I got my OLED steam deck a couple years ago, and I love it! It plays the games I enjoy very well, it is so cool having the portal games on a handheld. The console like experience is very polished, and just gets better with updates. Also, the deck's joysticks are buttons all feel great! I've even found the track pads to be very intuitive. The track pad is a great mouse replacement. It's haptics make it feel as if you're using a track ball.
Now, the part that surprised me was the desktop mode! because then I fully realized that the steam deck is not only a console. It is a UMPC! it is a fully functional handheld linux PC! The desktop is KDE Plasma, so it is extremely customizeable! you can even make it mimmix orher operating systems. Using SteamOS has made me appreciate what Linux has to offer, and it has made me look into getting Linux on my PC. I'm considering chimeraOS. I have been very pleased with the performance of Krita and Blender on the Steam Deck. I legitimately don't need a laptop anymore, because the Steam Deck perfectly fits my needs. Sure it's better with portable monitor, with a wireless keyboard and mouse. But those accesories are ultimately option or situational. If you want a gaming focused portable PC, I'd highly recommend the steam deck.