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Technology

The new Backbone One is the USB Type-C mobile controller to play them all, and it’s available now – Windows Central

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  1. The new Backbone One is the USB Type-C mobile controller to play them all, and it’s available now Windows Central
  2. Backbone is making some tweaks to its excellent mobile game controller. The Verge
  3. Backbone Holiday 2023 Lineup Includes Updated Universal USB-C Controllers for iPhone 15 and Android, New Backbone Cases, and More – TouchArcade Touch Arcade
  4. This Official Backbone One Carrying Case Is Sleek and Convenient Yanko Design
  5. The Backbone One PlayStation Edition controller for Android is a near perfect gaming companion Chrome Unboxed
  6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Technology

How to activate Bluetooth on your Stadia controller

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Google is turning off its Stadia cloud game streaming service on January 18th, 2023, but it’s giving the wireless Stadia controller a second chance as a Bluetooth controller that can be connected to PCs, Macs, phones, and presumably other devices, too. The change won’t happen automatically; it’s a manual process that can’t be reversed. What’s more, you only have until December 31st, 2023, to do the switch to enable Bluetooth wireless. After that date, any unconverted Stadia controller will still work as a wired USB gamepad, but it’ll be locked out of playing games wirelessly.

I’m going to walk you through the process for converting your Stadia controller by using Google’s browser-based tool.

  • Make sure your controller is charged above the 10 percent level. (It won’t let you proceed until it has enough charge.)
  • Open Google’s Stadia controller update tool in Chrome or Microsoft Edge. (Signing in to your Google account isn’t necessary or even possible to complete this process.)
  • Click the start button in the Switch to Bluetooth mode section. You’ll be prompted to agree to Google’s terms of service. (Agreeing is the only option that lets you proceed.)

a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin [&>a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-white md:text-30″>Allow the browser to verify the controller

  • Next, you’ll need to allow your browser to verify the controller. Click the Allow Chrome to verify button.
  • This will cause a small drop-down window to appear in the top-left corner of your browser. Your Stadia controller should be visible. Choose the Connect option.

At this point, the tool will show you a set of button commands that are necessary to press in order to allow the Wi-Fi to Bluetooth conversion to transpire. Here are the button prompts in order:

  • First, unplug your controller. In the instructions, Google notes that if it turns on again, you should hold the Stadia button for four seconds to force it to shut down.
  • Hold the options button (it looks like an ellipsis with three horizontal dots) while plugging in the controller. The instructions note that the status light underneath the main Stadia button should remain unlit and that you should try the process again if it turns on.
  • Finally, press the same options button, plus the Google Assistant button (featuring four differently sized circles) just beneath it along with A and Y. That’s four buttons in total. (The instructions say there won’t be a rumble or any kind of controller feedback.)

a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin [&>a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-white md:text-30″>Allow the browser to download the Bluetooth mode update

In order to install the update, you’ll have to once again select your controller, following a similar process from earlier.

  • Hit Allow Chrome to download.
  • Select Connect within the drop-down window in your browser. This time, it may be listed as SP Blank RT Family, Stadia Controller, or USB COMPOSITE DEVICE.

a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin [&>a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-white md:text-30″>Allow your browser to install the Bluetooth mode

Once again, the next step has you allowing the browser to install the update. Select the controller (it could go by any of the names listed in the previous step) for the final step that enables Bluetooth.

a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin [&>a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-white md:text-30″>How to connect to devices via Bluetooth

To connect your Stadia controller wirelessly to devices over Bluetooth, hold the Y and Stadia buttons simultaneously for two seconds, and the status light will flash orange to indicate that it’s in pairing mode. Google notes that, once it’s paired to a device, it’ll auto-connect to the last paired device when turned on.

Correction January 17th, 4:42PM ET: A previous version of this article incorrectly mentioned that Stadia controllers that miss the December 31st, 2023 update window will be useless. However, they will still work as wired USB controllers.

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Technology

Google Stadia celebrates shutdown with controller update, new game

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Enlarge / Like it never even happened.

