Steam Deck just the beginning for handheld gaming PC category, says Valve

Steam Deck being played
(Image credit: Valve)

Will Steam Deck be a one off? While that question is hard to answer before units have even reached early buyers’ hands, it seems that Valve has ambitions to make more handheld gaming PCs in the future, even if other companies don’t rush to join them.

“We are hopeful that this category becomes an actual category where there are multiple choices within it,” Steam Deck designer Greg Coomer told our sister site PC Gamer. “We intend to continue making devices in this product line.”

You may want to take this pledge with a pinch of salt, given the company’s patchy history of supporting hardware, but the ambition is there for now at least. And the company is hopeful that they won’t be the only ones building handheld PCs optimized for gaming.

“We also think it makes sense for other people to fill this space,” Coomer continued. “So, if we're right about that, then there will be more choices within the category, where other manufacturers are participating, making handheld PC gaming units themselves, and calling them something else.”

It’s not surprising that Valve would want this, given it would take the pressure off the company while driving more people to the Steam store front. But it’s less obvious what other hardware developers would get out of it.

The aggressive $399 starting price for Steam Deck is something that Valve president Gabe Newell previously described as “painful” but “critical”. Valve can afford to take a hit on hardware, because the assumption is that buyers will then spend more money on the Steam storefront, where Valve takes a 30% cut on every sale. For the likes of Razer, Alienware and other PC hardware makers, money would have to be made on the hardware alone which would be a tall order with Steam Deck so competitively priced. 

Still, if any hardware makers do take up the challenge, there are plenty of things they could do to differentiate themselves. Reducing the size would be something with some appeal, given the current model dwarfs the Nintendo Switch and every other handheld ever made as the tweet below demonstrates, but that’s just scratching the surface.

“Somebody might want to, for example, make a version of this highly tuned for long battery life and streaming games from another PC,” Coomer continued, describing this as “a pretty interesting” possibility. “And, you know, it's just one version that we're not planning to do right away, that somebody else might want to… Lower cost, higher battery, very different architecturally, technically."

While it’s still possible to reserve a Steam Deck from Valve directly, the initial allocations have long been snapped up, and buyers will have to wait until “after Q2 2022” for their units to arrive

Alan Martin

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.

Read more
Lenovo AMD event
We may never get a Steam Deck 2, and I’m okay with that — here’s why
Lenovo Legion Go 2 on colored background
Lenovo’s Legion Go 2 is my most anticipated gaming handheld of 2025 — but this one thing has me worried
Asus ROG Ally X running SteamOS
3 upgrades I want to see from gaming handhelds in 2025
Acer Nitro Blaze 11 on a gold background
Acer Nitro Blaze 11 is a new Steam Deck competitor with detachable Nintendo Switch-like controllers
Tom's Guide
I’m finally giving handheld gaming PCs a chance this year — but it won’t be on Steam Deck
Asus ROG Ally X
Xbox handheld reportedly being made with Asus — all to take on Steam Deck
Latest in PC Gaming
Half-Life 2 RTX
I just went back to Ravenholm in Half-Life 2 RTX — Nvidia’s new RTX remix tech makes it 10x more terrifying
Nvidia ACE
I played with Nvidia's AI NPC prototypes — now they're real, and I fear I'll never finish a game again
Half-Life 2 RTX demo from Orbital Studios
Nvidia launches RTX Remix with new tools to help modders upscale old games with DLSS 4
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
Where to buy AMD Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT — I recommend these retailers in US and UK
Alienware Aurora R16
11 insider tips to make your games fun faster (without a new GPU)
nvidia rtx 50 series
Where to buy RTX 5070 Ti — live updates and stock checker
Latest in News
CAD renderings of the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
Pixel 10 leak could be good news for all Android phones
A magnifying glass on top of the Steam logo in a web browser
Valve just pulled a malicious game demo spreading info-stealing malware from Steam
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Scuderia Ferrari looks on during Sprint Qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, China, on March 21, 2025. (Photo by Song Haiyuan/Paddocker/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
How to watch Chinese Grand Prix 2025 online – stream F1 without cable, qualifying highlights
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Saturday, March 22 (#650)
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 — 7 biggest questions that need answers at Nintendo Direct April 2
John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction
7 best gangster movies, ranked — and where you can stream them