At the moment, it’s quite difficult to navigate the gaming news sphere without bumping into something related to Valve and its newly-released Steam Deck device. And for good reason, as well. With the announcement of a new Portal-based game called Aperture Desk Job, and demand for the transportable PC already exceeding the company’s expectations, it’s currently the talk of the town. It seems Gabe Newell and co already have their sights on the future, as a hardware follow-up may be on the horizon.
According to a recent report from Games Radar, which quotes an interview from the newest issue of Edge magazine, there’s a possibility that Valve may already be planning a sequel to the Steam Deck, particularly as the current one, which dropped just yesterday, is already making waves. As pleased as the company must be with the way things are going at the moment, it seems as though Newell is already thinking about ways to make it better, suggesting that there is a definite future for these types of portable gaming devices, and that “this is a stepping stone.”
However, it is still early days yet, but it’s interesting to see that the CEO is keen to move forward with ideas about what could come next, or what other companies will do with the system. With the Steam Deck having three different models, Newell also seemed quite surprised that the most expensive version was one of the more popular ones. Whether this could lead to even more powerful iterations remains to be seen, but many, like Newell, would probably have expected most people to opt for the cheaper model instead, especially as this is a new piece of hardware.
With huge AAA releases like Elden Ring being compatible with the Steam Deck, and studios working hard to make sure their own games are verified if they aren’t already, the PC gaming market is bending over backwards to try and fit in with this latest portable device. While it was first touted as a Switch-like console, it’s clear that it’s become something much more, a handheld PC in its own right.
Despite Valve having a history of unsuccessful hardware releases, the Steam Deck is evidently something that is standing out and showcasing the company as more than a software tech giant. With a two-month delay, it seems gamers and the industry on the whole have been patient to see exactly what the Deck can do, and now that it’s out and doing well, it will be interesting to see where Valve goes from here.
Source: Games Radar
