Valve shows off Steam Deck protoypes without a D-Pad

Valve has shown off several Steam Deck prototypes, dating back to 2019.

As part of Valve launching the handheld PC in Asian territories, the company unveiled several iterations of the handheld as it was refined and redesigned on its road to launch in 2021.

The prototypes, all of which are reportedly bootable, feature the same configuration of buttons, however, some of the older models don’t feature a D-pad, instead optioning for segmented buttons, like the Nintendo Switch.

Older models of the Steam Deck also featured circular trackpads, rather than the square ones that made it to the retail model. These circular pads are similar to that used in the Steam Controller, Valve’s discontinued peripheral.

The earliest version of the hardware that was put on display also featured smaller thumb sticks, not unlike Sony‘s PlayStation Vita.

The units were reportedly hand-built, so it’s possible that the thumb sticks on display are literally from a PlayStation Vita retail unit that was repurposed for these prototypes.

The similarity between the direction buttons and those of the Nintendo Switch could also point to Valve using Nintendo‘s hardware in the design process of the Steam Deck.

In an interview with Weekly Famitsu magazine, the team behind Steam Deck confirmed that it expects to continue iterating on the hardware going forward. 

“Unless something major changes, there will be a next generation of Steam Deck products in the future,” designer Greg Coomer replied.

“The theme, size and shape will change, and it might even become a streaming machine. Development of the Steam Deck will continue.

“One reason is that it is an extension of our core Steam platform,” he said. “The Steam Deck is another PC in another form, but Steam has many other uses besides this handheld device, such as on TV or on the desktop, and we will continue to work to satisfy our customers as much as possible.”

Further reading

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Valve booklet appears to confirm plans for future Steam Decks

Valve calls Steam Deck a 'multi-generational product line'

Last month it was noticed that a newly published Steam Deck booklet by Valve refers to future iterations of the Steam Deck, suggesting new hardware is planned.

“Steam Deck represents the first in a new category of Steam handheld gaming PCs,” the booklet reads. “In the future, Valve will follow up on this product with improvements and iterations to hardware and software, bringing new versions of Steam Deck to market.”