Microsoft and ASUS plan to drop a portable Xbox, Valve plans to drop SteamOS for everyone else.
Hi, hello, and welcome to a new edition of overkill gaming, soon to be overkill digest again. Yep, the majority voted to bring back tech, toys, and other hobbies, so the name change is getting reversed.
But that’s a task for next week because I’ve managed to catch the deadliest sickness known to humanity: the man-flu.
That’s also why today’s newsletter is shorter than usual and has no premium commentary. My brain is too congested to string two thoughts together. Sorry, Chris (who edits these emails before they go out).
With that, let's (still try to) get to it.
🗞️ This Week in Handhelds
🚀 Big Handheld Moves
- Valve is preparing SteamOS for other handhelds. The first preview beta for SteamOS 3.7 has launched and brings, I quote, "Beginnings of support for non-Steam Deck handhelds". While this update is still only available for the Steam Deck itself, it looks like it's only a question of time before Valve can ship SteamOS publicly for other devices, like they've announced earlier this year. I wonder if then Valve decides to launch it as SteamOS 4. Besides early handheld-support, 3.7 also updates the OS to a newer Arch Linux base, brings the Linux kernel to 6.11 and brings a new Mesa graphics driver base.
- Xbox plans to ship a handheld by the end of the year, kinda. It looks like there might be an Xbox-branded handheld this year after all, but while Microsoft plans to refactor Windows for handheld-devices (so that we can have a SteamOS-like Gaming mode on Windows handhelds, too), the current rumour is that ASUS might be the one actually building the hardware. This new device is expected to ship by the end of the year, while a new console is slated for 2027.
🎮 Platform Updates
- Retroid releases the specs for the Pocket Classic. The Game Boy-style handheld by Retroid comes with a 3.5-inch IPS screen (at a 4:3) aspect ratio, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage and a 5000mAh battery. The processor, a Unisoc T820 should run up to GameCube games.
- Panda3DS might be coming to iOS. It's only a single tweet but maybe 3DS emulation is soon coming to iOS. Just CEMU is missing to cover my favourite classic Nintendo platforms.
💻 Hardware Corner
- AYANEO is busy again. Two new products are coming from AYANEO: The ACE which is "the dream machine for retro gamers" whatever that means; and the Pocket S2 is the new flagship Android handheld and will be revealed tomorrow (March 17).
🎲 Gaming News
- Death Stranding 2 will be released on June 26. This news dropped on Sunday, and I was sooooo 🤏 close to send out an email with nothing but that gorgeous, crazy trailer. My hype is immense, I took PTO on the 26th and 27th.
- The best games under $10 in the Steam Spring Sale. New sale, so here is our obligatory sales post with the best (Steam Deck friendly!) games we could find under $10. Doom for $2 is crazy.
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remake might be coming very soon. Current rumour mill points to an April update, and I am more than ready. Skyrim is probably the game I've played the most, but I've always preferred the storytelling of Oblivion. Give me a modern, moddable Oblivion and I will stop doing anything else for months.
- Assassin's Creed Shadows will run on Steam Deck after all. 4 more days left. Thankfully, I finished Avowed a few days ago.
📌 Quick Hits
- Mechanism is holding a Spring Sale. 20% on Deckmate bundles, the Gaming Pillow, and accessories like the Cablemate.
- BlizzCon is back, next year. The last BlizzCon took place in 2023, so we have to wait one more year for Blizzard's convention.
Dig the new format? Hate it? Hit those feedback buttons below and let me know what's working.
Ok, that's all. My head hurts.
Thanks for reading!
See you,
Kevin