Looking to get a Steam Deck but would be using it 90% of the time when I’m at work (boring job where I’m sat doing nothing for the majority of the day). I would have no WiFi connection, so just want to check that it runs ok off a mobile hotspot? I get good coverage and have unlimited data.
How much data does playing online use?
The steamdeck uses alot of data because it updates shaders like everyday. Playing multiplayer doesnt use much data, but the updates will. I wouldnt recommend getting internet with data caps. Its a scam anyways.
Hotspots are just wifi routers with shitty software. The only real issue is most hotspots dont have normal router features like port forwarding, which can be an issue if you are wanting to host something, like a game server, or a web server, but even lan networking is broken on many hotspots. It is still however just a regular internet access point that does most of the same things, just not very configurable. You can still use it as long as you are initiating connections, since you cannot open ports on most hotspots.
Ignoring the Deck’s usual shader updates, it depends on the game itself on how it interacts with online. Are most of its assets local? Then usually quite small. Does it need to load things constantly from the servers/other users? Then a lot.