As it rarely does, Valve decided to grant an interview to the journalists of The Verge. The engineers confide in the future of the Steam Deck, their portable console which is experiencing a small success.
With with Steam DeckValve finally seems to have found the recipe for success in video game hardware to exploit its Steam platform.
The portable console competing with the Nintendo Switch has indeed been a success since its launch, with several months out of stock and tight flow. A much better success than Valve’s previous attempts with its Valve Index VR headset, or its Steam Machines home consoles.
The firm’s engineers accepted an interview with The Verge to discuss the console and its future.
A console even easier to repair
One of the strengths of the Steam Deck is the ability to easily disassemble the product. Valve sells spare parts on its site to be able to carry out repairs.
In a future evolution of the Steam Deck, Valve would like to offer an easier to replace battery. This component is one of the few in the console that is difficult to disassemble today. This requires advanced design, as it is a very sensitive component that should not move during normal use of the product.
The 2nd Generation Steam Deck
The Verge was able to directly ask the question of a new version of the Steam Deck. It shouldn’t be a more powerful “Pro” model than the first Steam Deck. Indeed, Valve engineers want to focus instead on the autonomy and the screen of the device.
We should therefore have the same kind of evolution as with Nintendo Switch Oled.
Currently, the fact that all Steam Decks can play the same games and that we have one goal for users, so that they understand the level of performance they can expect when playing, and for developers, so that they understand what they should be aiming for… there is a lot of value in having this single specification.
Valve should therefore keep the same level of performance for the different models for the time being. The change in power will happen when the gap is significant.
The Steam Deck screen was one of the weak points of the product. With a 1280 x 800 pixel 60Hz IPS LCD, there are plenty of things Valve might improve on. We can imagine even an increase in frequency, a switch to Oled or a reduction in the borders around the display.
Frequent updates
For console owners, there’s one thing that sets it apart from Nintendo, PlayStation or Xbox products: the frequency of updates. Valve engineers very regularly propose adjustments to improve the experience. To the point of giving the impression of having a console in beta, not really stable.
According to the engineers, the frequency of updates will be maintained, even if the experience must reach a level where it will be stable for a maximum of users. Buying a Steam Deck is therefore buying a constantly evolving product.
Steam home consoles?
With the success of the Steam Deck, can we expect a return of the Steam Machines, home consoles running on Steam OS. It’s kind of in the works, since SteamOS 3 will be offered to PC manufacturers who can develop this type of console.
On the other hand, Valve should not manufacture its own console model. Again, the firm does not want to scatter and wants to focus on the only Steam Deck. In the meantime, there remains the possibility to turn a PC into a console yourself.
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