Hi folks,
A few of us at Blue Robotics like using the Steam Deck for BlueROV2 missions—especially when a full-size laptop and controller setup isn’t ideal out on the water. Setup is pretty simple, but we’ve put together a guide to walk you through the process, especially if you’re new to using the Steam Deck or other handheld PCs.
Check out the video overview and detailed guide below!
We’ve been using cockpit on Steamdeck for a while, setup just like this. It works great! The only thing we’ve not solved is having no voice alerts when running on Steamdeck - is this a known issue or are we missing something on our setup?
Great video 
@DanielG_BR, thanks for this guide. You are listing pros and cons of both SteamDeck and Legion Go. Could you please comment on screen sunlight readability and joystick quality which are important for BlueROV control.
Hey @mattcmgb! Nice to hear that you’re having a great experience on it!
We just tested here and can confirm voice alerts not to be working on the Linux release of the Standalone version, which is the one used on Steamdeck. We will investigate and fix it asap. You can track the issue here.
Thanks for the feedback!
Hi @Eloi,
I’d say the screen performs about as well as a typical laptop with a bright display. For some actual numbers: the OLED version Steam Deck has a screen brightness of 600 nits with SDR content, while the Legion Go is 500 nits. Both are usable outdoors, but you’ll likely struggle in direct, bright sunlight—operating under some cover is recommended. Better yet, I’ve seen some after market and 3D printable sun shades available for the Steam Deck.
Keep in mind that these devices are primarily designed for gaming, so they don’t feature the ultra-high brightness screens specifically made for outdoor use.
As for the joystick, they work perfectly! Unfortunately I haven’t been able to map the buttons on the back of the Steam Deck or Legion Go as additional buttons, only as duplicates of existing buttons.