Aurich Lawson / Getty Images

Google Stadia is scheduled for execution this week. The service dies on January 18, and while there will be tons of spurned developers and hours of lost game progress in its wake, the shutdown of Stadia is going about as smoothly as it can go. After refunding every game purchase made on the service, Google is now responding to calls to open up the service’s controller so that it can function as a generic Bluetooth device after Stadia dies. In a post on the Official Stadia forums, a community manager wrote on Friday: “Next week we’ll be releasing a self-serve tool to enable Bluetooth connections on your Stadia Controller. We’ll share details next week on how to enable this feature.”

Having the controller live a second life is one of the last things people were asking for from Stadia’s shutdown. As a Stadia product, the controller took the unique approach of connecting directly to the Internet over Wi-Fi, rather than the usual route of connecting to whatever device you’re playing from and then to the Internet. Supposedly, this was a way to shave a few milliseconds off the lag inherent in game streaming. Nothing else in the world uses a Wi-Fi video game controller, so once the Stadia servers shut down, the controller was going to turn into e-waste. It was technically useable as a generic controller if you plugged it into a computer via USB, but nobody wants a wired controller anymore.

Enlarge / The Stadia controller is well-liked, and maybe we’ll see a fire sale soon.

Google’s product listing was always upfront about the controller having a Bluetooth chip in it, though it noted that “no Bluetooth Classic functionality is enabled at this time.” All the parts are there to save the controller from the trash heap, and now Google is promising a firmware update to do just that.

In our Stadia review, Ars’ Senior Gaming Editor Kyle Orland called the controller “one of the highlights of the Stadia launch package,” saying it “boasts a solid, well-balanced weight; comfortable, clicky face buttons and analog sticks; quality ergonomic design on the d-pad and shoulder triggers; and strong, distinct rumble motors.” Stadia sales were far below expectations, and these controllers have been piling up in warehouses for years—all Stadia controllers show the date of manufacture on the back, and all known models were made in 2019 during the initial manufacturing run. The controllers were originally pulled from stores after the shutdown announcement, but now that they are getting a second lease on life, we’ll be looking for a fire sale.

  • Stadia’s last game, Worm Game. Look at how blurry and ugly this looks.

  • Oh… I just hit 600mb/s on a speed test, so I don’t think this is me, but whatever.

  • Snaking around. The lag is awful.

  • The menu text is another example of how blurry and ugly this looks. It doesn’t really go away ever.

Google announced not only that the controller would be getting an update, but also… a new game? Yes, on Friday, with about four days left to live, Stadia got a new game. It’s called Worm Game, and it was used as a test platform to develop Stadia. You can play it right now for free! Here’s how Google describes the game:

Play the game that came to Stadia before Stadia came to the world. Worm Game is a humble title we used to test many of Stadia’s features, starting well before our 2019 public launch, right through 2022. It won’t win Game of the Year, but the Stadia team spent a LOT of time playing it, and we thought we’d share it with you. Thanks for playing, and for everything.

Worm Game is just a clone of the classic game Snake. It’s a top-down view of a snake that can move in four directions, you grow each time you eat an apple, and the goal is to not hit anything. Worm Game is actually a great reminder of why Stadia was such a bad service. I gave the game a shot, and it immediately told me my 600mb/s connection was “not stable.” The game was also blurry the entire time, like a low-resolution YouTube video. The lag inherent in game streaming makes a quick-reaction game like Snake feel awful, and you spend a lot of time trying to figure out how early you have to press a button to execute a tight turn. This simple 2D game is probably only a few MB, and any device could install it in under a minute or run it directly in a browser with no install at all. Instead, streaming it over the Internet will use up gigabytes of data. Just compare Stadia’s Worm Game to the version embedded in Google Search, and the “native” search version is so much nicer.

