@emi200 I meant getting the games physically, not the device itself.

You are correct in that you absolutely can install Heroic on the Deck, as I have already done this and played a number of games that way.

I prefer GOG because I know that even if the platform holder turns nasty down the road, the DRM-free nature of those games ensures I will always be able to play them going forward. I keep an offline backup of all of the installers for games I purchase.

The relatively open nature of the Steam Deck hardware (and other PC-like handhelds) also ensures I will always be able to install Bazzite or some other gaming-focused GNU/Linux distribution and run all of my GOG purchases that way.

Steam is not publicly traded right now, but it could be one day. If Valve did some anti-consumer moves in the future, you would be out of luck because most of the games sold there still use DRM and require the Steam launcher. DRM itself is anti-consumer, many would argue.

Even so, Valve is still a lot better than most, and it's largely because of Valve that Wine is able to run so many games today (and the reason Proton exists).