Valve is planning to make a Steam video game console claim insiders-Adam Starkey-Entertainment – Metro

Valve’s first controller didn’t pick up Steam (Valve)

Following the popularity of the handheld Steam Deck, rumours suggest Valve is planning to make another attempt at launching a console equivalent.

Despite being one of the biggest game companies in the world, thanks to its Steam storefront, Valve has surprisingly not become a major player in the hardware business.

As well as their own VR headset, the company made a play for the living room back in 2015, with the Steam Machine concept, which involved gaming PCs running SteamOS and were intended to offer a more accessible, console-like experience.

They proved an instant flop though and were completely discontinued by 2018. However, it seems Valve might be preparing to give the concept a second shot following its more successful handheld, the Steam Deck.

The first rumbles of a new Steam system emerged on Reddit via coolbho3k, who spotted an internal test within the Steam Deck operating system for a new device codenamed Fremont. While it isn’t clear what the device is, the testing of the HDMI CEC port led to speculation that it could be some kind of console.

Brad Lynch, who is known for Valve orientated leaks, has since supported the rumours, claiming that Quanta Computer, the manufacturer behind the Steam Deck, has been giving feedback on this new device.

Showing his findings of various other mentions of ‘Fremont’ within firmware updates, Lynch suggests it is likely a home console which connects to a TV, but not a hybrid system like the Switch.

Steam Machine might be making a comeback (X)

‘All references to Fremont ensure checks for a full-size HDMI Type-A port you’d seen on TV-focused consoles and other desktop computers that don’t have a dedicated GPU with its own HDMI ports,’ he wrote on X.

Last week, Lynch claimed a new Steam Controller was also in the works, codenamed Ibex, which was ‘being tooled for a mass production goal in their factories’. He later posted a low-quality render of the rumoured controller pulled from Valve’s SteamVR drivers.

While Valve hasn’t announced anything regarding a new Steam controller or console, it certainly sounds like the company is at least experimenting withnew hardware, which would make sense after the Steam Deck

The company is also rumoured to be working on a new standalone VR headset codenamed Deckard, but given Valve is known for constantly starting new projects but rarely finishing them (which is why there’s still no Half-Life 3), nothing is guaranteed until it’s actually announced.

Interestingly, next year marks the 10th year anniversary of when Valve announced Steam Machines, Steam Link, and the Steam Controller, which has led to speculation that the company might be planning a similar wave of hardware announcements in 2025.

If true, the big question is whether new Steam Machines would fare better in the modern console market. With current PlayStation and Xbox consoles steering ever closer to PCs in architecture, there’s a chance Valve could break-in by leveraging the connectivity to Steam and the huge amount of games available on the store.

It’s important to note, however, that while the Steam Deck has clearly been more successful than Valve’s past consoles, it hasn’t achieved mainstream popularity. According to Valve, the handheld console has only sold ‘multiple millions’ of units as of November last year. By comparison the Switch has sold almost 150 million.

A new Steam Controller might be on the way too (X)

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