More teasers appear for upcoming Valve hardware

I posted too fast on the initial article...

https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2023/09/linux-updates-tease-valve-galileo-and-sephiroth-steam-deck-refresh-or-new-vr/comment_id=249460


Last edited by Mohandevir on 8 September 2023 at 3:38 pm UTC

it's gotta be project deckard, i'm just trying not to get my hopes too high but i tend to love valve hardware-steam controller, index, and of course steam deck !

SteamDeck-based-standalone-VR pretty please.

Really hoping for a new VR kit. My Index is starting to show it's age, would love to upgrade it.

Could it be both? Steam Deck refresh and the same refreshed board in the Deckard?

I want a Steam Controller 2 that has the same control layout as the Steam Deck.

im kind of surprised Valve have not jumped on the glasses as a giant HD TV screen thing yet plugged into the deck.

https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2023/05/nreal-air-and-steam-deck-together-quite-mind-blowing/

Something like that, but affordable and not requiring a specific prescription to be made in order to get them to play nice with people who wear glasses. Not everyone wants a bulky VR headset, but a HD 70 - 120" in front of your face laying on the couch or in bed at night requiring just one cable to the deck would be pretty cool if priced right.

i "think" these types of devices can still do 3D i.e. depth perception or can be used as a dual monitor (with some slight tracking to look left and right ??) Now a real 3D image even if its not tracked like in VR would look amazing. I don't want 'AR' or any of that other jazz and no cameras or microphones on the damn thing.

Im too old to jump around with a VR headset on and im not even that old.


Last edited by Lofty on 8 September 2023 at 3:23 pm UTC

Valve, give us a Steam Deck 2 which also would be Thor's new legendary hammer against evil M$ empire!! Steam deck 2 and Thunder!!! For Odin!!! for Asgard!!! if Valve make this wish come true for us, we the noble Linux warriors will heed the call and buy a golden Steam deck 2 - even it would mean a environmental bankruptcy for us!!!So let us hope for the best.

im kind of surprised Valve have not jumped on the glasses as a giant HD TV screen thing yet plugged into the deck.

https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2023/05/nreal-air-and-steam-deck-together-quite-mind-blowing/

Something like that, but affordable and not requiring a specific prescription to be made in order to get them to play nice with people who wear glasses. Not everyone wants a bulky VR headset, but a HD 70 - 120" in front of your face laying on the couch or in bed at night requiring just one cable to the deck would be pretty cool if priced right.

i "think" these types of devices can still do 3D i.e. depth perception or can be used as a dual monitor (with some slight tracking to look left and right ??) Now a real 3D image even if its not tracked like in VR would look amazing. I don't want 'AR' or any of that other jazz and no cameras or microphones on the damn thing.

Im too old to jump around with a VR headset on and im not even that old.

I feel like thats too niche of a product for an already niche product.

im kind of surprised Valve have not jumped on the glasses as a giant HD TV screen thing yet plugged into the deck.

https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2023/05/nreal-air-and-steam-deck-together-quite-mind-blowing/

Something like that, but affordable and not requiring a specific prescription to be made in order to get them to play nice with people who wear glasses. Not everyone wants a bulky VR headset, but a HD 70 - 120" in front of your face laying on the couch or in bed at night requiring just one cable to the deck would be pretty cool if priced right.

i "think" these types of devices can still do 3D i.e. depth perception or can be used as a dual monitor (with some slight tracking to look left and right ??) Now a real 3D image even if its not tracked like in VR would look amazing. I don't want 'AR' or any of that other jazz and no cameras or microphones on the damn thing.

Im too old to jump around with a VR headset on and im not even that old.

I feel like thats too niche of a product for an already niche product.

Probably yea. Maybe il wait for a 3rd party vendor to make one.

Probably standalone VR device (codename Deckard), it's been long time rumored. I remember there was rumor of Half-life game (codename Citadel), a sequel to HL: Alyx, probably launch/demo title for new VR device, just like Aperature Desk Job was demo game for Steam Deck.

I don't think we should get our hopes up too much for a new device or devices. It may just be a minor revision to the Steam Deck hardware. Deck was code named Jupiter, and Galileo discovered the big moons of Jupiter / a space probe sent to Jupiter. Deck's SOC was code named Aerith after a character from Final Fantasy 7, and this is named Sephiroth who of course kills Aerith in FF7.

We are also approaching the time in the Deck's life cycle where initial supply contracts may be expiring and new contracts for a refresh of the SOC with power consumption improvements and lower costs might be possible.

SteamDeck-based-standalone-VR pretty please.

Would be interesting to have this running SteamOS as well. Get all that VR love on the Linux side from Valve!

Bruce Gardiner just said[...]

Bruce Gardiner the professional ice hockey player?!

Bruce Gardiner just said[...]

Bruce Gardiner the professional ice hockey player?!

Oh crap! Yeah! That guy must have left an eternal imprint in my subconscious! I meant Bryant Gardiner. Sorry!

Thanks for correcting me!


Last edited by Mohandevir on 10 September 2023 at 1:16 pm UTC

I'm the guy who predicted Deckard when Steam Deck launched simply using logical observance, deduction, and considering the hardware achievements of Valve. Steam Link -> Steam Controller -> Steam VR Controllers -> Index VR Headset -> Steam Deck ... Deckard.

