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Nov 17, 2023

Valve Accidentally Plugs Nintendo Switch Emulator in Steam Deck Promo

Valve doesn't want to acknowledge it, but one of the key selling points of the

Valve doesn't want to acknowledge it, but one of the key selling points of the Steam Deck is its ability to support emulators like Yuzu. That capability was accidentally on full display earlier today when a new Steam Deck trailer featured Yuzu right next to Hades, Tunic, and Vampire Survivors.

The trailer was meant to confirm that the Steam Deck is now available to purchase without a reservation. However, it soon made waves among Steam Deck fans for other reasons. The trailer was quickly spotted by social media influencer Nibel, leading to plenty of discussions among fans on Twitter. A new trailer was soon posted with Portal 2 replacing Yuzu.

Valve's new official video for the Steam Deck has a very interesting game icon in ithttps://t.co/KvI6b2nVa1 pic.twitter.com/uPsw3hOpog

It was an obvious mistake by Valve, but it unwittingly showed what a major role that emulation — and piracy — have come to play on Steam Deck. While emulation has played a positive role in game preservation, Nintendo has aggressively targeted sites like RomUniverse, the owner of which was made to pay $21 million in a case decided in 2021.

Valve, for its part, is feigning ignorance about the Steam Deck's emulation scene, making this trailer a little bit of a freudian slip by the platform holder. Generally, Valve prefers to change the subject when the Steam Deck as an emulation machine comes up, preferring instead to highlight that its open-ended and highly customizable.

Either way, the Steam Deck has been a success for Valve, carving out a key niche within the PC community in no small part because it's so flexible. And with production bottlenecks easing in recent months, it's easier than ever to find one. In the meantime, check out our interview with Valve, in which we check in on some of the Steam Deck's burning questions

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.