still have Traces to finish but 7/10 isn't bad.

Well, it took a few minutes.  Always, remember the personal shield, Cosmic Fried Rice, and an energy drink or something to help your DEF.

The other account might struggle more, but it's been good in the past.  I may wish to strengthen the Traces more than 7/10.

The new version struggle with the assassins went quickly.  Jing Yuan and Imbibitor Lunae were good, even though they were at level 78, which is lower than my own characters and in the one case, I only selected three characters for the team.

 I'm sure that you can appreciate that I haven't spent any real money on playing the game.  It's taken a lot of patience and planning to get to this point without paying for anything.  I'm not paying anything to play Genshin Impact, and it's certainly difficult to get even 4-star characters there.

Update 2023.09.05: How did everyone do with their free pulls?  On one account, I got an extra Himeko and an extra Yukong.  This is especially important because Yukong is my only Imaginary character on that account.  The other got an extra Herta and a Yukong-specific Light Cone, Past and Future.  Eidolons are good.  Both are getting an extra Sushang because of the Aurum Alley event.

With both accounts into level 65, I wonder what else will happen as I complete characters.

Update 2023.09.12: I've been completing every character I can.  I've been working the Aurum Alley event, as well.  Mostly, I'm waiting for Traiblaze power to be regenerated and credits to be enough.  I was playing the event with Bailu at Scalegorge Waterscape and I noticed level 85 characters afterwards.  When did that happen?

I've also been working on Genshin Impact again and I'm up to AR 32 on both accounts.  I see so many prerequisites and I'm not sure where they are.  I'm finding new temples for artifacts and weapon ascension materials lately.  I'm getting caught up in little side quests, but they might be exactly what I need to move further.  I have a feeling that I need to finish Dragonspire quests before I can find Inazuma.  I found Fontaine after dealing with the desert.  I don't suppose I can use the Waverunner and take it all the way to Liyue and on to Inazuma.  There always seems to be something in the way.