Will Gabe Newell bring a Steam Machine onboard his $800 million deep-sea vessel? I hope so

Valve co-founder, president, and all-round chill guy Gabe Newell is putting his gigantic fortune behind deep-sea exploration with an $800 million research vessel that could become one of the most capable ocean science ships ever built. Rather than another luxury yacht, the 531-foot RV11000 is going to Inkfish, Newell's marine research organization, and will house up to 130 scientists, engineers, crew members, and operators. Surely he's bringing a Steam Machine with him?

When he's not working on the Steam Machine or giving us copium for a Steam Deck 2, the project is another reminder that Newell's interests stretch far beyond Valve. Built by Norwegian shipbuilder Vard, the project is the largest single-vessel order in the company's history and aims to push research into parts of the ocean that remain largely unexplored. RV11000 is built to reach places few vessels can. According to Pubity, it will support missions at depths of up to 36,000 feet, enough to reach the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench.

It will also feature the largest battery system ever installed on a ship, allowing up to 12 hours of silent operation to reduce emissions and underwater noise during scientific missions. While fans continue to speculate about future Valve games and hardware, the billionaire has spent years investing in marine science through Inkfish, funding research and several expeditions.  At a glance, it may come across as an unusual direction for one of gaming's most influential figures, but this is the man who delivered Steam Decks to customers' doors personally.

The vessel is the latest addition to Inkfish's growing research fleet, joining the smaller RV6000, as well as Newell's existing research ships, Hydra and Dagon. Inkfish says the data gathered by its expeditions will be shared through open scientific repositories, helping researchers around the world study an environment where less than 30% of the seafloor has been mapped to modern standards.

While RV11000 is the centerpiece of Newell's ocean ambitions, it won't be working alone. His 364-foot superyacht Leviathan serves as the flagship for exploration missions, supported by the recently rebuilt 304-foot Draak. Formerly the luxury yacht Tranquility, Draak has been transformed into a dedicated expedition support vessel with dive facilities, heavy-lift cranes, specialist equipment, and extra accommodation for scientists and crew, allowing Leviathan to focus on research while Draak handles the logistics behind each expedition.

Meanwhile, on the shore, chaos is swirling around Valve's latest hardware offering. Steam Machine reservations are appearing on eBay at eye-watering prices, while Valve itself is killing off promising merch like Dbrand's Steam Machine Companion Cube. Amid the ongoing RAM crisis and ever-increasing hardware prices, I'm still hopeful that a Steam Deck 2 is on the horizon. While I'm a ROG Ally Z1E user, with BazziteOS installed, I'm eager to see what Valve's learned as more rivals have entered the market.

You can check out our list of the best handheld gaming PCs if you're in the market to take your games on the go.