The Steam update apparently revealed a “console” from Valve -apkrig
Two weeks ago, Gabe Newell visited Sancta Maria College in New Zealand to discuss with students. Asked if console games would ever appear on Steam, he answered vaguely, but not dismissively. “You’ll get a better idea by the end of this year,” Newell said, adding that it would be a matter that no one seemed to expect. The reason we repeat the two-week-old statement – whose record, by the way, has disappeared from social networks – is the discovery of dataminers who have delved deeper into the content of the latest update for Steam. SteamDB founder Pavel Djundik believes he found clues to a SteamPal device, came across the string SteamPal Games, and several times Valve programmers used the Neptune label in connection with parameters to shut down or restart the device, or to turn on the airline. mode or by suppressing Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Valve’s „Neptune“ controller shows up in latest Steam client beta again.
It’s named „SteamPal“ (NeptuneName) and it has a „SteamPal Games“ (GameList_View_NeptuneGames)
— Pavel Djundik (@thexpaw) May 25, 2021
Based on this information, a debate quickly erupted as to whether Newell’s strange statement was related to the discovery and, most importantly, what were they going to do in Valve? There are many possibilities, but we are beginning to agree with President Valve that this will be something unexpected. Considering that Steam should check the connectivity of the device (flight mode, Wi-Fi), that it is possible to restart it on command, or to have specific menus displayed, we can probably rule out a connection with a standard PC. A separate device – probably a handheld – that could be connected to Steam’s own library and play individual games seems more likely. on the road. Of course, the question remains whether it would be a device that would be able to run games autonomously, or a handheld designed to handle streaming gaming via one of the available platforms.
„neptuneGamesCollection“ first appeared in September update.
That update also added „Device Optimized Games“ string.https://t.co/TzM5EMbPKP
— Pavel Djundik (@thexpaw) May 25, 2021
Even here, however, the possibilities branch out, because in the case of a dedicated device, players would sooner or later encounter performance limitations and in the case of a nice display – even with controls like in the case of the Switch – players would not get a better alternative to what they have long had – mobile phones. Probably the craziest is the idea that Valve would like to start producing his own game console with a closed ecosystem, respectively. specific requirements for the development of specific titles, but we are still talking about Valve, and one cannot be sure of anything at all. But going back to the idea of a stand-alone device with its own computing power, last September, according to Pavel Djundik, the strings “neptuneGamesCollection” and “deviceOptimizedGames” appeared in the Steam update, which would probably correspond to the considerations for a stand-alone device and suspicious in this respect, a hitherto unspecified developer program called Callisto also seems.
However, we must not forget the Valve hardware explosion with its concept of Steam Machines mini computers, the evolution of which could become SteamPal. After all, it has been less than six years since the first pieces of Steam Machines appeared on the market and during that time the technology has advanced, as well as the miniaturization itself. But again, we would have to talk about price, different performance models, and hardware vendor support if SteamPal is not closed. consoles in the given sense. In the end, there was an attempt at a handheld Steam Machine – it was called Steamboy, it was supposed to cost $ 300, but it was never realized or mass-sold. Well, let’s be surprised, judging by President Valve’s remarks, the unraveling of this plot may come in the coming months.
