Huge Steam Deck success means “the future of hardware at Valve is bright”, says Valve

by

Among Valve’s ventures in hardware, their Steam Deck portable gaming device has emerged as their most successful product to date, eclipsing the relatively underperforming Steam Controller and the unsuccessful Steam Machines. This handheld platform represents a significant milestone for the company renowned for Half-Life games.

With an increasing number of AAA games tailored for handheld devices, such as the forthcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Valve is placing greater emphasis on hardware development. Although it may be some time before we see a Steam Deck 2, and the company aims to avoid frequent updates, Valve remains optimistic about the future of hardware technology.

Steam Deck success changes Valve’s future 

After a string of lackluster gaming ventures, I’m thrilled to say that Valve has finally struck gold with the Steam Deck platform and its SteamOS software. The years of hard work have truly paid off!

In their latest blog update, the studio shared that there was a significant increase of 64% in the amount of time players spent playing games on their handheld devices last year compared to the previous one. Remarkably, this figure keeps climbing even with some high-profile AAA games being considered too large for the Steam Deck.

Valve’s future in hardware looks promising, as evidenced by the success of products like Steam Deck, SteamOS, and SteamVR. These innovations are providing substantial value to both players and developers, all built upon a foundation of over a decade’s worth of investments in user interfaces, Linux compatibility, input support, custom processors, motion tracking technology, display quality, battery efficiency, and various other advancements.

Valve clarified that “each computer game developer stands to gain from these investments”, particularly since they enable players to “experience their PC games in numerous innovative settings”.

The hardware teams at Valve are thrilled to witness Steam being enjoyed in various settings like homes, airports, backyards, and any place where customers choose to play their collection of PC games.

The achievement of Steam Deck has instigated a significant transformation in the realm of PC gaming hardware. Brands such as ASUS, Lenovo, and others are introducing their own handheld devices, with upcoming products opting for SteamOS over Windows, thanks to the exceptional backing that Valve’s Proton translation layer is receiving.

It’s rumored that even Xbox might be developing a portable gaming device, following in the footsteps of the highly successful Steam Deck. Although specific details about the supposed handheld are scarce, it seems evident that Valve’s triumph has ignited a shift in the market towards portable gaming.

From my perspective as a gamer, Valve’s handheld device is simply incredible, especially in its OLED version. The ability to play countless PC games spanning decades of the medium, along with emulation capabilities for other devices on-the-go, has drastically reshaped most gamers’ preferences. Admittedly, it’s not flawless and there are some titles it can’t run (but that’s when cloud gaming steps in to save the day). All things considered, it’s still an exceptional device for any gaming enthusiast like myself.

Read More

2025-03-14 15:40