An early version of the Steam Controller.
Nearly a decade after introducing an ill-fated line of Linux gaming PCs dubbed “Steam Machines,” PC gaming giant Valve is reportedly trying its hand at hardware again — with its own handheld gaming computer a la the Nintendo Switch.
That’s the word from Ars Technica’s Sam Machkovech, who claims to have multiple sources attesting that Valve has been working on such a device: a touchscreen, touchpad, button, trigger, and dual-joystick-equipped portable that’ll likely run Linux and an array of specially optimized Steam titles. It should have the ability to dock, a la Nintendo Switch, via a USB-C port, too. Ars suggests it could arrive as soon as the end of the year.
It appears to be called SteamPal, or Neptune, according to a recent code…
