Can it boot from microSD? Can it be used as a controller? Yes and yes

Valve has published a new FAQ page for the Steam Deck, answering a bunch of the internet’s most burning questions about the upcoming portable gaming PC.

Valve says it picked out 20 of the most popular questions about Steam Deck received over the past few months from Reddit, Discord, Twitter, and CEO Gabe Newell’s email inbox. Though we had plenty to say in our hands-on Steam Deck preview, there are still a lot of unknowns about the console, and now we have a bunch of fresh answers on key features straight from Valve.

Some of the new information we had already expected, like Steam Deck’s ability to run non-Steam games via Proton, but some of what’s answered in the FAQ page is genuinely new and exciting. For one, Valve today confirmed that you’ll be able to use the Steam Deck as a PC controller via Remote Play, which should please folks eager for a game pad with more features like touchpads, touch-sensitive control sticks, and extra back buttons.

Valve also says Steam Deck will support multi-boot, allowing you to have multiple operating systems installed and to choose which one to boot into whenever you power on the device. Better yet, the device will be able to boot from microSD cards, which means you could technically turn your Steam Deck into a part-time portable retro games console without taking up any space on the actual hardware.

Check out the rest of Valve’s Steam Deck FAQ for more detailed info on the machine’s specs and features, as well as potential retail availability.