Steam Decks are being used to control Star Wars droids, and now we know how

We've seen the Steam Deck used to control Star Wars droids across Disney parks for some time, but thanks to a new video posted this week, we have a little more info on how this process works, while also getting a clear look at the software being used.

The Steam Deck still holds the top spot on our best gaming handheld guide, and for good reason, with it being the easiest gaming portable to use thanks to SteamOS. Disney spotted the potential of this Linux-powered portable some time ago, and we now know what the droid handlers see when they take the droids out to meet the public.

This fresh look at how the Steam Deck is used to control Star Wars droids comes courtesy of Disney YouTuber Paging Mr. Morrow. In a trip to the Disney Imagineering campus, he was introduced to some droids before being allowed to take control using one of Valve's handhelds that is designed to mimic the look of the droids.

In the brief clip, posted above, we also hear one of the handlers say, "this [right joystick] controls the head, the left stick controls the body, and then if you click the left stick in, you can start walking around." Other visitors on the tour can be overheard stating that it was tricky to get the droids walking, as Paging Mr. Morrow, also known as Nathan Darienzo, also struggles with the action, seemingly tapping away at the stick rather than just activating it once.

Again, the handler can be heard explaining that, after clicking in the left stick, the droid should take two steps on the spot. This signifies that the droid is in walking mode, but alas, Nathan never quite got it working, at least not on camera, which is a shame.

Upon pausing the video, we get a fairly clear look at the interface used for controlling the droids, seen in the image above. It features two circular trackers, one of which has "motion phase" written next to it, although we speculate that these might be more for show than anything else. Also featured are a battery gauge, signal strength indicators, and what appears to be a way to control the volume of the droids. Finally, we spotted some temperature gauges, one of which is clearly marked as "CPU Temp", while on the other side of the screen, the "state" and "mood" of the droid are also noted.

We're excited to see Disney continue to use the Steam Deck as part of its imagineering process, and look forward to seeing new ways the Steam Deck can be incorporated into technology outside of gaming.

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