Steam Deck
Hardware, storefront and ecosystem news for Steam Deck.
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Can the SideWinder Game Pad, Microsoft's first game controller, work on modern PCs? I bought three of them to find out
This article investigates the compatibility of Microsoft's original SideWinder Game Pad 1.0 with modern PCs. Despite its historical significance and innovative features for its time, the controller faces significant hurdles due to outdated connectivity ports and a lack of driver support, making it difficult to use with contemporary systems.
Phantom Blade Zero explodes on Steam, and its creator is "deeply grateful" to his team
Phantom Blade Zero has achieved significant success, becoming Steam's top seller globally and reaching the second-highest concurrent player count shortly after launch. Game Director Liang expressed deep gratitude to his team, highlighting their passion and dedication throughout development, which began from a smaller student project. The game aims to deliver a powerful and cool action RPG experience rooted in Chinese wuxia, with features like adjustable difficulty and extensive PC customization options.
James Pond 2 (Recompile) - A platforming classic from the 90's goes ultrawide
Gary Riches has released a native C++ recompile of the 1991 Amiga game James Pond 2: Codename RoboCod, available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Steam Deck. This modern overhaul introduces widescreen support, smooth performance, controller rumble, and a save system, preserving the classic's legacy for contemporary hardware.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 review
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is a triumphant return to form for the series, with Infinity Ward delivering an exceptional experience across multiplayer, campaign, and its new extraction mode, DMZ. The game boasts superb gunplay, a compelling campaign that focuses on relatable characters, and a well-realized extraction mode that respects player time. While previous entries have faltered, Modern Warfare 4 sets a new benchmark for what Call of Duty should aspire to.
Bassist plays Halloween gig wearing a Steam Frame: 'Interestingly, only one guy asked me about the Frame'
A bassist utilized Valve's Steam Deck VR headset during a 45-minute Halloween-themed live gig, recording the performance and sharing the footage. While the headset was noted to get warm, the bassist found it lightweight and enjoyed the immersive recording experience, though they had to look down more to see the bass frets. The experiment was considered a fun oddity rather than a potential trend.
Half-Life: Alyx patch adds foveated rendering support a mere 6 years after the game's release
Valve has released a new patch for Half-Life: Alyx on PC, adding support for foveated rendering. This feature, which renders the center of the image at higher quality and the periphery at lower quality, can improve rendering performance, especially when combined with eye-tracking hardware. The update also includes support for the Steam Deck's Snapdragon processor.
Steam Frame kernel updated with external CD-ROM drive compatibility just one day after a user asked Valve for it
Valve has updated the Steam Deck's Linux kernel to include support for external CD-ROM drives, a feature requested by a user who wanted to play older games like Need For Speed Carbon. The change was implemented rapidly after the user's community post, demonstrating a quick response from a Valve employee.
The developer of one of my favorite 2020s RPGs does it because of BioWare: 'Baldur's Gate 1 is the first game…
Anders Lauridsen, lead developer of Skald: Against the Black Priory, discusses how BioWare's Baldur's Gate was the first game he truly loved and a major inspiration for his career in CRPGs. He highlights how BioWare's games captured the essence of tabletop role-playing and inspired a generation of developers.
Razer's Barracuda V2 Pro headset is such a premium powerhouse that it's even put my everyday music cans out to pasture
The Razer Barracuda V2 Pro is a premium gaming headset offering dual wireless connectivity, active noise cancellation, and an impressive 70-hour battery life. It provides excellent audio quality for both gaming and music, with a versatile design that includes a detachable microphone and a hidden dongle storage.
Valve adds CD-ROM support to Steam Frame kernel less than ten minutes after saying it would look into it
Valve has quickly added kernel-level support for CD-ROM drives to the Steam Deck after a user requested the feature to watch movies and install older games. A developer responded to the user's inquiry and implemented the change within minutes, suggesting official support may arrive in a future update.
