Really well! I tend to only play it docked, actually. I use my PS4’s controller, plugged in (since it’s paired with the PS4 and switching BT pairing is always such a hassle. Well, now it’s never in need of charging either so). I do sometimes have trouble with responsiveness, but it’s never been a big issue. The only issue is that if I want to switch between play modes the Steam Deck really hates that. Also, the controller doesn’t work in desktop mode which is a pain when I want to do something like use Jellyfin and need to fiddle with something during playback. Granted, there might be some settings to mess with to enable that but I haven’t got around to it.

Also, it may help to know I am using a dumb TV (I noticed another commentator had caveats based on their smart TV). It’s quite old but has HDMI and runs the deck just fine. Occasionally the connection will cut out, but I’m honestly not sure if that’s the Deck or the TV having a problem. I thought it was the TV (it’s old, it’s got some crystalline looking spots, and one of its four HDMI ports does not work) but when playing multiplayer those disconnects came with online disconnection too, so maybe it’s the Deck. Not sure. Very rarely occurs. Thankfully I have a penchant for turn based games so I can sit and wait it out.

But yeah, playing the Deck docked works pretty well in my experience. Just about any controller that can be plugged in via USB will work, too. I used to use a very cheap, wired-only Switch controller until it died (a brand I knew full well was crap and the controllers always have some issue in the long run, but it was RGB for just $25…).