As for a few other Stadia odds and ends: If you have any data on the service, some games let you move your game data to other platforms. 9to5Google has a great rundown on which games support data export. Phil Harrison, the former Microsoft and Sony executive who joined Google as “VP of Stadia” is still technically employed at Google. Unless Google has some other gaming project he could take on, you have to wonder what his future is at the company. Maybe we’ll see an announcement about that Wednesday.

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Technology

This New Switch Controller Revives Nintendo’s Best Controller Ever

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NYXI, a gaming peripheral controller maker, recently announced a new third-party controller for the Nintendo Switch. The design is not only reminsicent of the WaveBird — aka the best Nintendo controller ever — but the company claims that this controller will never get Joy-Con drift.

The NYXI Wizard Wireless Joy-Pad is a wireless controller that features an array of customization, including two remappable back buttons, in addition to interchangeable joystick rings. You could, for example, use a round joystick to play racing games or put an octagonal joystick circle on the controller when you are about to play a fighting game. NYXI claims the battery life is roughly 6.5 hours on a single full charge.

One of the biggest selling points for the Wizard controller is the claim that it will not suffer from Joy-Con drift. NYXI claims it can achieve this because the Wizard uses a Hall Effect joystick. For quick context, Hall Effect joysticks use a magnetic system meaning that the joystick never physically touches the sensor itself. With Joy-Con drift one of the biggest ongoing issues with the Nintendo Switch, this controller certainly appeals to those looking for a solution to this issue.

The NYXI Wizard is available right now on NYXI’s website and costs $69.

NYXI Wizard Wireless Joy-Pad

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.



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Technology

NYXI Reveals A GameCube-Inspired Switch Controller With No Drifting

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Peripheral brand NYXI has revealed its latest Nintendo Switch wireless joy-pad, dubbed the NYXI Wizard.

Directly inspired by the Nintendo GameCube, the joy-pad features Hall Effect analogue sticks to eliminate drifting, along with interchangable joystick rings, a turbo function, illuminated ‘ABXY’ buttons, and an ergonomic, slip-free design. It goes without saying, of course, that the controller also functions as a set of joy-con; simply slide the two sides from the pad and whack them directly onto your Switch.

Here’s a list of features directly from NYXI:

– The preferred gamepad for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
– Hall effect joystick, with no drifting
– Designed for performance ZR/ZL buttons, are quieter, lighter, have less resistance, and have shorter trigger distances to help you shoot faster. ABXY buttons have white light effects and a comfortable feel for an enhanced gaming experience.
– Removable joysticks and replaceable joysticks ring
– Ergonomic, non-slip design
– Wireless connection and long-lasting performance
– Adjustable Turbo & Mapping Function
– One-Key Wake-Up & Screenshot Function

The controller can be ordered via the NYXI website right now for $69.00 with options available for international shipping. Of course, if you’re in the market for a GameCube inspired controller but would rather opt for something with a more “traditional” layout, then you might want to check out the below Switch controller case from Retroflag:



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Elden Ring Streamer MissMikkaa Simultaneously Defeated Two Malenias With a Dance Pad and a Controller

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As if beating Malenia – arguably Elden Ring’s hardest boss – wasn’t a feat enough in itself, Twitch streamer MissMikkaa just beat two Malenias at one time with a controller and a dance pad.

MissMikkaa accomplished this astonishing feat during an “Ultimate Challenge Run,” where she tasked herself with playing “two Elden Rings games simultaneously with different controllers (Dance Pad & PS5 DualSense).” She also had to kill the “bosses on the same try on both game instances.”

You can see a clip of the victory below, and you can click here for the full battle.

It took her three days and 199 tries, but she prevailed in the end. She plans on taking down Radagon/Elden Beast next, and who knows what other challenges she will come up with in the future.

We spoke to MissMikkaa in November 2022 and she walked us through how she beat Elden Ring entirely with a dance pad, and this was even after she beat Malenia at level 1 with the same dance pad.

