Valve's foray into the world of handheld gaming via the Steam Deck has breathed fresh air into the mobile gaming space, with fans excited to pick theirs up in December of this year. While Valve has been reasonably candid with information on specs for the Steam Deck, aesthetic options have been less discussed, until a recent interview with PC Gamer revealed that Valve may be exploring the possibility of a variety of colorful Steam Decks.
The Steam Deck is being described by Valve as a handheld gaming PC, powered by the latest AMD CPU and GPU and sporting a 7 inch screen on which to display games at 800p native resolution. Valve is confident that the game can run anything available on Steam, and the handheld certainly seems to give the Switch OLED a run for its money in terms of performance. Aesthetically though, fans may be looking for something a little more customizable, much like a cell phone case or laptop skin.
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Although the Steam Deck has been shown in an understated matte black, Valve has been discussing color-scheme options for some time, enjoying "genuinely fun exploration" regarding potential colors. The team have apparently wondered if they could have "lots of colors," with a lot of debate as to how they may be implemented. While these discussions are ongoing, it seems that staple black will be the color that the unit ships in, with Valve saying that it is simply a matter of "logistics," with regards to having a number of units produced commercially. With how popular pre-orders have been for the device, and Steam Decks already being scalped online, it seems that logistical issues are going to be of great importance to the company during the initial sales period.
Evidently, if the Steam Deck is as successful and Valve assumes it will be, then the options for multiple colors will likely start to appear. The implication seems to be that Valve isn't just considering basic primary color themes, or a simple white variant for the Steam Deck, but instead exploring having a huge array of color options for gamers. With the Nintendo DS having a wide range of colors available over the course of its life, and the Switch OLED having great potential for skins of its own, it makes perfect sense for the Steam Deck to allow for some level of color customization.
Everything that has been coming from Valve's development team seems to suggest that a lot of care has gone into making the Steam Deck a very multi-purpose device. The ability to run VR from the Steam Deck, as well as using SD cards for extra space, and running AAA games on the handheld means that it can certainly cater to a large audience of gamers. Adding customization options to those who find the current design to be a little pedestrian may help Valve to win over fans who enjoy Nintendo products for their aesthetics, as well as making the device truly personalized.
The Steam Deck will be available in December of 2021.
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Source: PC Gamer