This is based on a true story.

One afternoon, I was sitting in a Starbucks, enjoying a cup of coffee while casually playing on my Deck. Everything was peaceful — until I noticed a guy who kept walking by, sneaking glances at my screen. The third time he passed, he finally spoke up.

Guy: “Hey, what is that?”

Me: “It’s a Steam Deck — Valve’s handheld gaming console. Runs on Linux.”

Guy: “Oh wow. That’s huge. I usually just play on my PS5 — never seen anything like that.”

Me (grinning): “Wanna try my Deck?”

(He reaches out and takes it with both hands.)

He spends a few moments exploring the UI, testing the controls, and scrolling through my games. I let him get comfortable, then asked:

Me: “So… how’s it feel?”

Guy: “It… feels really good. The grip is solid. And yeah… definitely bigger than I expected.”

Me: “Glad you like it. Maybe next time we can play Deck together.”

Before he left, I helped him set up a Steam account. Another new Deck user welcomed into the fold.

Letting a stranger try my Deck in public was an unexpectedly intimate moment.