A new update from Valve has teased that the company is potentially working on a handheld console for Steam games, referenced as “SteamPal.”
The news comes via MP1st, where it’s noted that the recent Steam client beta update has leaked what appears to be plans to tackle the handheld market. A number of references to “SteamPal” were spotted in the data and uploaded to github, with terminology one would normally associate with handheld hardware.
References to a “power menu,” along with system settings noting airplane mode, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth have all been found in the data, along with the name “SteamPal”. Could Valve really be working on a handheld console? Well, it’s certainly hard-to-deny evidence!
Further fuel is added to the speculative fire if you cast your minds back to earlier this month. Valve boss Gabe Newell hinted that Steam games could be coming to console, which fits right in with this news of the “SteamPal.”
Newell attended a Q&A session, where he was asked whether we’d be seeing more Steam games on consoles in the future.
In response, the Valve boss hesitated at first before eventually stating: “You will get a better idea of that by the end of this year.”
Whether or not this statement is related to the alleged handheld Steam console remains to be seen, but it sounds like we’ll only have to wait a few months to find out more!
Are you looking forward to the rumoured “SteamPal” handheld Steam console, or is this the wrong direction for Valve? Let us know your thoughts across our social media channels!
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Featured Image Credit: Valve