Valve’s subsequent thriller gadget could also be imminent

Now, Valve could also be truly on the brink of ship at the least one in every of its {hardware} concepts. South Korea’s Nationwide Radio Analysis Company has licensed a “low energy wi-fi gadget” from Valve with the designation “RC-V1V-1030,” as noticed by @dxpl at Arca.reside (by way of Brad Lynch).

The South Korean certification tells us mainly nothing in regards to the gadget, save that it makes use of 5GHz Wi-Fi, which most computer systems have already got at this level. It could possibly be just about something.

However telecommunications regulatory businesses sometimes don’t require certification for inside prototypes — provided that you’re going to import at the least a small amount of units in a rustic, and perhaps put them on sale. (For what it’s price, it seems just like the Valve Index was licensed by South Korea days after it was first introduced.)

The Valve gadget has not but appeared at the US’ FCC database, nor the Bluetooth SIG — and it could by no means seem at both one. Valve managed to get the Steam Deck previous the FCC with out being noticed early, by having its Wi-Fi / Bluetooth vendor Realtek re-certify the wi-fi module somewhat than certifying the Steam Deck itself.

Galileo and Sephiroth. Screenshot by Phoronix

There are different hints in Valve’s personal code, nonetheless — Phoronix’s Michael Larabel noticed that Valve has added new adjustments across the Steam Deck’s Van Gogh APU, together with the mysterious product identify “Galileo” and product household “Sephiroth.” (Aerith, carefully related to Sephiroth in Last Fantasy VII, is one other identify for the Deck’s APU.)

Whereas Larabel initially suggests it’d simply be a Steam Deck refresh reference board, Valve’s Greg Coomer instructed me in 2021 that the Steam Deck’s current APU may make sense in a standalone VR headset. A brand new Steam Controller gamepad wouldn’t have a whole Steam Deck chip inside, although, in order that appears much less doubtless.

“We’re not able to say something about it, however it could run effectively in that atmosphere, with the TDP crucial… it’s very related to us and our future plans,” he instructed me.