Don’t Worry, Steam Deck Clones Are Coming

howtogeek.com:

It seems like every gamer is interested in the Steam Deck handheld gaming PC, but Valve simply can’t make enough devices to satisfy demand. Long waiting lists are the norm for Steam Deck, but clones could soon ease the strain.

Before we explain why it’s likely that Steam Deck clones are coming, we need a short history lesson. In 2015, Valve released its Steam Machine platform. These devices were pre-built PCs that looked like consoles and ran an early version of SteamOS.

While Steam Machines were not a success for various reasons, they tell us a lot about Valve’s way of thinking. Valve did not make their own Steam Machine but instead published a set of specifications that third-party manufacturers had to comply with to use the Steam Machine name. Valve wasn’t interested in making hardware but in getting Steam into more living rooms, expanding beyond the typical PC gamer space.

SteamOS, Valve’s custom Linux-based operating system for Steam Machines, certainly wasn’t ready at the time. Ultimately the idea of Steam Machines didn’t catch on, but the Steam Deck follows essentially the same business model and philosophy. The key difference here is that Valve has kick-started the market by releasing an actual product that gamers can buy.

One way to look at the Steam Deck is as a reference model. It’s an example of what the standard Steam Deck experience should be. From its physical ergonomics to the GPU and CPU architecture and performance, the Steam Deck sets a certain standard at a certain price point.

Valve has done all the hard research and development work; other manufacturers simply have to use the Steam Deck as a jumping-off point. Valve has even released the Steam Deck’s CAD files under a Creative Commons license, while the