Valve asserts that its upcoming Steam Deck is a fully-functioning PC that looks and feels like a console, meaning it can play Xbox titles such as the highly anticipated Halo Infinite - and potentially more. Tehe Steam Deck's design is very similar to that of the Nintendo Switch, and it's seemingly been confirmed that players can do virtually whatever a computer can do on the powerful new handheld.
Valve announced the Steam Deck with no lead up outside of some slight industry rumblings, surprising the vast majority of the gaming community on Thursday. The console is already being compared to the heavily rumored Nintendo Switch Pro, a beefed-up version of Nintendo's popular console that has failed to materialize. The Steam Deck will give players the experience of a gaming PC on the go starting at $400 for a 64GB option and topping out at $650 for a massive 512GB, on top of other extras for the premium price.
According to IGN's Ryan McCaffrey, the Steam Deck functions just like a PC, and that goes beyond just game performance. This means it can use apps outside of Steam, which, in theory includes the Xbox desktop app. At the very least, games like Halo Infinite will be available on Steam this year, which means this could work as a bit of a handheld Xbox. There were rumors of an Xbox and Valve partnership just earlier in 2021, so there's a chance that Xbox could bring Game Pass to Steam or even build an Xbox app specifically designed for the Steam Deck.
This would be a pretty smart move, as Xbox has been trying to find ways to make its platform more portable and ubiquitous. So far, Microsoft has invested heavily in cloud gaming with decent success, but having a reliable, purpose-built console that can natively play games on the go could be a game-changer. If Xbox can leverage Valve's tech without having to do much work itself, it would be a great way to not only boost revenue, but expand its offerings to even more people.
Valve founder Gabe Newell previously teased the Steam Deck, though few expected what was announced Thursday. The idea of playing Xbox games like Halo Infinite on the go is an exciting concept for obvious reasons, and that prospect only sweetens the pot. With Valve seemingly gearing up to develop the fabled Half-Life 3, it could make the Steam Deck not just an accessible PC alternative, but potentially a killer app.
Source: Ryan McCaffrey/Twitter