Valve CEO Gabe Newell has confirmed that the Steam Deck can connect to any hardware.
Valve CEO Gabe Newell has confirmed that the Steam Deck will be compatible with external gaming devices and software – meaning it’ll work with systems like the Oculus Quest. The Nintendo Switch -like portable PC, which is set to arrive in December, will allow players to pair hardware and download software from rival companies in an effort to preserve the “openness” of the PC ecosystem, Newell confirmed in an interview with IGN. That means that, as well as VR headsets like the Quest and Quest 2, Steam Deck owners will be at liberty to install software such as the Epic Games Store, too. “If there’s hardware I want to attach or software I want to install, I can just go and do it,” Newell reiterated. That doesn’t suggest mixing up the Steam Deck software is explicitly encouraged, mind, but it does mean the option is open to players wishing to experiment with different hardware and operating systems, as they might otherwise do with a conventional PC.