Eh, I'm not so sure. Gamers like Valve more than they like Microsoft.
Linux is free as well, and runs 99% of games you want to play on a handheld pretty well. It's not going to be that 1% that love Gamepass or really want the Windows UI on a gaming device to overthrow the Deck.
Lastly, first mover advantage. The Deck was very well received, Valve have just to eventually upgrade the hardware in a Steam Deck 2, and it'll sell like hot cakes again.
Same. For sure. Any pure player whose existence depends on gaming (or whatever) is going to be preferable to a behemoth like Microsoft who can promote infinite agenda-ridden VPs who disappoint customers, but because the losses are survivable they keep doing it.
MS has been like this for a long time. Just ask all the PlaysForSure music owners.
Support for SteamOS v1/2, the one on Deck is rebased on Arch, lasted to 2018 which is when Proton entered the picture. If that wasn't good enough (fair enough) they were just PCs so you could install Windows on it if you felt you weren't being well served. Or a Linux distro, where the game experience is better than it ever has been largely thanks to projects sponsored by Valve.
So for the very few people who bought them, I'd imagine they're unlikely to be all that upset.
Linux is free as well, and runs 99% of games you want to play on a handheld pretty well. It's not going to be that 1% that love Gamepass or really want the Windows UI on a gaming device to overthrow the Deck.
Lastly, first mover advantage. The Deck was very well received, Valve have just to eventually upgrade the hardware in a Steam Deck 2, and it'll sell like hot cakes again.