Valve’s SteamPal – A Nintendo Switch-like Handheld Gaming PC – reportedly in the works

Reportedly, Valve is working on a portable Nintendo Switch-like device called “SteamPal” that would allow the Steam users to play the part of their game library outside the PC. And with a new report from Ars Technica, some potential details about the project have been revealed. Lately, Steam client beta update revealed references of “SteamPal” (previously codenamed “Neptune”) and menu systems pointing towards a handheld experience. Valve has been working on an all-in-one PC with gamepad controls “on and off for some time”.

Valve’s SteamPal features and specs

At this point in time, there’s nothing sure about the operating system, how powerful its GPU will be, or what type of hardware will be running inside the machine; might be an AMD or an Intel system-on-a-chip. As per reports, “SteamPal” will run Valve’s open-source Linux platform, SteamOS. Despite the fact, Ars Technica said “it would not be surprising” if it ends up supporting window-based games as well.

At the minimum, one prototype is said to be wider than the Nintendo Switch and features the usual assortments of console buttons, triggers, and joysticks and this prototype also includes a touchscreen and Steam Controller-like touchpad. There will also be a way to connect the PC to your monitor through a USB-C connection but still, nothing is confirmed.

Valve has plunged its toe into the equipment waters a few times in recent years. There has been the Steam controller, the Steam connect, the Valve Index virtual reality headset, and different gadgets, so the probability of Valve fostering another handheld gadget for compact PC gaming is quite high.

And yet, despite strong researches and sources by Ars Technica, it would be hard to remove the idea from our head that it could be vaporware. The sources say that it would be available by the end of the year, but we ask you to take these reports with a grain of salt until anything official surfaces on this topic.

So that’s it for this one, let us know your opinion on the “SteamPal” in the comment section, and stay tuned for further updates.