The video game industry is bigger than ever, and more companies want to get in on the action. There’s Netflix, for one. And if recent reports are true, Valve is developing a portable gaming machine that’s similar to the Nintendo Switch.
Per info obtained by Ars Technica, Valve has created a hardware prototype with which Steam users can play games from their library. Features include a touchscreen, gamepad controls, the ability to dock to a larger display, and detachable accessories. And apparently one of the names being considered for the device is “SteamPal.” References to “Nepture” and “Neptune Optimized Games” have also been found in Steam’s code.
Gamers know that Valve is a veteran in the industry, what with being the owner of Steam and games such as Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and the Portal series. It dabbled with gaming machines and controllers in the past, too, albeit without success. Let’s hope Valve gets it right this time.