Valve may be trying its hand at another hardware product, this time bringing out a portable PC gaming solution. Recently, a Steam client beta update revealed references to "SteamPal" and menu systems pointing towards a handheld experience. Shortly after, Ars Technica has reported citing multiple sources that this device is indeed a secret project of Valve.
The device will be a "Switch-like portable PC" per the report, allowing gamers to play their library of Steam games on the go.
In the report, Linux is deemed the most likely operating system the "SteamPal" device would utilize, but Windows is still a possibility considering the history between Valve and Microsoft. The device is said to be still in the prototyping stage, and the chip powering it will be from either AMD or Intel, not Nvidia like on the Nintendo Switch.
At least one of the prototypes has a much wider design than the Switch, the report goes on, including a touch-sensitive screen, gamepad buttons and triggers, as well as two joysticks, and a thumb-sized touchpad. A method to "dock" the device into a larger screen using a USB Type-C port is also discussed, though no specifics are given.
Ars Technica does not have any price-related information, but if current plans hold, the report says the device should get an official reveal before the end of the year. A portable console-like product may have also been what Gabe Newell was alluding to during a recent Q&A session, where he said Valve"s console plans will be revealed this year and that they will be something unexpected.
As usual, take this report with a grain of salt until anything official from Valve surfaces.
Source: Ars Technica