Ready for yet another Nintendo Switch competitor?
Multiple reports say that Valve will launch a handheld gaming PC nicknamed “SteamPal” by the end of this year.
The main report comes from ArsTechnica, with the outlet saying they have multiple sources all confirming a Valve handheld console that will run Linux and be compatible with most Steam Games.
The name “SteamPal” comes from a recent update to Steam’s code, Valve’s gaming platform.
Of course, this is most likely a working title and the Valve handheld will have a catchier name.
“The “SteamPal,” whose name we’re putting in scare quotes because we do not have confirmation of the device’s final name, is an all-in-one PC with gamepad controls and a touchscreen. In other words, it looks and functions like a Nintendo Switch (albeit without removable “Joy-Con” controller functionality),” says ArsTechnica.
The outlet also quotes Valve’s boss Gabe Newell, who was asked during a school panel in New Zealand if Valve has any plans for console video games.
“You will get a better idea of that by the end of this year… and it won’t be the answer you expect. You’ll say, ‘Ah-ha! Now I get what he was talking about’,” he said.
How would a handheld Valve console might work?
Right now, this is what we know of the prototype.
“At least one SteamPal prototype version is quite wide compared to the Nintendo Switch. This extra width accommodates a slew of control options. No, Valve is likely not slapping an entire QWERTY keyboard onto its system, but the company has packed in a standard array of gamepad buttons and triggers, along with a pair of joysticks and at least one thumb-sized touchpad (in addition to the device’s touch-sensitive screen),” says ArsTechnica.
If this report turns out to be true, it’s likely that you won’t have to wait long for more details. Since the outlet claims the Valve console will be out by the end of the year, the company should officially reveal it soon to start drumming up hype.
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