
A few weeks ago, Valve boss Gabe Newell said the Steam giant had something planned for console gaming that fans would learn more about later this year.
At the time, an obvious guess was more games, but it seems this might not be the case. According to an "exclusive" from Ars Technica's Tech Culture Editor, Sam Machkovech, the PC video game company responsible for titles like Counter-Strike, Portal and Dota 2 is reportedly gearing up to announce a "Switch-like" device.
A recent change in Steam's code refers to it as the "SteamPal" and it follows on from the discovery of the "Neptune Optimized Games" string, which began appearing in Steam's code last September and was assumed to be some type of controller. Ars Technica's exclusive confirms the SteamPal is indeed "true" and will be an "all-in-one" portable PC with gamepad controls and even a touchscreen.
"In other words, it looks and functions like a Nintendo Switch (albeit without removable "Joy-Con" controller functionality)."
The "Switch-like" properties extend to an option to apparently "dock" the system to larger screens via a USB Type-C port.
"The SteamPal's Switch-like properties will include the option to "dock"...I don't have firm details on exactly how that connection will work or whether Valve has any plans for an eventual SteamPal dock."
As for specs, the "SteamPal" will supposedly be a system on a chip coming from Intel or AMD, but not Nvidia. And it's been "built with Linux as a likely target" - to continue Valve's push to make its library fully compatible with the open-source OS. The source also says there's a chance of a Microsoft Windows deal.
In terms of the rumoured system's design, the prototype is "quite wide compared to the Nintendo Switch", with the extra space used to accommodate 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). The SteamPal's touchpad is likely smaller than the pair of touchpads that came standard on every Steam Controller."
The device is also expected to feature a d-pad, but as it's still in the prototype stage, the entire kit is subject to change. Other details like battery size, storage capacity, cost or if Valve will release multiple SKUs also remain unknown.
The author signs off with the following line, reaffirming the device's existence and suggesting Valve could change its mind at any moment given its past history.
"I can confirm the device's existence and development, and I can point to Newell's very loud hints that something console-related will be announced later this year, but Valve is still in a position to change gears (pun intended) at a moment's notice. The company could either delay or outright cancel this portable gaming PC project for any number of reasons. As we learned from a massive 2020 report on the development of Half-Life: Alyx, Valve loves to create, incubate, and then cancel things."
Do you think a device like this could have an impact on the Switch market or perhaps even Microsoft's Xbox Cloud service for mobile platforms? Leave your thoughts down below.
[source arstechnica.com]
Comments 102
A portable device where I can play steam games on the go?
Like a laptop?
If the price is within a reasonable range, this is basically a day one buy for me. The most boring part of PC gaming is dealing with all the updates and settings and etc. But Nintendo doesn't need to worry, as long as they have Zelda and Pokémon I'll be here (Swith Pro is also a day one buy for me)
Huh, I might actually get this depending on price point and battery life. My entire Steam Library on a portable Switch-like device? Yes please!
Less than $500 with the entire Steam library on the go?
Nintendo will of course keep their exclusives, but I think people will have all the indies on this device. A potential GamePass will sweeten the deal even more!
You know, for idiots like me who don't like to play games on PC, this is perfect, and for under $500(?), I'm on board with this.
Sign me up!
NINJA APPROVED
If only there was a portable gaming system they could use already out there with a large install base…
I give it as much chance of success as the Steam Machine.
Yeah. I’d hit that.
It'll be touted as the "Switch Killer" by all the major mainstream tech outlets and new sources. It's gonna play all the best AAA games on Steam from 5 years ago and older! It's gonna be an amazing piracy... I mean emulation machine! It'll run everything from Commodore 64 to PS2 and Gamecube!
And it can be yours for only the bargain price of $1999.99!
Nintendoomed!
Now that the Smach Z is vaporware, it make sense for Valve to create a replacement Steam handheld. Of course for those who had the money, powerful portable gaming PC already exist such as the AYA Neo, the ONEXPLAYER, and the GPD Win 3 all which came with advance Intel Tiger Lake processor built-in for playing the latest and greatest PC games in the world on the go or at home. Hopefully it won't take ages for this one to come out.
Smach Z, the original Steam Boy is now vaporware.
GPD Win 3 is bound to be the best portable gaming PC ever with a few minor flaws.
