Valve planning on releasing Switch-esque handheld gaming PC

[Chimpzy]

Exclusive: Valve is making a Switch-like portable gaming PC

We can confirm some, but not all, of what's in store for the codenamed "SteamPal."

arstechnica.com

After the HTC Vive/Valve Index, the ill-fated Steam Controller and the even more DOA Steam Machines, seems like Valve is set to make a new bid in gaming hardware.

This time with a portable pc gaming platform that is supposedly going to be called SteamPal, a market which already has some fairly impressive competition from Chinese OEMs like the GDP Win 3, Aya Neo and a few others. Of course, none of those have anywhere near the resources a giant like Valve could bring to the table. Nothing is yet known of what kind of specs or features this SteamPal will have. It's still in prototyping, so a lot can still happen, including Valve deciding to nix the project altogether.

Still, kind of interesting to see a big player like Valve enter this field. Handheld pcs have been around for a while now, mostly used as emulator boxes, but mostly just with a very niche audience of enthusiasts, since these things tend to be pretty pricey compared to more conventional (handheld) consoles and gaming pcs/laptops.

 

[CriticalGaming]

Another cool idea project doomed to fail.

does anyone still have the Steam controller?

 

[BrawlMan]

Another cool idea project doomed to fail.

does anyone still have the Steam controller?

Never bought it in the first place. All I can say is that this is a disaster waiting to happen, again.

 

[CriticalGaming]

Never bought it in the first place. All I can say is that this is a disaster waiting to happen, again.

If only they would just make Half-life 3, people could actually like them again.

 

[Chimpzy]

Yeah, not sure how much of a chance I'm willing to give this. Not much of one, I think.

I mean, they can never put in potent enough hardware to run modern AAA with any kind of performance cuz the thing would just spontaneouslty combust. They could keep it more modest, turn it into an indie machine that can also do a bit of AA and older AAA, but then why not just buy a Switch instead, which already does that reasonably well and also gives you access to Nintendo's franchises. They could find a middle ground maybe, but that would quickly up the cost, meaning the audience for handheld consoles would likely be out, while most pc gamers would probably just invest that money in better desktop hardware instead.

 

[SilentPony]

So what happened to Valve? All these bullshit devices, gimmicks, Steam is a garbage fire, and they can get a bunch of goodwill back just by making Left 4 Dead 3, and Portal 3.

 

[Bedinsis]

Sidebar: I think it's fair to say that the Nintendo Switch is a success. Why hasn't there been any competing devices?

 

[laggyteabag]

does anyone still have the Steam controller?

I have one!

A bit dusty, though.

 

[CriticalGaming]

Why hasn't there been any competing devices?

I think it's because Nintendo's dominated the handheld market for so long, and other companies that have tried to get in on it haven't been worth the effort like the PSP and Vita.

The Switch is capable of being a handheld, but in reality it's really not. It's a console that can be handheld for a little while and I feel like that interchangability has garnered it's success because Nintendo doesn't much care about making big AAA-blockbuster games.

Whereas Sony makes big bombastic 4k games that need consistant power to run.

And Microsoft...I don't know what Microsoft does to be honest.

 

[Bedinsis]

I think it's because Nintendo's dominated the handheld market for so long, and other companies that have tried to get in on it haven't been worth the effort like the PSP and Vita.

The Switch is capable of being a handheld, but in reality it's really not. It's a console that can be handheld for a little while and I feel like that interchangability has garnered it's success because Nintendo doesn't much care about making big AAA-blockbuster games.

Whereas Sony makes big bombastic 4k games that need consistant power to run.

And Microsoft...I don't know what Microsoft does to be honest.

Actually I was thinking of Apple going "Oh hey, this iPad model is like a regular iPad but focused on gaming". Or perhaps more realistically one of the other tablet computer manufacturers having a go at it, since I don't think Apple would do it.

Of course, breaking into the gaming business has been a challenge for several companies and many have failed and lost a lot of money in the process. And they probably see this separate product for gaming as an anomaly in these times of all-in-one-devices, so marketing it that way would probably be encouraging people to view their products along a paradigm they'd rather leave behind and think it will be left behind in the future either way. And without some really enticing games consoles do not sell, so to be successful they'd have to pay out big money to strong studios, which would cost even more.

On another note: Is the Switch battery life poor?

 

[CriticalGaming]

Actually I was thinking of Apple going "Oh hey, this iPad model is like a regular iPad but focused on gaming". Or perhaps more realistically one of the other tablet computer manufacturers having a go at it, since I don't think Apple would do it.

