WTF?! The Steam Deck has a stunning variety of makes use of, together with doubling as a distant controller for a machine gun turret. Valve’s handheld is getting used this manner by the Ukrainian military in its warfare in opposition to invading Russian forces.
Ukrainian Information firm TPO (through Tom’s {Hardware}) posted quite a lot of photographs on Fb displaying the nation’s troopers testing a machine gun turret in a subject. The weapon, Sablya, Is described as a “Ukrainian automated remote-controlled fireplace advanced designed for stationary set up on actual property objects or particular transport.”
What’s attention-grabbing in regards to the photographs is that one reveals a soldier holding a Steam Deck, and he isn’t having a sneaky recreation of Vampire Survivors. The Linux-powered system is getting used to manage the machine gun remotely.
This automated turret is one of the best use of Steam Deck I’ve seen to this point �*�ï¸Â pic.twitter.com/J727aDbBPn
– Sergey Mohov �” (@krides) April 24, 2023
The display screen is clean so we will not see what the interface is like, however because the gun has a digicam, it is possible that the feed could be seen on the Steam Deck; it might be used to observe the battlefield, purpose at targets, and fireplace the weapon. Tom’s speculates that as a result of the turret is automated, the Steam Deck would possibly have the ability to mark targets and let the gun do the remaining.
The turret could be operated as much as 500 meters away (virtually a 3rd of a mile). It may be outfitted with any mild anti-personnel or anti-tank weapons, together with a Kalashnikov machine gun. The Fb publish states that the turret will probably be fitted at checkpoints and different key places to assist the Ukrainian navy in its ongoing warfare efforts in opposition to Russia.
This is not the primary time gaming {hardware} has been used for navy functions. In 2018, the US Navy launched the USS Colorado, a Virginia-class submarine that makes use of an Xbox 360 controller to manage its periscope-like photonics masts. Controllers have additionally been used to manage drones and UAVs.
Valve is unlikely to be happy to be taught its Steam Deck is being semi-weaponized. However not like SpaceX, which stopped Ukraine from utilizing its Starlink service to manage drones, there’s little Gabe Newell’s firm might do to cease the observe.