Half-Life 1 & 2 for Nintendo Switch.
It could legitimately be a good idea. Although there are a lot of games which pretty much require a mouse or keyboard so it might cut out just a bit too much of the library.
I hope this time they don't make the mistake they previously did when marketing the Steam Machines solely to console gamers and having multiple of those things from different PC makers sold commercially
This should just be one device and it definitely sounds tempting on the premise that there are still a lot of big AAA games that either can't run on Switch that well or just haven't shown up at all, in addition to the interfacing of the Steam Controller being suited for both console and PC gaming with the types of games that necessitate mouses and keyboards
@nessisonett You can remap the controls for PC games to work with a controller on Steam. I did it for a few games and it worked fine. If you don't feel like setting the controls yourself you can download controller layouts created by other users on Steam too.
I am on board with this. I can buy steam games on the go without having to build a PC
@Tourtus Well yeah but try playing Europa Universalis with a controller. It’ll be a nightmare!
Unlike all those $800+ Android gaming smartphones with $200+ JoyCon-like controllers, this product actually sounds somewhat appealing if it is built and priced well.
I expect this product to be marketed as a PC companion device rather than its own platform - which means it won't have any exclusive content - so I doubt this will become a mainstream success like the Switch or previous Nintendo handhelds. However, if Valve executes correctly, I could see the SteamPal finding a solid niche rather than fizzling out like the ill-fated Steam Machines.
I have a feeling this is going to be too expensive for me, but I would love one if it's decently priced.
Sounds cool, but it would be a side gaming thing for me. Whenever I look at the game libraries of random friends I've made on PS4 vs Switch it always reminds me why I like Switch so much. PS4 players almost always have Call of Duty, Madden, FIFA, the endless 2K sports games that all have the same name, and a smattering of Fall Guys or one of the crappy Need for Speed games or something (I like the new remake on PS4 Pro with the choice of 60fps). But on Switch people have tons of interesting games on their list of recently played games, such as Mario, Zelda, Mario Maker 2, Smash Bros, Pikmin 3, Splatoon 2, the Taiko no Tatsujin games, Hollow Knight, etc. I guess I just don't understand why so many people want to play game systems (exclusively) that don't have any Nintendo games on them!
The more handhelds on the market, the merrier; the One Xplayer and Aya Neo currently have my interest:
@xxx128 I'm the opposite, just got over 500 games on that platform right now, not throwing all that out the window. I even got a 10tb hard drive so I could back up all my physical, Steam, Origin, Uplay, EGS, and GamePass PC games all in one package. Whenever I want to play a game I like I'll just copy and paste them to my 256gb USB stick, load them to my 1tb GPD Win 3 or 2tb gaming laptop and game on.
@Thatsalie I didn't say anything about being scared though?
Valve has come a long, long way since 2015 when they introduced the Steam Machines. Proton, the compatibility layer that allows Windows games to work on Linux, may surprise many at how many games can actually be played on Linux. I would absolutely look into this.
If this or any other console like product that Valve may or may not produce, at least for me, would basically relegate Nintendo consoles for Nintendo properties only.
@yuwarite @Hikingguy Just keep in mind that a majority of these powerful portable PC could only support up to 720p at 30fps (going 60fps will need to be dropped to 540p or 480p or face lags) and had 3-5 hours of battery life. Most overheat at around the 2 hour mark. At that rate you basically had the same graphics and performance quality as the Switch but with the worst battery life and MSRP. Only get these if you already had a large library of PC games or want to take the experience with you to kill some filler times otherwise these are terrible for very long trip.
The perfect time for Valve to have released this product was in 2017. A PC companion handheld would have been a solid disruptor in the gaming space at that time, as the Switch was a new and unproven platform with few exclusive games and an uncertain future, while the 3DS had been showing signs of fatigue since 2013/2014.
Now, the Switch is one of the most successful game systems of all time, with a big selection of very popular if not outright enormously successful exclusive titles. The upcoming Switch Pro revision also looks to rival the SteamPal in specs, which removes the one big advantage the this device would have against the Switch.
@Ghost_of_Hasashi
I have always been a console gamer. My Switch is docked 98% of the time. Despite owning most of the handhelds over the years, I have never been much of a portable gamer and I have never been a PC guy either, until very recently.
