Valve is a corporation known for its innovation. Whether it is iconic games like Half-Life or virtual reality rigs for Steam, Valve is always looking to shake things up. Now, it seems that the company wants to innovate in the controller department with its anticipated handheld PC, the Steam Deck.
New patents reveal that Valve is working on a self-described “sensor-rich” Steam Deck for “enhanced controller functionality.” Valve's Steam Deck is a hotly anticipated rival to the thriving Nintendo Switch, essentially serving as an on-the-go gaming computer.
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It seems that Valve is placing particular care in the Steam Deck's trackpad. According to the patent, the system's trackpads will feature a pressure sensor for "sensing an amount of force associated with a press." It appears that the trackpads on the system could be used to respond in a variety of ways based on how much pressure is applied.
This has a wide variety of implications. With sensors like this in place, the Steam Deck could offer unique control schemes for games that players can only get with the system. For example, if a player needs to pop a balloon, they could be asked to apply a specific amount of pressure to a trackpad. These pressure related inputs could also, according to the patent, be paired with button presses to create unique gameplay scenarios.
The patent also indicates some level of customization with the system’s touch sensors. Whether it is user adjusted or game dependent, the pressure sensing qualities of the trackpads could be made or less sensitive depending on the task at hand. For example, players could lower the pressure threshold if they are using the pad to fire a weapon, allowing for a greater rate of fire. Developers could also bump up the threshold of the sensors, allowing for tense gameplay scenarios in which players have to hold a large amount of pressure for an extended period of time.
While certain specifics of the system are still a mystery, this new information gives gamers room to speculate about the system’s controller functionality. The patent’s wording seemingly indicates that the touch sensing capabilities of the system’s trackpad would allow for a greater level of interactivity and control. These capacitive sensors could be used for almost anything from directly controlling camera movement to allowing players to use swipe gestures for certain tasks.
The pressure sensing capabilities of these new sensors are exciting and leave gamers wondering if Valve’s Steam Deck is going to be the standard of handheld gaming for generations to come. That may be unclear, but what is clear is that Valve is looking to innovate and drive the industry forward once again.
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