Steam Deck's picked up a lot of interest since Valve's announcement two weeks ago. Presenting a tablet-like option for PC Gaming at a lower price point with a 2022 launch planned, we've heard several details about the specs now.
Between battery life confirmation, replaceable SSDs and the user interface, it can run virtual reality games too. Speaking to IGN for a video interview, Valve's president Gabe Newell spoke about the platform's open nature.
Read More: Oculus Air Link Guide: What Is It, How To Set It Up, Recommended Settings, Alternatives, And More.
Gabe Newell Confirms Steam Deck Can Link Up With Oculus Quest
Specifically, he told IGN:
Our view is that the openness of the PC ecosystem is the superpower that we all collectively benefit from. So if you want to install the Epic Games Store on here, if you want to run an Oculus Quest on it… Those are all great. Those are features, right? That’s what I want to hear as a gamer. I don’t want to hear that somebody’s got some Trojan horse that’s going to try to lock me down. I want to hear… whatever I want to do, if there’s hardware I want to attach to it, if there’s software I want to install… I can just go and do it. We think that’s great.
You can watch the video above, where these remarks can be found around the 8:40 mark. However, its worth noting that this won't guarantee VR performance on Steam Deck, as Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais previously advised “It has all the connectivity. You would need [a lot] to do that, but that’s not really what we’re optimizing the performance for.”
As such, we wouldn't expect high-end VR games like Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond to run smoothly from a Steam Deck. While Oculus Link can connect Quest and Quest 2 headsets to PC via a USB-C cable, Air Link's wireless nature would likely better fit Valve's upcoming handheld. We'll keep you informed as we learn more.
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