However, if the entire industry is going to force me to go digital, then it must be a two way street.
Steam allows me to carry my entire library of games over to whatever device Steam is playable on. I do not want to keep re-buying the same games over and over just to make them playable on a company's new console.
As long as it can be docked or they just forgo the "Switch" aspect of it, portability matters nothing to me. Just give me a Steam console that would compete with the other consoles that would allow me to carry my entire video game collection over to whatever Steam console/device I choose.
Like I said, this digital world goes both ways. If they want me to forgo physical, then I want to be able to carry my entire game library forward.
Now if by my some marvelous event Nintendo allows me to have access to all my digital content that is associated with my Nintendo account spanning the Wii/WiiU/Switch on their next console, then I would have to reconsider.
Sometimes the convenience of a consoles under the TV is worth some trade offs. I can still have a PC somewhere else.
I will still buy the new Nintendo console for Zelda or Splatoon or other Nintendo properties. But 3rd party games, I am finding that more and more I am choosing to buy them on Steam.
"In other words, it looks and functions like a Nintendo Switch (albeit without removable "Joy-Con" controller functionality)."
So, a Switch Lite?
@Ghost_of_Hasashi The videos alone literally prove most of what you said wrong. None of them overheat, and no, they are far more graphically capable than the Switch, even at lower TDP settings. Battery life depends on your TDP; at 15w, you're looking at 2 hours in a game like Red Dead Redemption 2 (720p 30fps).
@Hikingguy Nice icon!
And great points. It's the reason I stopped going with Sony. Once CMOS dies, I can't access my games, period. Waste of money. At least with Nintendo I believe the Switch's CMOS is flash-based, so it should have a much longer shelf-life than the Sony stuff. As far as PC goes, it's the best platform for backwards compatibility, and barring exclusives a good PC can play anything, which is why I mainly game on that. Just finished a rousing game of Demon's Souls on my PC. Love that game.
Anyway, I hope at some point Nintendo offers a way to carry forward it's full library. I'm surprised they don't make something like "NintendOS" that can just keep getting updated as new hardware comes out, and we can play new and old games on a single, updated console.
NINJA APPROVED
@HalBailman I think the reason Steam Machines failed is because they didn't fully commit to them, and had too many different hardware manufacturers so it lacked any consistency. Plus, the simple HDMI port on every PC was their competition. Why use a Steam Machine when you could just use your existing hardware? Made no sense. But a portable Steam Machine? Hey, if the rumor bears fruit and the price is reasonable, I'm all in. Then I don't have to wait for all the games I want to be ported to the Switch.
@BloodNinja I really hope Nintendo does do something like an OS they can just keep updating kind of like Windows already does, and we can carry our game libraries forward to each new system. The fact that they've unified their home and handheld stuff into one console now that's probably not going to change what kind of media it plays anymore (I can't see them going back to discs) makes me hope maybe it'll be the case.
@BloodNinja It took a lot to shift my perspective away from being a console gamer to consider a PC for play games.
The industry wide move to digital is what basically did it.
In the past I could live with new hardware because of the physical media. But with digital content, any excuses from companies not planning ahead to make it possible to allow me to play my entire game library associated with my account is not satisfactory anymore.
I’d seriously be interested in this. Ever since the Switch released, I’ve been playing handheld 90% of the time (I never thought that would happen). Another option beyond PS5 and XBOX, neither of which I’m terribly excited for yet, is as good thing too.
Steam Pal. Kinda reminds me the Shower Buddy.
Not sure why this is called a "Switch like device", as there has been portable PCs (not to mention other handheld devices with docking) way before Switch even released. This sounds very much like GPD Win (although with Linux), first of which released back in 2016.
I understand that it's a natural comparison, but calling it "Switch-like" implies that Valve is just copying Nintendo's success and that the console has borrowed unique features like Switch's detachable controllers. Nothing I've read implies that's the case.
Can't say I'm not interested, but it does feel years too late to me. I'm so committed to the Switch library now, I'm pretty sure I own more Switch games than Steam games and have barely bought any Steam games since Switch released.
@yuwarite I am saying that from the perspective of you actually using them as a modern gaming system similar to the Switch, if you use em to just do normal PC stuff, as an emulation box, or running weaker software then you'll get better battery life and performance and low heat awareness. The real struggle comes when you're playing high end games like you GTA V, Street Fighter V, and Doom Eternals.