Malenia has been one of the toughest challenges in recent memory in the world of video games, and the difficulty of her battle inspired the rise of, alongside MissMikkaa and others, one of Elden Ring’s most legendary players, Let Me Solo Her. This player would appear in players’ games to take down Malenia single-handedly, and we also talked to them about how they became a hero to all.

For more in the world of Elden Ring, check out our chat GinoMachino, the player who beat every single boss without taking a single hit and why we picked Elden Ring as our Game of the year in 2022.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.



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Elden Ring Streamer Defeats Two Malenias Simultaneously With Controller And Dancepad

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Twitch streamer MissMikka has accomplished a legendary gamer feat in Form Software’s Elden Ring: She’s killed two Malenias at the same time with a standard controller and an unconventional dancepad controller.

It took MissMikka three days and 199 tries to defeat the dual Malenia. The streamer wrote in her celebratory tweet, “In the beginning I was not even sure if this run was possible. Radagon/Elden Beast is next!”

Malenia’s not the first Elden Ring boss to be taken down in this way. The Godess of Rot’s defeat is just one of MissMikka’s Ultimate Challenge runs, a series where the streamer defeats two copies of the biggest and baddest Elden Ring bosses with a controller and dancepad.

Back in September 2022, GameSpot interviewed the legendary MissMikka and chatted with her on process and more. MissMikka stated that her first successful Malenia battle, a single one, took 329 tries and 15 hours.

In related Elden Ring news, the game swept award ceremonies. It took home GameSpot’s Game of the Year Award. Elden Ring also, funnily enough, earned not only Steam’s Game of the Year, but also Best Game You Suck At. And at The Game Awards, Elden Ring–you guessed it–got Game of the Year as well. Devs From Software also announced its next game, Armored Core 6, during the ceremony.

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors.
GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.



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Technology

PlayStation 5 accessibility controller kit ‘Project Leonardo’ announced

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Get the details below.

Accessibility is an important topic to us at PlayStation [41,758 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/platforms/playstation”>PlayStation, and we want to continue raising the bar to enable every gamer to experience the joy of play. Whether it’s the robust accessibility options in PlayStation Studios games like Sony Santa Monica’s God of War Ragnarok [17 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/games/god-of-war-ragnarok”>God of War Ragnarok or Naughty Dog [295 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/sony-interactive-entertainment/naughty-dog”>Naughty Dog‘s The Last of Us Part I [6 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/games/the-last-of-us-part-i”>The Last of Us Part I, or the wide array of features in our PS4 [24,448 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/platforms/playstation/ps4″>PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 console UI, we’re passionate about reducing barriers to play for every gamer.

Today at CES, we announced the next step in our journey to make gaming more accessible: Project Leonardo for PlayStation 5. Developed with key contributions from accessibility experts, community members, and game developers, Project Leonardo is our codename for a new highly customizable controller kit that works “out of the box” to help many players with disabilities play games more easily, more comfortably, and for longer periods.

Through conversations with accessibility experts and incredible organizations like AbleGamers, SpecialEffect and Stack Up, we’ve designed a highly configurable controller that works in tandem with many third-party accessibility accessories and integrates with the PlayStation 5 console to open up new ways of gaming. It is built to address common challenges faced by many players with limited motor control, including difficulty holding a controller for long periods, accurately pressing small clusters of buttons or triggers, or positioning thumbs and fingers optimally on a standard controller.

Here are some of the key features:

Highly Customizable Play Experience [206 articles]” href=”https://www.gematsu.com/companies/experience”>Experience

Hardware customizations. Project Leonardo for PlayStation 5 is a canvas for gamers to craft their own play experience. It includes a robust kit of swappable components, including a variety of analog stick caps and buttons in different shapes and sizes.

Players can use these components to craft a wide array of control layouts. And the distance of the analog stick from the game pad can be adjusted to suit the player’s preference. These components allow players to find a configuration that works for their strength, range of motion, and particular physical needs.

