'The future of hardware at Valve is bright,' Steam Deck and SteamOS lead the charge

Traditionally, we've associated Valve and Steam as the number one platform for PC gaming, where you can access your library of games - new and old. Of course, Valve has been dabbling in hardware for several years, from the Valve Index to its most recent success, the Steam Deck. The Steam Deck isn't the first PC gaming handheld to release. Still, thanks to the console-like nature of SteamOS (regarding usability, features, and efficiency), it's helped usher in a new era for portable PC gaming.

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In 2024, Valve released the Steam Deck, including the Steam Deck OLED variant in Australia - officially bringing the handheld to a new market. In 2024, Valve opened the door to other hardware manufacturers shipping SteamOS on devices like the Legion Go instead of Windows 11. Valve's 'Deck Compatibility' program, which extends to these new SteamOS systems now includes around 17,000 'Playable' or 'Verified' games.

Valve has communicated in the past that it is developing a Steam Deck 2. However, it's waiting on a massive generational uplift in performance and efficiency before it brings the highly anticipated handheld to market. In the meantime, the Steam Deck is growing in popularity. In 2024, playtime increased by 64% compared to 2023 - over 330 million hours.

The most played Steam Deck games from 2024 include Balatro, Black Myth Wukong, Palworld, Grand Theft Auto V, Halo Master Chief Collection, and Stardew Valley.

"The future of hardware at Valve is bright," Valve writes. "Steam Deck, SteamOS and SteamVR are delivering tons of value to players and devs, built on top of a decade of investments into UI, Linux compatibility, input support, custom silicon, motion tracking, displays, battery efficiency, and more."

"Every developer making PC games benefits from these investments, and players can now enjoy their PC games in so many new contexts," Valve continues. "Hardware teams at Valve are delighted to see Steam in the living room, the airport, the backyard, and wherever else customers want to bring their library of PC games."

That last bit about Steam entering the "living room" is worth highlighting, as Valve looks to be ramping up its long-term ambitions for Steam to exist beyond Windows-based laptops and desktops. Recent rumors point to SteamOS getting an official release allowing PC gamers to move away from Windows to a more PC-gaming-focused operating system. Plus, it will enable hardware makers to ship dedicated Steam machines of all sizes.

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