Apple already has tablets that are fairly capable machines. But if nobody is going to develop serious games for the platform there is no reason to create a platform. And mobile gaming's business model does not support creating good content, it supports creating throw-away-gambling-esque content.

So it's not worth the business investment for most companies and likely it isn't going to be worth the investment for Valve either because this thing either will never come out, or be absolutely worthless when it does.

On another note: Is the Switch battery life poor?

Yes, 2 or 2.5 hours of battery life tops.

 

[laggyteabag]

On another note: Is the Switch battery life poor?

Yes, 2 or 2.5 hours of battery life tops.

This is about right, but it depends on what you are playing, and what model of Switch you have.

If you are playing something heavy like Breath of the Wild on the release model, you shouldn't expect more than about 3 hours. If you are on the Lite, this can be a bit longer at about 4 hours. My girlfriend's Lite consistently beats my release model.

The new model of the regular Switch supposedly can be as good as about 5 hours.

There are some more considerations too, like screen brightness, and battery deterioration - though I can still get a good few hours in some light indie games, on my release Switch.

I don't really have any complaints.

 

[CriticalGaming]

This is about right, but it depends on what you are playing, and what model of Switch you have.

If you are playing something heavy like Breath of the Wild on the release model, you shouldn't expect more than about 3 hours. If you are on the Lite, this can be a bit longer at about 4 hours. My girlfriend's Lite consistently beats my release model.

The new model of the regular Switch supposedly can be as good as about 5 hours.

There are some more considerations too, like screen brightness, and battery deterioration - though I can still get a good few hours in some light indie games, on my release Switch.

I don't really have any complaints.

Mileage varies across models, but none of them are great. Basically the mobility is a novelty for the system and not really the true intention of the console itself. I guess some mobility is better than none though, and future models could make lots of improvements.

 

[laggyteabag]

Basically the mobility is a novelty for the system and not really the true intention of the console itself. I guess some mobility is better than none though

See, this is actually where I disagree.

The main appeal of the Switch for me, is entirely the mobility. Aside from when I have some friends over, and we are playing Jackbox games on the big screen, I almost never play on my Switch in docked mode. A lot of Switch games run at really low, often sub-HD resolutions, just to keep a stable framerate. Stretch that image across a huge TV display, and that is just a recipe for blurriness. On the smaller integrated screen of the Switch itself, these imperfections are much less noticeable.

And then you look at the library of games, and, well, why would you ever want to play most of them, on the Switch, in docked mode? Who really wants the Docked Switch's Skyrim experience, when you would get a better experience on one of the many Skyrim-compatible devices that you likely already own? Most of these ports, I would wager, were made with portable mode in mind, first.

Not to mention that the Switch Lite exists, which is a console that cannot even be docked.

Honestly, if the Switch couldn't be undocked, I wouldn't have even considered getting one.

 

[meiam]

The Switch is capable of being a handheld, but in reality it's really not. It's a console that can be handheld for a little while and I feel like that interchangability has garnered it's success because Nintendo doesn't much care about making big AAA-blockbuster games.

It's the opposite, its an handheld (can be played on its own with internal battery and integrated screen but poor performance) that can be hooked to a TV to act as a "console". If the switch is a console then the vita also is a console since you could also hook it to a TV.

As far as valve device, valve as cash to burn but they don't really know what to do with it, so that's why they keep trying stuff just for them to fail for obvious reason. As far as "portable PC dedicated to gaming" I know a couple of tablet maker tried to make some and none ever really took off.

 

[Hawki]

does anyone still have the Steam controller?

I never bought it.

It was obviously a load of hot air from the start.

 

[CriticalGaming]

snip

snip

See the problem for me, is that the system really shines when on my TV while I'm using a pro controller. I feel like the portability and those shitty joycons are extremely lackluster. So as a result I don't even think of the system as being portable. Hell I forgot I even had a Switch that i could have brought to the hospital during my recent issues.

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

...and that's what makes the Switch so popular: it's so dual use that different people can use it in drastically different ways and they are still largely satisfied.
Heck, I basically never play undocked and my roommate never plays docked.

I don't think Steam's gonna be able to break into that with its hilariously bad quality control

 

[09philj]

Sidebar: I think it's fair to say that the Nintendo Switch is a success. Why hasn't there been any competing devices?

In order to compete you'd need a product that would be worth buying, and not just worth buying, but worth buying in Japan. The Land of the Rising Sun's still the biggest handheld market and you'd need a meaningful selling point that's relevant to that country's consumers.

 

[Gordon_4]

I’ve seen devices like these reviewed on Linus Tech Tips. They already exist. Steam’s might even take off in a small way since they’re the name in PC Gaming and all that.

Outselling or supplanting the Switch though? Not a likely prospect.