Software customizations. On the PlayStation 5 console players have an array of options to tailor their Project Leonardo play experience:

  • Button Mapping
    • The controller’s buttons can be programmed to any supported function and multiple buttons can be mapped to the same function. Conversely, players can map two functions (like “R2” + “L2”) onto the same button.
  • Control Profiles
    • Players can store their programmed button settings as control profiles and easily switch between them by pressing the profile button.
    • Up to three control profiles can be stored and accessed by the player from their PlayStation 5 console at any time.

Works Collaboratively with Other Devices and Accessibility Accessories

Project Leonardo can be used as a standalone controller or paired with additional Project Leonardo or DualSense wireless controllers. Up to two Project Leonardo controllers and one DualSense wireless controller can be used together as a single virtual controller, allowing players to mix and match devices to fit their particular gameplay needs, or to play collaboratively with others.

For example, players can augment their DualSense controller with a Project Leonardo controller or use two Project Leonardo controllers on their own. A friend or family member can also assist by helping to control the player’s game character with a DualSense controller or a second Project Leonardo controller. The controllers can be dynamically turned on or off and used in any combination.

Project Leonardo is expandable through four 3.5mm AUX ports to support a variety of external switches and third-party accessibility accessories. This enables users to integrate specialty switches, buttons or analog sticks with the Project Leonardo controller. The external accessories can be dynamically connected or disconnected, and each can be configured to act like any other button.

Flexible, Adaptable Design

Project Leonardo’s split, symmetric design allows players to reposition the analog sticks as close together or as far apart as they like. The controller lies flat and does not need to be held, so players can lay it on a tabletop or a wheelchair tray. It can be easily secured to AMPS mounts* or tripods, and can be oriented 360 degrees for the most comfortable use. Players can also program the “north” orientation on the analog sticks to match their preferred controller orientation.

Sony Interactive Entertainment designer So Morimoto shares some insights on how his team approached the industrial design of Project Leonardo:

“Project Leonardo is part of the PlayStation 5 product family and is based on the same design concept. We were inspired by the idea of all players enjoying the world of PlayStation together. Our team tested over a dozen designs with accessibility experts, looking for approaches that would help address key challenges to effective controller use. We finally settled on a ‘split controller’ design that allows near free-form left/right thumbstick repositionability, can be used without needing to be held, and features very flexible button and stick cap swapping.

“Because players can customize Project Leonardo according to their needs, there is no one ‘right’ form factor. We want to empower them to create their own configurations. The controller can also flexibly accept combinations of accessibility accessories to create a unique aesthetic. I am excited that the design will be completed through collaboration with players rather than presenting them with a single form factor.”

—So Morimoto, Designer, Sony Interactive Entertainment

Looking Ahead

Project Leonardo is currently in development and we continue to gather valuable feedback from the community. We’d like to thank all the wonderful organizations and accessibility experts who are supporting us in this effort.

We are also grateful to everyone in the community who has advocated for greater gaming accessibility. You are the reason we do our work and your passion inspires us every day. It’s truly a privilege for us to create products that better serve your needs. We look forward to sharing more in the future, including additional product features and launch timing.

Watch the announcement trailer below.

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The Official Hori Taiko no Tatsujin Drum Controller for Nintendo Switch Has Dropped to the Lowest Price Ever

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If you’ve been eyeing the official drum controller for the Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! but shied away at the steep price, look again. Right now it’s on sale for the lowest price ever.

Official Taiko no Tatsujin Controller for Switch

Taiko no Tatsujin Rhythm Festival

Right now you can pick up the officially licensed Hori Taiko no Tatsujin drum controller from the Bandai Namco Store for only $62.99, a 10% price drop from the original $70 MSRP. This drum kit is almost never i stock at Bandai Namco, and the only way to normally get it is via 3rd party vendorslike on Amazon. They are usually more expensive, between $80-$100. Note that the game isn’t included with the drum kit, so pick up the heavily discounted Taiko no Tatsujin Rhythm Festival game over at Amazon at the same time.

