Valve has apparently been working on a Nintendo Switch-like portable gaming PC for some time and its release might not be that far away.
According to Ars Technica, multiple sources have confirmed that Valve’s portable gaming PC, currently codenamed “SteamPal”, has been in development for a while. The device is apparently an all-in-one PC with gamepad controls and a touchscreen. Which sounds an awful lot like a Switch, minus the detachable Joy-Cons. Recent updates to Steam even included new hardware-related code for a device named “SteamPal” and “SteamPal Games”.
Currently still in the prototype phase, we don’t know exactly what the finished “SteamPal” will look like, what hardware it will use, if it will have interchangeable parts, or different spec versions/customisability for a bespoke portable gaming experience. So just imagine a Linux Switch with access to your Steam library, for now. Ars Technica does mention that it will be able to connect to larger monitors via its USB-C port, though.
Earlier this month, Valve co-founder and Managing Director Gabe Newell hinted that they would have something unexpected to show off by the end of the year. A portable PC certainly fits that description, but we’ll just have to wait and see. Hopefully it’s not another Steam Machine (RIP).