A group of playable Steam Deck prototypes floor as a part of a launch occasion for the gaming handheld in Asia, documenting how the design has advanced since mid-2019. Snaps of varied fashions documenting the evolution of the handheld have been shared on Twitter by Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais, a member of the Steam Deck staff, following the moveable PCs look at the Tokyo Game Show (alongside a further not-so-portable replica).
While most of the models are visually comparable, all that includes twin thumbsticks and sloping entrance edges, for instance, there are some notable variations between them. One mannequin seen in the center of the lineup has attracted consideration due to its clear design and round trackpads, paying homage to these featured on the now discontinued Steam Controller.
what may’ve been pic.twitter.com/ljf2uhhU8T
— Edward WHPT IV (@EdwardViaTomato) September 12, 2022
Griffais additionally demonstrated that very same mannequin running an unverified model of SteamOS and the preliminary boot sequence of Half-Life 2 (minus any precise gameplay), confirming that almost all of the prototypes are nonetheless purposeful. While debatably the most aesthetically pleasing handset of the lineup, Graffais mentions its flatter design “taught us a ton about consolation” and that the Picasso APU inside it solely supplies about half of the graphical prowess of the customized AMD Aerith APU inside the remaining Steam Deck design.
The better part is that they (principally) all nonetheless boot, serving as an thrilling reminder of how far issues have come since.
This one has a Picasso APU, at about half of the GPU energy of the remaining Deck. The flatter ergo was an attention-grabbing experiment and taught us a ton about consolation. pic.twitter.com/yLwTtDDYlo
— Pierre-Loup Griffais (@Plagman2) September 12, 2022
This is certainly one of the first (if not the first) instances we’ve seen early variations of the Valve handheld being dealt with at a public occasion. Some pictures of prototypes and numerous moments inside the design course of have already been documented inside a free e-book that was launched by Valve in August 2022, although none of the fashions featured inside the lineup posted by Griffais make a notable look.