This is a very interesting rumor. Kinda hope it’s true, I just might get it if the price is right.
Hell yes! Switch just keeps Dissapointing. Nintendo are becoming fat and lazy as they always do when they sniff success. And what normally happens? A newcomer sneaks up behind them and pulls their trousers down. Nintendo have a long and turbulent history.. And learn northing.
Here me out but this sound more like a vr headset than a switch competitor and if you look at this along side some recent valve pattens created it looks like its going to be a wireless vr headset and those controller/s sound like they could be a new version of the knuckles
About time. I suppose what held them back before has been that it takes a lot to combine enough power with small size, a good screen and a low enough price.
The big problem I see for devices like this is games being designed towards higher end PC hardware all of the time, so wouldn't something like this just have the same issues as Switch in not being able to run new games? Except Valve don't have their own to fall back on
Day one for sure! I don't care too much about price, I just hope the spec is decent enough and the battery can hold up.
Man, my steam library on the go?? That might be day 1 for me
(albeit without removable "Joy-Con" controller functionality).
So just a handheld. Not a Switch-like. Please stop posting these clickbait titles. (it doesn't "Switch")
And there are tons of handheld gamedevices right now. Even PC based (GDP Win). Also Steam machnes were never a success.
Despite my relatively brief and compromise-filled experience with GPD Win, it would definitely be neat to have a more portable machine for my Steam collection, and Switch format inspiring other official hardware could never be bad news overall (we can only enjoy PSP and Vita because Game Boy happened and printed money)...
If the original ArsTechnica article wasn't crediting the usual "multiple sources familiar with the matter". I've said it many times, internet tabloids: names or GTFO.
@sanderev The source cited in this piece literally calls it a "Switch-like" device.
@nhSnork If they had to give names, then the sources wouldn't talk. This isn't unique to the video game industry; NDAs exist everywhere.
@sanderev so is the Switch Lite just a handheld and not a Switch either?
So would this be a SteamOS device only?
How many games are currently on that version if so?
To me this is an attractive option but it'll probably be way too expensive for me to justify. Also, what about evolving PC tech and games that need the more powerful PC tech?
@Damo that's obvious and I've addressed it repeatedly as well - if these sources exist and can't talk without giving names, the most reasonable thing for them is to shut up and not risk their jobs and careers for the brief excitement of addicted nerd crowds with tidbits everyone sane can live without and has no practical use for. It's the very obviousness of this anonymity's sources that raises eyebrows the highest - multiple news outlets practically admit to preying on conscious contract breaches in the industry they cover and already receive perks like review copies from, and then some folks still have the nerve to continue calling them "respectable sources" afterwards? From Bloomberg to ArsTechnica to - nothing personal, folks - Nintendo Life, building news coverage on ephemeral fake-prone rumours and on industry corruption are equal respect drainers, and the excuses that "everyone here does it" sound about as legit as a proverbial Soviet factory worker's about stealing bits and pieces from work for their home needs.
They can save themselves embarrassment and just release an app on the Switch.
@nhSnork From the way you speak, you'd assume this was exclusive to the games industry, but this is how much of the media works. Conversations are had, information is shared, names are withheld. As for the legitimacy of such leaks, that's down to the judgment of the site in question when it comes to coverage, but if we were a site that purely reported on official PR, it would be pretty boring, no?
I usually think stuff like this is clunky so I’ll wait till the show it.
Trololol: You don't need a Switch anymore to play all those Steam-games on the go, you just can buy the "steam machine"!
But seriously, its very hard to get in the playing field with a new device. The playing field is of course Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft. They all tried, they all failed.
With valve having over 120 million current monthly active users (as of last year), If they get the power/ battery/ price right it could do really well. Hell I have over 300 games on steam, if I could play them anywhere I'll definitely buy it. And I don't think this doing well has anything to do with the big 3 console companies, it doesn't need exclusives, just access to steam.
Valve works on everything.... except games.
Valve + hardware = forget it....
It's gonna fail watch.
Old rumour, the original title was "Steamboy" but it caused too many complications license wise .
Edit: back when Nvidia Shield released Steam was looking into something similar, via what ended up as SteamLink. The tech to stream was easier to produce at the time, than a steam machine aimed at the "lower end" specification (that constituted 60% of Steam users). They do metrics and surveys on their whole eco system.
