The mystery “Valve 1030” that went via South Korea’s Nationwide Radio Analysis Company has now been definitively recognized as a Steam Deck, and it’s our first proof the {hardware}’s doubtlessly shut sufficient to launch to justify exhibiting it to regulators.
Quectel filed for a Class II Permission Change to easily enable its licensed Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth chip, the FC66E, to retroactively work in a brand new Steam Deck, too.
It’s a intelligent approach — as you’ll be able to see within the doc above, Valve’s provider is ready to argue that the brand new Steam Deck has a weaker antenna than different gadgets (presumably laptops, desktops and tablets) that use the chip, so its radio emissions don’t should be retested.
Does this imply that the brand new Steam Deck is a minor refresh that solely provides Wi-Fi 6E? I very a lot doubt that. In reality, Wi-Fi 6E may not be a supported new characteristic in any respect — South Korea solely licensed the gadget for 5GHz Wi-Fi, not 6GHz Wi-Fi, regardless of the nation approving unlicensed use of the 6GHz band again in 2020.
Valve can disguise no matter new options it likes behind the Wi-Fi chip certification as a result of these companies solely have a tendency to control radio emissions, not different specs. I have a few ideas for what Valve ought to embrace subsequent.
I’ve to confess it might merely be an present Steam Deck with a refreshed radio chip if its earlier provider, Realtek, ran out. However Valve wouldn’t must {cook} up a brand new “1030” mannequin for that, would it not?
Lynch continues to search out code snippets that counsel a wi-fi PC VR headset can be on the best way — I wouldn’t be stunned if Valve pronounces each objects concurrently.