Taiko no Tatsujin is an extremely fun and challenging drum rhythm game for the Nintendo Switch. Taiko no Tatsujin might not be well down in the United States, but the franchise is hugely successful and popular in Japan. There, it’s a common presence in arcade galleries where you’ll often see maestros performing superhuman combos on the highest difficulty levels. The Nintendo Switch game emulates this game in everything but its controls. Whereas in the arcade version you’re banging away on drumsticks, you’re relegated to using the button controls or the touchscreen interface in the Switch version. This official drum kit from Hori is as close to the arcade version as you’re going to get. It’s responsive, it’s durable, and it will make Taiko no Tatsujin feel like a whole new (and better) game.

For more deals, take a look at our daily deals for today.

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Valve answers our burning Steam Deck questions — including a possible Steam Controller 2

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Nine months ago, I wrote that the Steam Deck wasn’t ready. Many of you clearly disagreed: the handheld gaming PC has been the top-selling item on Steam for 30 of the past 41 weeks.

Being the “early access game console” didn’t keep this affordable, portable gaming computer down. Frankly, it’s my gadget of the year, thanks in no small part to the 90-plus updates Valve has shipped since its debut. But the pace of updates and reliance on Linux can make it a volatile platform, too: Valve itself has occasionally introduced nasty new bugs, and game publishers have occasionally broken compatibility with their own updates.

Before I take a fresh look at the Steam Deck for The Verge, I wanted to know what Valve’s intentions are for its future. To my surprise, Steam Deck designers Lawrence Yang and Pierre-Loup Griffais granted me a wide-ranging interview — revealing not only that they plan to update the software indefinitely but also that they’re still experimenting with hardware, too.

Here’s what we’ve learned.

“I don’t think you should expect that,” says Griffais. “Stable in terms of having a great experience for people? Yeah, absolutely. But I think we are always going to be pushing updates as long as there’s people playing.”

For updates, the team is primarily working off two big lists, says Yang: “things we want to fix, and things we still want to make.”

“The bug list grows as more people get Steam Deck and we get more feedback about things — and the feature list kind of stays the same size because as we add features, we get more features we want to add based on our own experience and what we’re hearing from customers,” he says.

“I struggle to see a point where we’d consider it done.” – Pierre-Loup Griffais

One of the most exciting parts of being a Steam Deck owner is trying those new features — like the horizontal performance overlay that recently rolled out in the Preview ring, letting you keep tabs on frame rate, temperature, battery life, and more using the portion of the screen that goes wasted in any game that runs letterboxed.

But Valve is also aware that it’s shipped some embarrassing bugs even to its Stable ring, the one you’d generally expect to just work, so it’s been getting a little more cautious about what it pushes out. Griffais says the team has been moving to a monthly cadence for Stable updates and suggests things will also improve as more Steam Decks roll out “because it’s only a subset of users that opt into these more advanced update channels.”

It also helps that updates download in the background now. “We’re aiming to make the update process as painless and smooth as possible… you just reboot into them,” says Griffais.

a:hover]:text-gray-63 text-gray-63 dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray”>Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge

iFixit called battery replacements “the Steam Deck’s Achilles heel.” It’s the one part of the handheld computer that isn’t easy to remove — which is unfortunate when you consider that batteries are the most obvious wear component of any portable computer.

I asked Valve: why all the glue? Doesn’t your L-shaped battery already have a nice L-shaped pocket to keep it secure?

I believe you always need some extra room around the battery to account for possible battery expansion in any design, right? Because of that, you can’t really have the battery-shaped hole where it goes into the case be exactly the same size as the battery, and so for that reason there’s always a risk that if it’s not fastened properly, it will be rattling around or shifting. And because it’s a very heavy component with respect to the rest of the Deck, it would be a very bad experience to have a battery that’s loose in there. In some of our early prototypes we had that issue, and I’ll tell you, it doesn’t feel good at all, when you’re just moving around and trying to use your Deck.

“You don’t want a Steam Deck maraca, and you don’t want a battery possibly touching other important components and jostling them around,” adds Yang.

