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Valve has rolled out a Steam update that adds new Big Picture mode features, speeds up client startup, and improves compatibility with Linux systems. The update is part of Valve's ongoing refinement of Steam's interface and performance.
The NBA is testing basketballs fitted with a tiny sensor, about one gram, built into the ball's air valve during preseason games. The sensor is reportedly undetectable to players during play.
Alinea Analytics estimates Steam generated $1.7 billion in September, up 13% year-over-year, and $5.5 billion in the third quarter, up 12%. Through nine months of 2026 the platform has taken in roughly $16.5 billion, leaving it needing about $3.5 billion in the final quarter to surpass $20 billion for the year for the first time.
Valve software engineer Timur Kristóf has been working on optimizations to boost performance of older AMD graphics cards under Linux's open-source driver stack. The work targets legacy GPU hardware that previously saw weaker support compared to newer AMD graphics chips on Linux.
On July 12, 1985, the launch of the Space Shuttle STS-51-F was halted at T−3 seconds due to a coolant valve malfunction in engine number two, leading to an automatic abort. The shuttle successfully launched on its second attempt on July 29, 1985, after a delay caused by uplink issues, but experienced an in-flight engine sensor failure that resulted in a lower-than-planned orbit. This was the only RS-25 engine failure during the shuttle program's operational history.
Valve Software has published GPUVis, a tool for visualizing GPU and system traces, with its source code hosted on GitHub under an MIT license. The project relies on several existing open-source components, including Dear ImGui, Simple DirectMedia Layer, gl3w, and trace-cmd, each retaining their own respective licenses.
The FDA has approved Edwards' Autus Size-Adjustable Valve, an artificial pulmonary valve for children born with congenital heart defects. Unlike previous valves, it can be implanted small, starting at 13 millimeters, and later expanded inside the body using a balloon catheter up to 22 millimeters as the child grows, avoiding repeated replacement surgeries.
Leakers Moore's Law is Dead and IT Home discovered a new AMD chip codenamed Gainsborough in recent driver files, built on TSMC's N3P process as a semi-custom design. Import records reviewed by IT Home show AMD has already shipped test equipment for the chip, which measures 25mm by 25mm, the same package size reportedly planned for AMD's upcoming Ryzen Z3 and Z3 Extreme handheld chips.
Reports indicate Valve is evaluating a new processor codenamed Gainsborough for a future handheld, widely assumed to be the Steam Deck 2. Details on the chip's specifications and manufacturer have not been officially confirmed by Valve.
Valve is rolling out its $1000 Steam Frame headset slowly through a lottery-based reservation system meant to curb scalping, similar to its earlier Steam Machine launch. In the meantime, gamers with existing VR hardware from Valve, HTC, Meta or other brands can already play VR titles on Steam using the SteamVR app, which connects headsets to the Steam launcher and unlocks features like SteamVR Home and dashboard settings.
Airbus is testing its ExoMars rover prototype with a Steam Deck as a handheld controller, as shown in a video by YouTuber Tom Scott touring the company's UK facility. Engineers used the device's sticks, buttons and triggers to drive the rover in real time during ground testing, while a laptop was used for another prototype in the same demonstration.
Valve's Steam Frame VR headset, previously expected in early 2026, has shipped now starting at $1,059. The Verge's review found it fun for both VR and flatscreen gaming but noted ongoing instability and bugs, echoing the rocky launch of the original Steam Deck.