It is no secret that Valve It changed the rules of the game, literally, when it launched the Steam Deck, an affordable device that allowed users to play games. almost The latest AAA games everywhere. Its impact was so significant that Microsoft partnered with ASUS to launch the ROG Xbox Ally line. Many of us are waiting for Valve's next move, and it could happen as soon as this week. Some are even predicting a date: November 12th.
The first thing I read about it was a tweet (post on X) saying that Valve had emptied the announcements section from November 11th to 18th. Of course, having read about FremontOne can't help but think about this possibility, but let's take it one step at a time. First, We are only dealing with rumors.Although there are indications. With that clear, let's see what might happen during that week of the 11th to the 18th of this month.
Valve could unveil its home console soon
In ascending order of importance, the first thing that could happen is… that nothing happens. That the reserved week was for other reasons. Thus, after November 18th, we would still only have the Steam deckLCD is the older technology, while OLED is the newer and more current. However, if they present something, it could be one device or several.
Steam Frame
Under the codename Deckard, Valve is working on some new Virtual Reality glassesTo be honest, I'm not too keen on risking my eyesight to play a few games, but I'm not the only person in the world, and if they're working on it, it's because there's a market for it.
Steam Fremont
Fremont's codename refers to a desktop console From Valve. It would be like a Steam Machine, but with the lessons learned and Proton as a backup. Geekbench has already detected a new device with mid-to-high-end hardware running Windows 11 Pro, but it will most likely launch with SteamOS.
The best thing about this console is that It would come out at cost price...with the intention of encouraging us to buy Steam titles. The rumors don't reveal much more, such as whether it will be one model, several, or modular... These are details that will be kept under wraps for the official announcement.
Steam Controller 2
Rumors and edited images of what the Steam Controller 2 might look like are also circulating. According to these rumors, the design would be like removing the screen from a Steam Deck, resulting in a good controller that also features two touch panels.
Valve's expansion as a platform
They could also present a kind of expansion of your platform or brandIt's something they've already done with the Lenovo Legion Go SThe Steam Machine is a console available with SteamOS and Windows. This brand expansion makes sense when you consider partnerships with other brands to create devices for Steam. If this goes ahead, we could see Steam Machines in every color, shape, size, and hardware configuration imaginable.
Valve could make another big move.
If Valve launches Steam Machines, it would be a game-changer similar to the one they made with the Steam Deck. Their handheld console isn't the best in terms of performance, but it's excellent for what it offers at its price. The ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X performs better, but it also costs €200 more. Furthermore, using Windows hinders performance, as This has already been demonstrated in recent weeks.
The best part? In these cases, when someone takes a significant step, everyone else follows. At the very least, the launch of Valve's new consoles will shake up the market, and it will be easier to find desktop computers already configured for gaming, without needing to understand much about hardware or how to build one yourself. In the future, Microsoft is expected to take a step forward, and it could be as radical as not releasing a new Xbox console as such, but rather launching console-like PCs with a customized version of Windows 11 for gaming.
Hopefully, something will be announced this week. For me, if it's the home console, and they launch it with dual-boot support, even better.