The claim that the Steam Deck runs unmodified Linux software “out of the box” glosses over a lot of caveats.

Sure, it’s possible—but only if the software is compatible with SteamOS’s Arch-based flavor of Linux, its dependencies, and its sandboxing. And to even attempt that, you have to exit Gaming Mode entirely and boot into Desktop Mode. From there, you’re dealing with a mouse-and-keyboard interface, and many apps require terminal commands, sudo access, or specific library versions to even launch. That’s not something you casually do with a game controller from your couch.

More importantly, I reject this narrow definition that “console” must mean a closed, locked-down system incapable of running general-purpose software. That might describe a traditional console, but it’s not a requirement. Plenty of recognized consoles have been open or hackable: the Ouya ran Android. The Miyoo Mini running OnionOS is basically a retro Linux handheld, yet it’s absolutely treated as a console by its user base. A Raspberry Pi running Batocera, plugged into a TV with a controller, is a console experience. Even the Nintendo DS, when booting homebrew off a flashcart, operates in the same way.

What actually defines a console isn’t the OS or whether it can run unmodified desktop software. It’s the user experience: you turn it on, pick a game, play with a controller, and everything revolves around gaming. The Steam Deck nails that. You don’t need to know it runs Linux. You don’t have to touch Desktop Mode. For the average user, it’s as much a console as a Switch or Xbox—just with a lot more flexibility if you go looking for it.