Valve’s adorable Steam Deck mascot is my new best friend
I would gladly give my life to protect Steam Pal.
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Valve unveiled its new mascot ahead of the Tokyo Game Show next week. And as someone who loves mascots and closely follows the hijinx of thePhillie PhanaticandOrbit from the Houston Astros, I couldn’t be happier.
According to atweetfrom the official Japanese Steam Deck account, “Pal” was created specifically for the launch of the Steam Deck in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. As the tweet (Google translated from Japanese) notes, ‘Pal’ means friend or companion, which is apt because I want Steam Pal to be my best friend.
Steam Pal is an adorable entity with a giant Steam Deck for a head and a little red valve acting as a bow while wearing a stylish kimono with a Steam Deck logo on the back. Considering howprevalent mascotsare in Japanese daily life, it makes sense that Valve has one for its Japanese debut.
In early August, the Steam Deck became available forpreorder in parts of Asia, with Komodo handling the retail end of things as an authorized reseller for the Deck. Valve even released a book about the Steam Deck and the company to a part of the world that isn’t too familiar with The House Gabe Built.
Introducing a special version of our Steam Pal mascot, created for our launch in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong! https://t.co/Do1D9QPqfrSeptember 9, 2022
Attendees heading to TGS next week can get hands-on with the Steam Deck before it ships out to users this holiday season. Valve also said that “novelties” featuring Pal will be available, which I’m hoping are adorable plushies.
So if you’re walking around the TGS show floor and see Steam Pal taking selfies, let me know ASAP.
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Jorge is a hardware writer from the enchanted lands of New Jersey. When he’s not filling the office with the smell of Pop-Tarts, he’s reviewing all sorts of gaming hardware, from laptops with the latest mobile GPUs to gaming chairs with built-in back massagers. He’s been covering games and tech for over ten years and has written for Dualshockers, WCCFtech, Tom’s Guide, and a bunch of other places on the world wide web.
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