‘Valve is working on a Switch-like Linux gaming handheld’

Valve is working on a gaming handheld that resembles the Nintendo Switch, according to Ars Technica. The device will have a touch-sensitive screen with fixed controllers on both sides. The device may appear later this year.

The device will have controllers on either side of the screen, including buttons, triggers and joysticks. There will also be at least one touchpad that can be operated with the thumb. This touchpad is ‘probably’ smaller than the Steam Controller’s touchpad. The handheld controllers cannot be detached. According to Ars Technica sources, the handheld is “quite wide” compared to the Switch.

Many technical details about the handheld are still unknown. The site does say that the device will probably get an Intel or AMD soc and will be supplied with Linux. There is also a USB-C port to connect the handheld to larger screens. Valve is said to have been developing the handheld for ‘some time’ and may want to present it at the end of this year.

The name of the handheld is also unknown. The handheld may be internally called SteamPal or Neptune. On Tuesday, Valve updated the Steam beta client; Twitter user Pavel Djundik would have found references to a SteamPal device and SteamPal games. The update also mentions a quick access menu, a power menu and games optimized for SteamPal. In a conversation with New Zealand schoolchildren, Valve co-founder Gabe Newell also hinted at the arrival of a Valve console, Ars Technica writes.