Will the Rumored Windows Handheld Mode Completely Solve Steam Deck’s Software Issues?

Valve released Steam Deck on February 25, 2022. When initially released, the reception of the public was positive towards the handheld PC. Xbox Gaming Studio CEO had congratulated Steam Deck, “On getting so many of us excited to be able to take our games with us wherever we decide to play”.

But now, the problems users are having with it make it outdated hardware. The battery life and buggy software were the main issues faced by the users. Well, looks like one of the problems of Steam Deck will be solved by Microsoft.

Windows helps out Steam Deck

Microsoft currently is not the pre-installed OS of the handheld console. The Valve device currently comes with Linux pre-installed. While Microsoft is currently testing out early concepts, fans surely are excited about Windows on Steam Deck.

Twitter user WalkingCat recently leaked the early concepts from the Microsoft Hackathon of September 2022. This Hackathon is a place for employees to pitch their ideas to Microsoft executives. The leaked video shows the employee’s presentation about the problems faced by handheld PC consoles.

The presentation went over the topics that cause problems with running Windows on the Valve handheld currently. Lack of controller support, games not being able to open due to unique display size, and VRAM crashes due to Windows drivers missing were a few of them.

Read More: Steam Deck Gets a Huge Discount as a Token of First Anniversary Celebrations

Results in favor of the handheld console

The video also references some prototype handheld work created by Dorothy Feng, a senior UX designer at Microsoft. The launcher includes apps for Steam, PC Game Pass, EA Play, Epic Games Store, and more. This launcher includes touch features, and a keyboard optimized for the Valve handheld. Controller support and a floating taskbar were also some features that make this launcher effective.

Hayden McAfee, a senior software engineer at Microsoft, looked at the development side of things. He spearheaded the development of drivers that help Windows run smoothly on the handheld PC. A public GitHub repository is now available online containing Steam Deck Windows Controller Drivers.

The project has solved the major issues faced by the Valve handheld on the software front. But still, the results of the project will take time to be public. Currently, Valve is facing an upcoming competitor for Steam Deck. What are your thoughts on the new Windows update for the Valve handheld? Let us know in the comment section below.

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