But Yang also says that Valve’s intent is for everything to be as repairable as possible, admits the glue isn’t ideal, and says the team is already making it easier with new hardware revisions. “We have rolled in a change to the geometry of the adhesive, making the battery easier to loosen,” says Yang. Hopefully, that new shape should make it easier to pry.

Delta or Huaying? That was the question on many a Steam Deck owner’s mind when we came to find that some Steam Decks were shipping with a whinier fan manufactured by Delta Electronics.

It was concerning enough that Valve decided to stop shipping any systems with the Delta fan for a time. “There was a period of time where we were only building Steam Deck with the Huaying fan,” says Yang. Valve made the Huaying fan readily available from iFixit, too, if you want to attempt your own easy repair. Yang confirmed to me that the iFixit fan “does not exhibit that [whine] characteristic.”

But Valve has actually resumed shipping the Delta fan, too, because it now has “an engineered foam solution to reduce fan noise,” Yang tells The Verge. We haven’t tested it yet ourselves, but there’s good reason to believe it’d help: early on, the Reddit community discovered that a few layers of carefully applied electrical tape offered some improvement. So did a software update that changed the fan curve, but I still preferred the Huaying’s whoosh to the Delta’s whine after trying both myself.

As of late October, owners can check which fan they have under Settings > System > Model/Serial Numbers.

a:hover]:text-gray-63 text-gray-63 dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray”>Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge

While Yang says “most of our efforts are on the software side” now, there are other behind-the-scenes hardware tweaks beyond fans and battery glue. “For example, the Steam and Quick Access button, we looked at improving the feel of those and I think the outcome of that is already rolling out to new units” as of August.

Before the Steam Deck, there were Steam Machines, Valve’s failed attempt to bring your gaming PC into the living room by offering gaming PC manufacturers a controller and early Linux support. Now that the Steam Deck is a success, will it reboot that initiative? Maybe! Valve is still working on making the Deck’s SteamOS 3 available for other manufacturers’ PCs, and it hopes they’ll carry the torch once that’s done.

“Once it’s widely available, not only are we excited to see other manufacturers making their own handheld PC gaming devices, we’re excited to see people make their own SteamOS machines which could include small PCs that they put next to their TV,” says Yang.

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Griffais says that Valve is already testing additional concepts in the living room, too, but cautions that “things are very busy with the Deck right now and we can’t be everywhere at once.”

“We’re doing our own experiments, but would also love to work with third-parties to see what they would have to bring to the table as well,” he says. Yang adds that the Steam Deck dock might already be “the missing link” for those seeking a living room game console. And, he points out, the work that Valve put into UI scaling and third-party game controller support should be transferable to anyone else’s Steam Box as well.

The Steam Deck launched with the most powerful GPU ever in a handheld PC, but that won’t be true for long: several companies are sticking AMD’s 6800U laptop chip into their machines for notably more performance. But that doesn’t phase Valve, partly because the team thinks its custom Aerith SoC is way more power efficient.

“The performance level you get between 8 and 12 watts, which is kind of the sweet spot in terms of efficiency… I don’t think you’ll see off-the-shelf offerings based on mainline notebook product lines significantly outperforming that in maybe a few generations,” says Griffais.

For example, ETA Prime recently showed that the upcoming Aya Neo 2, which houses a 6800U, is notably more powerful in an apples-to-apples test. But it also easily drew 40W of total system power compared to the Steam Deck’s 29W or so. That’d be enough to drain the Steam Deck’s battery in a single hour, though Aya’s pricey handheld does include a larger battery than Valve’s.

The other reason Valve doesn’t see them as competition, though, is because they could easily be partners, too. “We actually want to work with them to make sure that, if they want to use SteamOS or offer a SteamOS based alternative, that can be done,” says Yang.

Valve has repeatedly confirmed that the Steam Deck is a “multi-generational product” and new versions are on the way. What will they include? When I asked Yang and Griffais for the pain points they wanted to address in a sequel, they had nearly identical answers: screen and battery life.