Valve is reportedly readying to enter the hardware market once more, this time with a new “Switch-like” handheld gaming PC that could potentially launch by the end of the year.
That’s according to a report by Ars Technica, which expands on the recent discovery of a new hardware-related code – referring to a mysterious device known as “SteamPal” – in the latest version of Steam. Citing “multiple sources familiar with the matter”, Ars Technica claims this device (whose final name remains unconfirmed) is a new Valve-developed all-in-one portable gaming PC that features gamepad controls and a touchscreen in a similar form factor to Nintendo’s Switch, albeit without detachable controllers.
SteamPal, or whatever it ends up being called (obviously, not calling it the Gabe Boy would be a serious missed opportunity), is reportedly designed to run a large number of games on the Steam PC platform via Linux, and can “dock” to a monitor via its USB Type-C port.
Ars Technica says Valve’s handheld is still in the prototype stage, with features subject to change. However, it’ll likely include a system on a chip from Intel or AMD, and at least one prototype, said to be “quite wide” compared to Switch, sports “a standard array of gamepad buttons and triggers, along with a pair of joysticks and at least one thumb-sized touchpad”.