Image via Valve

SteamDB founder Pavel Djundik has uncovered some interesting details in the latest Steam customer beta update. Djundik claims that he managed to discover references to a Valve projection thought to be codenamed "Neptune" and several strings that could bespeak progress towards Steam'southward compatibility with consoles or a console congenital to use Steam to run games.

The latest Steam customer update includes the strings of text, "SteamPal and SteamPal Games." Information technology's idea that these could exist how games are named when using a specific version of the market on consoles or "Neptune." Calculation to this, other cord references for "quick access, power, restart, and shut down" were as well found. Apparently, the Steam customer beta also has back-end functionality for airplane manner and Bluetooth. All of these are listed in SteamDB'south tracking GitHub. There, y'all tin besides detect a reference to the "Callisto Developer Program," which could be a codename for the developers involved in working on titles for "Neptune."

Djundik even went as far as questioning if Valve was doing more than than bringing Steam to consoles, stating that the visitor could exist making its own handheld device. The device would probably have the course of a handheld PC, not unlike the Alienware UFO. Withal, all the handheld-specific details mentioned could but as easily be references to a mobile Steam client.

Valve is no stranger to the hardware market. The visitor has produced the Valve Alphabetize VR headset, the Steam Controller, and the Steam Link. It's not out of the question that Valve would be making a handheld console, but no official give-and-take has been provided at the time of writing.

When asked about the possibility of Steam coming to consoles during a contempo visit to Sancta Maria College, Valve co-founder Gabe Newell answered, "You will get a better idea of that by the end of this year… and it won't be the answer you expect." Note that Newell'south argument could link to the "Callisto Programmer Program" in what he's proverb hither as well.