I agree with @mad_mesa ^^^ my best guess is that it's a Steam Deck Episode I ;P Steam Deck Episode II or maybe Steam Deck 1.5.

Valve was very cautious making Steam Deck and wasn't even sure how popular or much of a market it would draw. I think they are pleasantly surprised, hardware contracts are probably expiring and the available chips on the market may be changing -- and they may be keen to do some minor hardware upgrades.

Prediction:
A. They will do away with the glossy screen entirely -- and go to Etched Glass.
B. They will upgrade the joysticks to be more wear resistant
C. Bigger Battery / Better battery life.
D. They might bump the resolution to 1920x1200 (Although I have no personal problem with the 1280x800.
E. OLED screen to conserve more power and for brighter use in daytime spaces (bus stop, etc...)
F. Thinner screen bezel. (that black boxy border around the screen)
G. Slightly smaller size (Similar to how the original Xbox had those big controllers at first and then the next iteration was more refined and slightly smaller)
H. Next Bump up of the CPU/GPU -- it would most likely be very similar.
I. More RAM.
J. More accurate touch screen.
K. And obviously -- better Wifi Module (Steam Deck v1 Wifi Module doesnt play nice with all routers and was a PITA requiring reflashing from recovery4.img and on all my 5 decks)
L. Oh, and of course all the NVME would get bumped up to the faster speed, 64bg would be replaced by 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB options (as 1TB 2230 NVME is a thing now, technically 2TB is aswell, however they usually skip a generation of top tech to keep costs affordable.)

I would really be curious to see them shrink it by 10% or 15%.

It would be a total banger too if as part of their new WIFI they made it possible to do 4-8 player LAN over WIFI without a router with 1 of the decks acting as the "hot-spot".

I could EASILY see Steam Deck parties where PC gamers get together and LAN in person on the couch, this is a space that is untapped and dripping with maple syrup.

Oh and lastly, improved CPU/GPU cooling.


Last edited by ElectricPrism on 8 September 2023 at 11:13 pm UTC

I'm the guy who predicted Deckard when Steam Deck launched simply using logical observance, deduction, and considering the hardware achievements of Valve. Steam Link -> Steam Controller -> Steam VR Controllers -> Index VR Headset -> Steam Deck ... Deckard.

I agree with @mad_mesa ^^^ my best guess is that it's a Steam Deck Episode I ;P Steam Deck Episode II or maybe Steam Deck 1.5.

Valve was very cautious making Steam Deck and wasn't even sure how popular or much of a market it would draw. I think they are pleasantly surprised, hardware contracts are probably expiring and the available chips on the market may be changing -- and they may be keen to do some minor hardware upgrades.

Prediction:
A. They will do away with the glossy screen entirely -- and go to Etched Glass.
B. They will upgrade the joysticks to be more wear resistant
C. Bigger Battery / Better battery life.
D. They might bump the resolution to 1920x1200 (Although I have no personal problem with the 1280x800.
E. OLED screen to conserve more power and for brighter use in daytime spaces (bus stop, etc...)
F. Thinner screen bezel. (that black boxy border around the screen)
G. Slightly smaller size (Similar to how the original Xbox had those big controllers at first and then the next iteration was more refined and slightly smaller)
H. Next Bump up of the CPU/GPU -- it would most likely be very similar.
I. More RAM.
J. More accurate touch screen.
K. And obviously -- better Wifi Module (Steam Deck v1 Wifi Module doesnt play nice with all routers and was a PITA requiring reflashing from recovery4.img and on all my 5 decks)
L. Oh, and of course all the NVME would get bumped up to the faster speed, 64bg would be replaced by 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB options (as 1TB 2230 NVME is a thing now, technically 2TB is aswell, however they usually skip a generation of top tech to keep costs affordable.)

I would really be curious to see them shrink it by 10% or 15%.

It would be a total banger too if as part of their new WIFI they made it possible to do 4-8 player LAN over WIFI without a router with 1 of the decks acting as the "hot-spot".

I could EASILY see Steam Deck parties where PC gamers get together and LAN in person on the couch, this is a space that is untapped and dripping with maple syrup.

Oh and lastly, improved CPU/GPU cooling.

And a pony! Can't forget the pony.

All hardware Valve makes are not totally new inventions, rather variations of devices other companies have made before. With that in mind, I bet people will think, Ah, one of those.

Unpopular opinion:

I think it's too soon for a standalone VR headset for PC games (rumored as Deckard), unless Valve expects developers to specifically target Deckard. But you won't be able to play current gen PC VR games on it.

The Steam Deck has awesome performance, but for portable VR (like the Quest) we need 3664x1920 resolution and at least 72fps. The problem is that the Quest has it's own low spec library. Deckard has to be able to run VR games intended for a (high end) PC (because that is what people have in their Steam library)

That said, I still hope it's Deckard, but I expect the slightly upgraded Steam Deck.


Last edited by spacemonkey on 9 September 2023 at 6:17 am UTC

And a pony! Can't forget the pony.

You are mistaken, that was Vermin Supreme who promised everyone* a (free!) pony.

Here is a video proof wherein it is also explained that the ponies are part of a Federal Pony Identification program, where you will need your pony with you at all times.

*restrictions may apply, U.S. citizenship may be mandatory, eligibility may depend on election results