Valve will be Lenovo’s ‘special guest’ at just-announced gaming handheld event

“The future of gaming handhelds is coming to CES ’25, and you’ll have a front-row seat!” exclaimed the email in my inbox.

Let me translate: It seems that Lenovo has just announced it by default. The first SteamOS handheld device In Las Vegas on or before January 7, 2025. revealed last week.

Why do I say that? The January 7 event, titled “Lenovo Legion x AMD: The Future of Gaming Handhelds,” will feature a special guest: Valve SteamOS and Steam Deck co-designer Pierre-Loup Griffais. At this event, Lenovo and AMD called him Valve’s “chief design architect.”

(Most Valve employees are viewed internally simply as designers, as they move fluidly between teams and tasks; I believe Griffais once told me he preferred the same job, but in fact he also works on SteamOS and Steam Deck One of the few public figures. This is a fascinating company.)

Griffais won’t be the only interesting panelist choice on stage: Jason Ronald, Microsoft’s VP of Xbox Gaming Devices and Ecosystems, will also be in attendance. He’s now being introduced as Microsoft’s “next generation vice president.”

Here is a full description of the incident:

Join us for a cocktail party hosted by Lenovo Legion and AMD Gaming Leaders, with special guests including Valve and other gaming industry giants. We’ll share our thoughts on the future of gaming handhelds and showcase the latest innovations from AMD with the Lenovo Legion Go. Come hear how Lenovo Legion and AMD Ryzen are making gaming more immersive for everyone, and stay to experience the future of handheld gaming firsthand!

yes no Microsoft is currently expected to launch the Xbox handheld device at the event, as gaming boss Phil Spencer has hinted It may take several years. But Microsoft and Lenovo may try to imply that all handhelds are Xbox handhelds, as Microsoft does in its new “This is Xbox” marketing campaign:

I will be participating and I will let you know!