Skip to main content

A new Portal spinoff game is coming to Steam Deck

Valve’s new portable gaming console, known as the Steam Deck, is finally getting in the hands of players around the world. To coincide with this console release, Valve is releasing a new game set in the world of Portal titled Aperture Desk Job.

Aperture Desk Job Trailer

Aperture Desk Job is a playable short designed for the new Steam Deck that is described as a reimagining of the “been-there-done-that genre of walking simulators.” While the game is designed with the handheld in mind, it isn’t exclusive to the Steam Deck and can be played on a standard PC as well.

Recommended Videos

The game is referred to as a playable short and is advertised as a way to walk players through the controls and features of the new Steam Deck in a fun way. This focus on the handheld makes it a title exclusively played with controllers, therefore there is no keyboard and mouse support.

Valve made it a point to dash any hopes of this being a true sequel to Portal 2. The description of the game calls it an expanded universe of the one those games are set in, placing players in control of Aperture Science.

Portal: Companion Collection - Announcement Trailer - Nintendo Switch

A Portal handheld fix isn’t exclusive to the Steam Deck. Two weeks ago, a Portal collection titled the Portal: Companion Collection and containing Portal and Portal 2 was announced for the Nintendo Switch.

Aperture Desk Job is set to launch in three days on March 1 for both the Steam Deck and PCs. Steam Deck owners can download and experience the mainline Portal titles on the portable as well.

DeAngelo Epps
Former Digital Trends Contributor
De'Angelo Epps is a gaming writer passionate about the culture, communities, and industry surrounding gaming. His work ranges…
You can try a radical new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game on Steam right now
The Ninja Turtles pose together in key art from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown.

Steam Next Fest is here and you're likely about to be up to your eyeballs in video game demos. There are plenty of promising indies you can try for free during the event, and we'll coming at you with some recommendations as we uncover the gems. If you need a place to start, though, look no further than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown.

The Turtles' latest adventure is unlike any they've embarked on before. It's not some form of beat-em-up, but a turn-based strategy game by I Am Your Beast developer Strange Scaffold. The tactics genre may sound like an odd fit for our reptilian friends on paper, but it works surprisingly well. That's thanks to a new spin on the genre that gives players much more to do on a single turn. It's a fast-paced tactics game that feels spiritually linked to the Turtles' arcade days in ways you may not see coming.

Read more
Steam Next Fest: what it is, start times, games, and more
The Steam Next Fest logo.

We all have a list of upcoming video games that we're eagerly awaiting getting our hands on. Waiting is always the hardest part, but Valve tries to make that wait a little bit more bearable with its Steam Next Fest events. Hosted multiple times a year, this gives PC players a chance to play demos for a ton of upcoming PC games while the celebration is going on. This is the perfect chance to get an early look at some games you have on your wishlist, but also get exposed to some new games you hadn't heard of before. This is a major event with tons to do and not a lot of time to do it, so here are all the details you need about Steam Next Fest to make the most of it.
What is Steam Next Fest?
Steam Next Fest - February 2024 Edition Official Trailer

In short, Steam Next Fest is an event Valve hosts during select times during the year where developers can all release demos for their upcoming games at once for everyone to see. The entire Steam page will be taken over with featured demos, streams, and more to encourage people to check out these projects and add them to their wishlists.

Read more
Valve has taken further steps to ban exploitative game mechanics
A person running Steam on the M4 MacBook Pro. Rocket League is up on the screen

Valve has banned forced in-game advertisements for any game listed on the Steam platform. This means that any game that locks gameplay behind commercials, awards items for clicking a link, or utilizes any of the tricks that mobile games are so fond of will receive an instant ban.

One thing to keep in mind is this was already a rule, but it was buried on Steam's Pricing page within the Steamworks Documentation. Valve has since updated the database and added a page detailing advertising to make the rule much more visible, essentially giving developers an ultimatum: remove exploitative elements like this or be taken off Steam.

Read more