While Game Mode won't make a huge difference for most PC games, if you're prone to heavy background task usage, or you're using a lower-end system without much overhead for games, Game Mode could be useful. Turning it off will ensure background processes aren't impacting while running a game. You can also simply search "Game Mode" in the Start menu to find it more quickly.Ĭlick to toggle Game Mode on or off. Navigate to the Game Mode section in the sidebar.Select the Gaming section of the Settings menu. Alternatively, you can simply type "Settings" into the Start menu to find it more easily. Open the Settings menu by clicking the cogwheel icon in the Start Menu.
But where Steam Machines tried to sell desktop systems in a marketplace already saturated with them, Switch-like PCs are still an entirely new sector-and one where Valve might very well succeed based on getting in earlier than other major Western manufacturers.VPN Deals: Lifetime license for $16, monthly plans at $1 & more And taking the lead on its own VR hardware meant not getting into bed with other OEMs, which is arguably one reason that Steam Machines didn't work out as a platform. While Valve has had its share of rocky hardware launches (particularly with its Steam Machine partnerships with other OEMs), the Valve Index saw the company streamline its manufacturing process with something resembling significant quality control.
Valve may very well be in a position to take a loss on every SteamPal sold in order to drive revenue through selling software on Steam, but it's unclear whether the turbulence of chip and other supply shortages could stop Valve from getting anywhere near the Nintendo Switch's $299 MSRP. I have no idea how much this device will cost. AdvertisementĪ completely different proposition than Steam Machines That in no way means Valve's increasingly cozy relationship with Microsoft couldn't result in a deal to get Windows onto the SteamPal, though it would not be surprising to see Valve skip the per-device Windows license and tell users that the SteamPal is open enough for them to customize like any other PC. Lastly, the SteamPal was built with Linux as a likely target, an idea that aligns with Valve's continued push to make its entire catalog compatible with the open source OS, particularly through Steam Proton. The SteamPal's Switch-like properties will include the option to "dock" to larger monitors via its USB Type-C port, but I don't have firm details on exactly how that connection will work or whether Valve has any plans for an eventual SteamPal dock. This also means I don't have details on crucial hardware aspects like battery size, screen size, pixel resolution, memory, and storage capacity. In other words, while I'm pretty confident that the SteamPal will include a d-pad, I can't say for sure. In other words, it looks and functions like a Nintendo Switch (albeit without removable "Joy-Con" controller functionality).įurther Reading Valve’s “Steam Play” uses Vulkan to bring more Windows games to LinuxThe SteamPal is still in the prototype stage, and its features are subject to change, as we've seen with prototype hardware for other Valve initiatives like SteamVR and the Steam Controller. The "SteamPal," whose name we're putting in scare quotes because we do not have confirmation of the device's final name, is an all-in-one PC with gamepad controls and a touchscreen.
At the time, curious code crawlers thought this discovery referred to some type of controller. On Tuesday, SteamDB operator Pavel Djundik spotted the change in Steam's code, which pointed to a new device named "SteamPal." The name is a derivative of a previously discovered code term, "Neptune," which began appearing in September of last year and came with a "Neptune Optimized Games" string. Multiple sources familiar with the matter have confirmed that the hardware has been in development for some time, and this week, Valve itself pointed to the device by slipping new hardware-related code into the latest version of Steam, the company's popular PC gaming storefront and ecosystem.
Video game and hardware studio Valve has been secretly building a Switch-like portable PC designed to run a large number of games on the Steam PC platform via Linux-and it could launch, supply chain willing, by year's end.