From Valve all I want is a FULL Halflife collection on Switch
PLEASE
If it's comfortable & affordable I'll get it. There are a lot of games on Steam that I want to play but just don't like playing them on PC/Laptop.
@NineTailSage an awful lot (everything with controller support and even more with partial support), i've used SteamOS on my big TV since 2013, your PC is basically your console, with the option to switch OS and use mouse and keyboard. There was a massive surge in PC gaming (U.K) around that time as the consoles ALL under delivered.
Give me a steam based hybrid, between £250 - £450 and I'll jump right in.
Always wanted to try World of Warcraft mobile but not sure how i will be able to communicate with other players without keyboard
The entire Steam library will never be compatible with Linux. I wish more games were, since Vulkan is getting more popular.
But depending on how it turns out, I'm more than interested in a handheld Steam player!
I'd love Steam to produce this, if only for all the Switch critics to see how much their fantasy upgrade specs actually cost in real life. Anything below £1000 would be impressive
Knowing valve this will be way to expensive for most.
So I can finally play the latest third party titles on the go? Count me in
There is no way all Steam games will actually be able to run in this SteamPal. System requirements are still a thing.
@GrailUK you're not wrong there!
I had a look at the GPD, One-Netbook, and Aya devices the Ars Technica article referenced to double-check the prices. Goodness me those devices are ugly! They're like the old UMPC devices from 10-15 years ago, just larger
I'm only interested if games work out the box. I enjoy PC gaming (PC is my second platform after Switch), but currently it's the antithesis of the Switch. Whereas Switch is perhaps the most accessible console ever made, PC gaming still suffers from unexplained crashes, compatibility issues, need to set up / calibrate a lot of things, etc. If all of this can be streamlined in Valve's device I'm all for it, but will believe it when I see it.
If it releases I'll sell my switch for one. I've played everything I wanted to on switch and it's most likely too weak to play future games at 60fps so I'd definitely prefer a portable steam machine.
Unless it's basically a steam remote play/link streaming device in which case it's dead or arrival
I really can't see a handheld PC selling for less than $1000 which will greatly limit its appeal.
Did someone say Codename STEAM?
The Sony PSP was a handheld that could output to television via a cable and didn't have detachable controllers or a dock. Therefore this rumoured handheld is definitely more like a PSP than it is a Switch.
@Heavyarms55,
Yes Switch killer confirmed,.
@Hikingguy Yep, I 100% agree with you on that. It took some learning, but after seeing Nintendo close off a shop it made me stop spending so much this gen.
@Giygas_95 I hope they do it, too. It would be the easiest solution to the game preservation issue.
I can't see how this could work. Most steam games are best with a mouse and keyboard.
@Ghost_of_Hasashi Those are literally the games featured in the videos that perform at 60fps even at lower TDP settings, and provide 2-3 hour battery life. People want these devices so they can play games like those on the go; where those games either aren't available on Switch or perform worse on Switch. Also, for PC gamers, these devices give them a way to play their PC games library on the go, instead of having to rebuy the games for Switch. And again, there objectively is no overheating situation with none of them. I have a GPD Win Max, so I know from experience how good these handheld PCs have gotten in recent years in regards to thermals, performance and battery life compared to older models like the GPD Win 2. With mobile x86 SoCs and APUs getting better every year, and with the market demand for handheld gaming, these handheld PCs are here to stay for the forseeable future.
I love hand held gaming and devices, but I think I have enough gaming systems, both console and handheld....that said, I think this could be an impulse buy for me or credit card reward purchase...
@Arkay *A portable device where I can play steam games on the go?
Like a laptop?*
Well said especially a Gaming Laptop will blow any handheld portable out of the water. It's bigger but if you want serious Steam game a gaming Laptop is the way to go. It's less portable but steam is about power gaming not ineffective gaming.
@Fighter_Hayabusa I can't see how this could work. Most steam games are best with a mouse and keyboard.
So Correct and Right on so many levels steam games are best played on M/K setup. Why breaks a good system. It's called Cash Grab when they haven't done their homework. Think of the support they will have to get for those hardware/software updates on it. It's not easy or cheap so if they are thinking this will be a cheap they better think again.
