I am very interested in the success of this device. I have, use, and love my Steam Deck, but my biggest hopes for this form factor in the future is it using generational CPU improvements to create a more diverse set of devices, rather than just chasing higher performance.
I don't actually play many games on my Deck that toe the line on its performance limits, I prefer to play 2D and lighter 3D games on it, while leaving the "spectacle" games for a more powerful system outputting to a much larger display at a higher resolution. I would love long-term to have a more smaller, lightweight device for portable PC gaming, and I hope that increased diversity in the market, running Linux-based systems (even if it's all just SteamOS) will help drive towards that. I think that the pipedreams of running x86 games on Linux on ARM on a really power-efficient device, even as unrealistic as they are, are far more likely to occur if there's a healthy market of Linux based systems, than they would on Windows handhelds given the state of Windows on ARM, and on these devices in general.
If Valve is working with Ayaneo to get SteamOS shipped on these devices, then I imagine Valve would have some level of involvement on at least the software support side, even for things specific to the device. If Ayaneo is just like shipping by using one of the existing 3rd party SteamOS installers and not working with Valve at all, then yeah I expect things to be not as smooth sailing as the Deck.
@Gork@mr_MADAFAKA The deck and all these handhelds just drive game sales on Steam, which is where Valve makes all it's money... Competition between handhelds doesn't bother them!
They still get all the money from people using steam on it, and further help reduce their dependency on Windows/Microsoft by having SteamOS be more widly accepted amongst manufacturers/consumers