Steam Deck joysticks won’t suffer from drift issues, Valve claims

Valve says that each part has been extensively tested, and robust materials have been used to prevent drift in the Steam Deck.

The announcement of the Steam Deck came as a surprise to the gaming world and its community, as we haven’t had a portable console to accompany the Nintendo Switch since the PS Vita’s farewell. Valve will launch its new device in December, in three different models.

One of the big questions surrounding the Steam Deck is whether its joysticks will suffer from drift problems, also known as ”drift”.

Yazan Aldehayyat, the hardware engineer at Valve, says the team has taken this issue into account when making the Steam Deck joysticks. Not just in terms of the materials used, but all sorts of tests have been done to avoid it.

We’ve done a lot of reliability testing, on all fronts really, and all the inputs and different environmental factors and all that kind of stuff,” says Aldehayyat.

However, Valve’s engineer explains that, over time, some parts of the Steam Deck may fail. However, they stress that the joysticks of their hybrid console will stand up well to gaming sessions and the passage of time, preventing annoying drift.

”We think the Steam Deck will work really well. And I think people will be super happy with it. I think it will be a great buy. I mean, obviously, all the parts will fail at some point, but we think people will be very satisfied and happy with it”.

It should be noted that the Steam Deck will also feature track-pads just below the joysticks so that PC games that are best played with a keyboard and mouse can be enjoyed in handheld mode. Not only that, but we’ll be able to connect a keyboard, or connect it directly to a monitor.

It should be noted that the Steam Deck will also feature track-pads just below the joysticks so that PC games that are best played with a keyboard and mouse can be enjoyed in handheld mode. Not only that, but we’ll be able to connect a keyboard, or connect it directly to a monitor.

The Steam Deck will arrive in shops in December, in three different models, marking Valve’s entry into the world of consoles. The bad news, however, is that some games such as PUBG, Destiny 2, or Apex Legends will not be compatible… or, at least, for now.