This is a repeat from every year since like 2011. I've been to Valve HQ ... both times I was at "The International" it wasn't hard to get an invite ... and they have a HUGE hardware division that seems to be where good ideas go to die. It's worse then Microsoft in that they release fantastic hardware then don't market it.
Remember the Steam PC? Gaming PCs that were like half the price of other PCs that ran SteamOS?
Remember the Steam Link? I got one of these from them for free and it's one of the most useful and high quality pieces of tech I own. It allows you to use your PC remotely over LAN, and has custom hardware to do video encode / decode so it's faster and doesn't take up PC resources. Have the PC in my office and stream it lag free to my TV. I got basically no production run.
The Steam Controller? TWO Steam phone porotypes, one with the Steam Link tech built in so you could use it as a second screen, one that ran SteamOS. Then they had this HUGE deal with Razer to produce ... something? Nothing every got released despite already paying Razer.
They had a few handheld porotypes on display back then, basically similar to the Shield. So yeah, it's pretty much a given that Valve is developing something like this AND that it will be awesome seeing they have the best engineers in the world (this isn't like a bias thing or magic ... starting pay at Valve is EASILY twice what it be anywhere else for the same position).
But we'll never see it. Not until TI is back in Seattle and you can find a way into HQ.
@jamesthemagi gamepass is not available on linux and this device will apparently run a fork of linux
I'll take 3, thanks 👍🏻
@Mr-Fuggles777 The Switch lite is a Switch that doesn't Switch. So if you would be 100% correct, then this Valve handheld will be "Switch lite like". Then you could also say that a GameBoyAdvance is "Switch lite like"
@Damo repeating someone else's mistake doesn't really make it better.
@SwitchForce "steam games are best played on M/K setup"
Not true at all. Firstly, most/all of the big AAA multiplat games on Steam have controller support.
The ones that don't, or are built specifically only for KB/M, can use the excellent Steam Input mapping utility, which is basically the best controller mapping utility of all time. When a game doesn't support controller, natively, you'll see a prompt like this:

And then you simply select a template best suited for it, of which the community have already provided 1000's of templates for:
Couple more images of the controller mapping utility:
@yuwarite I so wish every developer would use steaminputAPI. It's basically the best controller software ever made. I'm really happy sony decided to wise up and use it for days gone and horizon zero dawn.
As long as they don't make the mistake of having them be Linux based again like they did those Steam Machines, I think there's promise here.
@jamesthemagi I'd hold off on the "Entire" Steam library part. Valve has been pushing Linux-based as their OS of choice for projects like this for a while and, as such, has a LOT of tooling that allows both Windows and Linux games to run on Linux without a lot of user intervention. That said, games like CoD: Warzone, Star Wars: Squadrons, and so many more that utilize kernel-level Anti-Cheat (EasyAnti-Cheat, Vanguard, BattleEye, etc) do NOT work through this tooling as they require access to the Windows OS kernel.
So unless the device became popular enough to justify a Linux port, then there would remain a lot of games with Anti-Cheat unplayable outside of a Windows device.
I'll stop there and not go into my rant about how BAD running any non-critical software in an OS kernel is. There's a reason that game consoles, Linux OSes, MacOS, and iOS don't allow it
@Brady1138 Chances are they probably will. Linux-based is not the issue, market share and perception is.
This is more of a matter of getting people to buy the handheld device which, depending on price, is probably the smarter move. I'd love to play many of my Steam games on the go or docked. Add in that Steam has its own built-in local and internet streaming tech AND GeForce Now uses that tech for streaming a user's Steam games. It's a smart move on Valves part and more likely to get adoption.
If it does get adoption, be sure that the ports will come along with it.
Also, since 2017/18 Steam has had a layer in the SteamPlay feature called "Proton" that allows users to play Windows games on Linux with a click of a button. It's not always 100%, especially where Anti-Cheat is concerned, but it works really really well a vast majority of the time.
@EagleDelta2
What you talking?
The Switch runs off of IOS (Input/output system) which is completely proprietary, closed source, and owned by Nintendo.
The Wii U used a 3rd party OS developed for the system in the MULTI development environment. The custom work was required for the two screens.
The Wii and DS family all used IOS.