Kumagumi just turned my favorite arcade shmup into a jacket, but I get it if you're here for memes
Japanese merchandise brand Kumagumi has released a collection of apparel based on classic Toaplan arcade shooters, including Truxton and Zero Wing. While many are drawn to the items for their connection to the 'all your base are belong to us' meme from Zero Wing, the article highlights the quality of the merchandise, particularly a jacket inspired by Truxton. The article also suggests retro gaming hardware like the Evercade console and its Toaplan cartridge packs as alternative ways to enjoy these classic shmups.
Penguin Colony Review
Penguin Colony is a unique cosmic horror game where players control a penguin witnessing events from H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness. Despite some frustrating platforming mechanics and a distracting UI element, the game is praised for its inventive premise, atmospheric environments, and its bold recontextualization of Lovecraft's themes, particularly his racism.
SweClockers testar ny generation handhållen gaming
SweClockers tests the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ and Acer Predator Atlas 8, two new handheld gaming PCs featuring Intel processors, comparing them against the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally X. The article evaluates their performance in running demanding games and how well Windows functions on these portable devices.
Redditor's mother-in-law finds missing Steam Deck on train, returns it to its rightful owner in a soap box nine…
A Reddit user's mother-in-law discovered a lost Steam Deck OLED on an Amtrak train and, after months of trying to locate the owner, has successfully returned it. The user went to great lengths, including contacting Steam Support and searching various subreddits, to reunite the device with its owner. The story highlights a positive act of kindness and a happy ending for all involved.
Xbox follows in PlayStation's footsteps, introducing AMD FSR 4.1, targeting better graphics and performance on Series X/S
Microsoft announced that AMD's FSR 4.1 image upscaling technology will be coming to Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, as well as handhelds like the ASUS ROG Ally. This AI-driven technology renders games at a lower resolution and upscales them for improved visuals and performance, potentially extending the life of current-generation hardware. The move follows Sony's recent introduction of its own upscaling technology, QSSR, for the PlayStation 5.
If the idea of an $1,800 Xbox that doesn't even run physical games horrifies you, I'd pick up an Evercade…
The Evercade Nexus offers a compelling alternative to prohibitively expensive next-gen consoles, providing a portable and affordable way to play physical retro games. While lacking some modern features, its commitment to cartridges and a growing ecosystem makes it a strong choice for players valuing ownership and approachable gaming.
Next gen Xbox console out in 2028 and more expensive than PS6 claims report
A report suggests Microsoft's next Xbox console, codenamed Project Helix, will launch by Christmas 2028 and may cost between $1,200 and $1,800, significantly more than the anticipated PlayStation 6. This comes amid ongoing component shortages and a reported failure of the current Xbox Series X/S. The report also indicates a new next-generation handheld device will be released by Christmas 2027.
Can you transfer your Final Fantasy Resonance Demo progress to the full game?
Players can transfer their progress from the Final Fantasy Resonance demo to the full game, with some caveats. Save data is not cross-platform and is specific to the original hardware generation. Experience gained after hitting level caps in the demo will not transfer, and a demo save can only be transferred if no full game save file already exists.
I'm not sure if the Steam Frame hits any corners in this bouncing screensaver, but maybe if I watch long enough the…
A Reddit user has created a free, open-source Windows screensaver featuring artwork of Valve's Steam VR headset and controllers. This project offers a low-cost way for users to engage with the hardware's aesthetic, even if they cannot afford the headset itself. Valve has also released CAD files for the Steam VR hardware under a Creative Commons license, encouraging community projects.
Is Valve now working on the Steam Deck 2? Rumors suggest leaked AMD chip could be the engine of the next-gen handheld
A leaked AMD 'Gainsborough' APU benchmark suggests Valve may be developing a successor to the Steam Deck, potentially named Steam Deck 2. The codename 'Gainsborough' aligns with Valve's previous use of Final Fantasy VII-inspired codenames for Steam Deck hardware. While early benchmarks show a slight performance increase over the current Steam Deck, there are doubts about the timing and the significance of the generational upgrade.
