Steam Deck Prototype Pics Spark Debate About What Could Have Been

As some recently released photos of the prototypes make clear, the Steam Deck has changed significantly over the course of development and refinement.

As reported by PC Mag (opens in new tab) , Valve developer Pierre Lou Griffis tweeted photos of old Steam Deck prototype models that were unveiled at a press event in Asia to show how the device is developing.

As Griffiths points out, these are prototypes from mid-2019, and it's interesting to see how gaming laptop design evolves.

Although the overall design remains almost the same, there are some key differences. Early models are much more curvaceous, with more pronounced contours on the sides and front.

Additionally, the trackpads on these older prototypes are circular in shape, and instead of a D-pad, there are four separate directional buttons in the upper left corner of the deck. Older hardware controllers are also smaller.

Griffiths also took to Twitter (opens in new tab) to clarify that the prototypes shown "mostly" work and are a great start (opens in new tab) , offered a video to explain it, and then revealed that Half Life 2 is under development. Filling

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It's a rare treat to see a device with these features being developed, and as you can imagine, the prototypes certainly sparked some controversy online. These first models look a little rough, even in retro style, but it's the middle figure that's most interesting. We agree that it looks incredibly clean and sleek, and much more compact than the last Steam Deck design.

If a Steam Deck Mini version is made, as some people are suggesting, it will probably be inspired by it. ​​​​​​While the small laptop has some advantages, it's certainly not for everyone, and while it looks stylish, there are probably good reasons why Valve didn't go that route: it's ergonomic and functional.

Likewise, there is some love for round trackpads, but not everyone. Something that we're very happy to see is that Valve has moved away from the somewhat short and shallow joystick, which we don't think is a good idea.

As for the future of the Steam platform, we don't know much at the moment, but we do know that Valve is planning several generations of the handheld, which isn't surprising given its popularity, and the idea is that it will be "more open and capable than current deck." A really good promise.

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