So no, most of Nintendo's systems are not "Linux" based, it's Nintendo based ... unless you want to pull an oracle and try and argue that maybe it's Linux based because at some point a Linux programming environment might have been used or try and say that because some FreeBSD code shows up that means it's Linux! Yeah no. Because your IO handler uses a Linux driver doesn't mean your OS is now Linux.
@HeadPirate
If the kernel is Linux, then the OS is linux-based.
If the kernel is BSD, then it's a BSD OS.
If the kernel is WinNT, then it's Windows.
Etc.
The KERNEL defines what the core of the OS is, NOT the name of the OS. Android is STILL Linux because it runs off the Linux kernel. THAT'S what defines if something is Linux or BSD or Windows or UNIX based, not some arbitrary name or proprietary code.
If the Switch uses a Linux Driver for hardware, then the kernel IS Linux. Drivers HAVE to be written for the specific kernel. There's a reason I can't run Windows software for managing a gaming mouse/keyboard/etc through WINE on MacOS/BSD/Linux/etc - because the driver was written for WinNT and NOT for Darwin, BSD, Linux, etc.
Even if it is NOT Linux/BSD-based, the point still stands. It looks to be a UNIX-based OS of some sort (or at least POSIX compliant), which still proves my point that the OS doesn't actually matter to developers. It's the adoption rate and the issue with Steam not using Windows is purely a perception and expectations issue that centers around Steam == PC and CANNOT be anything else. If enough people bought something like the SteamPal (or whatever), then devs would make games compatible with Linux (or at least Proton) so they could reach that market.
@Damo that's exactly your problem, guys - the tabloid fear of becoming "pretty boring", even though you're covering a massive commercial fiction and entertainment industry with plenty of news (not just announcements, but merch, notable fanworks, etc) and tons of content far beyond (the subject of multiple feature articles here where NL really shows some true worth as a video game site). Using anonymous leaks is acceptable in some subdomains of journalism (as a Belarusian, I can think of and have previously referenced a few) and pathetic in others, but ten times the latter when it comes to covering entertainment. Anonymous VG rumours are either fakes or figuratively smuggled data, tertium non datur - and neither has any practical value for audiences beyond exciting, confusing or sometimes outright trolling an equally anonymous hydra-headed addict crowd called "fandom" (people outside which don't even often frequent VG newsblogs, let alone base their plans and spending forecasts on internet rumours)? Is it worth coaxing any supposed industry people at all into a risk of career blacklists? Is being boring more dreadful for a semihobbyist publicistic venue than being ridiculous? Heck, Thomas just posted another Bloomberg reference and even mentioned "our own resources", equally unnamed. That's not even funny anymore.🙄
@Arkay No this would be more like a GPD Win 3, Aya Neo or One Xplayer.
@Heavyarms55 Leaks saying it's $400. You sound strangely defensive.
@Pancakes555 Not defensive, skeptical. Because there's been a bunch of so-called Switch killer portable PC type things and Android devices and they've all been touted as these amazing devices that are gonna change the industry and blah blah blah. And then you see that it only streams with a constant internet connection and/or plays games for last decade and Android mobile titles or relies on pirated roms for it's cookie cutter emulator collection and then we see the price and even the cheap ones coming out of China are still like 800 dollars. So for a device made by Valve I would expect it to be outrageously priced to live up to their claims.
If it's actually 400 dollars and works well, this one might actually end up being a good device. And if it actually does end up being a good device at a reasonable price point - then I'll happily take all the "I told you so" smug replies. Competition is a good thing and Nintendo doesn't have much realistic competition in the portable gaming market right now. Your options are Switch, or phones and tablets and portable PCs that range from double the price of the Switch on the low end, all the way to like 2500 dollars for some devices.
There's nothing on the market that even comes close to the Switch right now in terms of software support and price range. A healthy rival would be a good thing. I just seriously doubt we're gonna see one from Valve.
@Heavyarms55 I agree. Nintendo having competition in this space would be great.
To be honest I'm not even sure how much of a direct competitor to the Switch it would be. I think it will be a competitor, but it's going to be more geared to people that are already PC gamers that want to play their Steam libraries portably.
I don't think anyone is saying anything like "Switch killer" or whatever. These devices can both exist.
But yeah that's why it needs to be something like 400 dollars. These other portable PCs can't compete at all due to the price alone, let alone other factors.
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